Wacom Pen Suddenly Stopped Working [Easy Fixes]

A Wacom pen communicates with the tablet through electromagnetic resonance or Bluetooth, depending on the model. When everything works correctly, the tablet detects the pen’s position, pressure levels, tilt input, and button actions in real time.

However, several technical factors can interrupt this communication:

• Driver corruption after a Windows or macOS update is one of the most common reasons. When the operating system updates, it may override or disable tablet drivers, causing the pen to stop responding.
• Power issues can also cause the pen to fail. Some Wacom pens are battery-free, while others use rechargeable or replaceable batteries. A drained battery will result in zero response.
• Another frequent cause is background service failure. The Wacom Professional Service or Wacom Consumer Service must run continuously for proper operation. If this service crashes or stops, the pen will not function.
• USB ports, cables, or Bluetooth pairing errors can also interrupt communication between the tablet and computer.
• Lastly, incorrect settings inside creative software like Adobe Photoshop or other drawing tools may disable pressure sensitivity, making it appear as if the pen stopped working when it is actually a configuration issue.

As yet, you must have found out the reasons why your Wacom Pen isn’t working. Now, the time has come to fix this issue.

Wacom Pen Suddenly Stopped Working [How To Fix?]

If your Wacom pen suddenly stopped working, the most common causes include outdated or corrupted Wacom drivers, loose USB connections, a low battery in wireless models, disabled tablet services, or system updates interfering with device recognition. To fix the issue, restart your system, reconnect the tablet, update or reinstall drivers, check Wacom services, and verify pen settings inside the Wacom Tablet Properties panel.

Now, let us go through all the steps!.

Step 1. Restart Your Computer and Tablet

The first and simplest fix is restarting both your computer and the Wacom device.

Temporary glitches in memory can prevent the operating system from recognizing the tablet correctly. A full restart clears background processes and reloads drivers.

Turn off your computer completely. Disconnect the Wacom tablet from the USB port. Wait at least one minute. Reconnect the tablet directly to a primary USB port instead of using a USB hub. Then turn your computer back on.

After booting, test the pen again. In many cases, this basic reset restores functionality instantly.

If you use a wireless Wacom model, power it off and back on before reconnecting.

Step 2. Check the USB Cable or Bluetooth Connection

Connection instability can cause sudden pen failure.

If you are using a wired tablet, inspect the USB cable carefully. Look for loose connections or damaged wiring. Try plugging the cable into another USB port. Avoid USB hubs or extension adapters, as they may not supply stable power.

If your device supports Bluetooth, open your system’s Bluetooth settings and confirm the tablet is still paired and connected. If it shows as paired but inactive, remove the device and reconnect it again.

On Windows, you can open Device Manager and check if the Wacom device appears without warning symbols. If there is a yellow exclamation mark, it indicates a driver or recognition problem.

Testing the tablet on another computer can also help confirm whether the issue is hardware-related.

Step 3. Restart Wacom Services

Wacom tablets rely on background services to function properly.

On Windows, press the Windows key and type Services. Open the Services app. Scroll down and find Wacom Professional Service or Wacom Consumer Service, depending on your model.

Right-click the service and select Restart. If the service is not running, choose Start.

After restarting the service, test the pen again.

On macOS, you can restart the tablet driver by opening the Wacom Desktop Center and selecting the restart driver option.

Service interruptions are a common cause of sudden pen failure, especially after sleep mode or system updates.

Step 4. Update or Reinstall Wacom Drivers

Outdated or corrupted drivers are the leading cause of Wacom pen issues.

Visit the official Wacom website and download the latest driver version compatible with your tablet model and operating system.

Before installing the new driver, uninstall the existing one completely. On Windows, go to Apps and Features and remove the Wacom Tablet driver. Restart your computer after uninstalling.

Once restarted, install the freshly downloaded driver and reboot again.

Reinstallation ensures that corrupted files are removed and replaced with clean system components.

After installation, open Wacom Tablet Properties and confirm that your pen is detected.

Step 5. Check Pen Battery and Nib Condition

If you use a battery-powered stylus, a low battery is an obvious but often overlooked cause.

Replace or recharge the battery depending on the pen type. After replacing the battery, test the pen immediately.

Next, inspect the pen nib. If the nib is worn out, damaged, or stuck, the tablet may not register pressure correctly. Remove the nib gently and replace it with a new one if needed.

A worn nib can create inconsistent input, skipping strokes, or no response at all.

Step 6. Reset Wacom Tablet Preferences

Corrupted preference files can prevent the pen from working properly.

Open Wacom Tablet Properties and look for a reset or remove preferences option. Resetting preferences restores default settings and removes custom configurations that may interfere with performance.

On Windows, you can use the Wacom Tablet Preference File Utility to remove all user preferences.

After resetting, restart the system and test the pen again.

Step 7. Disable Windows Ink or Adjust Settings

Sometimes the pen works, but pressure sensitivity fails in specific software.

Open Wacom Tablet Properties and check the Windows Ink setting. Some applications require Windows Ink to be enabled, while others function better with it disabled.

If you use drawing software like Adobe Photoshop, ensure pressure sensitivity is enabled within brush settings.

Testing the pen in another application, such as Paint, can help determine whether the issue is system-wide or software-specific.

Step 8. Check for System Updates

Operating system updates sometimes interfere with tablet drivers.

On Windows, open Settings and check Windows Update history. If the pen stopped working immediately after an update, consider reinstalling the Wacom driver again.

On macOS, ensure the driver version is compatible with your current macOS build.

Compatibility issues are common after major system upgrades.

Step 9. Test Hardware Diagnostics

If none of the above steps fix the issue, hardware failure could be the cause.

Open Wacom Tablet Properties and check if the device appears in the list. If the tablet is detected but the pen is not, the stylus may be defective.

If neither the tablet nor the pen is detected, the tablet hardware could be faulty.

Testing the device on another computer helps confirm this.

If confirmed, contacting Wacom support for repair or replacement may be necessary.

FAQs

Why did my Wacom pen suddenly stop working even though it was fine yesterday?

This usually happens due to driver corruption, system updates, service interruption, or connection problems. The issue is rarely caused by permanent hardware failure.

How do I know if my Wacom pen is broken?

If the tablet is recognized but the pen is not detected even after driver reinstall and battery replacement, the pen may be defective.

Does reinstalling the driver delete my settings?

Yes, uninstalling the driver removes custom configurations. However, resetting preferences often resolves deeper conflicts.

Why is my cursor moving, but there is no pressure sensitivity?

This typically indicates a Windows Ink or application-specific configuration issue rather than a hardware problem.

Can a worn pen nib cause the pen to stop working?

Yes. A severely worn nib can affect pressure detection and create inconsistent strokes.