Dell laptops are one of the best in the market. They are known for their reliability and effectiveness in performance. But like other laptop brands, they often have problems too, either through hardware, software, or user-related faults.
Most users have reported having issues with their touchpads. In most circumstances, the touchpad will suddenly lose its ability to work during operation.
To curb this problem for Dell Latitude users, we have done the dirty job of curating effective solutions for the problem. So if you’re currently facing this situation, this article is your haven.
In this guide, we will discuss collections of methods that have proven effective in solving the touchpad problems of other users. Follow this guide till the end to fix your Dell Latitude touchpad problem.
Dell Latitude Touchpad Not Working: Likely Causes
If you don’t mind, we have to discuss common factors that might have affected your touchpad functionality. We must understand the causes so that fixing them will become relatively easier. The most common reasons for Dell Latitude Touchpad Not Working include:
- Touchpad is Disabled
- Outdated Drivers
- Corrupted Drivers
- Malicious software
Dell Latitude Touchpad Not Working: How To Fix
This session comprises a collection of troubleshooting methods you can use to battle your touchpad problem. Ensure you follow these methods in the order in which they are arranged. Below are the troubleshooting methods to utilize to fix your touchpad problem ASAP.
1. Enable Your Touchpad
The most common cause of Dell Latitude touchpad not working is a disabled touchpad. The Dell Latitude has some functions or key combinations users can use to disable the touchpad. Out of ignorance, you might have pressed these keys on your keyboard while working on it. Consequently, your touchpad stops working.
This problem is a user-related one but can be fixed easily by employing the same functions or key combinations to re-enable the touchpad. The function key is usually dedicated to the F keys, and the most common is the F9 keys. Please search for the Fn key and the touchpad icon(F9 key) and press both simultaneously to fix it.
If that doesn’t fix your touchpad problem, you’ll need to re-enable it from the Dell Settings or Control Panel. Most users reported that their touchpad stopped working after a Windows update, and the control panel settings can come to the rescue. Although the reasons for this situation are still a misery, it can be linked to an improper Windows update. In this case, the Control Panel is used to re-enable the touchpad as follows:
- Press the Windows icon at the bottom left corner of the screen with an external mouse
- Search for Control in the search bar and click Enter
- From there, Open the Control Panel
- Go to the Hardware and Sound option in the Control Panel window
- Select Mouse and Touchpad
- Now, select Additional Mouse options
- Inspect if your touchpad is enabled here. If it isn’t, then toggle the touchpad icon on.
- Now check if your touchpad is working.
However, if there aren’t the above settings options on your laptop, you can use the following steps to enable your computer:
- Press the Windows + R key to open the Run application
- Type ‘main.cpl’ and click on Enter
- The Mouse Properties tab will open. Navigate to the Dell touchpad
- Select the Click option to change the Touchpad Settings
- Next, adjust the touchpad toggle to On and click the Save button to effect the changes.
If your touchpad isn’t working after using the control panel settings, you can restart the laptop to effect the changes. If the problem persists, don’t give up now. Read along as we provide more troubleshooting tips.
2. Use Device Manager To Update/Rollback Touchpad Driver
Your touchpad can also lose its functionality because of a glitched or outdated driver. In most cases, simply updating the device driver will fix the problem and restore the touchpad functionality.
Furthermore, if a fresh device driver is updated before the touchpad loses its functionality, the problem comes from the driver. You might have updated an incompatible driver. These updates can clash with the system settings and disrupt some functions, including the touchpad. In this case, you’ll need to roll back the driver to fix the problem.
Don’t feel overloaded. We’ll address both situations accordingly. Firstly, follow the step below to update your device driver using the device manager:
- To start a Run command, Press Windows + R
- Then, to open Device Manager, type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter.
- Expand the Mice and other input devices drop-down menu in System Tray,
- Right-click on Dell Touchpad and select Properties.
- To bring up the Driver tab in the Dell Touchpad Properties window, click on it,
- Select the Update Driver option
- Now, check the box that says, “Search automatically for updated driver software.“
- Be patient with the new driver installed on your computer.
If the wizard informs you that you already have the most recent driver, return to the Driver menu and select Roll Back Driver.
Once you’ve updated or rolled back the TouchPad driver, reboot your laptop and check whether your touchpad is now working. If there’s still a problem, move to the following method.
3. Create a Linux Boot DVD
For Dell Users, creating a Linux Boot DVD often works to restore the touchpad functionality. This method is relatively straightforward. Follow the simple steps below to create a Linux Boot DVD on your laptop:
- Navigate to Google and download a Linux distribution ISO. You can download Ubuntu LTS
- After downloading the Linux ISO, burn it on a blank DVD on your laptop. If there’s no DVD nearby, use a flash drive
- Now reboot your laptop and boot from the Linux media you created. You might need to change your Boot settings from the BIOS settings to configure the DVD or USB slot as the boot option
- If your computer boots from the Ubuntu ISO, click on Try Ubuntu without Installing and tab Enter.
- Be patient till your system boots in Linux. Afterward, restart your laptop and remove the Linux media so your computer will boot back into Windows. Wait till the system boots finish before testing the touchpad
4. Contact Manufacturer’s Support
Please do not hesitate to contact the Dell laptop customer support if none of our troubleshooting methods fix your laptop touchpad. The problem could involve more complicated hardware issues, and customer support will be in the best position to offer more information.