Your touchpad is disabled in settings, not broken
A disabled touchpad usually means someone turned it off in your device settings or BIOS — the control panel that runs before Windows or macOS loads. The touchpad itself is fine. You can turn it back on in a few minutes without opening the laptop or calling for help.
The fastest route depends on your operating system. Windows machines have the setting in Device Settings. Mac laptops have it in System Settings under Trackpad. If neither of those works, your keyboard may have a physical toggle — a key with a touchpad icon that you hold down to switch it on.
Start with the keyboard toggle because it is the quickest. If that does not work, move to your operating system settings. BIOS is the last resort and only necessary if someone locked the setting there on purpose.
Key Takeaways
- Check your keyboard first for a dedicated touchpad toggle key, usually marked with a touchpad icon and requiring you to hold Fn while pressing it.
- In Windows, open Settings, go to Bluetooth & Devices, then Touchpad, and turn the toggle to On if it is off.
- On a Mac, open System Settings, click Trackpad, and make sure Allow Clicking is turned on.
- If the setting is grayed out or locked, someone may have disabled it in BIOS, and you will need to restart and enter BIOS setup during startup.
- Restarting your laptop after making changes often forces the touchpad to initialize properly.
Finding the keyboard toggle on Windows or Mac
Many laptops have a dedicated key to turn the touchpad on and off without opening any menus. Look at your keyboard for a key with a small touchpad icon — usually a rectangle with dots or lines inside. This key is often on the function row at the top, or sometimes on the spacebar area.
To use it, hold down the Fn key (usually in the bottom left corner) and press the touchpad key at the same time. You may see a small icon appear on your screen showing the touchpad turning on. Try moving your finger across the touchpad — it should respond when ready.
If you do not see a touchpad icon on any key, or if pressing Fn plus that key does nothing, move to the operating system settings instead. Not all laptops have a hardware toggle.
Enabling the touchpad in Windows Settings
Open the Start menu and type "Settings" into the search box, then click the Settings app. Once it opens, click on "Bluetooth & Devices" in the left sidebar.
Scroll down until you see "Touchpad" and click it. You will see a toggle switch at the top that says "Touchpad" — if it is in the off position (grayed out or to the left), click it to turn it on. The toggle should move to the right and turn blue, and your touchpad should start working when ready.
If the toggle is already on but your touchpad still does not work, scroll down to "Reset" and click it. This clears out any stuck settings without erasing your data. Wait a few seconds, then try the touchpad again.
Enabling the trackpad on a Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select "System Settings." In the sidebar, click "Trackpad."
You will see several options. The most important one is "Allow Clicking" — make sure this box is checked. Below that, you may see "Look up & data detectors" and "Secondary click" — these can stay on or off depending on your preference, but "Allow Clicking" must be on for the trackpad to work at all.
If you see a lock icon in the bottom left of the System Settings window, click it and enter your password. This unlocks the settings so you can change them. After you turn on "Allow Clicking," test the trackpad by clicking and dragging something on your screen.
What to do if the setting is locked or grayed out
If the touchpad toggle in Settings is grayed out and you cannot click it, someone may have locked it in BIOS — a deeper control panel that runs before your operating system starts. This is less common but happens when someone wants to prevent the touchpad from being turned back on.
To access BIOS, restart your laptop and watch the screen carefully as it boots. You will usually see a message like "Press F2 to enter Setup" or "Press Del to enter BIOS" — the key varies by manufacturer. Press that key repeatedly as soon as you see the message, before Windows or macOS loads.
Once you are in BIOS, look for a section called "Integrated Peripherals," "Onboard Devices," or "Internal Pointing Device." Find the option for the touchpad or trackpad and change it from Disabled to Enabled. Save your changes (usually by pressing F10) and let the laptop restart. The touchpad should now work, and the toggle in Settings should no longer be grayed out.
Restarting after you make changes
After you turn the touchpad back on in Settings, restart your laptop. Even though the setting takes effect when ready in most cases, a restart ensures the touchpad driver — the software that controls it — initializes properly and does not get stuck.
To restart on Windows, click the Start menu, click the power icon, and select "Restart." On a Mac, click the Apple menu, select "Restart," and confirm. Wait for the laptop to shut down and boot back up, then test the touchpad by clicking and dragging.
Troubleshooting if the touchpad still does not work
If you have turned the touchpad on in Settings and restarted, but it still does not respond, the driver may be corrupted. On Windows, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting "Device Manager." Look for "Mice and other pointing devices," click the arrow to expand it, and find your touchpad — it usually has "Synaptics," "Elan," or "Alps" in the name.
Right-click the touchpad and select "Uninstall device." Restart your laptop. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver when it boots back up. This usually fixes touchpad problems that Settings alone cannot solve.
On a Mac, this is less common, but if the trackpad still does not work after restarting, try resetting the System Management Controller. Shut down your Mac completely, then press and hold Shift + Control + Option (all on the left side of the keyboard) plus the power button for ten seconds. Release all the keys and wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn it back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a mouse while I fix the touchpad?
Yes. A USB mouse or wireless mouse will work even if the touchpad is disabled. You can plug in a mouse and use it to navigate Settings while you turn the touchpad back on. Once the touchpad is enabled, you can unplug the mouse and use the touchpad instead.
Why would someone disable the touchpad on purpose?
People often disable the touchpad to prevent accidental clicks while typing — your palm can brush the touchpad and move the cursor. Some disable it in BIOS to lock down a shared or work laptop. If you are the only user and did not do this yourself, check with anyone else who has access to your laptop.
Is the touchpad broken if it is disabled in BIOS?
No. BIOS is just a setting that tells the laptop hardware to ignore the touchpad. Enabling it in BIOS turns the hardware back on. The touchpad itself is not damaged.
Do I need to uninstall and reinstall the driver every time the touchpad stops working?
No. Reinstalling the driver is a last resort when the touchpad is on in Settings but still does not respond. Start with restarting your laptop first — that fixes most problems without touching drivers.
What if I do not know how to enter BIOS on my laptop?
Search online for your laptop model and "enter BIOS" — the key varies by manufacturer. Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus all use different keys. Your laptop manual or the manufacturer's website will tell you exactly which key to press and when.