Why you might want to turn off your touchscreen
A touchscreen monitor can be useful, but it can also get in your way. If you're working at a desk with a keyboard and mouse, accidental touches from your hands, arms, or clothing can trigger unwanted clicks, scroll, or open programs you weren't aiming for. You might also want to disable it while cleaning the screen, or if the touchscreen isn't working properly and you want to rule it out as the problem.
The good news: you don't have to uninstall anything or open your monitor. Windows gives you several ways to turn off touch input without affecting your display itself. The screen stays on and works normally — only the touch part stops responding.
Key Takeaways
- Device Manager is the fastest way to disable a touchscreen: right-click the touch device, select Disable Device, and it turns off when ready.
- Disabling a touchscreen in Device Manager does not affect your monitor's display, resolution, or any other function — only touch input stops working.
- You can re-enable the touchscreen the same way by right-clicking and selecting Enable Device whenever you need it back.
- If you cannot find your touchscreen in Device Manager, check under Human Interface Devices or look for a manufacturer-specific control panel that came with your monitor.
- Some touchscreen monitors include their own software with a quick on/off button, which is faster than Device Manager if your monitor has it.
Disable your touchscreen through Device Manager
Device Manager is built into Windows and is the most direct way to turn off touch input. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Device Manager, or by typing "Device Manager" into the Windows search box and pressing Enter.
Look for a category called Human Interface Devices and click the arrow next to it to expand the list. You should see one or more entries that include the word "Touch" — common names are "HID-compliant touch screen", "Touchscreen", or the name of your monitor's manufacturer followed by "Touch". Right-click on the touch device and select Disable device. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm; click Disable again.
Your touchscreen will stop responding when ready. The monitor itself keeps working normally — you'll still see everything on screen, and your keyboard and mouse work as before. Only touch input is turned off.
Turn the touchscreen back on when you need it
To re-enable your touchscreen, open Device Manager again and find the same touch device under Human Interface Devices. It will now show a down arrow or a note that it's disabled. Right-click it and select Enable device. The touchscreen will start working again within a few seconds.
If you find yourself disabling and enabling the touchscreen often, you might want to look for a faster option — see the section below about manufacturer software.
Check for a touchscreen control panel from your monitor's maker
Some monitor manufacturers include their own software that lets you toggle the touchscreen on and off with a single click. This is faster than opening Device Manager each time. Check whether your monitor came with a disc or USB drive, or visit the manufacturer's website and search for your monitor model number.
Common manufacturers that include touchscreen software are ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and HP. The software usually installs a small icon in your system tray (the area at the bottom right of your screen, near the clock) or adds a shortcut to your Start menu. Look for anything labeled "Touch Control", "Touchscreen Settings", or the monitor brand name followed by "Utility".
If you've already installed this software but can't find it, try right-clicking your desktop to see if there's a menu option for the monitor settings, or search your Start menu for the manufacturer name.
What to do if you can't find your touchscreen in Device Manager
If you don't see a touch device listed under Human Interface Devices, try expanding other categories. Some touchscreens appear under Mice and other pointing devices or under Universal Serial Bus controllers. Look for anything with "touch" in the name, or the name of your monitor's manufacturer.
If you still can't find it, your touchscreen might be built into your monitor's firmware rather than controlled by a Windows driver. In that case, check your monitor's physical buttons or on-screen menu. Many monitors have a button on the bezel (the frame around the screen) that opens a menu where you can disable touch input directly on the monitor itself.
You can also try searching for your monitor model number plus "disable touchscreen" to see if there are specific instructions for your device, or contact the monitor manufacturer's support line.
Disable touch input for a single process instead
If you want to keep your touchscreen on overall but turn it off for one specific program, Windows doesn't have a built-in way to do this. However, some programs have their own touch settings. Open the program, look for Settings or Preferences, and search for "touch" or "input" options.
For example, some design software and photo editors let you disable touch so that accidental touches don't interfere with your work. If your program doesn't have this option, disabling the touchscreen entirely through Device Manager is usually the best approach.
Troubleshooting: touchscreen won't disable or re-enable
If you right-click a touch device in Device Manager and don't see a Disable option, it might mean the device is already disabled, or Windows doesn't have permission to change it. Try closing Device Manager completely and opening it again as Administrator: right-click Device Manager in your search results and select Run as administrator.
If the touchscreen still won't disable, restart your computer and try again. Sometimes Windows locks a device if another program is actively using it. If restarting doesn't work, check whether your monitor's manufacturer software is running in the background and preventing changes — look in your system tray or Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and close any monitor-related programs.
If you've disabled the touchscreen and it suddenly re-enables on its own, a Windows update may have re-installed the driver. You can prevent this by right-clicking the touch device in Device Manager, selecting Properties, going to the Driver tab, and clicking Uninstall device. Check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver software for this device" before confirming. This removes the driver entirely, so Windows won't automatically reinstall it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling my touchscreen affect my monitor's display or resolution?
No. Disabling the touchscreen through Device Manager only turns off touch input. Your monitor's display, brightness, resolution, and all other functions continue to work normally. You're only stopping the touch sensor from responding to contact.
Can I disable the touchscreen without opening Device Manager?
If your monitor came with manufacturer software, yes — that's usually faster. Otherwise, Device Manager is the standard Windows method. Some monitors also have a physical button or on-screen menu that controls touch input directly, so check your monitor's bezel and manual.
What happens if I disable the touchscreen and then forget to turn it back on?
Nothing bad happens. Your monitor works exactly as it did before you had a touchscreen. You can re-enable it anytime by opening Device Manager and clicking Enable device. There's no timer or automatic re-set up.
Is it safe to disable my touchscreen permanently?
Yes, it's completely safe. If you never use touch input and it only causes accidental clicks, disabling it permanently through Device Manager is a valid choice. You can always re-enable it later if you change your mind.
My touchscreen is disabled but it's still responding to touches. What's wrong?
Make sure you disabled the right device — there might be more than one touch device listed in Device Manager. Also check whether your monitor's manufacturer software is running and overriding the Windows setting. If you're still having trouble, restart your computer after disabling the device, as the change sometimes doesn't take effect until the next boot.