10 Things You Can Do if Your Laptop Touchscreen Isn’t Working

If your laptop has a touchscreen and the touch screen is not operating seamlessly and occasionally turns dysfunctional, I want to assure you that there’s no need to be afraid.

These issues typically emerge if the laptop is not touch-capable or due to factors such as driver incompatibility, synchronization problems, and others.

However, you can fix these issues. So, let us understand why your laptop touchscreen is not working properly and how this issue can be fixed.

You can try the measures listed below:

Reboot the Laptop

Restarting laptop

It is not a myth that restarting your laptop can help resolve many technical issues. In fact, this one step is often sufficient to repair a laptop’s malfunctioning touch screen.

After restarting the laptop, test the touch screen and see how it performs.

Execute the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

Windows has several troubleshooting apps that can help identify issues and implement automated patches.

One specific troubleshooter helps test the hardware and software and could be used to resolve touchscreen issues. This troubleshooter was formerly available through Settings, but now, it is only available through Command Prompt. This is how you can run the troubleshooter:

Step 1: Click on the Start menu, then find the Command Prompt icon and click on it.

Step 2: Enter the following command and hit Enter:

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic:

Step 3: Enter your password. The Hardware and Device troubleshooter will be launched promptly.

Step 4: Click Next to proceed with the sorcerer. Following these steps will automatically diagnose and fix problems.

This method will likely detect and fix the touchscreen problem. If not, please continue reading.

Touchscreen Calibration

If the only issue you are facing is that your screen is slow to react to your touch or incorrectly tracks your touch signals, re-calibration might suffice to get it up to pace. To calibrate your touchscreen, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the Start menu and type calibrate in the search bar. Then, click on the Manually configure the screen for using a pen or touch option. The Tablet PC settings window will appear.

Step 2: Under the Display tab, select Setup and execute the on-screen instructions.

Step 3: After that, press Calibrate and follow the on-screen directions.

The Touch Screen Re-enabling

If restarting your laptop doesn’t resolve the issue, the next move is to toggle the screen off and on again. These are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Click on Device Manager after pressing Windows + X keys.

Step 2: To extend the list, double-click the Human Interface Devices option.

Step 3: Disable the interface by right-clicking the HID-compliant touch screen.

Step 4: When prompted to affirm, choose Yes.

Step 5: Right-click the listing once more, but this time, choose Enable device.

Power Settings

Microsoft Windows devices try to save electricity. However, the configurations could be overzealous at times, as they turn off the laptop during a period of inactivity.

Although the touchscreen should immediately re-enable itself once input is detected again, that may not always be the case. Thus, you can try uninstalling the screen’s power-saving mode and see whether this resolves the problem.

Step 1: Click on the Device Manager option after pressing Windows + X.

Step 2: To extend the category, press Human Interface Devices.

Step 3: Click twice on the HID-compliant touchpad.

Step 4: Navigate to the Power Management section.

Step 5: Uncheck the box labeled Allow the machine to switch off the laptop in order to conserve energy.

Step 6: Click OK, and then restart your laptop.

Upgrade Touchscreen Drivers

A defective driver may be the reason for your touchscreen failure. Maybe the driver is defective or needs to be updated. This means you must visit the website of your laptop’s maker (such as HP, Dell, or Acer) and import the driver from them. You’ll definitely find it in their customer support area. Once you’ve installed the driver, undertake the following steps:

Step 1: Click on Device Manager after pressing Windows + X.

Step 2: To extend the category, double-click on Human Interface Devices.

Step 3: Right-click on the HID-compliant touch screen and choose Properties.

Step 4: Select the Automatically search for drivers option. Windows will then be able to locate and install the driver you downloaded. If not, switch back to this screen and select Browse my device for drivers to find it quickly.

Step 5: Restart your computer and see if your query has been fixed.

Revert the Touchscreen Drivers

If everything is running smoothly, it is not necessarily important to upgrade your drivers. However, if you have recently upgraded your touchscreen, you can consider reverting to an earlier version.

Step 1: Select Device Manager after pressing Windows + X.

Step 2: To extend the category, double-click on Human Interface Devices.

Step 3: Right-click the HID-compliant touchpad.

Step 4: Click on the Properties button.

Step 5: Navigate to the Drivers page.

Step 6: Select Roll Back Driver.

Likewise, do you know of an older driver variant that will run and can be accessed with a rollback? If this is the case, select Uninstall from the Driver tab instead, and then undertake the steps mentioned above to upgrade your drivers.

Disable New Apps

An application, because of whatever reason, might trigger touchscreen issues. For example, if the touchscreen has just recently failed, disable all newly installed programs.

Step 1: To access Settings, press the Windows + I.

Step 2: Select Apps from there.

Step 3: Under the dropdown menu of Sort, select Installation date.

Step 4: Look for the date when the touchscreen issues began. Then, working your way up, remove each app one by one.

Step 5: Restart the device each time to see whether the touchscreen is fixed.

Change Your Setup

This one may sound strange, but give this a try. If there are multiple electronic devices in the vicinity, they may can conflict with the screen. The issue may have been triggered by a power supply catering to multiple devices or even the presence of several computers in close vicinity.

This is an easy diagnosis. First, try your touchscreen laptop away from other devices. If this solution works, electromagnetic activity is the cause.

Revert to the old space after switching off every other device. Alternatively, remove one after another, and see what’s causing the error. If this doesn’t work, look if there is any strong machinery that might be the source of the problem.

Contact the Manufacturing Company

Have you tried all of these suggestions, but your touchscreen remains not functional? If this is the case, you must approach the service center of your laptop brand and allow them to look into it.

The issue is definitely with the hardware and not the screen, and they will be able to resolve it. Obviously, it depends on what caused the impact. You could also be protected by warranties.

Clean the Touch Screen

Continuous use can cause a touchscreen to catch a lot of dust. To make sure the touchscreen looks perfect and works seamlessly for years, use cleansing spray with a microfiber cloth to clean the screen.

Conclusion

I hope your question “why isn’t my touchscreen working on my laptop?” has been answered. By now, you already know the possible reasons for the failure of your laptop’s touchscreen. You were also walked through a step-by-step guide on how to fix any of these issues.

However, if you have a warranty on your laptop, it’s best just to contact the manufacturer instead of trying to fix it yourself. Either way, your laptop’s touch screen will go back to functioning properly soon enough.

Chris Martin is a professional tech writer. He's been covering tech tutorials, hardware reviews, and more as a professional writer for over seven years now and it doesn't look like he'll be stopping anytime soon! In addition to writing about the latest gadgets on the market, he also covers topics such as how to set up your home network or troubleshoot any computer problems you may have.

1 Comment

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