Touchpad sensing issue

[Asdf803]

Touchpad sensing issue

Cursor not move smoothly

[Samrit26]

Hello,

Understood. A touchpad that doesn’t move smoothly is almost always a driver / firmware / power-management issue, and only sometimes a hardware fault. I’ll walk you through this methodically, the same way I’d guide my own team.

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What “cursor not moving smoothly” usually means

This symptom typically falls into one of these buckets:

1. Incorrect or generic touchpad driver

2. Windows precision touchpad service glitch

3. Power management throttling the touchpad

4. BIOS / firmware mismatch

5. Physical touchpad wear (least common)

The key point:
➡️ Jerky / laggy movement is usually software, not a dead touchpad.

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Step 1 – Identify the touchpad type (very important)

HP laptops use either:

• Synaptics

• ELAN

• Windows Precision Touchpad (I2C HID)

How to check:

1. Right-click Start

2. Device Manager

3. Expand Mice and other pointing devices

Tell me what you see:

• “HID-compliant touch pad”

• “Synaptics TouchPad”

• “ELAN Input Device”

This determines the correct fix.

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Step 2 – Reinstall the CORRECT HP driver (do not skip)

Windows often installs a generic driver that causes poor tracking.

1. Go to HP Support for your exact model

2. Download the Touchpad / Pointing Device driver

3. Install it

4. Reboot

⚠️ Do not rely on Windows Update for touchpad drivers.

Why:
Generic drivers lack HP’s sensitivity and palm-rejection tuning.

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Step 3 – Disable touchpad power saving (common cause of stutter)

Windows aggressively powers down I2C devices.

1. Device Manager

2. Open your touchpad device

3. Power Management tab

4. Uncheck:

   Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power

5. OK → Reboot

This alone fixes many “laggy cursor” issues.

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Step 4 – Adjust sensitivity & precision settings

1. Settings → Bluetooth & Devices → Touchpad

2. Set:

   • Touchpad sensitivity: Most sensitive

   • Turn OFF “Leave touchpad on when mouse is connected” (for testing)

3. Test movement again

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Step 5 – BIOS update (often overlooked)

Touchpad behavior is controlled by the Embedded Controller (EC).

• Install the latest BIOS for your HP model

• AC power connected

• Do not interrupt

This is especially important on:

• EliteBook

• ProBook

• Pavilion / 15-inch models

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Step 6 – Clean hardware surface (simple but real)

Even oils can cause erratic sensing.

• Clean touchpad with:

  • Microfiber cloth

  • Small amount of isopropyl alcohol

• Let it dry fully

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How to tell if it’s hardware

It’s likely hardware if:

• Cursor jumps randomly even in BIOS

• Touchpad clicks but tracking is erratic

• External mouse works perfectly at all times

In that case:
➡️ Touchpad module replacement is required
➡️ On HP laptops, this usually means top cover replacement