Skip to Content

Dell Chromebook Mouse Not Working

We may use our Chromebook on a daily basis. When we do, we expect it to be operating properly but what do you do if you are having problems with the mouse?

If you are having problems with the Chromebook mouse, take your fingers and drum them for a few seconds on the touchpad. This may help to wake the touchpad up again and get it working. Otherwise, you may need to start the Chromebook again.

Using laptop in the desk

This is a general recommendation, but it is one that can work in many cases. Never say that something is not a good suggestion, just because it is a simple suggestion.

Of course, we tend to use our Chromebooks on a daily basis and it comes with a number of features in almost every case. This includes the ability to transform it into a tablet and most Chromebook screens are touch screens.

In other words, the mouse may be broken but even until you are able to get it fixed, the Chromebook is still perfectly usable. You can use it as a touchscreen tablet for a while.

Of course, this has the benefit of allowing you to navigate the Chromebook until you are able to get the touchpad or mouse working again. If you have to restart or do anything else to get things working, you can always just use the touchscreen.

How to Fix Dell Chromebook Mouse Not Working

Using laptop in the desk

We are going to consider some of the more common reasons why you may be having this problem with the mouse. Unfortunately, it is an issue that does occur from time to time with Chromebooks, which is why there are a number of different workarounds that may help.

It’s really just a matter of going down through the list and finding the solution that is going to work for you. It is rare that something is so wrong with the mouse on your Chromebook that it is permanently broken. If that is the case, then it would be a matter for the customer support representatives.

We’re also going to discuss something that may seem obvious to some but to others, it may not seem obvious. It isn’t necessary to use the touchpad on your Chromebook and many power users consider a separate mouse to be a much better option.

For the sake of this article, however, we are going to consider a mouse to be either option. After all, they both accomplish the same thing and both of them may have problems from time to time.

In fact, one may be a problem that is causing an issue with the other. In addition, there may be times when one could be a solution when problems occur with the other. It’s just a matter of your perspective.

One other thing that I would say is to understand the difference between shutting down your Chromebook and simply putting it to sleep. When you shut down your Chromebook or any other computer, you are essentially disconnecting it completely and everything is refreshed.

On the other hand, if you are only putting your Chromebook to sleep, then you are doing nothing more than temporarily disabling the tablet and when you turn it back on again, you are turning it back on with the same problems.

For now, let’s take a look at some of the more common reasons why this occurs, and then we will look at some solutions that may be specific to the model you are using.

Troubleshooting Dell Chromebook Mouse

Using laptop in the desk

We would expect any Dell product to work but what happens when the mouse is not working?

1. External Mouse – Regardless of whether you want to use an external mouse or not, plugging one into the USB port may help. When you plug a mouse in, it tells your Chromebook that the trackpad is working so you can use either at that point.

2. Enable the Trackpad – It is possible to accidentally disable the trackpad on your Dell Chromebook. Try pressing SEARCH + SHIFT + P to enable the touchpad. You can also use that same sequence to disable the touchpad.

Top 8 Reasons Dell Chromebook Mouse Not Working

Using laptop in the desk

1. Touchpad/Mouse Not Clean

One of the most common reasons why a Chromebook mouse is not working is actually one of the simpler things to fix. Quite honestly, there are times when they get dirty and when they get dirty, they are not going to work properly.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on January 30, 2023.

None of us like to think of our hands as being dirty but in reality, we are constantly wiping everything from food to our own personal oils on the Chromebook. That is why if you take a close look at the keys and touchpad, you see that there is a lot of debris and grossness on them.

Sometimes, we just need to stop and clean the touchpad to get it back up and running again. The easiest way to do this is with a clean microfiber cloth but there are also other cloths that can be used for this purpose.

Make sure that anything you use when wiping down the computer is suitable for that job. Don’t damage the computer in an effort to clean it.

2. Pages/Apps Loading in the Background

Another common problem is for pages to be loading in the background. You may also have apps that are constantly loading or working in the background and that can cause difficulty with your Chromebook mouse as well.

Chromebooks are not always powerhouses and in many cases, we purchase them because they are less expensive, which is because they don’t have as much memory and operating capacity. They work fine, but sometimes we need to work within their limits.

If your Chromebook mouse is not working, Repeatedly tap on the ESC button. This will often close any windows that are trying to load in the background.

When you think that it is possible you have apps running in the background that are causing the problem, you should completely restart your Chromebook from scratch. Doing so will close the apps and refresh the memory to allow the mouse to run.

3. Deactivate Reverse Scrolling

One of the settings for your Chromebook mouse pad is reverse scrolling. It allows you to scroll in the opposite direction of your finger movement.

Some people think that their mouse pad is not working because it is moving in the opposite direction when in reality, it is just a setting that needs to be adjusted. Hopefully, it is able to fix your issue just as quickly.

Go to your Chromebook settings, then to device, and then to touchpad. You should see a setting to enable reverse scrolling that is toggled on. Toggle it off and see if things are now working properly for you.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on January 30, 2023.

4. External Mouse Batteries/USB/Bluetooth

If you are running an external mouse with your Chromebook, there are many different issues that can occur. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use an external mouse because I use one every day.

You just need to realize that there are issues that can occur with an external mouse and that is especially true when it comes to connections. If you have the mouse connected to USB, then it is likely still connected wirelessly.

This technology, as well as Bluetooth technology on a Chromebook, may not always be at the highest level possible. In fact, Chromebook is notorious for having problems with Bluetooth.

If you are having problems with the mouse and you think it is either the Bluetooth or USB connection, go in and remove the connection. Unplug the USB tab from the port and completely shut down the Chromebook.

When you restart, you should be able to reconnect at that point with fresh settings. Otherwise, you may need to switch from USB to Bluetooth or the other way.

Finally, there may be times when the batteries are in need of replacement. It tends to sneak up on us, and we might think that the mouse is bad when it is actually just a dying battery.

You can try to spin the battery, which may give it life for a few more hours. Otherwise, replace it with a fresh battery and see if it works again.

5. Adjust the Trackpad Speed

Does the trackpad on your Chromebook seem to be working sluggishly? This may actually be a setting that can be adjusted.

You can adjust the speed of the trackpad to go either faster or slower, depending on your preference. Try adjusting the speed by going into the device settings and then choosing touchpad.

You should see a slider bar that allows you to adjust the touchpad speed. After adjusting, it should be automatically and instantly adjusted.

6. App Blocking the Trackpad/Mouse

One of the benefits of having a Chromebook is being able to run apps that can do almost anything. Most people are overwhelmed with the number of options they have available and at times, they may even overload their computers.

If you have the wrong app installed or if it experiences a bad update, you may have a problem with the mouse or trackpad. Some apps can even block the use of the mouse or trackpad, usually inadvertently.

The problem is, it can be difficult to determine which app needs to be adjusted. It’s not necessarily the newest one that was installed on your Chromebook. Sometimes it was an older app that was updated.

The best thing you can do is to remove all of the apps using the touchscreen. After doing so, check to see if the mouse is working and if it is, reinstall them one by one to see where the culprit lies.

7. Try a New Profile

It is possible for a profile on a Chromebook to become corrupted or for issues to begin to occur as time goes by. You may be able to try a new profile and see if the mouse is working to pinpoint that problem.

Go to the bottom right of your screen and pull up the window from the taskbar. Choose the sign-out and then go to browse as a guest. You can check that first to see if the touchpad is working.

Add a new user account, deleting the older one. This should get it working again but you will have to bring over the apps and download them again.

8. Do a Power Wash

We save this option for last because it is a last-ditch effort to get things working again. If you are really having a problem with the touchpad or mouse and can’t get it working, you can always do a power wash and start from scratch.

Essentially, a power wash takes you back to factory settings. You will lose all of the settings that you established on your Chromebook that weren’t saved in your account.

After doing a power wash, you can check the mouse or trackpad to see if it is working. If it is, you can then add your account again and set things up. More than likely, you will see where the problem lies during that process.

Go to settings and then select advanced. There should be an option to reset settings and when you click on it, you will see the power wash option. After confirming, it will bring you back to a factory reset.

If all else fails, contact customer support. Make sure that you are contacting the right customer support for the brand that made the Chromebook. They can help to point you in the right direction.

Otherwise, you can try some of the following remedies for some specific Chromebooks on the market.

Related Articles

Dell Chromebook Sound Not Working (How to Fix)

Dell Chromebook Camera Not Working (How to Fix)

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on January 30, 2023.

Dell Chromebook Bluetooth Not Working