Generally speaking, to get the most out of Windows 10, people have to customize its settings including those that manage the touchpad. Currently, Windows 10 is equipped with one of the best touchpad features: tap to click. By taking advantage of tap to click, Windows users don’t have to rely on the mouse for day-to-day operations. Still, since the feature sometimes hinders works, it’s not uncommon to see people asking about how to turn off tap to click Windows 10.
An Overview Of The Feature
You may be wondering what is “tap to click Windows 10?” Tap to click is a touchpad feature that once enabled will let the touchpad work like the left mouse button. When the feature is disabled, the touchpad buttons become the only way to click from the touchpad. By default, this feature is enabled but you may disable it at will.
How To Disable Tap To Click
In most of the cases, you should be able to turn off tap to click Windows 10 by going through the following steps:
- Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Step 2: Select Devices, look to the left panel and click Touchpad.
- Step 3: Uncheck the box beside Tap with a single finger to single-click then close the window.
How To Enable Tap To Click
- Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Step 2: Select Devices, look to the left panel and click Touchpad.
- Step 3: Check the box beside Tap with a single finger to single-click then close the window.
Touchpad Not Working: Troubleshooting
Causes
Disabled Touchpad
If your touchpad is not working, you may have disabled it in settings. While working on a document, you may have temporarily disabled the touchpad to avoid accidentally tapping something.
Damaged Drivers
Similar to other components, the touchpad depends on its driver to work as expected. Sometimes, the drives may be damaged due to some reasons or are out of date which complicates touchpad operations.
Outdated Windows
If you are using an outdated version of Windows on your computer, you could come across a lot of problems including touchpad hiccups. During Windows updates, the firmware needed to run the touchpad will likely receive updates too. Therefore, you should take Windows updates into account if your touchpad won’t work.
Solutions
Restart Windows
Once it comes to touchpad not working on Windows 10, you should consider restarting your computer. To restart Windows, press the Windows key, click on the Power icon then select Restart. Once the computer is on, check your touchpad if it is now working.
Enable Touchpad
- Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Step 2: Select Devices and on the left panel, click on Touchpad.
- Step 3: Switch on the toggle below Touchpad.
In some laptops, you can turn on or off the touchpad by double tapping the upper right corner of the touchpad.
Update Drivers
The driver for touchpads on most Windows 10 computers is the Synaptics TouchPad Driver.
- Step 1: Press Windows + X to open Quick link menu.
- Step 2: Click Device Manager then double-click Human Interface Devices.
- Step 3: Right-click Synaptics TouchPad Driver then select Properties.
- Step 4: Go to the Driver tab, click Update Driver and wait for Windows to make updates
Note: If your touchpad only started acting after recent updates, you will need to roll back its driver.
- Step 1: Press Windows + X to open Quick link menu.
- Step 2: Click on Device Manager then double-click Human Interface Devices.
- Step 3: Right-click Synaptics TouchPad Driver then select Properties.
- Step 4: Go to the Driver tab then click Roll Back Driver
Install Driver In Compatibility Mode
If updating did not help solve the error, consider installing driver in Compatibility Mode
- Step 1: Launch your browser, go to your manufacturer’s website then download the drivers
- Step 2: Go to the location where you had saved your downloaded driver’s setup files, right-click then select Properties.
- Step 3: Go to Compatibility Tab, checkmark Run this program in Compatibility mode then select your version of the operating system
- Step 4: Allow the drivers to install, restart your computer then check your touchpad.
Windows Update
Windows update installs the latest version of the operating system and device drivers for your devices.
- Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings
- Step 2: Select Update & Privacy then click on Windows Update
- Step 3: Click on Check for Updates and if there are any updates, they will be automatically downloaded and installed
- Step 4: Restart your PC after the process is complete or set your computer to restart during inactive hours
Can I Reset The Touchpad To Its Default Settings?
If you have enabled a bunch of touchpad features and you cannot identify a specific feature to tweak, you can easily reset your touchpad to its default settings. From there, you can enable or disable one feature at a time while checking the touchpad performance. Press Windows + I to open Settings then select Devices. On the left panel, go to the Touchpad, scroll down and click Reset.
Why Does My Touchpad Fail When I Connect A Mouse?
With Windows 10, there is a feature where you can set your touchpad to automatically switch off if a mouse is connected. If that feature is on, your touchpad is going to stop working when you connect a mouse to your PC. To disable that feature, press Windows + I to open Settings then select Devices. On the left panel, go to the Touchpad then check the box “Leave my touchpad on when a mouse is connected.”
Guidelines
- Need to open a link without exiting the current tab or window? Press and hold the Ctrl key then click on the link.
- Want to zoom in on a window? Place two fingers on the touchpad and then stretch out.
- Tap three fingers on the touchpad to open Cortana.
- Tap four fingers on the touchpad to open the Action Center.
- Want to see all the open windows? Place three fingers on the touchpad then swipe them away from you.
- Switch between open windows by swiping right or left three fingers on the touchpad.
Michael Kan has been with Ginno Security Lab since October 2017, covering a wide range of topics, including consumer electronics, cybersecurity, social media, networking, and gaming. Prior to working at Ginno Security Lab he was a foreign correspondent in Beijing for over five years, covering the tech scene in Asia.
Areas of Expertise: Michael Kan has been working as a journalist for about 15 years— He start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City. Amazingly he is still here. Lately, he has been following SpaceX’s Starlink network, emerging online cyber threats, and the PC graphics card market (which led him to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000). He is always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send he tips.
The Best Tech he has Had:
- First video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
- Sega Saturn despite PlayStation’s popularity.
- The iPod Video received as a gift in college
- Xbox 360 FTW
- The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone he was proud to own.
- The PC desktop he built in 2013, which still works to this day.
