220-801 · Question #836
A user reports that their touchpad no longer works on their laptop. Which of the following is the FIRST troubleshooting step?
The correct answer is B. Check for a disable switch. When a laptop touchpad stops working, the first step is to check for a hardware or Fn-key disable switch, which is the simplest and most common cause of sudden touchpad failure.
Question
A user reports that their touchpad no longer works on their laptop. Which of the following is the FIRST troubleshooting step?
Options
- APlug in USB keyboard
- BCheck for a disable switch
- CContact the laptop manufacturer
- DPlug in a USB mouse
How the community answered
(35 responses)- A3% (1)
- B86% (30)
- C9% (3)
- D3% (1)
Why each option
When a laptop touchpad stops working, the first step is to check for a hardware or Fn-key disable switch, which is the simplest and most common cause of sudden touchpad failure.
A USB keyboard addresses a different input device and does not help troubleshoot or resolve the touchpad issue.
Most laptops include a dedicated Fn key combination or a physical switch to disable the touchpad, often activated accidentally. Checking this first follows the troubleshooting principle of starting with the simplest possible cause before assuming driver or hardware failure.
Contacting the manufacturer is a last resort and is inappropriate before basic self-diagnostics are performed.
Plugging in a USB mouse is a workaround that bypasses the problem rather than troubleshooting it.
Concept tested: Laptop touchpad disable switch first-step troubleshooting
Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/touchpad-not-working-in-windows-9f92e7a4-1e7f-4f3a-b27b-91a0df46dc7a
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