Fix: Unable to Connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver

Users experience the error message “Unable to connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver” when trying to access or select Symantics mouse properties. This error also occurs when trying to access mouse settings from within Windows.

This error occurs mostly when the Synaptics device drivers are not installed properly and cause some of the features not to work. For example, you might experience the two-finger scroll not working or the selection of items using the hand gesture. This error is easily fixed by installing the right drivers or following the other workarounds listed below.

What causes the error “Unable to Connect to Synaptics Pointing Device Driver”?

Like mentioned before, this error message is usually caused because of the correct drivers not installed. However, there might also be other reasons. The causes of this error message are but not limited to:

Before moving on with the solutions, make sure that you have an active internet connection and are logged in as an administrator on your computer.

Note: You should try accessing the mouse settings from your Windows before proceeding.

Press Windows + S, type “mouse settings” in the dialogue box and open the application. Once the settings are opened, click Additional mouse options at the top-right corner of the screen. From here you will be able to check Synaptics settings after selecting the Synaptics tab.

Solution 1: Granting Administrator Privileges

Some utilities like Synaptics requires administrator privileges in order to work properly and efficiently. Since it takes control of the control/mousepad indefinitely, sometimes Windows restricts its access and hence the drivers are not able to run properly. We will make sure that administrator privileges are granted so this problem never arises.

1. Press Windows + R, type “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the task manager, select the Startup tab and locate Synaptics service from the list. Right-click on it and select Properties.

3. Now click on Compatibility and check the option “Run this program as an administrator”.

4. Restart your computer properly and run the installed Synaptics Now check if the error message is resolved.

Solution 2: Deleting Driver and Reinstalling

The solution which works for a majority of the people is deleting the existing driver software and installing the latest one from the manufacturer’s website. You have to perform the second step on your own as each manufacturer is different so it is difficult to list all of them here.

1. Press Windows + R, type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the device manager, expand the category of Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Select Synaptics touchpad driver, right-click it and select Uninstall device. When asked, check the box which says “Delete driver software”.

4. Now restart your computer properly. The default drivers will be installed automatically.
5. Navigate to your manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers from there. Restart your computer again and check if everything is working properly.

Solution 3: Reinstalling Synaptics Software

If you already have the latest drivers installed, and are still facing the issue, chances are that the Synaptics software on your computer is not working properly and is acting out. This can happen quite often and there were many users who reported that fixing it fixed the error message under discussion.

First, you should just try uninstalling the software. If the error message is fixed after that, you might want to skip installing the software. Otherwise, continue the installation.

1. Press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter. Once in the application manager, search for Synaptics software, right-click on it and select Uninstall.

2. Restart your computer properly and check if the error is resolved. If it still isn’t, you can reinstall the software. Although there were several reports that uninstalling the software did the trick.