Your laptop is your working partner on the go. If you figure out that your laptop touchpad not working, then it can hamper your portability. You might consider using an external wired or wireless mouse to make things work.
Still, why does your laptop mouse not working keep you on your toes? Well, don’t worry. If your laptop’s built-in mouse isn’t working, a nearby laptop repair shop can help. Here are some possible reasons and solutions.
Let’s get started.
Reasons Your Laptop Touchpad Not Working
Be it a Windows or Mac laptop, your device’s touchpad or trackpad can malfunction for a variety of reasons. Do you see the mouse cursor responding erratically and inconsistently? Otherwise, your cursor would not move at all.
Reportedly, you might see your laptop touchpad not working for the following reasons:
- Dusty or dirty touchpad.
- The operating system is broken or has glitches.
- Disabled touchpad settings.
- Corrupt or outdated drivers.
- Missing or corrupted files or software.
- Hardware failures.
How to Address a Laptop Mouse Not Working?
A touchpad that doesn’t respond well can hurt your laptop’s performance. It can also make using your laptop frustrating. Usually, you can fix the touchpad yourself. You won’t need same-day laptop repair or expert help.
Here are some tips from a laptop repair shop in Business Bay if your mouse isn’t working on your laptop:
- Check the mouse connection.
- Restart your laptop.
- Try a different USB port.
- Update mouse drivers.
- Test the mouse on another device.
These steps may help fix the issue.
1. Restart Your Laptop
If your system freezes or becomes unresponsive, turn it off and back on. You might not be able to use the keyboard or other hardware if the operating system has a glitch.
In that case, you can hold your laptop’s power button until it turns off. Wait for a couple of minutes before you try turning it on. Power on your laptop and see if the touchpad starts responding again.
2. Watch Out for Dirt
Do you like to have your lunch at your desk? Eating while working can make your laptop’s touchpad oily and dirty from your fingers. Also, over time, dust and dirt can accumulate on your laptop’s touchpad.
So, your laptop touchpad will stop sensing your finger touches and swipes. The laptop touchpad not working will become a common phenomenon. To be on the safe side, make a habit of cleaning your laptop’s keyboard, screen, and touchpad regularly.
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away grime and dust. Then, add a little isopropyl alcohol. Finally, use a canister of compressed air to finish the job. Cleaning your laptop can save you from problems, like a mouse that won’t work.
3. Try with an External Mouse
Does the built-in mouse remain unresponsive still now? Then, test your laptop’s capabilities with an external wired or wireless mouse. This will help you identify whether the problem is related to hardware or software.
So, connect a USB or wireless mouse to your malfunctioning laptop. In case the external mouse works just fine, then the built-in mouse is to blame. Continue using the external mouse until you rectify the built-in touchpad problem.
4. Remove Bluetooth Devices
This solution works for a Bluetooth wireless mouse only. It does not apply to the built-in touchpad or trackpad. If your Bluetooth mouse is acting up with your laptop, here’s how to fix it.
Other Bluetooth devices connected to the laptop might interfere with the mouse’s functionality. Disconnect all Bluetooth devices. This includes your Bluetooth mouse, gamepad, and other peripherals.
Afterwards, restart your laptop and try reconnecting the Bluetooth mouse to the system. See if the mouse does not work on laptops or starts working again.
5. Turn On the Touchpad in Windows
This solution is specific to Windows devices. You may have accidentally turned off the Touchpad option on your Windows laptop. Fear not; you can enable the feature through the following instructions.
- Hit the Start menu.
- Then, navigate to Settings and choose ‘Bluetooth & devices.’
- Now, select Touchpad and open Windows Touchpad configurations.
- Make sure you have turned on the touchpad option.
6. Adjust Mac Settings
For your MacBook trackpad not working, you can try this particular fix. A laptop repair near me has shared that adjusting configurations on your MacBook can resolve the built-in mouse not working issue.
Here’s what you can do:
- Navigate to System Settings on your MacBook.
- Next, go to Accessibility and look for Pointer Control. Select the option.
- Uncheck the box that says, ‘Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present.’
See if the above change makes a difference for your laptop mouse not working.
7. Update Your System Drivers (for Windows Devices)
Laptop repair experts in Business Bay say that old or damaged drivers can cause touchpad issues on Windows systems. If your Windows laptop has a built-in mouse that isn’t working, try this step.
Here’s how you can update system drivers for your laptop’s integrated touchpad:
- Hit the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Afterwards, type ‘Device Manager’ and hit the Enter key.
- The Device Manager window must have opened up. There, you should look for ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ and click on it.
- Now, right-click the built-in mouse or touchpad of your laptop.
- Next, select Update Driver. Start the automatic search.
Once you have updated the touchpad software, restart your Windows laptop. After your computer turns on, check its touchpad’s functionality. If you have a MacBook, then updating drivers isn’t an option. Rather, you should proceed to the next fix.
8. Update the Operating System
Often. Outdated operating system versions can bother your smooth experience. Before you opt for a same-day laptop repair, try updating your operating system. By the way, follow the guidelines below if you have a Windows PC and its mouse does not work on laptops.
- On Windows 11, navigate to Start → Settings → Windows Update.
- On Windows 10, follow Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
- Then, hit the button that says, ‘Check for updates.’.
- You will come across pending updates if there are any.
- Download and install the available updates.
- Additionally, you can look for optional updates. Ensure you download and install any drivers related to the touchpad.
After installing all the possible updates, restart your Windows laptop. In case it’s a MacBook, you can update the operating system and see if it helps eradicate the trackpad problem.
- Back up your MacBook before opting for a system update.
- Also, your Mac should connect to the internet. Connect your Mac to charging if it doesn’t have enough battery.
- Now, from the Apple menu, click on System Settings.
- After that, choose General from the sidebar of the window.
- Click on Software Update from the right panel.
If your Mac has older versions, you can find the Software Update option under the Apple menu. Go to System Preferences to access it. After the update, restart your Mac device and check if the trackpad problem exists.
Is the Laptop Touchpad Still Not Working?
If you face the laptop mouse not working even after applying the above solutions, then you should contact a laptop repair shop near me. A laptop repair in Business Bay or anywhere near you will take care of your device. Probably, a touchpad replacement or motherboard repair can fix the hardware failure.
