Wacom Pen Not Working: Top fixes to try out

When it comes to graphic tablets, Wacom is one of the oldest and most familiar names in the industry. The company has been making high-quality devices for artists well before the rest of the current crop of competitors caught up. As good as the devices are, one known issue is the Wacom pen not working. How does one fix this issue? We have lined up a bunch of solutions for you, so let’s dive into it right away.

If you find your Wacom pen not working, chances are the issue might be related to an old, corrupted, or missing Wacom pen driver. Other reasons causing your pen not to work normally include low battery charge, a dirty pen nib, a change in settings, or the pen being broken. Follow the steps below if you catch yourself asking, why is my Wacom pen not working?

Wacom Pen Not Working: How to Fix

There are a few reasons why you might be having trouble with your Wacom pen lagging, stuttering, or not working at all. We’ll go over the obvious reasons first and slowly get to the less likely scenarios.

Test the Wacom Pen

First off, test the pen. Does the Wacom pen not work at all, or only when you attempt a particular task? Is the nib properly attached to the pen? You might find that the reason for the Wacom pen not working could be related to a setting that you may have accidentally turned on. Here’s how you can make sure the configuration for your Wacom tablet and pen is fine:

1. Fire up Wacom Desktop Center on your Windows PC or Mac. It should be in the Start Menu of your Windows computer or under Applications in Mac. Here’s a guide for different operating systems from Wacom’s website.
2. Next, look for your device on the My Devices tab.
3. Click on the Support tab first to ensure your drivers are up to date. You can do this by clicking Driver Check. You can also do some light troubleshooting here.
4. Under the Updates tab, you can also verify that your firmware has the newest updates from Wacom.
5. Next, click on your Wacom tablet listed on the My Devices tabs.
6. Here you can see a wide variety of options, like Display settings, Express Key settings, Touch settings, but for now, let’s focus on the Pen settings.
7. Here, you should first try to calibrate your pen. If you find your Wacom pen not moving the cursor, calibrating your pen usually gets favorable results. Follow the steps that the software asks you to do.
8. Change the assignments to the Wacom pen buttons as well.
9. You can also adjust various settings such as tip feel and tilt sensitivity and customize how your Wacom pen behaves. Play around with the settings while continuously testing your pencil. 

Explore Wacom tablet properties

One of the first things to try would be to take a closer look at the settings and properties of your Wacom tablet. On your Windows PC or laptop, you need to go into the Windows menu and look for Wacom Tablet > Wacom Tablet Properties. You can also open this up from the Wacom Desktop Center. The options available to you in the Wacom Tablet Properties will vary depending on which device you own. 

Here you can experiment with the settings of ExpressKeys, Rocker Rings, Touch Rings,

Touch Strips, etc. You can also alter application-specific settings if you face Wacom pen troubles only with specific apps. You can also reset all properties to the Default settings to see if that fixes your Wacom pen. The About button at the bottom of the properties window also has a Diagnose option. You should test your pen at this window to ensure it behaves as it should.

If you primarily use Photoshop with your tablet, you should watch this video on ironing out all the snags:

Reconnect Wacom Tablet with Windows 10 or Mac

If you’ve tried the above hacks with no luck, let’s quickly uninstall and re-install your Wacom tablet on your Windows or Mac machine. Let’s take on the Windows method first:

Uninstall/Reinstalling Wacom tablet on your Windows PC/Laptop:

1. First, save all your work and exit any programs you’re working on.
2. Unplug your Wacom tablet after you save any preferences you wish to save. Remove the Bluetooth dongle from your PC or laptop if you’re using a Wireless Kit.
3. Next, open up Programs and Features in the Control Panel. 
4. Look for the Uninstall Or Change a Program option here.
5. On the list of programs, find everything under Wacom. Go ahead and uninstall anything that says Wacom or Bamboo.
6. Now you will have to download drivers from Wacom’s drivers’ page; here’s a quick link to it.
7. Make sure you choose your device correctly on the website and download the latest drivers for your machine.
8. Now you have to install the drivers. Find the downloaded installer and run it.
9. Once the installation is complete and your PC restarts, connect your Wacom tablet to your PC directly through the USB port, avoiding USB hubs or docks of any kind.
10. Now go ahead and test your Wacom pen and make sure the button functionality is working properly.

Uninstall/Reinstalling Wacom tablet on your Mac:

1. Just like the Windows method, you will first need to back up your preferences before uninstalling your Wacom tablet.
2. Next, unplug your Wacom tablet from your Mac. If you use a Wireless Kit to connect your tablet, remove the Bluetooth connector from your machine. If your tablet connects via Bluetooth, disconnect that and switch off Bluetooth for now.
3. Once you do that, go to Applications and find the Wacom Tablet folder.
4. Here, look for Wacom Tablet Utility. You should see an Uninstall button in the Tablet Software section.
5. Once the uninstall is complete, restart your Mac. After this, visit the Wacom Driver Download page at this link.
6. Here, find the right drivers for your Wacom device and download the installer file.
7. Find the downloaded DMG file and run it. Follow the instructions of the installation wizard until the setup is complete.
8. Restart your Mac and plug your tablet back in. Reconnect Bluetooth if you need to.
9. Open up Wacom Desktop Center and test your Wacom pen.

Restart Wacom services on Windows/Mac

This option may seem slightly technical, but the process should go smoothly if you follow our steps carefully. Let’s start with how to end and restart Wacom services on a Windows machine.

For Windows:

1. Click on your Start Menu and find the Run command. You could also press the Windows Key and ‘R’ simultaneously.
2. When the Run box opens up, type ‘services.msc’ in the text box and hit Enter. This should open up your Services window.
3. Look for ‘Wacom Professional Service’ or ‘TabletServiceWacom’ on this window.
4. Click on the service, and you should see a Restart option on the left side, as well as a Stop Button. Here you can either click Restart or click on Stop and then Start. You can also right-click on the service and click Restart.
5. And that’s how you end and restart your Wacom drivers! Now would be a good time to check if your Wacom pen is working again.

For Mac:

1. Run Activity Monitor on your Mac. You can do this by pressing Cmd+Space and typing Activity Monitor in the search box or by opening a Finder window and navigating to the Applications > Utilities folder.
2. When the Activity Monitor window pops up, go to the search box in the upper right corner and search for Wacom. You should see a few results listed.
3. Find WacomTabletDriver and quit that task. 
4. Now that you’ve quit the drivers, you’ll need to restart them as well. On your Finder window, go to Library > Application Support > Tablet where you will see the ‘WacomTabletDriver’ option. Go ahead and click it.
5. Now test your Wacom pen to see if it’s working.

Wacom Pen Not Working: More Troubleshooting Methods

We’re about halfway through troubleshooting the Wacom pen not working, so don’t give up if you haven’t solved the problem yet! Let’s look at some more troubleshooting hacks that can get your Wacom pen working again.

Restart Computer

This may seem obvious, but people tend to not power off their machines for really long periods, so if you’re one of those people, you should power off your PC or Mac immediately! A restart is known to fix random, annoying issues with computers, so we hope that it might work on fixing your Wacom pen issue as well. 

Unplug your Wacom tablet, power off your PC/Mac, and restart it. Plug your Wacom back in, and check if the pen is working. Also, make sure you test the pen settings that we mentioned higher up in the article.

Clean your Wacom tablet and pen

The issue you’re facing could be as simple as your device and pen needing some cleaning up. You should find a clean microfiber cloth and wipe your Wacom tablet properly. Make sure the ports are clean as well. Use a non-static brush to clean the buttons of your Wacom pen, and make sure there is no dirt accumulated on the tip of the Pen. If you have a can of air, now would be a good time to use it on your device.

Replace the Pen nib

There’s a reason Wacom and similar manufacturers offer additional pen tips or nibs when you buy a Wacom pen. It’s not just because the nibs get worn out; it’s also because they could behave erratically with time. So go ahead and swap out the nib because dirt can accumulate on it. It could also be scratched to a point where it has become unresponsive and affects the sensor.

Charge your Wacom tablet

If you have a Wacom tablet model that runs on a battery, you should check if there is adequate charge in it. Poor battery levels do affect the responsiveness of devices and especially displays. If you’re seeing battery issues with your tablet, consider taking it to the shop and swapping out batteries. 

Contact Wacom customer support

If all else fails, the only option remaining would be to contact Wacom’s customer support team. There is a massive Wacom community online, too, if you want to talk to fellow users who have faced similar issues. But Wacom customer care is sure to offer you a clear solution to the Wacom pen not working, so go ahead and reach out to them at this link.

Buy a new Wacom Pen

If all the above steps didn’t fix your Wacom pen problem, it might be time to buy yourself a new pen. However, before buying a new one, check if your product is still covered under warranty. And If possible, borrow a pen from a friend to see if the issue is resolved.

Also Read: If you’re looking to buy a tablet with a screen, here’s a great article we wrote to help you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my Wacom pen to work?

If your Wacom pen stops working, the first thing to do is restart your PC/Mac and reconnect your device. Also, open up Wacom Desktop Center on your computer, and under Pen settings, re-calibrate your pen.

How do I reset my Wacom pen?

To reset your Wacom pen, you have to reset the tablet. You can do this by opening Wacom Desktop Center on your computer and going into the Backup Settings tab, where you can choose Reset Settings.

Why is my Wacom pen not moving the cursor?

If your Wacom pen does not move the cursor, try restarting your PC or Mac. After this, try using your tablet with different apps/software. Additionally, try to calibrate your Wacom pen in the Wacom Desktop Center app on your computer. You can do this under My Devices > Wacom Tablet > Pen Settings.

How do I fix my Wacom Intuos pen?

If you’re facing issues with your Wacom Intuos pen, there are a few steps you can try, like restarting your computer, checking the nib of your Intuos pen, and updating drivers for your PC/Mac, if necessary.

Conclusion

There is no greater annoyance for a Wacom tablet user than the Wacom pen not working. After all, the tablet becomes completely unusable in this scenario. We hope one of the above solutions worked for you, and we’d like to hear which one it was, so hit us up in the comments!