Get Synaptics touchpad gestures working after clean install of Windows 8.1

Hello All,

I struggled for hours and searched forum after forum After upgrading my Dell Inspiron 11 3147 to Windows 8.1. After downloading and reinstalling many different versions of the driver, I realized that despite it saying the driver was installed, windows device manager was still showing the generic mouse drivers.

Then I was recommended to install the drivers from the Synaptics site and not Dells. The drivers I downloaded would yet again not install AUTOMATICALLY that is. It appeared to be an unassigned driver to Windows. After figuring out how to install unassigned drivers and manually forcing windows to install the driver I needed BAM I had a fully functioning touchpad with gestures.

First you will need to download the newest drivers on the Synaptics website, and extract the files to a desired location: drivers.synaptics.com/Synaptics_v17_0_19_C_XP32_Vista32_Win7-32_XP64_Vista64_Win7-64_Acme_Inc.zip

Below are the steps I took to get my Dell Inspiron 11 3147's touchpad working with gestures.

1. Press Win+C- This opens the right side menu.

2. Click Settings

3. Click Change PC settings

4. Click Update and Recovery

5. Click Recovery

6. Under Advanced startup click Restart Now

Your machine will then reboot at this point and have you "Choose an option".

7. Click Troubleshoot

8. Click Advanced options.

9. Click Startup Settings

10. Click restart

Your computer will restart and you will be prompted to select 1-9.

11. Press 7 for Disable driver signature enforcement

Your computer will now boot into windows.

12. In "This computer" formerly "My Computer" in previous versions of windows click Manage

If you know how to get to device manager than you are good to go.

13. Once in the Device Manager/Computer Management console select Device Manager

14. Expand Mice and other pointing devices

15. Right click on the generic mouse device and click Update Driver Software

16. Click browse my computer for driver software

17. Click browse and navigate to the extracted driver file you downloaded.

18. Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer

19. Click have disk then click browse and navigate to the synaptics driver folder>WinDFD>x86 or x64> then select the synPD driver file.

20. Click OK

21. Choose the Synaptics ps/2 port touchpad and click next.

Your driver will now install and may ask permission to continue installing the driver, agree and you are good to go. Reboot windows and your touchpad will function properly with gestures.

I appologize i was in a rush trying to write this up, if you have any questions shoot me an email. admin@veallman.com I can step you through it personally when you make contact.