Why does OneNote Scroll and Zoom automatically while writing on a Device in Tablet Mode?

Question

Why does OneNote Scroll and Zoom automatically while writing on a Device in Tablet Mode?

Smith, Casey 20

I have a Client that has a issue with OneNote for Windows. Office 365 Version and Microsoft Store Version both did the same thing. We tried a New Device with New Image and same issue. New Stylus and same issue. Newest Version of OneNote. New Graphics Drivers and same issue. New Mouse and Keyboard just to be sure. We tried different settings. Turned off Hardware Acceleration in OneNote and Windows. Turned off Scrolling when hovering with the mouse. Turned the Sensitivity down on the Stylus.

Client will fold the 2 in 1 Laptop back and start writing on the Screen with the Built in and or the External Stylus. Randomly throughout the writing session the Screen will scroll, sometimes it will scroll the whole page, like someone used a mouse wheel and did it as fast as possible. More often it is a Small Scroll. Also the client sees a zooming issue like a 2 finger zoom on screen.

My thoughts are the client is accidentally touching the screen while in the writing session in OneNote in a way to cause a scroll and or zoom. Might be a Bug? Has anyone seen this behavior in OneNote?

Anonymous

2025-10-21T20:17:59.6933333+00:00

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Hope things are running smoothly on your end.

Following up on the support thread we've been working on. I hope the steps I shared in my previous answer resolve the issue you were facing. If you are still facing the same issue or need assistance with anything else, kindly respond to this email, and I will be happy to help.

We want to make sure everything is working as expected and that your experience remains uninterrupted.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the troubleshooting process.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Thank you for the additional details and for confirming the testing so far. Based on our review, this behavior is likely caused by how Windows and OneNote handle simultaneous pen and touch input on convertible devices. When the system briefly loses pen proximity, it may register a touch gesture such as scroll or zoom. This is more noticeable in Windows 11, which replaced the older Tablet Mode with a unified touch model that processes gestures differently. When used in docked or dual-display setups, some touch inputs may also be misinterpreted across screens, resulting in the unexpected scrolling or zooming observed while inking.

To help minimize this behavior, please try the following steps:

Enable “Ignore touch input when using pen”

Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Pen & Windows Ink.

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Turn On the option “Ignore touch input when using pen.”

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This setting prevents Windows from processing touch gestures while the pen is detected on the screen.

Update the device BIOS and firmware

Visit the Lenovo Support website: https://support.lenovo.com.
Enter the model number ThinkPad X13 2-in-1.
Download and install the latest BIOS, Touch Firmware, and Display/Graphics drivers. Updating these components ensures the latest palm rejection and pen/touch input improvements are applied.

After applying these updates, please restart the device and test in OneNote again.

If the issue persists after these steps, you will need to contact your IT admin to create a support ticket in Get Support- Microsoft 365 admin center

Please follow this article: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn.
On right bottom corner click on "Help & support"

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After that choose the "Contact support".

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Fill out the required information in the form, including a description of the issue you are experiencing.
Click on the "Create" button to submit your request. Which will give them a ticket number.
Once your request is submitted, a support engineer will be assigned to your case and will contact your admin to provide assistance.

Note: We appreciate your understanding regarding the scope of support available through this forum. As moderators, our role is to provide general guidance and assist with common troubleshooting steps. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. 

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. 

I'm looking forward to your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T18:53:42.42+00:00

Ah Very Nice. I was just enlightened by another Tech to set the Pen use to Right Handed and will try that option as well. The Default hand is set to Left.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:44:48.11+00:00

The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:45:28.38+00:00
The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:50:39.1533333+00:00

The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Anonymous

2025-10-27T17:58:30.74+00:00

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Thank you for your update. I’m glad to hear that my solution resolved the issue, and I truly appreciate the time you took to confirm this. If you need any further assistance or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you a great day ahead.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Anonymous

2025-10-21T20:17:59.6933333+00:00

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Hope things are running smoothly on your end.

Following up on the support thread we've been working on. I hope the steps I shared in my previous answer resolve the issue you were facing. If you are still facing the same issue or need assistance with anything else, kindly respond to this email, and I will be happy to help.

We want to make sure everything is working as expected and that your experience remains uninterrupted.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the troubleshooting process.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T18:53:42.42+00:00

Ah Very Nice. I was just enlightened by another Tech to set the Pen use to Right Handed and will try that option as well. The Default hand is set to Left.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:44:48.11+00:00

The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:45:28.38+00:00

The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:50:39.1533333+00:00

The Client is Right handed, so we set the Client to Right handed writing in the Pen and Windows Ink setting. Client has tested out for 3 days no issues. Thank you so Much. I am going to mark you answer as correct. You were in right location.
Anonymous

2025-10-27T17:58:30.74+00:00

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Thank you for your update. I’m glad to hear that my solution resolved the issue, and I truly appreciate the time you took to confirm this. If you need any further assistance or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you a great day ahead.

Answer 1

Hi @Smith, Casey,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for raising this to our attention, and sharing your experience with us. If OneNote automatically scrolls or zooms while writing using a stylus in tablet mode, the issue may be related to how Windows handles touch and pen input on a convertible device.

To resolve this, I would recommend trying these steps below:

Step 1. Disable Pinch Zoom and Touch Gestures

Sometimes pinch or palm rejection is misinterpreted as scroll/zoom input.

Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Touchpad (or Touch).

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Turn off “Pinch to zoom” and “Two-finger scroll”.

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Step 2. Check for Touchpad or Touch Input Interference

Go to Device Manager → Human Interface Devices.
Temporarily disable “HID-compliant touchpad” or “HID-compliant touch screen” one at a time to confirm if one of them is sending scroll or zoom gestures.

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If disabling the touchscreen stops the behavior, we can rule this as a touch gesture misdetection.

Step 3. Reset OneNote Pen and Touch Settings

In OneNote, go to File → Options → Advanced → Pen.
Disable:
- "Automatically switch between inking, selecting, and panning"
- "Use pen pressure sensitivity"

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Then close and reopen OneNote to test.

Step 4. Test in another app

Try inking in Microsoft Whiteboard or Paint.

If the issue occurs in all apps → it’s a system-level touch/driver issue.
If it only happens in OneNote → it’s OneNote-specific and may require repairing the app.

To repair:

Right-click the Start button (lower-left corner) and select Installed apps on the pop-up menu.

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Select the Microsoft 365 or Office product you want to repair, click the ellipses, and select Modify.

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Note: This will repair the entire Office suite even if it's just one application you want to repair such as Word or Excel. If you have a standalone app installed, then search for that application by name.

Depends on your Microsoft 365 or Office installation type (Click-to-run or MSI-based), you'll see the following options to proceed with the repair. Follow the steps for your installation type.

Click-to-run

In the window How would you like to repair your Microsoft 365 and Office Programs, select Online Repair > Repair to make sure everything gets fixed.

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MSI-based

In the Change your installation window, select Repair and then click Continue.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the repair.

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-22T14:37:28.43+00:00

I will be testing this out Today. Thank you for the prompt Response. I will let you know how it goes.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T16:27:50.0233333+00:00

Applied some setting changes

Step 1. Disable Pinch Zoom and Touch Gestures

Turn off “Pinch to zoom” and “Two-finger scroll”.

Step 3. Reset OneNote Pen and Touch Settings

In OneNote, go to File → Options → Advanced → Pen.

Disable:

"Automatically switch between inking, selecting, and panning"

"Use pen pressure sensitivity" - This was already Off been testing this setting.

Client quickly called me back and wanted setting set back to what we had before. He lost the ability to scroll via touch. Also while writing on the screen it was causing dots to show up in random places on the OneNote Page.

This Client was upgraded to a Windows 11 Device recently so we have a New Version of OneNote. In Windows 10 this was happening as well and in Windows 10 he was able to have the ability to hide the Taskbar while in OneNote. We can not do that anymore in Windows 11, No switching into Tablet mode manually, also while he is connected to the Dock he likes to have a OneNote window on the External Screen connected to the Dock and a OneNote Window open on the Laptop screen for Writing on the Lenovo X13 2 in 1 Device folded back into Tablet Mode. He is Connected to a TV via a WiDi to show what he is writing. The Other Setting suggestions will take away some functionality he needs and we can not test those. He thinks he might be hitting the Laptop Taskbar / Screen with his Palm while writing. That may cause the Zoom / Scroll Issue? I watched for several minutes and it does not look like that is the issue. This seems like a bug to me. I could be wrong tho.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-23T17:33:05.46+00:00

To add to this. This maybe a Lenovo Issue and the Pen Touch Technology they use. We have a Client on a Surface Pro Windows 10 and they do not see the same Issues. They also have a Lenovo X13 and see the same issues.
Smith, Casey 20 Reputation points

2025-10-27T17:54:37.52+00:00

We set the Client to Right Handed writing to correct that and no more Issues. The Default is Left. Beware of this setting.