How to fix touchpad disappearing on Windows 11
If you can’t find the touchpad cursor on the screen, try these troubleshooting steps on Windows 11.
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If the touchpad is missing or not working onWindows 11, you can resolve this issue by following several troubleshooting steps.
On Windows 11, if you have a laptop, the day may come when you won’t be able to navigate the operating system and apps because the cursor suddenly disappears on the screen or becomes frozen, and you can’t move it around.
In this case, the operating system offers a number of troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue. You can perform basic steps like restarting the device and cleaning the touchpad to reconfigure the device to update drivers and uninstall updates as necessary.
In thishow-to guide, I will explain the steps to troubleshoot and fix the touchpad that is disappearing on Windows 11.
How to resolve issues with touchpad disappearing on Windows 11
It’s possible to troubleshoot the touchpad with only the keyboard, but connecting a wired mouse is ideal.
Basic troubleshooting recommendations
If the touchpad isn’t working on your computer, try these recommendations first:
Enable touchpad feature
If the cursor is missing on the screen, it’s likely that the touchpad is disabled on your computer. You can quickly enable this feature from the Settings app.
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To enable the touchpad on Windows 11, use these steps:
If you have a wired mouse, connect it to the computer, openSettings>Bluetooth & devices>Touchpad, and turn on the"Touchpad"toggle switch.
Update or reinstall touchpad drivers
A touchpad disappearing from the desktop can also indicate a driver problem.
Update driver
To update the touchpad driver, use these steps:
If you have a wired mouse, connect it to the computer, openSettings>Windows Updates>Advanced options>Optional updates, select the touchpad driver update and click the"Download & install"button.
Reinstall driver
To reinstall the device driver for the touchpad on Windows 11, use these steps:
If you have a wired mouse, connect it to the computer, open Device Manager, expand the"Human Interface Devices"category, right-click the touchpad device, choose the"Uninstall device"option, click the"Uninstall"button, and restart the computer.
After restarting the device, the touchpad should be reinstalled automatically.
Uninstall buggy system update
If the problem with the touchpad appears after installing a quality update, you want to roll back to the previous build to resolve the issue.
To uninstall a recent update on Windows 11, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the touchpad should appear again on the screen.
You can always restart the computer from the keyboard by pressing the"Windows"key, pressing the"Tab"key until the profile menu is selected, pressing theright arrowto select the “Power” button, pressing the"Enter"key, using thedown arrowto select the “Restart” option, and pressing the"Enter"key.
If this is the case, chances are that there’s a compatibility problem with the system update or current device driver. It’s recommended that you consult your device manufacturer for additional support.
In the meantime, openSettings>Windows Updateand click the"Pause for 1 week"button to prevent the update from downloading again.
If nothing seems to be working, there could be a physical problem with the touchpad, or the device could be broken.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
