Laptop keyboard touchpad and touchscreen not working in Windows

[timeshifter]

Have a Lenovo Flex 5-1570 laptop where the keyboard, touchpad and touchscreen aren't working in Windows. If I boot from external media they'll work, well the touchpad and keyboard works but probably didn't have touchscreen drivers. It's running Windows 10 20H2 that was had that release installed a few days ago. The user reports it started earlier. Said he got on a plane and turned it on and that's when the problem first appeared.

You can use an external keyboard and mouse.

His corporate tech uninstalled and or updated drivers he could find. I tried deleting and uninstalling a few drivers but didn't get too aggressive yet.

Now I know that the owner isn't too worried about a nuke and pave, so I may go that route. But I'd like to avoid it if possible to minimize the expense for him and the pain all around.

After doing a backup I think I'm going to try a feature upgrade to 21H2 and see if that corrects it. Any other thoughts short of a nuke and pave?

 

[Sky-Knight]

I'd replace the drivers for the effected hardware with stuff from Lenovo, do a bios update, then do the in place upgrade. If that sorts it, yay, if not... N&P because it's not worth the time. You know the hardware is good, Windows is just buggered and figuring out specifically what's wrong just isn't time efficient.

 

[britechguy]

I'd just try a feature update to 21H1 if the machine is currently running 20H2, and I'd do it using either the ISO file, since the machine boots and this is easiest, or external media rather than the Update Assistant. You get a much more thorough "house cleaning" and replacement of everything that can be replaced that way.

 

[River Valley Computer]

We have had that issue on several computers and actually found that Snappy Driver was a savior in every case. I believe there were 3 or 4 HPs and 2 Lenovos. Touch pad, KB and touchscreen issues.

 

[britechguy]

We have had that issue on several computers and actually found that Snappy Driver was a savior in every case.

Which is another excellent solution if a feature update or repair install doesn't do the trick.

It's been a pretty long time since I've had to go in search of any driver, except the beats audio one for the HP laptop I'm actually using. The Great Microsoft Driver Library in the Cloud just keeps getting more and more comprehensive and Windows ability to pick the right ones from it so much better.

But there remain occasions where you still need something like this.

 

[glennd]

SDIO or run the Lenovo system update(?) software. Windows has a nasty habit of trashing Lenovo drivers.

Official Lenovo Laptop, Accessories & PC Support - Lenovo Support US

pcsupport.lenovo.com

 

[Markverhyden]

SDIO or run the Lenovo system update(?) software. Windows has a nasty habit of trashing Lenovo drivers.

Official Lenovo Laptop, Accessories & PC Support - Lenovo Support US

pcsupport.lenovo.com

Beat me to it. They're one of the OEM's that make it hard to do drivers unless it's using their "utility".

 

[britechguy]

They're one of the OEM's that make it hard to do drivers unless it's using their "utility".

Which also suggests to me that they likely do not supply updated drivers, on an "as they're updated" basis, to Microsoft for inclusion in The Great Microsoft Driver Library in the Cloud.

That's really essential if any manufacturer wants the handy-dandy driver updating capability built into modern Windows to work correctly.

 

[cypress]

I have a couple Lenovo laptops myself and work quite a bit on Lenovo's in the business enviorment. I use their Lenovo Vantage software that you can download in the Windows store. Pull down the drivers from there which installs them.

 

[britechguy]

There's a reason I use HP support assistant, Intel Driver & Support Assistant, and AMD Catalyst to maintain drivers on HP systems.

Intel, in particular, seems to churn out a driver update every other month (no exaggeration), and they clearly don't supply these either to the computer OEMs or Microsoft based on the fact that neither typically has any of them.

And I've always allowed any given graphics hardware to have its OEM update software handle it.

 

[glennd]

Lenovo Vantage software t

That's it, I couldn't think of the name of it.

Goats2u

seriously?!?!

 

[timeshifter]

Thought I was a genius and was going to pat myself on the back. Ran two kinds of backup, image and fabs. Then ran the H121 update from an external ISO. It took a long time but when it was done the keyboard and touchpad were working again. (Touchscreen was not but was not concerned about that as the customer hated that anyway and never used it). Played with it a bit. Late at night. Shut it down and went to bed.

Thinking about what to charge and explain what was done to it to the customer to make him not think he could have fixed it, or it wouldn't have naturally fixed itself, etc.

Well, start her up today and it's broken again.

NUKE and PAVE

Going fine, but when I'm doing the OOBE setup the screen is upside down. Thinking that shouldn't be a concern, it's a flip type setup where you can flip the screen over and make it a tablet. But maybe the system was thinking it was flipped all along and therefore disabling the touchpad and keyboard. We'll see.

 

[Sky-Knight]

If it was stuck in tablet mode because that hinge sensor is whacked... that would actually explain it.

WinPE environments don't support that, nor do many Linuxes.

 

[timeshifter]

The machine referenced in the OP has been sent out and being used all week, so far so good.

BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN. A different machine. On Monday I picked up a customer's laptop that wouldn't boot, Windows crashed, etc. Backed it up and did a clean install of 21H2. Ran SDIO driver updater a few times, hooked up a Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard (Unifying receiver). Ran fabs to restore data (pretty sure I unchecked drivers).

Now the laptop keyboard won't work in Windows. Trackpad does. External mouse and keyboard do.

This is a similar Lenovo with a foldover screen, 2 in 1 style, a YOGA 710-15ISK. I think I'm seeing a pattern.

 

[Porthos]

On Lenovo's, it is best to only use Lenovo Vantage for drivers.

 

[Markverhyden]

I think I'm seeing a pattern.

Don't buy Lenovo? LOL!!!

 

[nlinecomputers]

Ran SDIO driver updater a few times,

Why? It was a fantastic product in its day but I‘ve not needed to use it in several years. Win 10 almost always finds the correct drivers on its own. For Lenovo vantage will get the few that Win 10 missed.

 

[timeshifter]

Why? It was a fantastic product in its day but I‘ve not needed to use it in several years. Win 10 almost always finds the correct drivers on its own. For Lenovo vantage will get the few that Win 10 missed.

I stopped using it for a long time same as you. Windows 10 has done it all for the most part. But I picked it up again as I've had more than a few drivers that Windows hasn't found.

The current machine in question seems to have fixed itself. I had tried removing keyboard driver, etc. But now that I've come back to it after a few days it's working again.

 

[mikeroq]

I downloaded SDIO once. I never really used it. Seemed too much of a hassle to download all those driver packs. I download drivers from the OEM and google the hardware ID if it's not covered. Seems these days the only drivers I need to download are for printers and scanners.

 

[River Valley Computer]

I downloaded SDIO once. I never really used it. Seemed too much of a hassle to download all those driver packs. I download drivers from the OEM and google the hardware ID if it's not covered. Seems these days the only drivers I need to download are for printers and scanners.

That's been true for us too until about 6-8 months ago. Microsoft doesn't seem to be on target as they were previously with Win 10. Just recently we have started to use Snappy again and it seems to be predominantly for HP and Lenovo. Especially video cards!!!!!