touch screen and pen not working

Danna Roberts 0 Reputation points
2026-08-16T22:55:51.18+00:00

I've tried everything but can't get my touch screen or pen to work. it's been several months now and I gave up for a while but I really want to get back to drawing and can't find the answer to why its not working.

I have a Surface Studio

pc, windows 11

Surface | Surface Studio | Performance and maintenance
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  1. S.Sengupta 31,926 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-16T23:55:56.3366667+00:00

    Which generation of Surface Studio you have (Studio 1, Studio 2, or Studio 2+)

    Microsoft specifically notes that when touchscreen and Pen inking fail together on a Surface Studio, the cause can be the touch/digitizer system, either software/driver related or hardware related.

    1. Shut down the Surface Studio completely.
    2. Turn it on and enter UEFI.

    For Surface Studio, Microsoft recommends using the hardware-button method to enter UEFI. Once there, try touching different areas of the screen with your finger. Microsoft says UEFI operates independently of Windows, so this is a very useful hardware test.

    If touch works in UEFI

    Then I would work through the Windows side rather than replacing hardware.

    But if touch DOES NOT work in UEFI...

    Don't waste time reinstalling Windows over and over.

    That would be the strongest indication that the problem is in the Surface Studio's touchscreen/digitizer hardware, rather than Windows 11. Microsoft explicitly says that if touch doesn't work in UEFI, the touchscreen most likely has experienced a hardware failure.

    Microsoft's reference article:

    How to fix touch issues on your Surface touchscreen

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-16T22:56:07.3133333+00:00

    For a Surface Studio on Windows 11 where both touch and pen are not working, use this order:

    1. Test touch in UEFI
      • Go to Start > Power > Shut down.
      • When Surface is off, press and hold Volume up, then press Power until the Microsoft or Surface logo appears.
      • In UEFI, try tapping different menu items.
      • If touch does not work in UEFI, that points to a hardware failure and the next step is to submit a service order.
      • If touch does work in UEFI, the issue is likely Windows or the touch driver.
    2. Check for Surface and Windows updates
      • Open the Surface app.
      • Expand Help & support and check update status.
      • If updates are available, select Check for updates to open Windows Update and install them.
      • In Windows 11, also go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options and make sure Receive updates for other Microsoft products is On.
      • Then go to Advanced options > Optional updates, install all optional updates, return to Windows Update, select Check for updates, install everything available, and restart.
    3. Turn the touchscreen driver off and back on
      • Open Device Manager.
      • Expand Human Interface Devices.
      • Right-click HID-compliant touch screen, select Disable, wait a few seconds, then Enable it again.
      • If more than one HID-compliant touch screen entry is listed, repeat for each one.
    4. Reinstall the touchscreen driver
      • In Device Manager > Human Interface Devices, right-click HID-compliant touch screen and select Uninstall.
      • Restart the Surface Studio.
      • The driver should reinstall automatically after the device reconnects to the Internet.
    5. Manually install Surface drivers and firmware
      • If Surface Touch firmware or HID-Compliant Touchscreen is missing in Device Manager, or shows a yellow warning icon, manually install the drivers and firmware for the Surface model.
      • This can restore touchscreen functionality, which Surface Pen inking depends on.
    6. Check for interference if there are ghost touches or random input
      • If apps open or close on their own, or the screen behaves as if it is being touched when it is not, move the Surface Studio to another room or turn nearby electronics off one by one.
      • If the issue stops in another location, electronic interference is likely involved.
    7. Reset the Surface
      • If touch still does not work after updates and driver steps, try resetting the device.
      • Warning: resetting may require backing up data first.
      • After reset and setup, test touch by opening an app and trying scroll, pinch-to-zoom, swipe, and long-press.
    8. For the pen specifically
      • If the pen does not ink and touch is also failing, focus on restoring touchscreen functionality first.
      • Surface inking relies on touchscreen functionality.
    9. When to stop troubleshooting and request service
      • Submit a service order if:
        • touch does not work in UEFI,
        • touch does not respond on part or all of the screen,
        • multi-touch is inaccurate or does not work,
        • pen inking does not work along with those touch failures.

    References:

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