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Lenovo Touchpad Not Working: How to Fix It

Owner 4 min read Updated August 31, 2026
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A Lenovo touchpad that has stopped responding is usually switched off rather than broken. Before anything else, try the keyboard shortcut — it resolves this more often than every other fix combined, and it takes two seconds.

1. The Fn shortcut

Look along the function row for a key with a small touchpad icon, often with a line through it. On most Lenovo models it is F6, and on some it is F8 or F5.

Press it. If nothing happens, hold Fn and press it, since Lenovo laptops can be configured either way round.

It is easy to disable this by accident while reaching for volume or brightness, which is exactly why it is the most common cause.

2. Check it is enabled in Windows

  1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Touchpad.
  2. Confirm the Touchpad toggle is on.
  3. Expand the same panel and check Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. If that is off and a USB or Bluetooth mouse is paired, Windows disables the touchpad deliberately.

That second setting catches a lot of people who use a mouse at a desk and then find the touchpad dead on the train.

3. Restart properly

Choose Restart, not Shut down. On Windows, shutting down uses fast startup, which preserves the same driver state that may be the problem. A restart is a genuinely cold boot of the drivers; a shutdown often is not.

4. Reinstall the driver

  1. Press Windows + X and choose Device Manager. (You can navigate it with Tab and arrow keys if you have no mouse at all.)
  2. Expand Human Interface Devices and Mice and other pointing devices.
  3. Find the touchpad — usually listed as Synaptics, Elan, or HID-compliant touchpad.
  4. Right-click it and choose Uninstall device, then restart. Windows reinstalls it automatically.

If it is listed with a warning triangle, or shows as an unknown device, the driver is the problem and the reinstall should fix it.

Roll back instead, if it broke after an update

Right-click the device → Properties → Driver tab → Roll Back Driver. A Windows Update that replaced a working Lenovo driver with a generic one is a recurring cause, and rolling back is the direct fix.

Get the proper driver

Download it from Lenovo's support site for your exact model, or use Lenovo Vantage, which checks for the right one automatically. A generic Microsoft driver often works but loses gestures and precision features.

5. Check the BIOS

Rare, but definitive when it is the cause. Restart and press F2 (or Fn+F2, or Enter then F1 on some models) to enter BIOS setup. Look under Configuration for a Touchpad entry and confirm it is Enabled.

If the touchpad does not work in the BIOS screen itself, the problem is hardware rather than Windows — which is worth knowing before spending longer on software fixes.

6. If gestures work but clicking does not

Check Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Touchpad and confirm taps are enabled, then look at the sensitivity setting. Lenovo's precision touchpads also expose gesture settings that can be reset from the same panel.

7. When it is hardware

Suspect the hardware if the touchpad does not work in the BIOS, if it stopped after a drop or a spill, or if it works intermittently and responds to pressure on one part of the palm rest. Inside the machine the touchpad connects by a ribbon cable that can work loose — a repair shop can reseat it cheaply, and it is a common outcome after a laptop has been opened for an SSD or battery swap.

Working without a mouse in the meantime

Windows can drive the pointer from the number pad: Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock turns on Mouse Keys. It is slow, but it is enough to reach Settings and Device Manager while you fix the real problem. A USB mouse is easier if one is to hand.

FAQs

Which function key disables the touchpad on a Lenovo?

Usually F6, sometimes F8 or F5. Look for the small touchpad icon rather than trusting the number.

Why did it stop after a Windows update?

The update most likely replaced the Lenovo driver. Roll it back in Device Manager, then install the correct driver from Lenovo.

Why does it work in BIOS but not in Windows?

That confirms the hardware is fine and the fault is a driver or a setting — steps 2 and 4 are where to look.

Does a factory reset fix it?

Only if the cause is software, and everything above is faster. It will not help a loose cable.