How Do I Reset My Touch Screen on Windows 11?

Resetting your touch screen on Windows 11 can mean a couple of things: you might need to reset the touch calibration if the touch points aren't accurate, or you might need to perform a "soft reset" of the device itself by disabling and re-enabling it. Both methods can help resolve issues with touch screen functionality.

Method 1: Resetting Touch Calibration

If your touch screen responds to touch but is inaccurate (e.g., you touch one spot, and the cursor appears somewhere else), you likely need to reset the touch calibration to its default settings. This process helps Windows correctly map your touch input to the screen coordinates.

Here’s how to reset touch calibration on Windows 11, following the steps from the Control Panel:

1. Open Control Panel:
   • Type Control Panel in the Windows search bar.
   • Click Open from the search results.
2. Navigate to Hardware and Sound:
   • In the Control Panel window, select Hardware and Sound.
3. Access Calibration Settings:
   • Under the Tablet PC Settings section, click on Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input.
4. Initiate Reset:
   • In the Tablet PC Settings window that appears, ensure your touch screen is selected under the "Display" dropdown if you have multiple displays.
   • Click the Reset button. This will revert the touch calibration settings to their factory defaults.
5. Confirm Changes:
   • Click OK to save the changes and close the window.

Your touch calibration should now be reset. You can test if the accuracy has improved.

Quick Reference Table: Resetting Calibration

Step	Action	Detail
1	Open Control Panel	Search for Control Panel and click Open.
2	Go to Hardware and Sound	Select Hardware and Sound in Control Panel.
3	Calibrate Screen	Click Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input.
4	Reset Calibration	Click the Reset button.
5	Confirm	Click OK.

Method 2: Disabling and Re-enabling the Touch Screen Device

Sometimes, a touch screen stops responding entirely or behaves erratically due to a temporary software glitch. Disabling and then re-enabling the touch screen device in Device Manager can often resolve these issues by essentially performing a soft reboot of the hardware connection.

Here are the steps to disable and re-enable your touch screen:

1. Open Device Manager:
   • Right-click on the Start button (or press Windows Key + X).
   • Select Device Manager from the menu.
2. Locate Human Interface Devices:
   • In the Device Manager window, expand the category Human Interface Devices.
3. Find the Touch Screen Device:
   • Look for a listing that says HID-compliant touch screen. There might be more than one. If unsure, you might need to try the steps for each one listed under this category.
4. Disable the Device:
   • Right-click on HID-compliant touch screen.
   • Select Disable device.
   • A warning message will appear asking if you are sure. Click Yes.
   • The icon for the device should now show a downward arrow, indicating it's disabled.
5. Enable the Device:
   • Right-click on the disabled HID-compliant touch screen again.
   • Select Enable device.

After re-enabling, Windows will reinitialize the touch screen driver, which can fix many common problems.

When to Use Each Method

• Resetting Calibration: Use this when your touch screen works but is inaccurate or "off" in where it registers touches.
• Disabling/Re-enabling: Use this when your touch screen is not working at all, is frozen, or behaving erratically, as a troubleshooting step to refresh the device connection and driver.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to update or reinstall the touch screen drivers or investigate potential hardware problems.