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How to Unlock the Touchpad on an HP Laptop
Learn how to lock it as well
By Jon Martindale Jon Martindale Writer Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 15, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Microsoft Microsoft Apple Google Tablets Accessories & Hardware What to Know
Synaptics Touchpads: Double-tap the top-left corner to disable and enable.Alternatively, in Device Manager, manually disable your touchpad Pointing Device.HP laptops have different methods of disabling and enabling the touchpad. This guide explains the various ways with which you can unlock and lock the touchpad of your HP laptop. It is quite dependent on which laptop you have and whether you have the latest touchpad drivers installed, so you may need to try more than one method. How to Turn on the Touchpad on HP Laptops
HP laptops have long offered various options for turning off a touchpad should you not want it to get in the way of your typing, gameplay, or various other activities—especially when using an external mouse. That does mean it's possible to lock your HP laptop accidentally. If that happens, here are a few different ways to unlock a laptop with a touchpad. HP Laptops with Synaptics Touchpads
Jon Martindale If you have an HP laptop with one of its newer Synaptics Touchpads and the latest drivers installed, you may be able to unlock the touchpad with a quick press. Just double-tap in the top-left corner of the touchpad. You may see a little light in that same corner turn off. If you don't see the light, your touchpad should now be working—the light displays when the touchpad is locked. You can also disable the touchpad again in the future by performing the same action. Some Synaptics Touchpads also respond to a long, five-second press in the top-left corner, so if the double-tap doesn't work, try that instead. If you have an HP laptop with a Synaptics Touchpad but don't have this option, it may be you need to enable it. You can find steps to enable this option on HP's site. You may also need to download the latest Synaptics Touchpad, driver. To do so, run Windows Update until you have all the latest updates. That should enable the option. For more details, visit HP's site to learn how to update the Touchpad drivers. HP Laptops with a Touchpad Switch
Some older HP laptops include a dedicated switch next to the touchpad to toggle it on and off. You'll spot it through its indicator light. If the small LED displays either yellow, orange, or blue, then the touchpad is locked. Double-tap the sensor to re-enable the touchpad. As with Synaptics Touchpads, this should turn the touchpad back on. You can lock it again later, using the same method, at which point the light should turn on. HP Touchpad Locked and Unresponsive Try This
If the above steps for enabling the touchpad don't work, you can try a couple of additional methods that should work across all HP laptops and operating systems. Control Panel
You can access touchpad settings in the Control Panel. Open the Windows Settings menu by pressing the Windows Key+I Select Devices. Select Touchpad from the left-hand menu. Toggle the Touchpad on.
Device Manager
Another place to view touchpad settings is in the Device Manager. Search for Device Manager in Windows search and select the corresponding result. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices section. Select your HP touchpad. Select the Driver tab. Select Enable Device if you want to enable the touchpad, or Disable Device, to disable it. How to Turn on the Keyboard Light on an HP Laptop Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Disable the Touchpad on Windows 10 How to Fix It When the Cursor Disappears in Windows 10 How to Unlock a Frozen Mouse on an HP Laptop How to Unlock a Frozen Mouse on a Laptop How to Connect AirPods to an HP Laptop How to Unlock a Keyboard That's Locked How to Unlock the Touchpad on a Lenovo Laptop How to Disable the Touchpad on Windows 11 How to Fix It When an HP Laptop Isn't Working How to Fix It When a Laptop Microphone is Not Working How to Unlock an HP Laptop How to Turn on the Keyboard Light on an HP Laptop How to Unlock the Bootloader on Your Android Phone How to Fix an HP Laptop Keyboard That's Not Working How Do I Disable a Device in Device Manager in Windows? How to Unlock an Amazon Fire Tablet Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies