The touchscreen on a Windows device is usually enabled out of the box. If it isn't, enable it using the Device Manager, which is found in the Control Panel. In this guide, we show you how to turn on the touchscreen in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7, as well as how to force Windows to check the hardware for a touchscreen, and how to update the touchscreen driver.
How to Turn On the Touchscreen in Windows 10 and 8
To enable the touchscreen in Windows 10 and 8, you need to access the Device Manager. You can access the Device Manager through the Control Panel, but it's a little faster to access it directly through the search box on the taskbar.
Select the search box on your taskbar.
Type Device Manager.
Select Device Manager.
Select the arrow next to Human Interface Devices.
Select HID-compliant touch screen.
Select Action at the top of the window.
Select Enable Device.
Verify that your touchscreen works.
If the touchscreen has been disabled on your Windows 10 tablet, you need to connect a USB keyboard and mouse to turn it back on.
How to Force Windows to Check for a Touchscreen
If you don't see an entry for an HID-compliant touchscreen in your Device Manager, there are two possible causes. The first is that Windows doesn't realize you have a touchscreen, which can be fixed by scanning for hardware changes. The other is that you don't have a touchscreen.
If your touchscreen has never worked, and you don't see a listing for an HID-compliant touchscreen, contact the manufacturer of your device. Provide them with the product number, and they can tell you if your device should have a touchscreen. Many laptop product lines include similar versions with and without touchscreens.
If you're sure that your device is supposed to have a touchscreen, here's how to force Windows to check for it:
If the Device Manager isn't open, select the search box on your taskbar, type Device Manager, and then click Device Manager to open it.
Select the arrow next to Human Interface Devices to expand the list, and verify that you don't see HID-compliant touchscreen.
Select Action on the toolbar.
Select Scan for hardware changes.
Select the Human Interface Devices list to see if HID-compliant touchscreen is there.
If the Windows hardware wizard finds your touchscreen, check to see if it works. If it doesn't, proceed to the next section to check for driver updates.
If it doesn't find your touchscreen, you may have a hardware problem, or your device may not have a touchscreen at all.
How to Update Your Touchscreen Driver
In some cases, you may have a touchscreen that doesn't work even after you have enabled it. If you can see a listing for an HID-compliant touch screen in your Device Manager, and your touchscreen still doesn't work after you enable it, you may have a driver or hardware problem.
In situations where a touchscreen doesn't work due to a driver issue, you can typically fix it by updating the driver, running Windows Update, or contacting the manufacturer of your computer for any special instructions or update tools.
Here's how to update your touchscreen driver:
If the Device Manager isn't open, select the search box on your taskbar, type Device Manager, and then select Device Manager to open it.
Select the arrow next to Human Interface Devices to expand the list.
Right-click HID-compliant touch screen.
Select Update Driver.
Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
If the driver update wizard finds a new driver, install it.
Check to see if your touchscreen works.
If your touchscreen still doesn't work, run Windows Update.
How to Enable a Touchscreen on Windows 7
Touchscreens work differently in Windows 7 than in later versions of Windows. If you have Windows 7, enable your touchscreen through the Pen and Touch menu instead of the Device Manager. This menu can be accessed through the Control Panel.
Select the Start button.
Select Control Panel.
Select Pen and Touch.
Select the Touch tab.
Select the box next to Use your finger as an input device.
The box needs to be checked for the touchscreen to work. If it's already checked, and your touchscreen doesn't work, you may have a hardware or driver problem.
Verify that your touchscreen works.
Do You Need a Touchscreen in Windows 10?
No, Windows 10 laptops and 2-in-1 devices technically don't need a touchscreen. That means you can run into situations where you find that the touchscreen is disabled. Disabling the touchscreen can prevent unintentional inputs, like clicking on things you didn't mean to click on, so some people opt to do without this feature.
The main reason to enable a touchscreen on a Windows 10 device is that it can make it easier to accomplish some tasks because tapping on the screen typically takes less time than moving the mouse around and clicking with a small trackpad.
In some cases, a touchscreen and compatible pen device can allow you to use your Windows 10 laptop, 2-in-1, or tablet in the same way that you would use a drawing tablet. If you do any kind of graphic design work, this is a great way to get additional functionality out of a touchscreen-enabled Windows 10 device.
FAQ
How to install the Lenovo touchpad driver?
To install the Lenovo touchpad driver, open Device Manager, then go to the Mice and other pointing devices section and uninstall the driver. Next, restart the PC, navigate to the Lenovo support site and download the driver. Restart the PC again.
How can I make my Chromebook a touchscreen?
To turn on Chromebook touchscreen, press Search+Shift+T. If the touchscreen toggle isn't available on your Chromebook, navigate to chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts and enable Debugging keyboard shortcuts.
A touch screen is a great option that lets you use your finger instead of a mouse to navigate a laptop's operating system. If your laptop or Chromebook has a touch screen, it's enabled and turned on by default.
If for some reason your touch screen is not working, you can try turning it on manually. You can also try calibrating the touch screen if it's not working correctly.
To disable the touch screen altogether, you can do that as well.
Choose an action from the list below and follow the steps to enable, calibrate, or disable the touch screen on your laptop or Chromebook.
Note
Not all Windows laptops or Chromebooks feature a touch screen display. Check your laptop or Chromebook specifications to determine if it features a touch screen display.
Note
There are no Apple MacBooks or desktops that support touch screen. The only exception is the touch bar found on they keyboard of some MacBook Pro models.
If the touch screen is not working on your laptop or Chromebook, try enabling it using the steps for your device.
Note
If you do not find a HID-compliant touch screen entry in the Device Manager, your laptop probably does not have a touch screen display.
Note
If you do not see the "Enable device" option in the pop-up menu, the touch screen is already enabled.
Note
If the touch screen is not working, try cleaning the screen to remove any dirt, dust, and fingerprints. Also, wash your hands to remove any oils, and dry them thoroughly, then try using the touch screen again. If it still is not working, it could be defective and needs to be repaired.
You can also check the manufacturer's website to see if there are updated drivers for the touch screen. Run Windows Update, or download and install the latest drivers for the touch screen, to see if that fixes the problem.
Most Chromebooks have a keyboard shortcut to toggle touch screen functionality. Press Search+Shift+T to toggle the touch screen and try to enable it.
If your Chromebook does not respond to Search+Shift+T shortcut, open the Chrome browser, type chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts in the address bar, and enable the debugging keyboard shortcuts option. Try pressing Search+Shift+T shortcut again to see if it works.
Note
If the touch screen is not working, try cleaning the Chromebook screen to remove any dirt, dust, and fingerprints. Also, wash your hands to remove any oils, and dry them thoroughly, then try using the touch screen again. If it still is not working, it could be defective and needs to be repaired.
If the touch screen is working, but not correctly, you can try calibrating it to see if that helps fix the issue. Follow these steps to calibrate the touch screen on your laptop.
Note
There are no touch screen calibration options available on a Chromebook. You can try installing a third-party app from the Google Play store designed to help calibrate the touch screen.
To disable the touch screen on your laptop or Chromebook, disable it using the steps for your device.
Note
If you do not see the "Disable device" option in the pop-up menu, the touch screen is already disabled.
Most Chromebooks have a keyboard shortcut to toggle touch screen functionality. Press Search+Shift+T to toggle the touch screen and disable it.
If your Chromebook does not respond to Search+Shift+T shortcut, open the Chrome browser, type chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts in the address bar, and enable the debugging keyboard shortcuts option. Try pressing Search+Shift+T shortcut again to see if it works.