The touchpad settings are missing

Question

Hi team,

My laptop’s touchpad has suddenly stopped working for about 3 month now. Sometimes it works, but then it stops functioning again.

When I checked in Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer & touch, the Touchpad option is missing.

I am currently using a Lenovo ThinkPad T480s Type 20L8 with Windows 11 Pro 64-bit.

Could someone please help? Thank you.

Here is the image, the part I circled in red is now missing.

Answer 1

Hello

If the issue is intermittent, it is usually hardware related, such as a bad connection.

However, let's ensure that everything on the software side is properly done first.

Download and install the touchpad driver for this model from Lenovo and see if it helps.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t480s-type-20l7-20l8/downloads/driver-list/component?name=Mouse,%20Touchpad,%20Keyboard%20and%20Pen&id=39D5D4E5-00B9-4FAA-9E83-DB725143192A

Also make sure you have the latest BIOS - updating BIOS can sometimes trigger the asking of the BitLocker key. IF your BitLocker is enabled, make sure you have the key first.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t480s-type-20l7-20l8/downloads/driver-list/component?name=BIOS%2FUEFI&id=5AC6A815-321D-440E-8833-B07A93E0428C

And this chipset driver:
https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t480s-type-20l7-20l8/downloads/ds502143-intel-serial-io-driver-for-windows-10-64-bit-thinkpad-t480s-type-20l7-20l8?category=Motherboard%20Devices%20%28Backplanes,%20core%20chipset,%20onboard%20video,%20PCIe%20switches%29

If the symptoms don't improve after that, you will have to consider a hardware issue; either contact Lenovo or a local repair.

Note: These are not Microsoft websites/URLs, but they are the official OEM/manufacturer sites.

Answer 2

The missing Touchpad section and intermittent touchpad behavior indicate a driver or device issue. Use the following steps to repair it.

1. Update the touchpad driver
   • Use Windows Update first, as it is the recommended way to get the correct touchpad/Precision Touchpad driver.
   • Install all available updates, including optional driver updates, then restart the PC and test the touchpad.
2. Update the driver via Device Manager
   • Open Device Manager.
   • Look for the touchpad under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices.
   • Right‑click the touchpad entry and choose Update driver, then follow the prompts.
3. Reinstall the touchpad driver
   • If updating does not help or no newer driver is found, reinstall it from Device Manager.
   • In Device Manager, under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices, right‑click the touchpad device and choose Uninstall device.
   • Confirm the uninstall, then restart the PC.
   • On restart, Windows will reinstall the touchpad and pull the latest driver from Windows Update.
4. If the touchpad still does not appear or work
   • If updating and reinstalling the driver do not restore the Touchpad settings or functionality, contact the laptop manufacturer (Lenovo) for further diagnostics, as there may be a hardware issue.

---

References:

• Fix touchpad problems in Windows
• Mouse and keyboard problems in Windows