Synaptics Touchpad Driver Windows 11 - How To Update It
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If you don’t have the correct Synaptics touchpad driver for Windows 11, you’ll notice issues with your laptop’s touchpad.
Before we proceed with the installation process, you’ll need to determine whether you require this driver first. I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to download and install it on your Windows 11 laptop.
Synaptics Touchpad Driver for Windows 11 – Why Do You Need It?
The Synaptics touchpad driver is designed to work with laptops manufactured by Synaptics. It’s commonly found in notebooks from manufacturers like HP, Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, MSI, etc. With a touchpad, you can move a cursor with your finger, which is used instead of an external mouse. The Synaptics touchpad driver lets you take full advantage of all its features.
Occasionally, the Synaptics touchpad may fail to respond due to an outdated or corrupt driver. You’ll need to download and install the correct one in such cases. If you remove it, Windows will use a generic driver instead. However, this may prevent you from using device-specific functions like pinch and zoom, 3-finger flick, and more.
Microsoft has created the Windows Precision driver, which many users prefer. You should try it if you have issues with the Synaptics driver.
How To Install and Update the Synaptics Touchpad Driver on Windows 11
1. Use a Third-party Driver Updater Software
There are many free or premium driver updaters available for Windows 11. These applications are designed to scan your computer and retrieve compatible drivers either from their database or online. That way, you can scan your entire Windows system and identify all of the drivers that require updates, including the Synaptics touchpad one.
In this example, I’ll show you how to use Driver Easy:
1. Download Driver Easy and install it.
2. Click Scan Now to check all outdated drivers in your system.
3. After the scan finished, Driver Easy found 15 outdated drivers in my Windows 11 system. I can upgrade all of them immediately on the Update All button, but I’ll selectively choose only the Synaptics touchpad driver (Update button next to Synaptics HID device).
4. Driver Easy will allow you to create a Restore Point if something goes wrong after installing new drivers. Click on Automatically Create and Continue.
5. You now have to choose between automatic or manual driver installation. The program’s free version only permits manual installation, which may be bothersome for some users. However, it provides a more personalized update process.
6. The driver will be downloaded to the Driver Easy drivers folder, where you must manually install it through the Device Manager.
2. Use Device Manager
This method assumes you’ve previously downloaded the right driver from the Synaptics website or through a third-party program.
If you have an external mouse, turn it off temporarily and do the following:
1. Right-click on the Start menu and choose Device Manager.
2. Locate your touchpad driver. In Device Manager, expand the section called “Mice and other pointing devices.” Right-click on the HID-Compliant mouse and choose Update driver.
3. Browse for the folder where you downloaded and unzipped your Synaptics touchpad driver. Click on the Next button.
4. Wait for the Synaptic touchpad driver for Windows 11 to be installed. Click on the Close button.
5. Check in the Device Manager that it’s been successfully installed.
3. Use OEM Websites
Note that Synaptics’ TouchPad device drivers are customized and supported by notebook manufacturers to meet specific driver requirements for their products. Always use the driver your specific notebook OEM supports. Installing a generic driver from the Synaptics website may result in losing OEM-customized functionality and other issues.
In this example, I’ll show you how to download the Synaptics touchpad driver for my Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop:
1. Visit the manufacturer’s website and enter your laptop’s serial number.
2. Locate the Drivers section, choose Windows OS version (Windows 11), and click on the “Mouse, Touchpad,…”
3. Download the Synaptics driver file either in .ZIP or .EXE format. (Don’t forget to extract the ZIP file in your preferred folder before installing the driver.) If you can’t find an explicitly written Windows 11 driver, the Windows 10 version will be perfectly compatible.
4. If the downloaded driver is an EXE file, double-click on it to launch the installation window. Accept the license agreement and click on Next.
5. You now have the option to choose between automatic (Install) or manual installation (Extract Only). If you’re not technically skilled, I recommend choosing Install.
6. If you choose Extract Only, the Synaptics touchpad driver installation procedure is the same as in step 2 when I used Device Manager. You must know the default folder where the driver files are unpacked.
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Summary
In this post, I’ve provided detailed instructions on downloading, installing, and updating the Synaptics touchpad driver for Windows 11. The process is relatively simple, and I’ve ensured the steps are clear and straightforward. You can choose any of these methods to fix issues with your Synaptics touchpad.
