Chromebook screen lost touch sensitivity

[Gamurrell]

My 3-year-old Chromebook has never given me any problems until this week, when suddenly the screen became completely unresponsive to touch. This model adapts to a tablet by detaching the keyboard, and it's now completely useless in this mode. With the keyboard attached it works fine, including the keyboard touchpad, but the display screen is still unresponsive to touch. I've checked that all the software is fully up to date, and I've carried out a full powerwash and restore, but the problem remains. I've looked for solutions online, and some suggestions involve booting to Recovery Mode using either Esc+Refresh+Power or Back+Refresh+Power, but these key combinations just produce a normal reboot. Any ideas please?

[zoey7886]

@Gamurrell, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Chromebook issues! 

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

A few things to try before calling it hardware failure:

Hard reset the Chromebook

Hold Refresh ⟳ and tap Power, keep holding Refresh for about 10 seconds, then release. This is different from a Powerwash and sometimes kicks the touchscreen back to life.

Check in diagnostics

Press Search ⌘ + Esc + Esc (or click your profile photo → “Diagnostics”). In the Touch section, see if the system detects any input at all when you tap. If nothing shows, that’s a big hint it’s hardware.

Test in Guest Mode

Sign out, choose Browse as Guest, and see if touch works there. That rules out any profile-specific settings.

Inspect for physical issues

Even a slight cable disconnection where the screen joins the base can kill the touch layer while keeping display visuals fine. If it’s a detachable model, gently re-seat the screen onto the base a couple of times.  

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, 

[Gamurrell]

Hi Zoey, Thanks for responding.

I've not been able to do a hard reset. Following your instructions (starting with power off) just gives me a normal reboot.

Nor have I been able to get into Diagnostics. I can't find anything that looks like Search ⌘, and clicking on my profile photo does nothing. 

In Guest mode the touchscreen remains insensitive.

I can't see any physical issues, and my device has suffered no trauma. It's hard to gently re-seat the screen onto the keyboard, because of the powerful magnet that secures the connection.

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @Gamurrell,

Thanks for reaching out! Since the issue remains unresolved, I suggest contacting our phone/chat support team for personalized assistance. They can provide one-on-one help and may even be able to work their remote assistance magic to fix the problem.

Note: There might be a nominal charge for the service they provide.

Regards,