Touchpad cursor disappears and moves towards taskbar on its own.

Hello Aditi,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

It sounds like you're dealing with an issue where your touchpad behaves erratically, causing the cursor to disappear, move uncontrollably, and act as if it’s being dragged towards the taskbar. This could be caused by a number of factors. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

1. Check for Physical Issues with the Touchpad

• Clean the Touchpad: Sometimes dirt or moisture can cause strange touchpad behavior. Gently wipe it with a clean, dry cloth.

• Disable Multi-Touch Gestures: Some touchpads have advanced gestures that can cause unintentional movements. Try disabling or adjusting these settings.

2. Update/Reinstall Touchpad Drivers

• Update Drivers: Outdated or corrupt drivers can cause erratic touchpad behavior.

  • On Windows: Go to Device Manager > Mice and other pointing devices > Right-click your touchpad driver and select Update Driver.

  • Alternatively, go to your laptop manufacturer’s website (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo) and download the latest touchpad drivers for your model.

• Reinstall Drivers: If updating doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling the touchpad drivers. Notice that you are recommended to prepare an external mouse to complete this step, or you may encounter some unexpected problems to control your device after the touchpad been uninstalled.

  • Go to Device Manager > Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices > Right-click your touchpad and select Uninstall. Then restart your computer and the driver should reinstall automatically.

3. Adjust Touchpad Settings

• On Windows: Go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad (or Mouse and touchpad settings) and try adjusting the sensitivity or disabling specific features.

• You can also check your touchpad software (e.g., Synaptics, ELAN) if it's installed. Open it and reset settings to default or adjust sensitivity.

4. Check for Interference from External Devices

• Disconnect External Mouse: Since you didn't mention it, sometimes an external mouse can conflict with the touchpad, causing erratic behavior. Try disconnecting it to see if the issue persists.

• Check for USB Conflicts: If you have other USB devices connected, try removing them to rule out conflicts.

5. Check for Software Issues

• Malware or System Glitches: Sometimes malware or software glitches can cause issues with touchpad behavior. Run a system scan using your antivirus software.

• System Restore: If this issue just started recently and you’ve tried all the above without success, consider using System Restore to revert to a point when your touchpad was working fine.

6. Perform a Hard Reset

• Laptop Hard Reset: Sometimes, a simple hard reset can fix erratic hardware issues. Power off your laptop, unplug it from the power source, and remove the battery (if possible). Hold the power button for 30 seconds, then put the battery back in and turn it on again.

7. Check for Windows Updates

• Make sure your Windows system is up-to-date, as some updates address hardware compatibility issues.

If none of the above steps resolves the issue, it might be a hardware problem, and you may need to contact the manufacturer for support and consider replacing the touchpad.

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist