Advanced Touchpad Features not Working

The touchpad is an incredibly useful input method that mimics the functionality of a mouse without the need for the extra space required by the peripheral device. The options available to the user through the touchpad are not a mere copy of the mouse, however, as they offer a far bigger range of options and shortcuts. These advanced features improved productivity come built-in with Windows 10. What to do if the advanced touchpad features suddenly stop working?

The first step is to check if the touchpad itself hasn't been disabled by accident. Usually, this happens by hitting the Fn key on the keyboard in combination with one of the F1 - F12 keys. The specific command depends on your laptop model so try all of them to check if the touchpad will turn back on.

To access the options menu for the touchpad features, type settings into the Search box on the Taskbar and open the top result. In the new window, open the 'Devices' section. Now, look through options in the left pane of the new window and select 'Touchpad.' Here, you will be able to adjust the sensitivity settings, watch a guide on how to use the Windows Gestures, and access the advanced settings for the device.

Click on 'Additional settings' located below 'Related settings.' This should open the 'Mouse Properties' window for your touchpad. Check the status of the touchpad and click on 'Enable' if necessary. Look through the other options available in the 'Mouse Properties' window to fine-tune the behaviour of the trackpad.