Fix: Acer Laptop Touchpad Not Working (Easy Guide)

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5 min. read

Published on October 13, 2025

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Experiencing a malfunctioning touchpad on your Acer laptop can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re on the go or don’t have a mouse handy. The Acer laptop touchpad is a crucial input device, and when it stops working, it can severely impact your productivity. Fortunately, many common causes have simple solutions you can try before resorting to professional repair.

This guide will walk you through a series of troubleshooting steps to diagnose and fix the issue, getting your Acer laptop touchpad back in working order. From basic checks to driver updates and hardware considerations, we’ll cover the most effective methods to resolve this common problem.

Why Is My Acer Laptop Touchpad Not Working?

Check the Obvious First

Before diving into more complex solutions, let’s cover the basics:

Ensure the Touchpad Isn’t Disabled: Many Acer laptops have a dedicated key (often a function key combined with another key, like F6 or F7) to toggle the touchpad on and off. Look for a touchpad icon on your keyboard and press the corresponding key combination (usually Fn + the key) to ensure the touchpad isn’t accidentally disabled.
Clean the Touchpad: Dirt, grime, or moisture on the touchpad can interfere with its functionality. Gently clean the touchpad surface with a soft, dry cloth.
Reboot Your Laptop: A simple restart can often resolve minor software glitches that may be causing the touchpad to malfunction.

Troubleshoot Touchpad Settings

If the basic checks don’t work, investigate your touchpad settings:

Open Settings: Press the Windows key, type “Settings,” and press Enter.
Go to Devices: Click on “Devices.”
Select Touchpad: In the left sidebar, click on “Touchpad.”
Verify Touchpad is Enabled: Ensure the “Touchpad” toggle is switched to the “On” position.
Adjust Sensitivity: Experiment with the touchpad sensitivity settings to see if that improves responsiveness.
Check Additional Settings: Click on “Additional settings” (this will open the Mouse Properties window). Look for a tab related to your touchpad (often labeled “ELAN” or “Synaptics”). Review the settings there and ensure nothing is inadvertently disabled.

Update or Reinstall Touchpad Drivers

Outdated or corrupted drivers are a common cause of touchpad problems:

Open Device Manager: Press the Windows key, type “Device Manager,” and press Enter.
Expand Mice and other pointing devices: Locate your touchpad device (it might be labeled “ELAN Input Device,” “Synaptics Touchpad,” or something similar).
Update Driver: Right-click on the touchpad device and select “Update driver.”
Search Automatically: Choose “Search automatically for drivers.” Windows will attempt to find and install the latest driver.
If Update Fails: If Windows can’t find a driver, visit the Acer support website, enter your laptop’s model number, and download the latest touchpad driver manually.
Reinstall Driver: If updating doesn’t work, try uninstalling the driver (right-click on the touchpad device in Device Manager and select “Uninstall device”). Then, restart your laptop. Windows will usually reinstall the driver automatically. If not, you can install the driver you downloaded from the Acer website.

Check for Conflicting Software

Sometimes, other software can interfere with the touchpad’s functionality:

Uninstall Recently Installed Programs: If the touchpad stopped working after you installed a new program, try uninstalling it to see if that resolves the issue.
Disable Conflicting Software: Some utilities, like remote access software or virtual machine programs, can sometimes interfere with touchpad drivers. Try disabling these temporarily to see if it fixes the problem.

Hardware Issues

If none of the above steps work, there might be a hardware problem:

Loose Connection: In rare cases, the touchpad connector inside the laptop might have become loose. This requires opening the laptop, which is best left to professionals.
Faulty Touchpad: The touchpad itself might be faulty and need replacement. This is also best handled by a qualified technician.

Tips

Use an External Mouse: While troubleshooting, using an external mouse can make navigation easier.
Create a System Restore Point: Before making significant changes to your system, create a system restore point so you can revert to a previous state if something goes wrong.
Consult Acer Support: If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and the touchpad still isn’t working, contact Acer support for further assistance.

Touchpad Troubles Resolved

By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and fix most common Acer laptop touchpad issues.

FAQ

Why is my touchpad disabled even though the setting is “on”? Sometimes, the driver may be corrupted. Try updating or reinstalling the touchpad driver.

How do I know if a program is conflicting with my touchpad? Try uninstalling recently installed programs one by one to see if the touchpad starts working after uninstalling a specific program.

What do I do if Windows can’t find a driver for my touchpad? Visit the Acer support website, enter your laptop’s model number, and download the latest touchpad driver manually.

Can a virus cause my touchpad to stop working? Yes, malware can sometimes interfere with hardware functionality. Run a full system scan with your antivirus software.

Is it safe to open my laptop to check the touchpad connection? Opening your laptop can void your warranty and potentially damage the device. It’s best to leave hardware repairs to qualified technicians.

Touchpad vs. Mouse: Feature Comparison

Feature	Touchpad	Mouse
Portability	Integrated into laptop, highly portable	Requires carrying separately, less portable
Ergonomics	Can cause strain with prolonged use	Generally more ergonomic for long sessions
Precision	Can be less precise for detailed tasks	Higher precision, especially for graphics
Space Required	No additional space needed	Requires a flat surface
Cost	Included with the laptop	Additional cost to purchase