Simple Steps to Turn Off the Touchscreen on Windows 10

Turning Off the Touchscreen in Windows 10

So, you’ve decided the touchscreen on your Windows 10 laptop is more hassle than it’s worth. Maybe it’s acting up, registering touches you didn’t make, or you’re just more comfortable with a mouse and keyboard. No worries — disabling it isn’t complicated. A few clicks in the Device Manager, and you’re good to go.

How to Open Device Manager

First up, press the Windows key (the one with the flag) and type “Device Manager” into the Search box. If you’d rather skip typing, press Windows + X and select Device Manager from the menu. Think of Device Manager as the control panel for all your hardware components. It allows you to make adjustments as needed.

Locating the Touchscreen Settings

Inside Device Manager, scroll down and expand Human Interface Devices. You’ll see a list of entries here—likely including your touchscreen device. It’s a bit like a treasure hunt, but hopefully, you won’t have to dig too deep.

Identifying the Touchscreen Device

Look for an entry called HID-compliant touchscreen. That’s the one you want to disable. Just double-check you’ve got the right one before turning it off — no one wants to accidentally disable their keyboard too, right? It’s wise to pause and verify if you’re unsure.

Disabling the Touchscreen

Once you’re confident you’ve got the correct device, right-click on HID-compliant touchscreen and choose Disable device. A warning prompt might appear — just confirm you’re sure. And voilà, the touchscreen is disabled! You’ll notice it no longer responds to touches. Easy as that.

Advanced Method: Using Command Line

If you prefer the command line, you can also turn off the touchscreen via PowerShell. First, open PowerShell, then run this command to find your device’s instance ID:

Get-PnpDevice -FriendlyName "*touch*" | Select-Object FriendlyName, InstanceId

Next, disable it by typing:

Disable-PnpDevice -InstanceId "" -Confirm:$false

Note: devcon is another command-line tool for this purpose, but you’ll need to install it from the Microsoft Windows Driver Kit (WDK). It’s a bit more involved, but useful if you want to dive deeper.

Want to Re-enable the Touchscreen?

If you decide to turn the touchscreen back on, just head back into Device Manager, locate the same device, right-click, and select Enable device. No stress — it’s straightforward, and everything will be back to normal.

Tips for Managing Your Touchscreen

Double-check you’re selecting the correct device! Mistakes happen, and it’s no fun disabling something accidentally.
Save your work before making any changes — you never know when a restart might be needed.
Disabling just turns it off — it’s not uninstalling, so you can turn it back on whenever you like.
If you’re getting phantom touches, disabling the screen can help diagnose if it’s a hardware or software issue.
If problems persist, updating or reinstalling the touchscreen drivers might do the trick.

FAQs About Disabling the Touchscreen

Can I turn the touchscreen back on later?

Absolutely. Just head to Device Manager and re-enable it — quick and easy.

Will turning it off cause other issues?

Not really. It just stops the touch input. Your mouse and keyboard will keep working without a hitch.

Do I need to restart my computer after disabling the touchscreen?

Usually not — changes take effect immediately. But if things aren’t behaving right, a quick reboot might help.

If I can’t find the touch device in Device Manager, what should I do?

If HID-compliant touchscreen isn’t showing up, you might not have a touchscreen or there could be a driver problem. Check your driver setup to troubleshoot.

Will disabling the touchscreen stop random ghost touches?

Yes, it can temporarily prevent those phantom touches. But if the issue keeps happening, you might need to do more troubleshooting.

Quick Summary

Open Device Manager using Windows + X.
Find Human Interface Devices.
Look for HID-compliant Touchscreen.
Right-click and select Disable device.
Confirm when prompted.

Wrapping Up

Disabling your Windows 10 touchscreen is a handy trick, especially if you’re troubleshooting issues or prefer working with mouse and keyboard. It’s simple enough for most users and can save you from frustration when the touchscreen acts up. Whether you’re blockading annoying glitches or just switching to a more traditional setup, this quick tweak can make a big difference.

Touchscreens are great until they suddenly aren’t — always a bit frustrating when they become unresponsive or start acting unpredictably. Luckily, disabling it temporarily gets control back in your hands and can make your device more manageable.

If you want to get more hands-on, Windows 10 offers plenty of options for hardware management. Device Manager is your best pal for fine-tuning settings. Just a few clicks, and you might find your experience becomes a lot smoother. Give it a go!