Microsoft Surface touchscreen dead zones [Fix]

If your touch-screen Windows laptop or Microsoft Surface has dead zones, this article will help you fix it. The problem can be caused by outdated firmware, corrupted touch-screen driver, or hardware failure.

Fix Microsoft Surface touchscreen dead zones

If your Windows laptop or Microsoft Surface touchscreen has dead zones, use the following suggestions to fix the issue.

Check for Windows Update
Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit
Repair your system image files
Update drivers and firmware
Disable and enable the touchscreen driver
Update or reinstall the touchscreen
Recalibrate your laptop or Surface device touchscreen
Reset Surface or your touch screen laptop
Contact support

Please apply the fixes that may be applicable to your Widows laptop or Microsoft Surface device.

1] Check for Windows Update

First of all, check for Windows Update manually. If an update is available, download and install it. Sometimes, issues occur due to bugs. In such cases, installing the latest update is helpful, as it contains bug fixes.

2] Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit

Surface Diagnostic Toolkit is an app designed by Microsoft to troubleshoot and fix Surface laptop problems. It is available on the Microsoft Store. You can install it from there. Launch the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit and run automated tests on your system. See if this helps.

3] Repair your system image files

Your system might have some corrupted image files which is triggering this issue. Repair your system image files and see if this helps. Use Windows built-in tools, System File Checker, and DISM for this purpose.

4] Update drivers and firmware

Outdated firmware or corrupted drivers can be one possible cause of this issue. Update your Surface device drivers and firmware to the latest version. Go through the following instructions:

Download the latest Surface drivers and firmware from Microsoft.
Scroll down to the “Manually update Surface drivers and firmware” section.
Click on the drop-down and select your Surface device model.
Now, click on the link next to your Surface device model name.
A new tab will open. Click on the Download button to download the installer file.
Attach your Surface Type Cover or Keyboard (if applicable) and connect the charger (if your Surface device has less than 40% battery). Now, run the installer file to update your Surface device drivers and firmware to the latest version.

After performing the above steps, check if the issue persists.

5] Disable and enable the touchscreen driver

Disable and enable the touchscreen driver and see if it helps fix this issue. To do so, follow the steps provided below:

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Human Interface Devices branch.
Right-click on your touch screen driver and select Disable device.
After disabling the driver, right-click on it again and select Enable device to enable the touch screen driver.

Now, check if the issue persists.

6] Update or reinstall the touchscreen

If the issue still persists, try updating or reinstalling the touchscreen driver. The steps to do this are as follows:

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Human Interface Devices branch.
Right-click on your touchscreen driver and select Uninstall device.
Restart your laptop or perform a scan for hardware changes to reinstall the uninstalled driver.

If this does not work, download the latest version of the touchscreen driver from your computer manufacturer’s official website and install it manually.

7] Recalibrate your laptop or Surface device touchscreen

Recalibrate your laptop or Surface device touch screen. The steps to do this are as follows:

Click on Windows Search and type calibrate.
Select the Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input option from the search results.
Select the display from the drop-down menu and click Reset to reset your display calibration to the defaults.
Now, click Calibrate to recalibrate your touch display.

8] Reset your Surface or touch screen laptop

Reset your surface or touch screen laptop to the factory default settings. While resetting your laptop, select the Keep My Files option, as this will not delete your data. However, from a safety point of view, backup your data before proceeding.

9] Contact support

If the problem still persists, there may be a hardware issue with your touch screen. You need to contact support.

Read: Touch Screen not working in Windows laptop

Why are some areas of the touchscreen not working?

A dead zone is an unresponsive area on a touchscreen. Multiple causes can cause dead zones, such as a corrupted touchscreen driver or hardware fault. If your laptop is under warranty, you can contact support for a replacement.

How do I reactivate the touch screen on Surface Pro?

You can disable and enable the touchscreen by disabling and enabling its driver in the Device Manager. If your touchscreen is disabled, open the Device Manager and locate the touchscreen driver. Enable it to reactivate the touch screen.