How to manage a Synaptics pen's behaviour?

[Echo_Lake]

@EvilRacehorse

I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

Perform Windows Update and HP Support Assistant:

To check for updates now, select the Start button, and then go to Settings  > Update & security  > Windows Update, and select Check for updates.

Install updates from HP Support Assistant: Go to Download HP Support Assistant to install the tool.

1. To open HP Support Assistant, double-click the HP Support Assistant icon .
2. Click My devices in the top menu, and then click Updates in the My PC or My notebook pane.
3. Click Check for updates and messages to scan for new updates.
4. Review the list of updates. Updates with a yellow information icon are recommended. Updates with a blue information icon are optional.
5. Click the update name for a description, version number, and file size.
6. Select the box next to any updates you want to install, and then click Download and install.
   And also run BIOS Update: Follow steps from the link: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c00042629

Keep me posted for further assistance.

[EvilRacehorse]

@Echo_Lake, thank you for the suggestions but I'm afraid I have already done these the first time you suggested. Nevertheless, I did both one more time and unsurprisingly they did nothing.
Could you please give me specific instructions regarding how to diagnose the digitizer behaviour specifically? 

I don't think this generic Windows Update is gonna do anything since they are being done automatically anyway.

It is fine again now, but I have no idea how long it will last. I have "HP Pen Control" set to start automatically, can it help me diagnose the issue?

[EvilRacehorse]

So, here it goes again. since the 8 hours the computer's been on, I have been checking the pen every hour or so for its behaviour. It worked all fine until around the 9th hour after which it started showing the same erratic behaviour. During this time, the computer's been left alone, or has been used for browsing or other regular things.
I would really appreciate it, if you gave me some non-generic options that i can try.
I mean, if I knew what files, drivers, etc. are responsible for digitizer behaviour, wouldn't it be possible to check out and identify what makes it act this way?
I don't think irrelevant things such as Windows or BIOS updates are gonna help here...

It is almost like some sort of a clock is controlling things, where it is going on and off every 8 hours or so.

I sincerely hope there is a way to check this.

[Echo_Lake]

@EvilRacehorse
The touch screen responds to touch, but the cursor does not move as expected and your touch screen might need to be cleaned, configured, or reset.

Use the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI tests to detect problems with the touch screen hardware.

1. Connect the AC adapter to the computer.

2. Press the Power button for at least five seconds to turn off the computer.

3. Turn on the computer and immediately press Esc repeatedly, about once every second. When the Startup menu appears, press F2.

4. When the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics screen displays, click Component Tests.

   

5. Click Touch Screen.

6. There are two interactive touch screen hardware tests. Click Touch Pointer Test first.

   

7. Read the on-screen instructions, and then click Run once.

8. Touch each of the blocks on the screen to erase them. The test ends after you erase all the blocks or after three minutes have passed, and the results display.

   

9. Click Main menu to return to the main screen.

10. Click Component Tests, and then click Touch Screen.

11. Click Drag And Drop Test.

    

12. Read the on-screen instructions, and then click Run once.

13. Drag each orange rectangle to the box indicated by the arrows with a finger or a stylus. The test ends after you reposition all the blocks or after three minutes, and the results display.

    

• If the diagnostics tests pass but the touch screen still does not respond during regular use, continue to the next step.

• If one or both tests fail, a 24-digit code, or failure ID, displays. Contact HP and provide this code. The failure ID is also available in Test Logs on the main menu.

Keep me posted for further assistance.

[EvilRacehorse]

@Echo_Lake, 
Thanks for another suggestion, but it seems like you may have missed some key details that I mentioned in some of my earlier posts. I  have disabled my touchscreen. And even when it is enabled, it works perfectly and is covered with a screen protector. Apart from that, I already mentioned that this issue happens periodically. The last 2 days, it is fine for 8-9 hours and then suddenly goes crazy for 3-4 hours and then goes back and forth between normal and erratic.

In the meantime, I made several more discoveries that may further refine the issue.

If I go to the Windows app "Tips" and open the Windows Ink Workspace, then open the "Sticky notes" app, the pen would behave normally. So even when the cursor is acting insanely, it will cease doing that under certain conditions. This happens only under that app and ONLY when it is opened this way. Opening "Sticky Notes" regularly will still exhibit the same issue if the cursor is in the "crazy" phase. 

I checked the stylus on Another OS (Ubuntu 18.04) and it never had any erratic behaviour.

I will really appreciate it if we concentrated on the issue instead of blaming parts of my laptop that literally have no relevance to the issue. This is not a hardware or a cleaning problem. But something directly related to software.
Unfortunately, I do not know what software is responsible for making the cursor move when an active stylus is involved. Had someone told me that, I could have had something to compare when the stylus is acting normally and when it is not.

In any case, here are those irrelevant test results

Thanks again for your understanding

[Echo_Lake]

@EvilRacehorse

To get the answer to this question, there is no software for HP Pen. 
As long as your device has a capacitive touch screen you can use your finger to touch, you can use a capacitive stylus with it.
An antenna that receives the signal and generates another electromagnetic field to the computer screen or display being used.

( if Pen is not functioning normally after performing relevant troubleshooting steps, then its a hardware related issue with Pen consider replacing the pen) 

Keep me posted for further assistance.

[EvilRacehorse]

@Echo_Lake
My bad, I didn't mean the software for the pen. But the drivers or software that control the digitizer.
As I said earlier, the same thing happens with another pen. 
I don't understand why the pen is to blame here when the same thing is happening with another pen and only on certain conditions (software and OS)
For example, If I open the "Sticky Notes" app from "Tips", the cursor will behave perfectly. 

If I open the same open from the Start Menu or from a Custom shortcut, the same faulty behaviour kicks in again.

There is obviously something interfering with how the screen is receiving the input from (any) pen on certain conditions that have to do with the OS. And this behaviour works like clockwork. It starts around 1500 EST and will continue on and off for 8 or so hours before returning back to normal, rinse and repeat.
If it is a hardware-related issue, it would behave like that all the time regardless of the software or the OS in use. But fortunately, this is not the case.
I'm confused beyond belief regarding what could possibly cause this interference if there is no software responsible for it.

Could it be that my laptop or the pen is not meant to be used with Windows 10? 

[Echo_Lake]

@EvilRacehorse
The only software involved in the display is Graphics card drivers which control display settings, 

Touchscreen (Digitizer) reads the signal from the touch and transports it to the processing unit.

As you see we checked computer touchscreen functionality which is working fine and after 8 hrs Pen stops working,
this could be a compatibility issue as Pen works all fine on the different operating system. 

[EvilRacehorse]

@Echo_Lake If this is the case, can my graphics drivers have any effect on how the pen input is being received?

If yes, is there a way to diagnose this? (Maybe from log files or something)

I'd rather not switch the entire OS because of an issue like this.

What is interesting is that the same app opened in 2 way makes the pen behave erratically or fine.

The main difference is that when "Sticky notes" is opened with Windows Ink Workspace, there is a focus on the app and the rest of the screen darkens. In that environment, the cursor is behaving perfectly as expected.

But if it is a regular window, the result is the opposite. 

[Echo_Lake]

@EvilRacehorse
There is no way to this, I do understand the issue with pen behaviour. 

You can try reinstalling the Windows operating system which will reinstall the original software driver. However, for this issue the troubleshooting options are limited,
As I've mentioned earlier if its touchscreen related issue by updating the relevant driver will fix. If its hardware related issue the touchscreen needs to change,

Again, in this case, touchscreen works fine and pen works fine, The issue your experiencing it could be due to compatibility.