A touchpad is one of the most critical elements of a modern laptop. It is the default way to do tasks, move the cursor, and navigate your laptop. However, some users use an external keyboard or mouse, connect the laptop to a more prominent display, and use the laptop’s display as a second monitor. In that case, accidental touch can move the cursor around. This post will show you can enable or disable touchpad in Windows to avoid such scenarios.
How to Enable or Disable Touchpad in Windows 11/10
There are numerous methods for enabling or disabling the touchpad on your Windows computer. While some methods may be limited to a specific set of laptops, most work on any Windows PC.
- Keyboard Shortcut
- Windows Settings
- Device Manager
Some of them will require an administrator account.
1] How to Enable/Disable Touchpad via Keyboard Shortcut in Windows
Many modern computers have a simple hardware toggle on their keyboards, allowing users to switch between the touchpad enabled and disabled states. To enable or disable the touchpad on a Windows computer, look for the touchpad icon on your keyboard, which is typically present on one of the function keys F1 to F12, then press both the Fn and the touchpad keys simultaneously to toggle between the states.
2] How to Enable/Disable Touchpad via Settings in Windows
The Settings panel also has a slider for turning the touchpad on or off, and it’s one of the simplest methods to do so if you don’t have a keyboard shortcut. Here’s how you can go about it:
- Proceed by pulling up the Start Search Box, entering Settings, and selecting the first listed result.
- Now, using the left navigation pane, navigate to Bluetooth and Devices and pick Touchpad from the list of available menus.
- You’ll see a toggle near the text Touchpad on the upper right.
- If the toggle is set to the right, the Touchpad is activated; if it is set to the left, it is disabled. To switch between states, click the toggle.
3] How to Enable/Disable Touchpad via Device Manager in Windows
The device manager is a Windows utility that allows users to inspect and manage the hardware devices connected to their PCs. It is a fantastic tool for identifying and resolving issues with hardware components. Here’s how to use the Device Manager to activate or deactivate your Windows laptop’s touchpad.
- Start by selecting Device Manager from the drop-down menu after right-clicking on the Windows icon in the taskbar.
- Now, please navigate the Mice and Other Pointing Devices section and expand it.
- Identify your trackpad using the names provided and right-click on the same.
- From the drop-down menu, select Disable Device or Enable Device. You will only notice one of them based on the current state of your trackpad.
Note: If you select the disable device option, your trackpad will cease working, and you will have to use an external mouse or keyboard to navigate the operating system.
How to Disable Touchpad Only When A External Mouse is Connected to Windows
If you routinely work with an external mouse hooked to your Windows laptop, disabling the trackpad only when the external mouse is connected could be time-saving. You won’t have to manually enable and disable the mouse whenever you plug in an external mouse. Here’s how to disable the touchpad automatically when you attach an external mouse to your PC.
- Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously on your laptop’s keyboard to pull up Settings.
- Next, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and Devices > Touchpad.
- If you’re running Windows 10, you should notice a checkbox that says Leave Touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Uncheck the checkbox, and you’re set.
- On Windows 11, you must perform an intermediate click since the option is cleverly buried beneath the Touchpad part. To access the drop-down menu, click on the small arrow symbol near the touchpad toggle.
- Uncheck the option next to Leave Touchpad on when a mouse is connected, and your Windows PC will automatically disable the touchpad the next time you connect an external mouse.
Disabling the touchpad may be helpful when using an external mouse or when playing a game to disable the cursor so that it does not move about and hinder your typing flow. It could also be the contrary around. In some circumstances, the touchpad may get disabled accidentally or on purpose, and you would want to enable it.
Conclusion
You have multiple options for activating or disabling the touchpad in Windows; you can use any of the methods described above to accomplish the task. As a tip, if you’ve disabled the trackpad and don’t have an external mouse right immediately, you can navigate the OS using the keyboard, particularly the Tab key and the up, down, left, and right arrows.
