Touchpad issues on Omen 17s

[FlyingTutor]

We are having issues with the touchpads on most of our Omen 17 laptops. We purchased 23 machines a couple of years ago but have only started using them in earnest over the last 6 months and students are complaining of stuttering and random movements by the pointers.  I note that a number of people have complained about this over the last few years but I can't find anyone who has found an answer to the problem.  All other threads appear to have terminated without anyone giving a definitive answer (I know there are those that blame static but we have checked the shielding and those we have tested have a very low resistance to common.)

Has anyone got to the bottom of this issue?

[Garp_senchau]

@FlyingTutor,

Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Initial Diagnostics

Check for External Interference

• Disconnect all peripherals (mice, USB devices, chargers, etc.).
• Test the touchpad behavior without any external devices connected.
• If the issue occurs when the charger is plugged in, try a different charger or outlet to rule out grounding issues.

BIOS/UEFI Diagnostics

• Restart the laptop and enter the BIOS (press F10 during boot).
• If the touchpad is responsive in BIOS, the issue is likely software-related.
• If the issue persists in BIOS, it may be a hardware problem.

Software and Driver Checks

Update Touchpad Drivers

1. Open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc).
2. Expand Human Interface Devices and Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Right-click on the touchpad driver (likely Synaptics or ELAN).
4. Select Update driver → Search automatically for updated driver.
5. If no update is found, visit HP’s official support page and manually install the latest driver.

Roll Back Touchpad Driver

• If the issue started after a Windows update, roll back the driver:
  1. In Device Manager, right-click the touchpad driver.
  2. Select Properties → Driver tab.
  3. Click Roll Back Driver (if available).

Disable Conflicting Drivers

• If both Microsoft Precision Touchpad and OEM (Synaptics/ELAN) drivers are installed, disable one:
  1. Go to Device Manager.
  2. Disable Microsoft Precision Touchpad and check if the issue persists.

[Garp_senchau]

Windows and Firmware Updates

Check for Windows Updates

1. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
2. Install all available updates.
3. Restart the system and test the touchpad.

Update BIOS and Firmware

1. Visit HP Support and enter the laptop’s serial number.
2. Download and install the latest BIOS Update.
3. If available, update Touchpad Firmware.

Power and Performance Tweaks

Disable Power Management on the Touchpad

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Find the Touchpad Device under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Right-click → Properties → Power Management.
4. Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

Modify Windows Touchpad Settings

1. Go to Settings → Devices → Touchpad.
2. Reduce the Touchpad sensitivity.
3. Disable Palm Rejection (if available).
4. Toggle off and on Tap to Click and Three-Finger Gestures to reset settings.

Disable "Enhance Pointer Precision"

1. Open Control Panel → Mouse.
2. Under the Pointer Options tab, uncheck Enhance pointer precision.
3. Apply changes and test the touchpad

[Garp_senchau]

Advanced Diagnostics

Check for Electrical Interference

• Test on different surfaces (wood, metal, plastic) to check if grounding affects the touchpad.
• If multiple laptops are affected, test in different rooms/buildings.

Test with an External Mouse

• If an external mouse works fine, it further confirms a touchpad-specific issue.

Create a Test User Profile

1. Create a new local Windows user account.
2. Log in and test if the issue persists.

Hardware Considerations

Reseat the Touchpad Cable

• If not, open the laptop and reseat the ribbon cable connecting the touchpad to the motherboard.

Replace the Touchpad Module

• If none of the above steps work, replacing the touchpad might be necessary.

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,