Pointer / mouse malfunction

[Gbenga_Ezekiel]

In the past month, my mouse/pointer suddenly started malfunctioning. I have a touch screen laptop with a touchpad and an external wireless mouse. The pointer/mouse just started defaulting to a particular position the screen and its a battle to get to move it away or control the mouse. It behaves as if a remote connection is trying to control the mouse only that its to a particular position always and sometime just clicking in that same position.   

Have tried uninstalling the mouse driver, troubleshooting the hardware and software for conflict etc. all  to no avail. It is very frustrating as I can't work done.   The touchpad oem is Elan. 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Gbenga_Ezekiel,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I understand how deeply frustrating it must be when your pointer behaves as though it's tethered to one spot, constantly disrupting your flow and making simple tasks feel impossible. Let’s work together to bring smooth control back into your hands for what you’re going through.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Clean the Touchpad & Check Sensitivity

• Clean it gently with a dry microfiber cloth; moisture, oils, or debris can trigger sudden jumps.
• Go to Settings → Devices → Touchpad and reduce the touchpad sensitivity to lower levels. This can help prevent accidental touches from misplacing the pointer.

2. Update or Reinstall the ELAN Touchpad Driver

• Press Win + X → Device Manager → expand Mice and other pointing devices → right-click on your ELAN touchpad → choose Update driver, then Search automatically.
• If that doesn’t help, Uninstall the device, restart your laptop, and Windows will reinstall the driver on reboot.
• Alternatively, visit Official HP® Support to download the latest ELAN driver using your laptop’s model or serial number.

3. Perform a Power/Hard Reset

This clears temporary memory glitches that may affect multiple functions:

1. Turn off your laptop.
2. Unplug the charger, and disconnect all peripherals except your power adapter.
3. Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds, then release.
4. Reconnect the power and turn the laptop back on.

4. Disable Extra Input Devices

• In Device Manager, open Human Interface Devices and disable HID-compliant devices you’re not using; sometimes they interfere.
• Also, disconnect any Bluetooth mouse or touch accessories temporarily and test pointer behavior again.

5. Test with BIOS & Hardware Diagnostics

• Restart, and repeatedly press Esc → F2 to enter HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
• Run the Mouse/Touchpad test to check for hardware issues.

🔗 Helpful HP Support Resource

For additional assistance or advanced steps, check HP’s troubleshooting guide:
HP Notebook PCs - Troubleshoot the touchpad | HP® Support

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat