Asus Touchpad Not Working? Fix It Now

If your Asus laptop touchpad has stopped responding, the fix is usually a quick driver reinstall, a disabled-device setting, or a function-key toggle. This article walks you through the most common causes and step-by-step solutions, from a simple Fn-key press to a full driver reset, so you can get your cursor moving again.

Why Touchpads Stop Working

Touchpads on Asus laptops (and most Windows laptops) can fail for several reasons, and many of them aren’t hardware failures. The most frequent culprits are:

• Accidental disable: Most Asus laptops have a function key (usually F6 or F9) that toggles the touchpad on and off. Pressing Fn + F6 or Fn + F9 (depending on your model) can disable it without any warning.
• Driver issues: A Windows update or a corrupted driver can make the touchpad unresponsive.
• Settings changes: Windows Settings or the Asus touchpad software may have the touchpad disabled.
• Hardware problems: A loose ribbon cable, physical damage, or a failing touchpad can also be the cause, though this is less common.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Before diving into driver reinstalls, try these quick checks. They solve a surprising number of cases.

1. Press the touchpad toggle key: Look at the top row of your keyboard for an icon that looks like a touchpad with a line through it. Press Fn + that key (often F6 or F9). Some models have a dedicated button near the touchpad itself.
2. Check the touchpad setting in Windows: Go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad and make sure the toggle is set to On. Also, check the “Touchpad sensitivity” and “Taps” settings to ensure they aren’t set to something unusual.
3. Restart your laptop: A simple reboot can clear temporary driver glitches.
4. Check for an external mouse: If an external mouse is plugged in, Windows may automatically disable the touchpad. Unplug it and see if the touchpad works.

Reinstalling the Touchpad Driver

If the quick fixes don’t work, a driver issue is the next likely cause. Here’s how to reinstall the driver cleanly:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Look for your touchpad. It might be listed as ASUS Touchpad, ELAN Input Device, or I2C HID Device.
4. Right-click the touchpad entry and select Uninstall device. Check the box that says “Delete the driver software for this device” if it appears.
5. Restart your laptop. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver.

If Windows doesn’t reinstall it automatically, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for updates. You can also visit the Asus support website, enter your laptop model, and download the touchpad driver from the “Drivers & Tools” section.

Using the Asus Touchpad Software

Many Asus laptops come with a dedicated touchpad utility, often called ASUS Smart Gesture or MyASUS. This software provides additional settings and can sometimes conflict with Windows’ built-in touchpad settings.

1. Open MyASUS from the Start menu.
2. Click on Customization (or “Hardware Settings” depending on the version).
3. Look for a Touchpad section and make sure the touchpad is enabled.
4. If you see an option for “Smart Gesture,” ensure it’s not disabled.

If you don’t have MyASUS, you can download it from the Asus support page for your specific laptop model.

When It’s a Hardware Problem

If you’ve tried all the software fixes and the touchpad still doesn’t work, it might be a hardware issue. Common signs include:

• The touchpad is physically loose or has visible damage.
• The touchpad clicks but doesn’t move the cursor.
• The touchpad worked before but stopped after a drop or liquid spill.

In these cases, you can try an external mouse to confirm the rest of the system works. If the external mouse works fine, the problem is likely the touchpad hardware itself. You can attempt to reseat the internal ribbon cable if you’re comfortable opening the laptop, but this is not recommended for most users. A qualified technician can diagnose and replace the touchpad if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Asus touchpad stop working after a Windows update?

Windows updates can sometimes overwrite or conflict with your touchpad driver. The easiest fix is to reinstall the driver as described above. If that doesn’t work, roll back the driver in Device Manager (right-click the touchpad, select Properties, then the Driver tab and Roll Back Driver).

How do I enable the touchpad if the Fn key doesn’t work?

If the Fn key combo doesn’t work, try using the on-screen toggle in Windows Settings. Go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad and turn it on. If that’s greyed out, check the BIOS/UEFI settings—restart your laptop and press F2 (or Del) during boot, then look for an “Internal Pointing Device” option and make sure it’s enabled.

My touchpad is listed as “I2C HID Device” in Device Manager—is that normal?

Yes, that’s normal. Many modern touchpads use the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) connection and appear as an I2C HID device. The driver is still the same one you’d update from Asus or Windows Update.

Will a system restore fix my touchpad?

If the touchpad stopped working recently, a system restore to a point before the problem started can help. Go to Control Panel > Recovery > Open System Restore and choose a restore point. This won’t affect your personal files, but it may remove recently installed apps.

Can I use an external mouse while the touchpad is broken?

Yes, absolutely. Any USB or Bluetooth mouse will work as a temporary replacement. If the touchpad is disabled in software, plugging in a mouse won’t re-enable it, but you can still use the mouse to navigate to the settings and turn the touchpad back on.

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