Touchscreen not responding or not accurate

10 May 2006

Below are listed possible causes and solutions for a touchscreen that is not responding or is not accurate.

Device Locked or Touchscreen Disabled

Make sure the touchscreen is not disabled or locked. On rare occasions, the operating system may state that the touchscreen is currently enabled when it is not. Follow the instructions below.

Model

Method(s)

Mesa Rugged Notepad

- Press and hold Screen Rotate button for 2 seconds, repeat as necessary- Press and hold Power Button until menu appears, then use down arrow and Return keys to select "Enable TS" or "Disable TS", repeat as necessary

Allegro MX Field PC

- Press the Blue shift and then Back Space (back arrow) key, repeat as necessary- Press and hold Power Button until menu appears, then use down arrow and Return keys to select "Enable TS" or "Disable TS", repeat as necessary

Archer WM6.1 Field PC

- Press and hold Power Button until menu appears, then use down arrow and Return keys to select "Enable TS" or "Disable TS", repeat as necessary

TK6000

- Press the 2nd shift and then top-right function (Soft button) key, repeat as necessary- Press and hold Power Button until menu appears, then use down arrow and Return keys to select "Enable TS" or "Disable TS", repeat as necessary

Previous Allegro models

- Press the Blue shift and then BkSp (Back Space) key, repeat as necessary

Note- Archer WM5 Field PC units do not have a direct method to disable the touchscreen. A Today screen item is available for locking the touchscreen while at the Today screen, and third party apps may provide touchscreen disable functionality.

Re-Calibrate the Touchscreen

Try re-calibrating the touchscreen. You will need to navigate to the screen calibration window using the keyboard. Follow the instructions below:

In Microsoft Windows Mobile:

  1. Press the Start menu (Windows logo) button (on Mesa press and hold the Home button) to display the Start menu.
  2. Use the arrow and Return buttons to navigate through Settings > System (tab) > Screen icon.
  3. Press the Down button to highlight the Align Screen button, and then press the Return (Enter) button to select it.
  4. Follow the instruction on the screen to re-calibrate the touchscreen.

In Microsoft Windows CE on older Allegros:

  1. Press the Blue and then Start buttons to display the Start menu.
  2. Press the Up button until Settings is highlighted, right arrow to highlight Control Panel, and then press the Enter button to select it.
  3. Press the Down and Right buttons until the Stylus button is highlighted, and then press the Enter button to select it.
  4. Press the Right-Tab button to highlight the Double-tap tab, Right button to highlight the Calibration tab, Right-Tab button again to highlight the Recalibrate button, and the press the Enter button to select it.
  5. Follow the instructions on the screen to re-calibrate the touchscreen.

Reset the Device

Check Screen Protector Sheet

If your touchscreen is not responding and you are using a screen protector sheet, try carefully removing or adjusting the sheet. The screen protector may be wedged under or against the edge of the case top or display bezel. You may need to then perform a Hard Reset after removing the screen protector sheet before the touchscreen will start responding.

Some screen protectors may shrink or bond to the display due to continuous sun exposure or use beyond recommended replacement time period. The quality of different brand screen protectors vary significantly, and each has different maintenance recommendations. For recommended brands of screen protector sheets, and for other display protection methods, please visit our website at:

Protecting the display

Object under Edge of Case Top or Display Bezel

Make sure there is not an object, such as the edge of the screen protector or a small grain of sand, wedged between the touchscreen and the top case or display bezel. You can carefully remove the screen protector sheet and/or wipe underneath the edge using a small brush, toothpick, or similar tool. Do not use anything that is abrasive or could cause damage to the display.

Remove Power and Restore System

Removing the battery and wall charger from the device for 20 minutes will allow the backup super capacitor to discharge and all hardware will reset. This may reset the touchscreen hardware and software.

Bad App Install or Data Corruption

If the touchscreen issues only occur while in a specific app or after loading a particular data file, it may be a bad app install or corrupt data file. In such a case, possible solutions are described at the following web pages.

Replace Touchscreen Hardware

If you feel your display touchscreen has been damaged or worn and needs to be replaced, please visit our Repair Information website at:

Product Repairs