Cart

Article Number: 000123353

ČeskyDanskDeutschEnglishEspañolSuomiFrançaisItaliano日本語한국어NederlandsNorskPolskiPortuguêsРусскийSvenskaTürkçe简体中文

Touchpad Usage and Troubleshooting Guide

Summary: Refer to the information to help resolve issues including erratic cursor or not moving and how to disable or enable the touchpad (may be known as mousepad).

Article Content

Symptoms

Test touchpad in ePSA

Duration: 00:39
Closed captions: English only

Cause

When your touchpad is not working as it should, refer to the expanding section below that best matches the issue that you are having and follow the instructions.

When you are having issues with the touchscreen on your notebook or tablet in Windows 7, 8(8.1), and 10, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Troubleshooting Touchscreen Issues in Microsoft Windows.

Suggested Quick Fixes:

  1. Make sure the touchpad is turned on. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Disable or Enable the Notebook Touchpad.
  2. Make sure the touchpad and your finger do not have any dirt, grease, liquids, or food on them (the touchpad has to make good contact with your finger to work correctly).
  3. Save any data, close any open programs, and restart the computer.
    Note: Do not touch the touchpad until the computer is booted up, as it goes through a calibration process while booting up.
 
|

  1. Make sure the touchpad and your finger do not have any dirt, grease, liquids, or food on them (the touchpad has to make good contact with your finger to work correctly).  
  2. Make sure the touchpad is turned on. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Disable or Enable the Notebook Touchpad.  
  3. Save any data, close any open programs and restart the computer by using a wired USB mouse (if available) or Bluetooth mouse if it is already installed, if not, press hold the power button for at least 15 seconds to turn the computer off (you will lose any data that is not saved).  
  4. Unplug everything except the power cord, including the following:
    • Speakers.
    • Printers.
    • Scanners.
    • USB devices.
    • USB flash drive or other external storage devices.
    • External monitor.
    • External keyboard.
    • External mouse.

    When your computer is attached to a docking station, undock it.

     
  5. Turn the computer back on and retest the touchpad.
    Note: Do not touch the touchpad until the computer is booted up, as it goes through a calibration process during booting up.
     
  6. When the cursor does work correctly, attach one external device at a time, and test the cursor movement to see which one may have caused the issue.  
  7. Make sure the BIOS is updated to the latest version. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?  
  8. Also, some Notebooks and Tablets with Keyboards have added gesture features to the touchpad hardware and drivers. A few of these features are two or three-finger scrolling, pinch zoom, circle zoom, rotate, and swiping. These new features may be the reason for the erratic cursor movement since most are turned on by default. You can disable or modify the way that the features work in the touchpad driver properties.  

    This section covers the Microsoft Windows Operating System (OS) that is installed on your computer; select the tabs below to find out more information.

     

    1. In the Search box, type main.cpl.  
    2. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    3. Touch or click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Notes:

      When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

      • The utility is not installed. In that case, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
      • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10 and refer to "The Cursor Movement is Not Smooth (Erratic) or Does Not Move at All section for instructions on how to change the settings, when your computer does have the Dell Precision Touchpad.
       
    4. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    5. Touch or click Gestures (depending on your computer, there may not be a Gestures option).  
    6. Change the options as preferred.  
    7. Touch or click Save.  
    8. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
    9. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
    Note: For more information, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, Touch, and Keyboard. External Link

     

    1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
    2. In the Search box, type main.cpl.  
    3. Click or touch main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
      Notes:

      When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

      • The utility is not installed. In that case, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
      • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10 and refer to "The Cursor Movement is Not Smooth (Erratic) or Does Not Move at All section for instructions on how to change the settings, when your computer does have the Dell Precision Touchpad.
       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Touch or click Gestures (depending on your computer, there may not be a Gestures option).  
    7. Change the options as preferred.  
    8. Touch or click Save.  
    9. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
    10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
    Note: For more information, refer to the following video (English only).

    Touchpad Not Working - Windows 8

     

    1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.  
    2. In the Search box, type main.cpl.  
    3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Touch or click Gestures (depending on your computer, the listing may be worded similarly, or there may not be a Gestures option).  
    7. After changing the options, touch or click Save.
    Note: For more information, refer to the following video (English only).

    FAQ About Dell Touchpads - Windows 7

     

    1. Click Start  
    2. In the search box, type Mouse.  
    3. Click Mouse.  
    4. Click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Click Scrolling and Zoom Settings.  
    7. After changing the options, click OK.
  9. When the touchpad still does not work after following the preceding steps, Dell offers a utility that checks the health of your system's hardware and software called SupportAssist.

    SupportAssist is now preinstalled on most of all new Dell computers running the Windows Operating System, and can be found by:

    1. Touch or click the Start button.
    2. Scroll until you see the Dell folder.
    3. Touch or click the Dell folder.
    4. Touch or click SupportAssist.
      Note: If it is not preinstalled, refer to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page for installation instructions.
    5. Touch or click Hardware Checkup.
    6. Touch or click Scan a Specific Device.
    7. Scroll down until Mouse is listed.
      Note: Depending on your specific hardware configuration, you may have more than one listing for Mouse. Hover your pointer over the Mouse listings, and you see a description that reads either:
      • HID-compliant mouse

        When this is the only listing, it means one of two things:

        • The drivers for your touchpad are not installed, and it is recognized as a regular mouse, you can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
        • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad, and it is recognized as a regular mouse, you can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10.
      • Dell Touchpad
    8. Touch or click the desired device and follow the instructions.
      Note: When there is more than one listing for a mouse, it means you probably have an additional mouse connect to the computer, you can test them individually if you desire.

  1. Make sure the BIOS is updated to the latest version. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?

Select the tab below that matches the Operating System (OS) that is installed on your computer. Follow the steps to make sure the settings are correct to prevent the cursor from moving around erratically while typing.

 

  1. In the Search box type, main.cpl.  
  2. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
  3. Touch or click the Dell Touchpad tab.
    Notes:

    When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

    • The utility is not installed. In that case, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices. You can also try:
      1. Open the Start Menu
      2. Go to Settings
      3. Go to Devices
      4. Click Mouse
      5. Click Additional mouse options
      6. On the Mouse Properties window, open the pointer options tab
      7. Check Hide pointer while typing
    • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10 and refer to "The Cursor Moves Around Erratically While Typing on the Notebook Keyboard" section for instructions on how to change the settings when your computer does have the Dell Precision Touchpad.
     
  4. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
  5. Touch or click Sensitivity.  
  6. Make sure there is a checkmark in the Turn On box to the right of Touch Guard.  
  7. Move the circle under Touch Guard all the way to the right (this can always be adjusted back if the setting is too high).  
  8. Touch or click Save.  
  9. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
  10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
Note: For more information, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, Touch, and Keyboard. External Link

 

  1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
  2. In the Search box type, main.cpl.  
  3. Click or touch main.cpl in the list of programs.  
  4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
    Notes:

    When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

     
  5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
  6. Touch or click Sensitivity.  
  7. Make sure there is a checkmark in the Turn On box to the right of Touch Guard.  
  8. Move the circle under Touch Guard all the way to the right (this can always be adjusted back if the setting is too high).  
  9. Touch or click Save.  
  10. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad Utility.  
  11. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

 

  1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.  
  2. In the Search box type main.cpl.  
  3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
  4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
    Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
     
  5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
  6. Touch or click Sensitivity, Touchpad Settings or Palm Rejection.  
  7. Make sure there is a checkmark in the Turn On or Enable box next to Touch Guard, Palm Check, TouchCheck, or Palm Rejection.  
  8. Move the Touch Guard, Palm Check, TouchCheck, or Palm Rejection slider all the way to the right (this can always be adjusted back if the setting is too high).  
  9. Touch or click Save or OK.  
  10. Close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
  11. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

 

  1. Click Start.  
  2. In the search box, type Mouse.  
  3. Click Mouse.  
  4. Click the Dell Touchpad tab.
    Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
     
  5. Click the picture of the touchpad.  
  6. Click Sensitivity.  
  7. Make sure there is a checkmark in the Turn On box to the right of Touch Guard.  
  8. Move the circle under Touch Guard all the way to the right (this can always be adjusted back if the setting is too high).  
  9. Click Save.  
  10. Click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
  11. Click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

  1. Make sure the touchpad and your finger do not have any dirt, grease, liquids, or food on them (the touchpad has to make good contact with your finger to work correctly).  
  2. Make sure the latest driver for the touchpad is installed (see notes below), you may need to use an external USB or Bluetooth mouse. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How do I download and install a device driver?
    Notes:
    • Some newer Notebooks and Tablets with Keyboards have a Dell Precision Touchpad that uses a driver that is built into Windows and will not need a driver to be downloaded. For more information about how to find out when your Notebook or Tablet has a Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10.
    • For those Notebooks and Tablets that do not have a Dell Precision Touchpad, the touchpad drivers are located in the Input section, which is listed as Dell Touchpad / Pointing Stick, Alps - Driver or Synaptics - Driver.
  3. Change the touchpad settings to adjust the pointer speed.  

    Click the tab that matches the Operating System (OS) installed on your computer and perform the steps within that section to change the settings.

     

    1. In the Search box type, main.cpl.  
    2. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    3. Touch or click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Notes:

      When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

       
    4. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    5. Touch or click Sensitivity.  
    6. Move the slider under Pointer Speed to adjust the cursor speed to the desired level.  
    7. Touch or click Save.  
    8. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
    9. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

     

    1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
    2. In the Search box type, main.cpl.  
    3. Click or touch main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
      Notes:

      When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means one of two things:

       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Touch or click Sensitivity.  
    7. Move the slider under Pointer Speed to adjust the cursor speed to the desired level.  
    8. Touch or click Save.  
    9. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad Utility.  
    10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

     

    1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.  
    2. In the Search box type main.cpl.  
    3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
    4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.

      For more information, refer to the following video for Windows 7 (English only), How to Check If Dell Touchpad Drivers are Installed - Windows 7.

       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Move the slider under Pointer Speed, Touchpad Speed, or Trackpad Speed to adjust the cursor speed to the desired level.
      Note: You may need to touch or click Touchpad Settings or Trackpad before you see the slider.
       
    7. Touch or click Save or OK.  
    8. Close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
    9. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

     

     

    1. Click Start.  
    2. In the search box, type Mouse.  
    3. Click Mouse.  
    4. Click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
       
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
    6. Move the slider under Pointer Speed to adjust the cursor speed to the desired level.  
    7. Touch or click Save.
  4. Turn off the computer.  
  5. Unplug any devices, including the following:
    • Speakers.
    • Printers.
    • Scanners.
    • Other USB devices even an external keyboard.
    • USB flash drive or other external storage devices.
     
  6. Turn the computer back on and retest the cursor movement.
    • When the cursor does work correctly, attach one external device at a time, and test the cursor movement to see which one may have caused the issue.
     
  7. When the touchpad still does not work after following the preceding steps, Dell offers a utility that checks the health of your system's hardware and software called SupportAssist.

    SupportAssist is now preinstalled on most of all new Dell computers running the Windows Operating System, and can be found by:

    1. Touch or click the Start button.
    2. Scroll until you see the Dell folder.
    3. Touch or click the Dell folder.
    4. Touch or click SupportAssist.
      Note: If it is not preinstalled, refer to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page for installation instructions.
    5. Touch or click Hardware Checkup.
    6. Touch or click Scan a Specific Device.
    7. Scroll down until Mouse is listed.
      Note: Depending on your specific hardware configuration, you may have more than one listing for Mouse. Hover your pointer over the Mouse listings and you see a description, that reads either:
      • HID-compliant mouse

        When this is the only listing, it means one of two things:

        • The drivers for your touchpad are not installed, and it is recognized as a regular mouse, you can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
        • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad, and it is recognized as a regular mouse, you can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10.
      • Dell Touchpad
    8. Touch or click the desired device, and follow the instructions.
      Note: When there is more than one listing for a mouse, it means you probably have an additional mouse connect to the computer, you can test them individually if you desire.

  1. Make sure there is nothing preventing the touchpad buttons from moving. Most touchpad buttons have some sort of clicking noise or tactile response when pressed down all the way.
  2. Make sure the touchpad and your finger do not have any dirt, grease, liquids, or food on them.
  3. Save any data, close any open programs, and restart the computer. When you do not have a mouse or touchscreen, you may have to hold the power button down for at least 15 seconds to turn the computer off and you will lose any data that is not saved.
    Note: Do not touch the touchpad until the computer is booted up, as it goes through a calibration process during booting up.
  4. Turn the computer back on and retest the touchpad buttons.
    Note: Do not touch the touchpad until the computer is booted up, as it goes through a calibration process during booting up.
  5. Make sure the touchpad is turned on. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Disable or Enable the Notebook Touchpad.
  6. Some Notebooks have a setting to turn the touchpad buttons off and on. Make sure the touchpad buttons are turned on.

    Select the tab below that matches the Microsoft Windows Operating System (OS) that is installed on your computer, to find out more information.

     

    1. In the Search box, type main.cpl.
    2. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.
    3. Touch or click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. In that case, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
    4. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.
    5. Touch or click Buttons.
    6. Touch or click the Touchpad Buttons On/Off toggle, to toggle the touchpad buttons on or off.
    7. Touch or click Save.
    8. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.
    9. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
    Note: For more information, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, Touch, and Keyboard. External Link

     

    1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.
    2. In the Search box, type main.cpl.
    3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.
    4. Touch or click the Dell Touchpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. In that case, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.
    6. Touch or click Buttons.
    7. Touch or click the Touchpad Buttons On/Off toggle, to toggle the touchpad buttons on or off.
    8. Touch or click Save.
    9. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.
    10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
    Notes:

    For more information:

     

    1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.
    2. In the Search box type main.cpl.
    3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.
    4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
      Note: When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
    5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.
    6. Touch or click Buttons.
    7. Touch or click the Touchpad Buttons On/Off toggle, to toggle the touchpad buttons on or off.
    8. Touch or click Save.
    9. Touch or click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Dell Touchpad Utility.
    10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.
    Note: For more information, refer to the following video (English only).

    FAQ About Dell Touchpads - Windows 7

  7. Make sure the BIOS is updated to the latest version. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?
  8. When the touchpad still does not work after following the preceding steps, Dell offers a utility that checks the health of your system's hardware and software called SupportAssist.

    SupportAssist is now preinstalled on most of all new Dell computers running the Windows Operating System and can be found by:

    1. Touch or click the Start button.
    2. Scroll until you see the Dell folder.
    3. Touch or click the Dell folder.
    4. Touch or click SupportAssist.
      Note: If it is not preinstalled, refer to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page for installation instructions.
    5. Touch or click Hardware Checkup.
    6. Touch or click Scan a Specific Device.
    7. Scroll down until Mouse is listed.
      Note: Depending on your specific hardware configuration, you may have more that one listing for Mouse. Hover your pointer over the Mouse listings, and you see a description that reads either:
      • HID-compliant mouse

        When this is the only listing, it means one of two things:

        • The drivers for your touchpad are not installed, and it is recognized as a regular mouse. You can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
        • That your newer computer has a Dell Precision Touchpad, and it is recognized as a regular mouse, you can test basic functionality such as mouse clicks and cursor movement. To determine whether your computer has the Dell Precision Touchpad, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Use the Dell Precision Touchpad Features in Windows 8(8.1) and 10.
      • Dell Touchpad
    8. Touch or click the desired device, and follow the instructions.
      Note: When there is more than one listing for mouse, it means you probably have an additional mouse connect to the computer. You can test them individually if you desire.

When performing the preceding steps and the touchpad still does not work correctly, you can use a restore point to take the OS to a time the touchpad worked (in Windows 10 it is called refreshing the OS). If that does not work, you may need to reinstall your OS. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How To Restore or Reinstall Microsoft Windows on a Dell Computer.

 

There may be scenarios where the functions of the touchpad buttons have accidentally been changed, or you want to change them.

Click the tab that matches the Operating System (OS) installed on your computer and perform the steps within that section to change the settings.

 

  1. In the search box, type Touchpad.  
  2. Touch or click Mouse and touchpad settings (System settings).  
  3. Under Select your primary button, use the drop-down menu to select whether you want the Left or the Right button to be the primary button (the one that selects items).

 

  1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
  2. In the search box, type Touchpad.  
  3. Touch or click Mouse and touchpad settings.  
  4. Under Select your primary button, use the drop-down menu to select whether you want the Left or the Right button to be the primary button (the one that selects items).

 

  1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.  
  2. In the Search box, type main.cpl.  
  3. Touch or click main.cpl in the list of programs.  
  4. Click or touch the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab.
    Note: When the Dell Touchpad or Cypress Trackpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
     
  5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
  6. You may need to touch or click either Button Settings or Button before getting to the Buttons options.  
  7. Using the drop-down menus under Left Button and Right Button select what you want the Left and Right buttons to do when pressed.
    Note: The typical settings are Click for the Left button and Shortcut Menu for the Right button.
     
  8. Touch or click Save or OK.  
  9. Close the Dell Touchpad Utility.  
  10. Touch or click OK on the Mouse Properties window.

 

 

  1. Click Start.  
  2. In the search box, type Mouse.  
  3. Click Mouse.  
  4. Click the Dell Touchpad tab.
    Note: When the Dell Touchpad tab is not listed, it means that the utility is not installed. Refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs, for more information about downloading drivers. The Dell Touchpad Driver/Utility is listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices.
     
  5. Touch or click the picture of the touchpad.  
  6. Click Button Settings.  
  7. Using the drop-down menus under Left Button and Right Button, select what you want the Left and Right buttons to do when pressed.
    Note: the typical settings are Click for the Left button and Shortcut Menu for the Right button.
     
  8. After changing the options, click OK.

For information about how to Disable or Enable the Notebook Touchpad on your computer, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article How to Disable or Enable the Notebook Touchpad.

  1. Save any data, close any open programs, and restart the computer. When the touchpad and keyboard do not respond at all, and you do not have an external mouse, you may have to press and hold the power button down for at least 15 seconds to turn the computer off, and you will lose any data that is not saved.  
  2. Make sure the BIOS is updated to the latest version. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?  
  3. Make sure Windows has the latest updates. For more information, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article Windows Update: FAQ.

  1. Run the SupportAssist application.
    1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
    2. In the Search box type, supportassist.
      Note: When SupportAssist is not listed, proceed to the next step.
       
    3. Use the up or down arrows if need to highlight SupportAssist (App) in the list of programs, and then press the Enter key.  
    4. Press the Tab key until Start now is highlighted.
      Note: It may take as many as eleven times, pressing the tab key to highlight Start now.
       
    5. The application looks for updated drivers as well as scans your hardware and optimizes your computer. Follow the prompts.  
    Note: When the preceding steps have not resolved your issue, proceed to the next step.
     
  2. Uninstall the mouse driver, and let Windows reinstall it.
    1. Press and hold the Windows (Windows Button) key, and then press the q key.  
    2. In the Search box type device manager.  
    3. Use the up or down arrows if need to highlight Device Manager (Control panel) in the list of programs, and then press the Enter key.  
    4. Press the Tab key.  
    5. Use the down arrow to highlight Mice and other pointing devices, and then use the right arrow key to expand it.  
    6. Use the down arrow to highlight the first listing for Dell Touchpad or HID-compliant mouse.  
    7. Press and hold the Shift key, and then press the F10 key.
      Note: On some notebooks, you will need to press and hold the shift key and then press and hold the Fn key, and then press F10.
       
    8. Use the down arrow to highlight Uninstall device and then press the enter key.  
    9. Make sure Uninstall is highlighted and press the Enter key.  
    Note: Refer to the next step on how to restart the computer.
     
  3. Restart the computer.
    1. Press the Windows (Windows Button) key.  
    2. Press the Tab key until the Expand icon Windows Expand Button is highlighted.  
    3. Press the down arrow until the power icon Windows Power Button is highlighted.  
    4. Press the Enter key.  
    5. Press the down arrow until Shut down is highlighted.  
    6. Press the Enter key. The computer will reboot.

The following videos are for Windows 7, Windows 8(8.1), and Windows 10, which are in English only.


How to Fix Touchpad Problems on a Laptop		 SLN305031_en_US__66Video spacer
USB Devices Not Working Windows 10

FAQ About Dell Touchpads - Windows 7		 SLN305031_en_US__66Video spacer
How to Check If Dell Touchpad Drivers are Installed - Windows 7

FAQ About Dell Touchpads - Windows 8(8.1)		 SLN305031_en_US__66Video spacer
Touchpad Not Working - Windows 8(8.1)
  • Make sure Windows has the latest updates. For more information, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article Windows Update: FAQ.
Resolution

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Visit the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Currently, offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, and France PC customers. Server and Storage not applicable.

Article Properties

Affected Product

Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2518H, Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2518HF, Alienware 34 Monitor AW3418DW, Alienware 34 Monitor AW3418HW, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Retired Models, Dell E2216H, Dell 24 Monitor: SE2417HG Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2518H, Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor AW2518HF, Alienware 34 Monitor AW3418DW, Alienware 34 Monitor AW3418HW, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Retired Models, Dell E2216H, Dell 24 Monitor: SE2417HG, Dell SE2719H, Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB16, Dell G3 3579, Dell G7 15 7588, Dell G3 3779, Inspiron 3452, Inspiron 5548, Inspiron 15 7572, Inspiron 7580, Inspiron 3052, Inspiron 3252, Inspiron 3655, Inspiron 3656, Inspiron 3668, Latitude 7290, Latitude 3390 2-in-1, Latitude 7390 2-in-1, Latitude 7390, Latitude 3490, Latitude 5490, Latitude 5491, Latitude 7490, Latitude 3590, Latitude 5590, Latitude 5591, Vostro 5370, Vostro 14 3468, Vostro 5471, Vostro 15 3568, Vostro 3578, Vostro 15 5568, Vostro 3268 See more

Last Published Date

03 Mar 2021

Version

6

Article Type

Solution

Rate This Article

Accurate
Useful
Easy to Understand
Was this article helpful?

0/3000 characters