This post is for owners of HP Envy x360 and Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptops whose pen has stopped writing or drawing, whether you use it for notes at college, signing documents or sketching. You will go through the checks in the right order, from a flat battery to Bluetooth to Windows settings, and you will learn which signs mean the fault is in the touch screen itself and needs a technician.
Why is my HP x360 pen not writing?
Short answer: The cause is often simple: a flat pen battery or low charge, a worn tip, a pen that has lost its Bluetooth pairing, or a Windows pen setting that is off. Check them in that order. If the pen works on another compatible laptop but not on yours, or touch also fails, the screen's touch layer may need repair.
Check 1: The pen's battery or charge
Depending on the pen model, it either takes a small replaceable battery or has a built-in rechargeable battery. A weak battery can give faint, broken or no lines. Replace the battery with the correct type named in the pen's manual, or charge the pen as shown in its guide. Then try again. If the pen has a light, check whether it blinks or stays off.
Check 2: The pen tip
The tip wears with use and can become loose. Look at it in good light: it should be intact and firmly seated, with no flat or chipped spot. If the pen came with spare tips, fit a new one by following the pen's guide. Do not use a different pen's tip, or force a tip that does not fit.
Check 3: Bluetooth pairing for pens with buttons
Some pens have side buttons (for right-click or erase) that connect over Bluetooth, while the writing itself works through the screen. If the buttons do nothing, pair the pen again.
- Open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices.
- Make sure Bluetooth is on.
- If the pen is listed, remove it, then choose Add device and put the pen in pairing mode as its guide describes (often by holding a button).
- Select the pen when it appears.
Check 4: Pen settings in Windows
Open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Pen and Windows Ink. Check that your pen is detected, and look at the shortcut and handwriting options. Restart the laptop once afterwards. Do not install pen driver files from unknown websites; use HP's support site or Windows Update. If the pen worked yesterday and not today, a restart alone can help. Keep Windows updated, because pen drivers arrive with updates; our post on 2-in-1 laptops for art students explains more about stylus use.
Check 5: Does the pen match the laptop?
Stylus pens use different technologies, and a pen made for one will not necessarily work on a laptop built for another. Two names you may meet are MPP and AES. We cannot tell you which your laptop supports, as it depends on the exact model. Open HP's support page for your product number and find the pen or stylus line in the specification, then compare it with your pen's box. A third-party pen needs to state support for the same technology.
Which symptom points where?
Dust, humidity and daily carrying
Laptops carried in bags through crowded commutes or humid months can collect moisture and dust around the screen edge, and a bent hinge or pressed lid can strain the screen. Keep a soft cloth for wiping the screen, store the pen in a dry place, and avoid stacking heavy books on a closed laptop. Our guide to cleaning a laptop display safely shows the right way to wipe it.
When to get help
- A tested, charged pen from a supported list still does not write.
- Finger touch is erratic, jumpy or dead in an area.
- The screen has cracks, lines or lifting edges.
- The pen worked until the laptop was dropped or pressed.
Our HP touch screen repair page explains what we check, and the HP laptop repair hub lists other services. In Hyderabad, our HP service page for Secunderabad covers doorstep service; elsewhere in India you can courier the laptop. ₹149 doorstep visit fee, waived when you approve laptop repair with us. An HP laptop still under HP's warranty should go to HP's own service first. Quotes come after diagnosis, shared for your approval.
A note from the LRW Engineer Team
Test the pen in a simple drawing app, with nothing else running, and try both the tip and a fingertip on a few spots of the screen. Write down what you see, or record a short video. That helps a technician see at once whether the pen, the settings or the touch layer is at fault.