Troubleshoot your Surface Pen
Applies ToSurface Devices Surface
For enhanced help and support, we recommend using the Surface app.
The Surface app knows your device, detects the most common issues, and provides you with simple, personalized solutions.
Open the Surface app
If you are unable to use the app on your Surface device, you can still follow the basic support solutions below.
This article provides troubleshooting steps to help resolve issues with your Surface Pen if it isn’t writing, opening apps, or connecting to Bluetooth.
Common issues
Here are some things you can try first.
Check for updates
You can quickly check the health of your Surface drivers and firmware using the Surface app.
Open the Surface app
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In the Surface app, expand Help & support to check if the update status is «You’re up to date» or something else.
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If needed, select the option to update the devices.
Note: If you don’t have the Surface app installed, you can download the Surface app from the Microsoft Store. When it has downloaded, select Start, search for Surface, then select the app from the list of results.
Check if your Surface Pen is compatible with your Surface
For more info, go to Identify your Surface Pen and features.
Note: Surface Laptop Go models and Surface Laptop 7th Edition are not compatible with the Surface Pen, as they do not support inking or writing.
Check the battery level of your pen
You can quickly find your pen’s battery level in the Surface app.
Open the Surface app
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At the bottom of the app, you will see your connected Surface accessories.
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Find your pen to view its battery level.
Note: If you don’t have the Surface app installed, you can download the Surface app from the Microsoft Store. When it has downloaded, select Start, search for Surface, then select the app from the list of results.
Make sure the pen is paired with your device to view its battery level. For more help, please view Use Surface Slim Pen 2.
Alternatively, you can check the general battery level by pressing the top button on the Pen. If the LED light color is amber or red, it indicates that the battery is low and needs to be charged or replaced depending on the type of pen used.
For more help charging your Surface Slim Pen, please view Fix problems with charging Surface Slim Pen or for help changing the batteries in Surface Pen, please view Change Surface Pen batteries.
My pen won’t pair with my Surface
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To enable Bluetooth pairing mode on your Surface Pen, press and hold the top button for about 5-7 seconds. The LED light will begin to flash continuously, indicating that the pen is ready to pair.
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Next, Open Bluetooth settings on your PC and make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Then, select the option Add device.
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Choose Surface Pen in the list of devices. Follow any other instructions if they appear, then select Done.
If your pen isn’t appearing in the list of devices, you can use the LED to help identify the issue. Press and hold the top button of your pen for 5-7 seconds and observe the LED light. Then, compare your observation to the table below.
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When you press and hold the top button |
What does it mean? |
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The LED light blinks continuously. |
Your pen is receiving power and trying to pair with a device. Restart your Surface and try pairing it again. |
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The LED light blinks for 2-3 seconds. |
Your pen is currently paired with another nearby Surface device. To resolve this, find the other Surface and remove the pen from its Bluetooth devices list. Go to the Bluetooth devices list, select the pen and remove it.
Once removed, try pairing the pen with the device you want to use. |
|
Red or Amber LED light |
This indicates low power. Depending on your pen model, you may need to charge the Slim Pen battery or replace the batteries for other Pens. |
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There is no LED light (does not turn on). |
If the light on your pen isn’t turning on even after changing the batteries or charging, it may be time to replace your pen. To learn how to request a replacement, please refer to the Request a replacement pen section. |
Note: Microsoft Classroom Pen 1 and Microsoft Classroom Pen 2 don’t support Bluetooth or pen cap functionality.
Other issues
Here are some other issues you may be having with your Surface Pen. Select any header, and it’ll open to display more information:
If your pen still doesn’t ink after trying the steps in the previous section, there are some things you can try. For more info, see What to try if your Surface Pen doesn’t ink.
Note: Our premium Surface Slim Pen 2 is equipped with an easily removable pen tip. Removal is intended only for pen tip replacement. Excessive (500 or more) removal+ reinsertion cycles of the pen tip can damage the internal parts of the pen and lead to inking failures. Pen failure due to excessive removal and reinsertion cycles isn’t covered under the product warranty.
Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on and your pen is connected to your Surface. For more information, refer to My pen won’t pair with my Surface
You can customize your pen shortcuts to assign specific functions to the buttons.
Open pen settings
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Go to Pen & Windows Ink in your settings.
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Under Choose what your shortcut button does, you can assign an action to happen for Single-click, Double-click or Press and hold (where available), including opening the program or app of your choice.
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Try writing in another app to see if the issue persists or not. If the problem does not persist, then the issue may be with the app.
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Try removing and re-inserting the pen tip or replacing the pen tip. For more information, please see Replace Surface Pen tips.
Request a replacement pen
If these steps didn’t resolve the problem, you can request a replacement Surface Pen. Go to Device service and repair, sign in with your Microsoft account, and select a Surface or register a new device.
After you select a registered device, you’ll see replacement offers based on your warranty status and eligibility for exchange. To learn more about the Surface Warranty, you can visit Surface warranty: FAQ.
Related topics
Surface Pen help
How to use your Surface Pen
Replace Surface Pen tips
Change the batteries in Surface Pen
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Why Is XP-Pen Not Working?
Several XP-Pen users have reported issues related to their tablets that have stopped working as soon as they’re connected to the PC. For some users, the stylus pen has stopped responding and started behaving sluggishly. Some of the most common reasons why this happens are listed below:
- Running outdated, corrupted, or damaged tablet driver.
- Interferences from third-party PC software.
- Hardware issues (for instance, you might be using a damaged pen).
- Improper configuration.
Whatever the reason, if you want to troubleshoot the problem of XP-Pen not responding when connected to a PC, try the workarounds shared below.
How To Fix XP Pen Not Working In Windows 10?
Steps To Fix XP Pen Stylus Not Working in Windows 10/11 PC
Follow these workarounds to immediately resolve the XP Pen not recognized/working’ issue.
FIX 1: Check the Connection
Oftentimes, the X-Pen device may stop responding due to improper connection. Hence, check your USB connector cable and ensure it’s working properly. You can try another USB port as well to witness any difference. Make sure that both the inputs (USB Cable and the HDMI cable) are properly connected, so that the X-Pen device works without any hiccups.
A damaged cable can also cause communication issues between your tablet and your computer. If that’s the case, make sure you replace it!
Fix 2: Update Drivers
The final option to resolve the XP Pen driver not working is to update the Pen/Tablet drivers on your PC. Updating drivers is an important and mandatory task as it helps to maintain the communication between the hardware and the software of your PC. This can be done in two ways: Manual & Automatic.
Manual Method: Use The XP Official Website
The manual method involves navigating to the official website and downloading the latest drivers from the website. The next step would be to install the drivers which are again a time and effort consuming task. It is important to know the model and make of your device and search for the most appropriate drivers on the website.
Automatic Method: Use Advanced Driver Updater
The automatic method of updating drivers to resolve XP Pen Drivers not working in Windows 10 is by using a third-party tool known as Advanced Driver Updater. This is called automatic because the user has nothing much to do here except launching the software, scanning the driver issues, and then clicking the Update Driver button to fix them. Advanced Driver Updater scans your computer and searches for the most updated drivers available on the internet. It replaces the missing, corrupt, and outdated drivers on your PC with the newer ones. Here are the steps to use Advanced Driver Updater:
Step 1: Download and Install Advanced Driver Updater from the link below:
Step 2: Open the application and click on the Start Scan Now button.
Step 3: Once the results are displayed, click on the Update Driver button next to the driver issue listed related to your XP Pen/Tablet.
Step 4: Wait for some time and Advanced Driver Updater will automatically take a backup of your previous driver, and download and install the newer and most compatible one on your system.
Once the process completes, restart your computer and check if the XP Pen driver not working issue has been resolved. Another advantage of using Advanced Driver Updater is that it helps to update all the drivers of your system and this means your computer will deliver a smooth and flawless performance resulting in an enhanced experience.
Fix 3: Disable Sleep Mode In Windows 10
Sleep Mode is a great feature designed to minimize your electricity consumption when the computer is not in use for a long time without having to turn it off. But many external devices do not reconnect or wake when the computer is used again after entering the Sleep Mode. Thus, this implies that you must not put your PC into safe mode on purpose and if this is an automatic setting enabled, then here are the steps to turn Sleep Mode Off:
Step 1: Press the Windows + R on your keyboard to launch the RUN box and then type Control in the text box followed by a click on the OK button.
Step 2: A new window will appear on the screen labelled as Control Panel. Click on the dropdown menu on the top right corner next to View By option and choose Small Icons.
Step 3: Next, click on Power Options, and in the new window, click on Change Plan Settings under the Preferred Plan.
Step 4: Now, locate the option labelled as Put the Computer to Sleep and choose Never from the option next to it.
Step 5: Click on the Save Changes button at the bottom and restart your computer.
Try and use your XP Pen for some time and check if the XP Pen Stylus not working issue has been resolved.
FIX 4: Disable the “Windows Ink Workspace” Feature In Windows 10 PC
To those of you who don’t know, “Windows Ink Workspace” is a built-in functionality in Windows 10, that focuses on improving your experience with digital pens. It gives users the ability to handwrite or draw on their computers. But, sometimes, instead of enhancing your digital graphics experience, it can lead to some glitches and lags. Hence, disabling the feature can help you get rid of the potential issues.
Follow the instructions shared below to turn off Windows Ink Workspace on Windows 10:
STEP 1 = Open the Run dialog box, type gpedit.msc and hit the OK button. This will instantly open the Group Policy Editor on your Windows PC.
STEP 2 = Navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Ink Workspace
STEP 3 = Find and click on the “Allow Windows Ink Workspace” settings from the right pane.
STEP 4 = Choose the “Enabled” option and then select the “Disabled” option from the drop-down menu under Options. Click the Apply button, followed by the OK button!
Do not forget to restart your computer and you have successfully disabled the Windows Ink Workspace feature on Windows 10.
You can also deactivate the feature using Registry Editor as well. For this, all you have to do is:
STEP 1: Open the Windows Registry by pressing the Windows + R keys and typing regedit in the text field, followed by Enter.
STEP2: Once the Registry window opens, navigate to the below-mentioned path.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsInkWorkspace.
Note: If this folder is not available then navigate on the above path to the Microsoft folder and make right-click on it. Next, from the context menu, choose New>Key and name it as WindowsInkWorkspace.
STEP 3: Next, when you click on WindowsInkWorkspace, you would find certain items in the right panel where you have to locate AllowWindowsInkWorkspace. Double click on this key and set the value data to 0 followed by the Ok button.
Note: If you do not see this key, then you can create it by right-clicking on the space of the right pane and then selecting New> DWORD (32-bit) Value and set its Value Date to 0.
STEP 4: Exit the Windows Registry Editor and restart the PC for changes to take effect.
Now check if the XP Pen Stylus Not working issue has been resolved for good.
Fix 5: Configure The Drawing App
Well, if there’re some software conflicts with the drawing app you’re using, it may cause the XP-Pen to not respond at all. Here’re certain things to do to resolve these conflicts:
- Reset the application to default settings.
- Uninstall any recent add-ons that you have installed on your drawing app.
Re-install the drawing application and test your tablet with different software.
The Final Word on How To Fix XP Pen Not Working In Windows 10?
The XP Pen/Tablet is a must-have device for graphic designers and other drawing experts who can transfer their vivid imaginations on a digital platform. However, when the XP Pen is not working, it does not mean that you have to replace the device but rather check the hardware first followed by the software troubleshooting steps.
Follow us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. For any queries or suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below. We would love to get back to you with a solution. We regularly post tips and tricks, along with answers to common issues related to technology.
Сегодня мы рассмотрим решение специфических проблем, с которыми сталкиваются некоторые пользователи планшетов XP-PEN в ходе работы в программе Adobe Photoshop на операционной системой Windows 10. В частности, проблемы могут возникнуть с работой функции Lasso (лассо), случайными точками в ходе рисования, периодическими отключениями силы нажатия, торможением пера при рисовании и прочими багами.
Немного теории: начиная с версии СС 2014 Adobe поменял режим работы стилуса по умолчанию, вместо Wintab используется Windows Ink (рукописный ввод Windows или Microsoft API). К сожалению, не всегда данный режим работы работает корректно, причем это наблюдается не только с планшетами XP-PEN, но и с изделиями других производителей.
Мы постараемся объяснить, что можно сделать, чтобы планшет работал корректно. Достаточно следовать простой инструкции:
1. Создать файл Psuserconfig.txt (либо скачать уже готовый по ссылке). Создать файл можно в любом текстовом редакторе, где ввести следующее:
# Use WinTab
UseSystemStylus 0
после чего сохранить текстовый файл как Psuserconfig.txt
2. Найти на системном диске (обычно «С») папку «Пользователи» и в окне просмотра папки, в верхнем меню «вид» поставить галку «скрытые элементы».
3. Найти имя пользователя под которым вы работаете в Photoshop и в папке этого пользователя найти папку «AppData», в ней найти папку «Roaming» и далее выбрать папку «Adobe».
Если у вас была история обновления Photoshop, то внутри данной папки будет несколько папок, каждая из которых соответствует своей версии Photoshop. Вам нужна либо самая последняя, либо соответствующая той версии, на которой вы работаете сейчас.
4. В нашем случае нам нужна последняя версия – 2021, и в соответствующей папке есть папка для настроек Photoshop
Вам нужна папка Adobe Photoshop 2021 settings, в которую нужно скопировать файл Psuserconfig.txt (подробная информация размещена на сайте самого Adobe — https://helpx.adobe.com/ru/photoshop/kb/enable-optional-extensions-photoshop-cc.html)
5. Заходим в панель настроек планшета, и отключаем галку в функции windows ink
6. Закрываем панель управления планшетом (она остается свернутой в трее)
7. Перезапускаем Photoshop
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Once upon a time, Wacom ruled the land of graphics tablets, but that was before young start-ups like XP Pen and Huion started causing problems to its legacy. And if you’re a proud owner of an XP Pen device, you’ll be happy to hear that the company can easily be considered on par with Wacom when it comes to device quality and customer service.
But you’re probably here because you found your XP Pen not working and want to figure out how to fix it. We’re here for you! We will walk you through the various reasons that can cause your XP Pen to stop working (and you should know these if you wish to use your tablet for many happy years), and we will also help you address these issues.
XP Pen Not Working: Quick Fixes
If your XP Pen stops working, first ensure that the pen/tablet is fully charged. Also, make sure your cables are secure and put in correctly; tablets can stop working due to an improper connection. Another hack for Windows users is to turn off sleep mode and disable Windows Ink Workspace.
For more details, keep reading.
Why is my XP Pen Not Working?
So XP Pen has a variety of models in its catalog, and we’ve tried to cover as many of these models as possible in this guide. So regardless of which graphic tablet you have, be it the Artist, Artist Pro, Star, Innovator, Deco, or Deco Pro series, you should be able to find solutions in this article.
Let’s start by looking at the top reasons why you can’t get your XP Pen to work correctly.
Check the charge on your stylus
This issue, of course, does not affect the majority of XP Pen styluses (like the XP-Pen PA2) that do not need charging. However, if you own a chargeable stylus that works with a tablet like the Artist 22 or Artist Pro 16, you should check if it is sufficiently charged. Chances are this is the most likely reason why the XP Pen has stopped working!
Driver issues
Ah, another notoriously common reason your XP Pen is not working. It’s not just the state of New York; graphics tablets have a reputation for bad drivers causing trouble, too. This is why you must be extra careful when configuring your tablet to work with your computer. Ensure that you install the latest drivers at the time of installation.
It’s also possible that the driver is clashing with another software, app, or service running on your computer. We will look into figuring out the offending app further down in our article.
Issues in your app or OS
While initially setting up your tablet with your computer can be a bit tricky; it should run fine once complete. Configuration issues rarely pop up between your XP Pen software after setup, but it’s something you should not dismiss.
Apps like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Clip Studio EX save user-preference files that are customized to your usage. If these files are corrupted, or you accidentally deleted them on your app, it can cause your XP Pen to stop working completely.
While we’re on the subject, check out our guide on the best drawing apps for your tablet!
Additionally, if the settings on the XP Pen app on your computer have been tampered with, it can cause the graphics tablet to stop functioning. There are also system settings that can clash with the normal functioning of the XP Pen software. For example, did you recently add a new hardware device to your PC, like a printer or a tablet from a different manufacturer?
Also, is your computer’s operating system up to date?
Sleep Mode
This one applies especially to users with computers using the Windows operating system. Multiple users have experienced this issue, so there are plenty of documented cases online. Whenever a Windows machine wakes up from Sleep Mode, the connected XP Pen tablet becomes unresponsive or turns sluggish.
Windows Ink Workspace
Here’s another possible cause for an XP Pen not working correctly, exclusively for Windows users. Windows Ink Workspace is Microsoft’s attempt at making the operating system more stylus-friendly and includes features like Sketchpad, Sticky Notes, and Screen Sketch. It’s helpful as it puts all your commonly used tools in a box.
While it’s useful in its own way, it seems to cause writing and drawing issues for the XP Pen, and sometimes it makes the tablet completely unresponsive. Unfortunately, you can’t just turn off the Windows Ink Workspace — but we’ve explained how to disable it in the troubleshooting section below, so be patient!
Damaged cables
This one’s fairly obvious. A damaged cable will cause communication issues between your tablet and your computer. And it’s very common for tablet cables to become damaged because of how often artists and users move them around — wear and tear happens. Another point of failure is the connector, as the frequent movements make them loose.
Hardware troubles
A faulty stylus could also be the reason that your XP Pen tablet is not responding to input. People often underestimate how delicate these styluses are, so if you have a habit of tossing them on your desk when you’re done, that’s a good way to damage the stylus.
If you have a model with Express Keys, test a couple of them out. It will help you figure out whether the stylus is unresponsive or the tablet itself.
Been thinking about switching to Huion? Read our XP Pen vs Huion comparison to help you decide.
Finally, the section you’ve been waiting for! Take a deep breath, and let’s dive into this and get your XP Pen working again.
Check for driver updates
As we mentioned above, corrupted or low-quality drivers can be a real headache. There’s a reason companies release new drivers for their products periodically. So step 1 would be to search for new driver rollouts for your XP Pen tablet. You can do that by visiting this link: XP Pen Drivers download page.
Install the driver (it’s pretty simple, just follow the steps on the installation wizard), disconnect your tablet, and reboot your computer. Once it powers back on, connect your tablet and test to see if it’s working properly.
Driver installations have a magical way of fixing these issues, so let’s hope for the best!
Reboot your computer
Sometimes, all it takes is a restart to fix issues with your computer, especially if it’s a Windows computer. If you’ve already rebooted your machine in the previous step, you can skip this, but if not, we recommend you power cycle your computer. Be sure to disconnect your tablet before you do so, and wait until the computer is on the desktop before attempting to reconnect it.
Fix software configurations
And now, things begin to get complicated, but not too complicated, so don’t worry!
Typically, software code clashing is what causes devices to act up or simply die. Thankfully, once you reconfigure a few things and make changes to your system, these problems should go away.
There are a few different steps that you need to try, so we’ve broken them up into subsections below.
Turn off Sleep Mode on Windows
So Sleep Mode can cause issues for your XP Pen tablet — but what’s the solution? We recommend putting your computer on ‘Hibernate’ instead of Sleep Mode.
Or you can turn it off altogether; here are the steps to do that.
- On your Windows computer, look for the Power & Sleep settings. If you have an older version of Windows, this might be named Power Options. It can be found in your Control Panel, or you can use the search bar on your desktop to look for it.
- Now go to Additional power settings under Related settings in the right pane.
- You should now see the current configuration for power management on your computer.
- Click on Change plan settings.
- You will now see drop-down boxes next to ‘Put the computer to sleep.’ Set them both to Never.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom, and you’re all done! Good job!
Disable Windows Ink Workspace
With one pesky cause out of the way, let’s look at the next one. Remember when we said there was no straightforward way to disable Windows Ink Workspace? We weren’t kidding — you’re gonna have to go into the registry for this one.
If you feel like John McClane going into the vent shaft right now, relax. We’ve got your back!
- First, back up your registry. Just in case you mess up (you won’t, we trust you), you can use the backup to quickly reset your registry to its original form.
- To do this, you have to first open the registry — to do that, press Windows + R simultaneously to open the Run box, and in that, type in ‘Regedit.’ Or you can type it in your desktop search box.
- When the Registry Editor pops up, click on ‘Computer.’ Then click on File > Export.
- Save it somewhere convenient, like your desktop.
- Next, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft.
- Here, right-click on the Microsoft icon and then choose New > Key.
- Name this new key WindowsInkWorkspace.
- Right-click it.
- Then click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this as AllowWindowsInkWorkspace.
- Double-click this, and change the value to ‘0’ (zero).
Configure your drawing app
Software issues with your app of choice (MediBang Paint, Clip Studio) may be the reason your XP Pen is not working. Here are some steps to try.
- Review the preferences and settings for your tablet on the software. Has anything changed? If possible, reset the app to default settings and test your tablet again. Different apps have different methods to reset preferences/customize settings, so use Google to find the correct method for your app.
- Did you recently install any new plugins? Poorly coded plugins can cause hardware issues for your tablet; uninstall any recent add-ons to your drawing app.
- Test your tablet with different software. If it works fine everywhere else, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your drawing software.
Check XP Pen software
XP Pen offers software for both Mac and PC that help you configure and fine-tune how your tablet functions. To find the app, search for ‘XP Pen’ or ‘PenTabletSetting’ on your Mac/PC.
We recommend you reset your settings on this app to see if it makes your tablet work again. You can export your saved settings first by clicking ‘Export configuration file‘ at the bottom. To reset the defaults, simply click on the Default button.
Update your computer
In an ever-changing world with software conflicts and security threats, you can no longer afford to ignore OS updates. It’s critical that you keep your computer up to date so that both the system and various software run correctly.
On a Mac, update your computer by clicking the Apple logo in the top-left corner and then clicking About This Mac. You should see a ‘Software Update’ button on the window that pops up.
If you’re on a Windows computer, the process adds a couple more steps. Click Start and then navigate to Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update. Here, select ‘Check for updates.‘
Change power settings on the USB port
So this is a strange one and is specifically for Windows users (what is it with Windows and XP Pen?). The system sometimes cuts power to the USB port after a period of time, effectively disabling your XP Pen tablet. And this might be the reason your tablet is dead when you resume work after a break.
It can be easily fixed by unplugging and replugging the USB cable into your computer, but there’s a permanent fix for this too.
To fix this, first, open up your Windows settings. Here, click on System and go to Power & sleep. Under Relating settings, click on Additional power settings. If this sounds familiar, it’s because you came here to disable Sleep Mode earlier!
Next, click Change plan settings, regardless of which power management plan is selected. Click on Change advanced power settings. This will open up the Power Options window.
On this window, click on USB Settings > USB selective suspend setting. Change ‘Enabled’ to ‘Disabled’ by clicking it.
Here’s a video guide that walks you through the entire process:
Test your stylus and tablet
It may be your stylus that’s malfunctioning or your tablet, or in a worst-case scenario, both. We recommend you check your XP Pen stylus for signs of damage, change the nib, and if you have a chargeable stylus, charge it for a while and test it again.
As for the tablet, try connecting it to a different computer with a new connector cable. These steps will help isolate the issue and help you reach a conclusion faster about what’s wrong with your setup.
At this point, if you’re annoyed enough with your tablet and wish to replace it, don’t do so before reading our list of the best drawing tablets!
And if you find your XP Pen stylus is at fault, we found a YouTube video that addresses the glitching issues. It’s a bit technical and involves some soldering, but if you feel up for it, check it out:
Contact Customer Care
The last step in our guide is to reach out to XP Pen’s customer care department. The good news is that these guys are very responsive, and the community, in general, thinks pretty highly of the company’s after-sales service. We recommend you connect with them, and hopefully, you’ll be working on your tablet pretty soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I charge my XP stylus pen?
Most XP Pen styluses do not need charging, but if you have one that has a battery, an indicator on the pen will light up when the pen is low on juice. To charge it, plug the bundled USB cable into the stylus and the other end into a charging brick or your computer’s USB port.
Do I need to charge my XP-Pen pen?
That depends on the model of the XP Pen stylus you own. If you see an LED indicator on your stylus, it will need charging. Most XP Pen styluses work on the principle of electromagnetic resonance, with a tiny coil inside the stylus causing the tablet to pick up electrical signals nearby.
Conclusion
If you came here wondering why is my XP Pen not working, we hope that our guide helped you get it functioning properly again. As you can see, there are numerous reasons why your tablet can act up, but luckily, the fixes are pretty simple! And if one of our fixes worked for you, we’d love to hear some feedback in the comments!
If you’ve found your Huion pen not working properly, don’t panic – you’re not alone. This is a fairly common issue, and it’s usually not very hard to solve.
Before you get down to fixing the issue, you should do some basic checks first:
- Did you follow the instructions in your user manual to install the tablet drivers correctly?
- Did you connect the graphics tablet to your PC correctly (either via wired mode or wireless mode)?
- Have you tried to insert the USB cable or wireless receiver to another USB port?
- Is your graphics tablet working properly?
- Did you put the battery of your digital pen in the right position?
- Is your pen compatible with the tablet you’re using?
The above questions walked you through a few simple steps for troubleshooting. However, they may not have covered all possible aspects, so we strongly suggest you look into the user manual of the Huion pen (or tablet) for more essential details.
5 fixes for the Huion pen not working issue
Now let’s cut to the chase. Here you’ll have 5 fixes that have proved useful for the Huion pen not working issue. You don’t need to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Fix 1: Restart your computer
Fix 2: Disable Sleep Mode
Fix 3: Tick the “Support TabletPC” option
Fix 4: Update your tablet driver
Fix 5: Uncheck “Enable Windows Ink”
Fix 1: Restart your computer
So this is the quick fix for you. Sometimes it’s just your device driver running into glitches that caused the pen to stop working. In this case, simply shut down your computer and then restart it. The next time you use your pen on a PC, it should work as normal.
Fix 2: Disable Sleep Mode
If you have this problem right after waking up your PC from Sleep Mode, you should consider disabling the mode. The reason is similar to that of Fix 1 – your device driver may temporarily stop working when the computer swaps from Sleep Mode to the normal working state.
To disable Sleep Mode on your computer, you should perform the following steps:
on Windows 10
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and I at the same time to invoke the Settings window. Then click System.
2) On the Power & sleep tab, in the results pane, under Related settings, click Additional power settings.
3) In the next window, click Change plan settings next to your preferred plan.
4) Expand Put the computer to sleep: and select Never. Then click Save changes.
Now that you’ve disabled Sleep Mode, restart your computer and check to see if the Huion pen works properly. If not, please move on to the next fix.
on Windows 11
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo + I keys simultaneously to open Settings.
2) From the left navigation panel, click System. Find
3) Select Never from the drop-down for both When plugged in, turn off my screen after and When plugged in, put my device to sleep after.
Restart your computer and check to see if the Huion pen works properly. If not, please move on to the next fix.
Fix 3: Tick the “Support TabletPC” option
As mentioned in the user manual of the Huion pen, you should check the Support TabletPC box to enable the pressure sensitivity function in a variety of drawing programs. Here’s how:
1) Double-click the driver tablet icon on your system tray (an area on the right side of your Taskbar) to open the PenTablet control interface.
2) Check the Support TabletPC box, as shown below.
Now go on to check whether your pen works properly. If it doesn’t, please proceed to Fix 4.
Fix 4: Update your tablet driver
Another culprit for the Huion pen not working issue is an outdated or corrupt tablet driver. So literally it’s not your pen but rather the tablet that is dysfunctional due to driver failures.
Usually, a driver CD that comes with your tablet will help you install the driver on your PC, and once the driver is installed, you should be able to use the digital pen normally. However, the driver you get in this way may be outdated if Huion hasn’t updated the driver in that CD, hence incompatible with either your hardware devices or drawing software.
To resolve the outdated driver problem, you should update your tablet driver to the latest version. There are two ways you can do this:
Option 1 – Automatically (Recommended) – This is the quickest and easiest option. It’s all done with just a couple of mouse clicks – easy even if you’re a computer newbie.
OR
Option 2 – Manually – You’ll need some computer skills and patience to update your driver this way because you need to find exactly the right driver online, download it, and install it step by step.
Option 1 – Automatically update the driver
Some people may find it hard to do the driver updating stuff. So if you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your Huion tablet driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy takes care of everything.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version, it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee):
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All). Or if you just want to update the Huion tablet driver for now, simply click the Update button next to it.
Note: you can do it for free if you like, but it’s partly manual.
If you have any problems when using Driver Easy to update your driver, please feel free to email us at support@drivereasy.com. We are always here to help.
Option 2 – Update the driver manually
Huion keeps updating the tablet drivers. To get the one you need, you should visit the Huion support website, find the driver corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 10, 64-bit), and download the driver by yourself. Here are the steps:
Before installing the latest drivers, you should uninstall the existing Huion drivers from your computer.
1) Click here to visit the support site of Huion.
2) Find your tablet model in the list. When you hover your mouse over the tablet model, you’ll see two clickable icons next to Driver:. If you’re a Windows user, select the left icon; if you’re a Mac user, choose the right icon.
3) After downloading the driver, open the folder in which the driver is downloaded. Usually, you’ll see a compressed folder (with .zip extension) there. Go on to extract the folder.
4) Double-click the extracted folder you get and then double-click the .exe file in that folder.
5) Follow the on-screen wizard to install the driver.
6) When everything’s done, reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
After updating your tablet driver, check to see if the digital pen works properly. In case the problem persists, you should try out the next fix below.
Fix 5: Uncheck “Enable Windows Ink”
This fix should work if you’re experiencing brush lags or other similar issues in Photoshop, with a Huion pen/tablet. Here’s how to do it:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and S at the same to invoke the search box. Then, type notepad and click the Notepad application.
2) When Notepad is opened, type in UseSystemStylus 0.
Then save the file as PSUserConfig.txt to the following location:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 Settings
3) Open the Huion tablet driver interface. Then go to the Stylus Pen tab and uncheck Enable Windows Ink. On completion, click Apply > OK.
Note that some of the functions in your drawing software may be unusable if you disable Windows Ink. In that situation, you’ll need to enable Windows Ink again.
The screenshot above comes from the new version of the Huion tablet driver interface. If you’re using the older one, such as the version shown in Fix 3, then you won’t see this Enable Windows Ink option.
4) Restart Photoshop and test whether your pen works properly or not.
Hopefully, this article has resolved your Huion pen not working issue. If you have any follow-up questions or ideas, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!