Wacom Pen Not Working| Fix Pointer Issues On Graphics Tablet With Troubleshooting Tips

The Wacom graphics tablet is perfect for pursuing creative activities by the artists or designers but, sometimes the pen can stop to work. It might also get disabled while operating a few specific applications on the Wacom tablet. A majority of tablet users are reporting about Wacom pen not working problem and they can’t use it while working on paint, photoshop or other creative apps. So, if you are also experiencing a similar issue with your Wacom pen, you can go through this article to understand this error. Here, you can check out the technical fixes, which are shared by technicians to enable or make the pen work on your Wacom device.

Possible Causes that Can Make Your Wacom Pen Not Working on Your Gadget

If you notice that your Wacom pen not working or detected by the tablet anymore, there can be multiple reasons. So, before you hit your head and look for solutions to fix pen issue, you need to know why it’s not working on your Wacom tablet. Only then, it will be a lot easier to resolve this error and restore the functions of this Wacom pen without further hassle. Now, let’s take a look at some of the common causes, which can make this pen unresponsive or inoperable on the Wacom gadget.

  1. In case, certain drivers of Wacom pen or the gadget has some error or is outdated, it can fail to detect the pen. The same is applicable to the operating system of the tablet since it can block the pen if not up to date.
  2. Sometimes, installing any additional pointing device on Wacom can make the pen not recognizable by the system. This can also happen if there is a compatibility issue with the OS of Wacom tablet or any other software.
  3. There can be hardware or software issues in the tablet, due to which it can’t identify the pen after connecting to the device.
  4. If the pen buttons are not configured properly on the Wacom settings, it can stop the device from working. Also, if there are issues with the pressure or sensitivity adjustment of the tip, it can result in Wacom pen pressure not working problem.
  5. Any kind of physical damage or malfunctions in the Wacom pen can also be a major reason behind not responding on the device.

How Can you Diagnose Wacom Pen Error and Make It Work Again?

The Wacom tablet pen pressure not working issue can also make it undetectable on the gadget. Hence, if you want to resolve this error by applying some technical methods, try to test the pen first. So, let’s discuss the steps to check the working of the pen by testing some of its important features. If then, you reach the conclusion that the solutions are needed to troubleshoot Wacom pen not working error, you can apply the fixes.

Instructions to Test Whether your Wacom Pen is Working

First, open the Wacom Tablet Properties from the application and click on the tab of ‘Pen’. Then view the section of ‘Mapping’ from the ‘Pen Settings’ and see if the pen input parameters are set correctly.

Even if you are sure about the pen not working anymore, place it on the tablet area and observe if the cursor shows up on that specific point on your screen.

If you do not see any signs of the cursor or unable to move it while moving the pen tip, it means there is an error. So, once you have got this confirmation of having a non-responsive Wacom pen, move on to the solution part to resolve this issue.

Steps to Diagnose Pen Issue from Wacom Tablet Properties

Now that you are sure about this pen error, you can try the following steps to diagnose problems causing Wacom pen pressure not working.

Step 1

For this, click on the ‘Wacom Tablet Properties’ and go to the ‘Device’ list. Here, you have to select the device connected to your system and then hit the ‘About’ option.

Next, click on the tab of ‘Diagnose’ and check the details corresponding to ‘Pointing Device Info’. But, you need to place your pen on the surface of the Wacom tablet and within 0.4 inches (10 mm) range.

This will show you some value appearing beside the parameters like Device Name, Device S/N (serial number), Proximity and Device Type. If you can’t see any of this information or only some of them, chances are high that the pen pressure is not working.

Step 2

You can also test the movement of the pen along the X and Y axis to see the respective values in place of ‘X Data’ and ‘Y Data’. However, you can press the tip of the pen and eraser on the tablet’s surface to note down the values for ‘Pressure’ and ‘Switches’. Now, you need to examine whether these values are displayed within the range of 0 to 100%. If you don’t see any changes in the pressures or switches value with respect to your application of pressure and switch selection, it means the pen is not functioning properly.

Apply These Fixes To Resolve Wacom Pen Not Working Error

Before applying any of the methods discussed below, simply disconnect your Wacom tablet from your PC and reboot it once. Then reconnect the tablet to your computer and check whether it’s detecting the pen when you touch the tip on the device’s surface. In case, it doesn’t respond, then its time to proceed to the following solutions and make your Wacom pen detectable.

Fix 1- Relaunch Wacom Professional Service

Whenever you start noticing that your pen is not working properly on the Wacom tablet, you must try this method first. Here, you need to exit the current window of ‘Wacom Tablet Properties’ and restart the service.

To apply this solution, first, open the Run application window by pressing both the Windows logo and R buttons simultaneously. Then go to the text box and write ‘services.msc’ before hitting the ‘Ok’ button.

Wait for the services window will appear on your screen, where you can see the list of Windows services running on your PC. So, scroll the list and locate the services of ‘Wacom Professional Service’ and ‘TabletServiceWacom’.

Now, select both these services one by one and choose the option of ‘Restart’ after right-clicking on them. If the error still persists and your Wacom pen is still not responding properly, move to the next fixes.

Fix 2- Turn Off the ‘Use Window Ink’ Feature

If you are using Windows 10 based computer or laptop, there is a software ‘Windows Ink’ for supporting pen computing apps. So, when you connect your Wacom tablet to your system, the feature of Windows Ink can be enabled automatically. This option tries to assist while working with Wacom pens and offers features like Windows Input Panel. Digital Ink and ‘Handwriting Recognition’. Hence, if somehow enabling this feature is blocking Wacom pen to work correctly, you can turn it off immediately.

For trying this fix, go to Wacom Settings and open the ‘Wacom Tablet Properties’ window. Next, choose the tab for ‘Mapping’ below the ‘Application’ section and view the list of settings.

Now, towards the left-bottom corner of the window, find the checkbox for ‘Use Windows Ink’. You need to untick this box to ensure that the program of Windows Ink doesn’t conflict with Wacom pen. Finally, restart your tablet and see if you can operate the pen easily on its screen.

Fix 3- Modify Touch Settings for Wacom Pen

According to a majority of Wacom tablet users, they were unable to perform right-clicks with their pens. So, for those who aren’t aware of the various modes of Wacom pens, you can choose either right or left clicking modes while working with it. Hence, for some reason, if your pen is not responding when you require it in right-click mode, try the following tips.

First, hit the tabs for Windows logo and S at the same time and write ‘pen and touch’ in the search box. Then, click on the ‘Pen and Touch’ application and navigate to your screen’s bottom area.

Here, you will find a subcategory of ‘Pen Buttons’, where you can select the right-click feature.  Hence, tick the checkbox for ‘Use the pen as a right-click button equivalent’. Hopefully, this will help to restore the right-click feature on your Wacom pen and make it work.

Fix 4- Fix the Compatibility Issue with Bamboo Ink Protocol

A new feature of ‘Bamboo Ink’ has been included for Windows Ink for those using Windows Anniversary Update. This enables them to connect their Wacom laptop to their PCs and utilize natural sketching and writing features. Now, according to some Wacom technicians, enabling the ‘Bamboo Ink Protocol’ can cause problems with the pen.

So, in order to troubleshoot this error, you will have to switch between the protocols. This includes MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) and ‘Wacom AES Protocol’. However, try to consult a certified technician to select compatible pen protocol for your Wacom tablet.

Hence, on the pen’s switch panel, you will have to press the two side buttons simultaneously for 2-3 seconds. This will help the device to switch between various protocols. Now, if you observe just one blink, it indicates AES protocol selection for the pen. But, when you notice two blinks, it means now the device is in Microsoft Pen Protocol mode.

As a final step, try to power cycle the Wacom pen. This will save the settings for protocol selection and make your pen recognizable on your tablet. If it doesn’t work, it can indicate some driver issues in your Wacom device.

Fix 5- Fresh Installation of Wacom Software

If none of the methods work so far, you can remove the old driver and install Wacom software from scratch. Hence, start with the uninstallation and complete deletion of ‘TabletServiceWacom’ and ‘Wacom Professional Service’ files.

Next, go to the official website of Wacom and download the latest drivers compatible with your computer. Then extract the executable file and Wacom drivers from the installer.  After that, you can follow the stepwise instructions in the setup wizard to install the Wacom program. Once, it gets installed on your system, it will not have any issues in detecting the Wacom pen.

To know more about why Wacom pen not working on your device, you can consult professionals. They can tell you the issues and suggest solutions to fix pen or touchscreen problems in Wacom devices in a better way.

Nathaniel Villa
Nathaniel Villa

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