Touchpad Gestures Not Working on Windows 10? Here’s How to Fix It

Touchpad gestures are a convenient way to navigate your Windows 10 device. When they stop working, it can disrupt your workflow and become frustrating. Several reasons can cause this issue, ranging from driver problems to incorrect settings. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step solutions to get your touchpad gestures working again.

1. Preliminary Checks

Before diving into more complex solutions, perform these quick checks:

  • Restart your computer: A simple restart can often resolve temporary glitches.
  • Clean your touchpad: Dust or debris can interfere with the touchpad’s functionality. Use a soft, dry cloth to clean it.
  • Check the touchpad lock: Some laptops have a dedicated button or key combination to disable the touchpad. Ensure it’s not accidentally disabled. Look for a touchpad icon on your keyboard (often with a line through it) and press it in conjunction with the Fn key. (e.g., Fn + F7).

2. Enable Touchpad Gestures in Settings

Windows 10 allows you to customize touchpad gestures. If gestures are disabled, they won’t work. Here’s how to enable them:

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
  2. Click on Devices.
  3. Select Touchpad in the left-hand menu.
  4. Ensure the Touchpad toggle is set to On.
  5. Under the Gestures section, verify that the gestures you want to use are enabled. Adjust the sensitivity if needed.

3. Update or Roll Back Your Touchpad Driver

An outdated, corrupted, or incompatible touchpad driver is a common cause of gesture problems. Here’s how to update or roll back the driver:

Updating the Driver

  1. Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager.
  2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
  3. Right-click on your touchpad device (e.g., Synaptics Touchpad, ELAN Input Device) and select Update driver.
  4. Choose Search automatically for drivers. Windows will search for and install the latest driver.
  5. If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, visit your laptop manufacturer’s website and download the latest touchpad driver for your specific model. Install it manually.

Rolling Back the Driver

If the issue started after a recent driver update, rolling back to the previous driver version might solve the problem.

  1. Open Device Manager (as described above).
  2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
  3. Right-click on your touchpad device and select Properties.
  4. Go to the Driver tab.
  5. If the Roll Back Driver button is available (not grayed out), click it and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Uninstall and Reinstall the Touchpad Driver

If updating or rolling back the driver doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling it.

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
  3. Right-click on your touchpad device and select Uninstall device.
  4. Confirm the uninstallation. You may be prompted to restart your computer.
  5. After restarting, Windows will usually automatically reinstall the touchpad driver. If it doesn’t, open Device Manager, right-click on your computer’s name at the top of the list, and select Scan for hardware changes.

5. Check for Windows Updates

Windows Updates often include bug fixes and driver updates that can resolve touchpad issues.

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click Check for updates. Install any available updates.

6. Troubleshoot Hardware and Devices

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can identify and fix hardware problems.

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Select Troubleshoot in the left-hand menu.
  4. Click on Hardware and Devices and then Run the troubleshooter.

7. Modify Registry Settings (Advanced Users)

Caution: Incorrectly modifying the registry can cause serious problems. Back up your registry before proceeding.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad
  4. If the AAPThreshold DWORD value exists, double-click it and set the value data to 0. If it doesn’t exist, right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it AAPThreshold, and set its value data to 0.
  5. Restart your computer.

8. Check for Conflicting Software

Some third-party software, especially mouse or touchpad utilities, can interfere with touchpad gestures. Try temporarily disabling or uninstalling such software to see if it resolves the issue.

9. Reset Windows 10

As a last resort, if none of the above solutions work, consider resetting Windows 10. This will reinstall Windows and remove all your personal files, so back up your data first.

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Select Recovery in the left-hand menu.
  4. Under Reset this PC, click Get started and follow the on-screen instructions.

By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and resolve the issue of touchpad gestures not working on your Windows 10 device. Remember to proceed with caution when modifying system settings or the registry, and always back up your important data before making significant changes.