Mouse and Touchpads not only make computing easy but more efficient and less time-consuming. We cannot imagine a life without these devices, but still, it is a fact that you cannot customize these devices much. All touchpads and mice come with a default scrolling direction, and this post is all about how to reverse it.
Everybody has a different choice when it comes to scrolling directions. You might like the page being scrolled in the same direction in which you move your fingers over the touchpad. Or you may like it in an inverted way. Reversing the scroll direction for your laptop’s touchpad is quite easy as Windows by default offers this customization. If you are looking to reverse the scrolling direction of your mouse, then you will have to follow the procedure mentioned in this post.
Reverse scrolling direction of a Touchpad in Windows 11/10
Windows 11
Right-click the Start button on the Taskbar and choose settings from the list of options displayed therein. Alternatively, you can use the Win+I keyboard shortcut to go to the settings window directly.
Select Bluetooth & devices from the side panel on the left.
Switch to the right pane and scroll down to the Touchpad heading.
When found expand the heading and go to the Scroll & Zoom entry. Hit the drop-down button next to it to open its menu.
Click the drop-down menu labeled as Scrolling Direction. From the list of options displayed, choose either of the following.
- Down Motion Scrolls Up – Swiping with 2 fingers in the upward direction on the touchpad will make the content on the screen scroll down.
- Down Motion Scrolls Down – Swiping with 2 fingers in the downward direction on the touchpad will make the content on the screen scroll up.
Windows 10
Touchpads are generally more customizable, and that is quite evident from the number of settings they are available with. You can configure everything including gestures, taps, sensitivity and even the scrolling direction. To reverse the existing scrolling direction, follow these steps:
- Open Settings (Win + I) and then go to Devices.
- Now select Touchpad from the left menu.
- Find a setting called Scrolling Direction.
- Click on the drop-down and select the desired setting. For the same direction scrolling, select Downwards motion scrolls down. Or select the other one for the opposite result.
The settings will be applied instantly, and you will be able to recognize the change. It is quite simple to change scrolling settings for a touchpad, but it is not the case for mice.
Reverse scrolling direction for a Mouse in Windows 11/10
As mentioned, these steps are a little complex and involve modifying the registry. Do not forget to create a backup of the registry in case anything goes wrong.
Search for Device Manager in Start.
Once opened, locate your Mouse under Mice and other pointing devices. It is usually named as HID-compliant mouse.
Right-click the device and click on Properties.
Go to the Details tab and select Device Instance Path in Property drop-down menu.
Make a note of the value displayed under the value field.
Open Registry Manager and go to location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\HID
Under this folder start matching the values the first part of the value you noted in step 5. Open the folder which has the same value.
Now repeat this for second part of the value. Now you have arrived at your desired device.
Click on Device Parameters and find a property called FlipFlopWheel. To reverse the scrolling direction, invert its value from 0 to 1 or 1 to 0.
Restart your computer for changes to take place.
After restarting your computer, you will be able to see the changes in place. The scrolling direction for a particular mouse would be reversed. You can change the value back to its original value or use the registry backup to undo the changes. If you are stuck, try following the steps again and do note down the crucial information from step number 5.
UPDATE: Things have become easier in recent versions of Windows 11.
To change the mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11, open Windows Settings, click on Bluetooth and devices, select Mouse settings and then under Scrolling section, locate Scrolling direction and set your preferences.
This is how to change the scrolling direction for the touchpad and mouse on Windows.
Why is my touchpad not working in Windows 11?
A number of reasons can be attributed to your Touchpad not working in Windows but the most common cause is a missing or out-of-date driver. Updating or reinstalling such touchpad drivers in Device Manager will likely resolve the problem. So, open Device Manager, find and right-click the outdated driver, and choose the Update driver option.
Related: Windows Pointers & Mouse Settings for left-handed people
What is Touchpad used for?
The touchpad is used for controlling the mouse pointer, also known as the cursor. It’s mostly found on a laptop and performs the same function as the mouse on a Desktop computer. It is sometimes also referred to as a trackpad.
Do share your views or problems in the comments section below.
