How to Fix an Unresponsive Touch Screen on Windows (Without Throwing Your Laptop Out the Window)

There is this very specific kind of frustration. You know it if you have lived it. You tap your laptop screen. Nothing happens. You swipe harder. Still nothing. And in that moment, your brain wonders… is it broken? Or is this some cosmic prank?

Relax. Take your finger off the screen. This is fixable. Let us walk through it.

Step One: Let Windows Help You (Yes, Really)

Windows actually has a built-in troubleshooter that can dig around for hardware problems. Might as well let it try before we get our hands dirty.

Here is how to summon it:

• Right-click Start
• Select Run
• Type: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
• Hit Enter

That is the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. Run it. Follow the instructions. See if Windows catches the issue on its own.

Step Two: Is Touch Screen Even Enabled?

Sounds silly. Happens a lot.

• Right-click Start
• Select Device Manager
• Expand Human Interface Devices
• Look for HID-compliant touch screen
• Right-click it
• Choose Enable Device (if it says Disable — you are already good here)

No touch screen listed at all? We will get to that too.

Step Three: Adjust Power Settings (Because Windows Loves Saving Power a Little Too Much)

Sometimes your touch screen goes to sleep… and forgets how to wake up.

• Device Manager > Human Interface Devices > HID-compliant touch screen
• Right-click > Properties
• Go to Power Management tab
• Uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”

Apply. Restart. See what happens.

Step Four: Reinstall That Touch Screen Driver

If your driver went bad, got corrupted, or just gave up — time to refresh it.

• Device Manager
• Right-click HID-compliant touch screen
• Select Uninstall device
• Restart your computer — Windows will usually reinstall it automatically

If not? Head to your laptop manufacturer’s website and grab the driver manually.

Step Five: Update Drivers (Because Old Drivers Love Causing New Problems)

While you are in Device Manager:

• Right-click HID-compliant touch screen
• Select Update driver
• Choose Search automatically for updated driver software

No luck? Visit the manufacturer site directly for the newest version. Always your safest bet.

Step Six: Calibrate or Reset The Touch Screen

Maybe your touch screen is technically working… but thinks your finger is two inches to the left. Time to recalibrate.

• Type Control Panel in Search
• Open it
• Go to Hardware and Sound
• Select Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input
• Choose Reset
• Click OK

Step Seven: Update Windows (Always. Just Always.)

Windows updates fix weird bugs. Even if you do not think you need them.

• Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
• Click Check for updates

Install everything. Restart.

Step Eight: Why Did My Touch Screen Vanish Completely?

Driver issues. Software conflicts. Sometimes recent installs cause chaos. Could even be BIOS settings gone wild.

• Reinstall touch screen drivers
• Uninstall any new software that may have messed things up
• Run a system restore if it worked fine last week

Step Nine: How To Force A Restart When Everything Feels Frozen

Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until your PC shuts off completely.

Turn it back on. Check if touch is back.

Step Ten: No Pen Or Touch Input Available For This Display?

Translation? Windows does not see any touch screen hardware at all.

That means one of two things:

• The driver is missing
• The hardware failed (rare, but possible)

Visit your laptop manufacturer’s support page. Look for touchscreen drivers. Download and install. Restart.

Step Eleven: Quick Keyboard Shortcut To Restart Your Screen (When Things Get Weird)

Sometimes all it needs is a gentle nudge.

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

Then hit the little power icon in the bottom-right. Choose Restart.

Final Thought

Touch screens are magic… right up until they stop working. But most of the time, the fix is not about magic — it is about patience, a little curiosity, and knowing where to click.

Update your drivers. Check your settings. Run a few commands. And next time your screen ignores you? You will know exactly what to do — without panic, without drama, and definitely without buying a new laptop.