Unable to connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver

If you encounter the error - Unable to connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver while trying to access the system's touchpad settings, this post could be helpful for you. Users dealing with this error might be unable to use the touchpad properly.

Unable to connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver

The primary cause of this issue is bad drivers. It could also occur due to problems with the Synaptics software package. You would need to connect an external USB mouse before proceeding with the solutions.

1. Uninstall the Synaptics Pointing Device driver and reinstall it from the manufacturer's website
2. Grant administrator permissions to the Synaptics utility

Try the following solutions sequentially to resolve the problem.

1] Uninstall the Synaptics Pointing Device driver & reinstall it from the manufacturer's website

While issues with the touchpad have been common, merely updating the driver using the Update driver option in the device manager never worked for me. Try reinstalling it as follows:

Press Win + R to open the Run window and type the command devmgmt.msc. Press Enter to open the Device Manager window.

Expand the list for Mice and other pointing devices.

Right-click on the Synaptics driver and select Uninstall device.

Restart the system.

Now download the latest Synaptics touchpad driver and install it. Synaptics' TouchPad device drivers are customized and supported by notebook manufacturers to meet specific driver requirements for their individual products. To ensure the appropriate driver for your device, always use the driver your specific notebook OEM supports. Installing a generic driver from any website may result in the loss of OEM-customized functionality and other issues.

Check if it helps.

2] Grant administrator permissions to the Synaptics utility

The Synaptics utility has administrator permissions by default, however, Windows modifies them at times. This is necessary or else the associated pointed device might not function properly. The procedure to grant administrator permissions to the Synaptics utility is as follows:

Right-click on the TaskBar and click on Task Manager to open the Task Manager window.

In the Startup tab, right-click on the Synaptics utility and select Properties.

Now in the Compatibility tab, check the box corresponding to Run this program as an administrator.

Click on Apply and then on OK.

Restart the system once done.

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