Touch locks up, round faded-center dots across screen with cursor stuck in one

[Loren Amelang]

So it isn't Vivaldi doing this. Last night it happened in the Qobuz music app. I tapped a track to play, and got a stripe of the faded-center dots across the screen - the position of the Vivaldi dot, plus lots more to the left of it. No zooming in Qobuz, the app was just totally locked up, and nothing touch could do would escape.

I brought over my keyboard and mouse. Qobuz remained locked up, but everything else worked, and the dots remained visible.

I didn't see this in Vivaldi without a mouse, but there was a cursor stuck over the rightmost dot, in addition to the actively moving cursor. (The image is from a bit of phone video - screenshots didn't show either cursor.)

The dots remained visible when I switched users, but the stuck cursor pointed to a different one:

They stayed visible through the entire shutdown process, even over the colored screens with the shutdown steps. And when Windows came back, my taskbar was extra wide and locked.

As before, nothing in Windows logs, or Qobuz log.

Could this be a GPU problem? Qobuz uses it, but I've set Vivaldi not to. At least I think I have... The "GPU Process" still shows, but it is ~50 MB instead of ~500 MB.

I think Windows is out of control...

[#2]

Just happened again in Vivaldi, with full keyboard and mouse, no touch involved this time. The dots are always at the same vertical position on the screen, same size, and one at the same horizontal position, but there may be more to the right or left of that one. The cursor usually points to the exact center of that main dot, but while you're moving the mouse it flashes between there and the current mouse location. With the mouse not moving, there is never a cursor where it should be.

Like before, you can completely log out and log in as another user, and the problem remains.

I did discover that Windows Settings now includes GPU settings per program (Search "GPU"), and it ignores what you set in the NVIDIA Control Panel. Both are now set to disable GPU for the two apps (so far) that have shown the problem.

Also noticed that both apps are not in the standard \Programs folder, the .exe files live in the \AppData folder for the app... Can't imagine how that matters...

[#3]

In case anyone finds this someday... I did notice a vague smear of residue on the Surface Book trackpad, which is disabled in the configuration I use. Cleaning it, and all the other surfaces and connections, on October 4 did not stop the dots problem. It was particularly bizarre late on October 7 - and has not happened since!

KB4023057: Update for Windows 10 Update Service components was installed on October 9. And KB5006670 on October 14. I suspect only a Windows bug could have acted like this one did, and they just didn't mention fixing it.

[#4]

Hi, Loren,

I have met the same problem with you. I tried many solutions, including update to the new version 22H2, remove the Intel Precise Touch Device, ect, install the patch mentioned above,KB4023057 &, KB5006670. but not settle it down.
May I know how to fix it from you with the detail. Thank you very much.

Well, I understand it is a story long ago. But even I reinstall the OS, the problems sill on.

[#5]

@xiaopaul Afraid I have no solution. The spot problems returned and got worse and more frequent, until I finally disabled touch completely. I now suspect it is a hardware problem with the screen sensor. I've even seen hints of similar problems with the pen sensor, but I rarely use it. (Except when the Bluetooth completely disconnects, leaving no other way to recover.) 

My Surface Book is now just a normal keyboard and mouse computer, and I have an iPad for the touch scroll pleasure reading. 

[#6]

@Loren Amelang Thank you, Loren. I have disable the touch function. It works well now.