HP Specter stuck in tablet mode

[Sagar01]

Hopefully someone can help as I am all out of ideas.

My Spectre X360 is stuck in tablet mode.

I turned my laptop on as normal in the morning and I had no keyboard or touch pad.  I thought it was strange.  Then I noticed it was in tablet mode.  But I had no touch screen either.  I rebooted (held power button) and it was still the same.

I connected a USB mouse / keyboard and manged to get access to the laptop and started to work through the problem.

To date I have done - in order - all of which made no difference

Check / uncheck screen rotation in settings

Update the registry to show tablet mode 0 (and 1 also just for testing)

Carried out several windows updates

Rolled back to a restore point 

None of these had any effect.  Still no keyboard, track pad, touch, rotation not working, its just stuck in tablet mode.

THEN

I updated the BIOS AND did a total reinstall of Windows from restore.

AFTER doing these 2 steps on first boot after setting up Windows for its first boot it re-booted in DESKTOP MODE.  Great.. 

I thought I had fixed it.

However, the next re-boot I did it went straight back into tablet mode.  And I am now stuck again with no keyboard, track pad, touch or any of the desktop features.  

Thanks

[zoey7886]

@Sagar01, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Tablet Mode Issues on HP Spectre x360! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

When your HP Spectre x360 is stuck in tablet mode, and you are experiencing issues like the keyboard and touchpad not functioning, there are a few steps you can take to resolve the issue:

Disable Tablet Mode:

• Go to the Action Center by clicking the notification icon on the taskbar or pressing Windows key + A.
• If Tablet Mode is on, tap or click the "Tablet mode" button to turn it off.

Check Touchscreen Drivers:

• Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Device Manager".
• Look for "Human Interface Devices" and expand it.
• Check for any issues with the touchscreen driver. If there’s a warning symbol, right-click and update the driver.

Run Windows Troubleshooter:

• Click on Start and open Settings.
• Go to "Update & Security" and select "Troubleshoot".
• Run the troubleshooter for "Hardware and Devices" and follow any recommendations.

Keyboard and Touchpad Settings:

• Ensure that the touchpad and keyboard are enabled.
• You can check these settings in the BIOS settings. Restart the laptop and press F10 repeatedly to enter BIOS. Look for keyboard/touchpad settings and ensure they are enabled.

System Updates:

• Check for any pending Windows updates, as these can sometimes fix bugs.
• Open "Settings", go to "Update & Security", and click on "Check for updates".

Hardware Reset:

• Perform a full shutdown by holding down the power button for 10 seconds.
• Disconnect any peripherals and wait for a minute before turning it back on.

Reset Windows:

• As a last resort, consider resetting Windows. Go to "Settings", select "Update & Security", and click "Recovery". Choose "Get Started" under Reset this PC and follow the prompts.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Sagar01]

I have been experiencing this issue for over a week now, and despite trying all the suggested fixes provided by HP Support France and HP Support India, there has been no resolution.

Regarding the suggestions provided by @zoey7886, here is what I have tried:

1. Disabling Tablet Mode:

As I mentioned earlier, I'm using Windows 11, and there is no “Tablet Mode” button available in the Action Center. I also attempted modifying the registry to toggle tablet mode to both 0 and 1 (for testing purposes), but this had no effect.

2. Touchscreen Drivers:

There are no warning symbols or errors in the Device Manager. All drivers appear to be correctly installed and functioning.

3. Keyboard and Touchpad Settings:

I have verified that both the keyboard and touchpad are enabled in the BIOS settings. I even reset the BIOS to default and updated the system firmware. Here’s a strange behavior I noticed:

• After updating the BIOS, the PC boots into normal mode and the keyboard works, but touchpad and touchscreen do not.

• When I fold the device 360 degrees (like a tablet, with the keyboard facing downward), the touchscreen starts working.

• However, when I return the device to normal laptop mode, everything stops working keyboard, touchpad, and touchscreen and no troubleshooting steps seem to resolve it.

4. System Updates:

There are no pending Windows updates. I have also tried rolling back to the previous update, but the problem persists.

5. Hardware Reset:

I’ve performed several hardware resets. One unusual issue: after doing a full shutdown (by holding the power button for 10 seconds), the power button stops responding. The only way to get it working again is to fold the PC into tablet mode and then return it to laptop mode.

6. Windows Reset:

I went as far as using HP’s Cloud Recovery software to reset everything, including wiping all data and reinstalling the OS. Unfortunately, the PC still boots directly into tablet mode, and none of the input devices (keyboard, touchpad, touchscreen) function properly in normal mode.

At this point, I am genuinely frustrated and have spent a considerable amount of time trying to resolve this. If you have any new suggestions or possible causes for this behavior, I would greatly appreciate your assistance.

Thank you in advance.

[zoey7886]

@Sagar01, Thanks for sharing the detailed steps you’ve already tried — that really helps narrow things down. From what you’ve described, especially the way the touchscreen only works when folded 360° and the keyboard/touchpad drop out in normal laptop mode, this points less to Windows settings and more to the lid/rotation sensor or system board connection not communicating properly.

Here are a couple of things you might still want to check:

Sensor Test in HP Diagnostics
Restart the laptop and press F2 repeatedly to enter HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. Run the “Component Tests” for Input Devices and Sensors to see if the accelerometer/rotation sensor is being detected properly.

Let me know how it goes!

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Sagar01]

@zoey7886 Thank you for your suggestion but there is no sensor test option inside component test as shown in attached picture.

Howevery I performed system board test which shows no any error. I also tried touch screen and mouse test. But as touch and touchpad is not working and its an interactive test, the test shows no any result. 

[zoey7886]

@Sagar01, I see now why you’re not finding a Sensor Test option — in the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) for your Spectre x360, only the listed components (Processor, Memory, Storage, Power, Audio, Bluetooth, Fan, Fingerprint, Keyboard, Mouse, Network, Optical Drive, System Board, Thunderbolt, Touch Screen, TPM, USB Port, Video, Webcam) are available. Unfortunately, the accelerometer/rotation sensor (which controls laptop ↔ tablet mode switching) is not always exposed in the diagnostics menu.

Given your situation —

The device boots fine but is "locked" in tablet mode.

Keyboard & touchpad cut out in laptop mode.

Touch only works when the device is folded 360°.

BIOS/firmware update temporarily restores functionality but then reverts.

Component tests don’t show a direct sensor option.

👉 This strongly points to a hardware-level issue with either:

The lid sensor / accelerometer (gyroscope) module not communicating properly.

The system board connector for the sensor being loose or failing.

What you can still try before hardware repair:

Check hidden tests in Diagnostics:

From the diagnostics main menu, try selecting “System Tests” (if available) → sometimes sensors are grouped under “System Extensive Test”.

Update HP 3D DriveGuard (if available):

This package sometimes includes sensor drivers for accelerometer-based features. Check HP Support Assistant for updates specific to “HP 3D DriveGuard” or “HP Motion Sensor.”

If none of these bring back sensor detection, it’s almost certainly a hardware issue — the rotation sensor board/cable may need reseating or replacement.

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards,