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.
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 you’re sure that your device is supposed to have a touchscreen, here’s how to force Windows to check for it: 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:
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.
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.
