Every computer owner probably checks their list of installed applications once in a while. It is a necessary step when you’re trying to keep storage space at optimal levels and ensure you only have necessary and trustworthy programs on your system.
During the process, you might observe the ETD Control Center. Once you’ve observed it, you may start to question what it is and whether you should retain it.
If you are trying to choose between uninstalling or leaving this program on your PC, this guide will explain everything you need to know.
Let’s get started.
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What Is ETD Control Center?
ETD Control Center is more useful than some people think, but PC users should know exactly what it is and what it does so you don’t uninstall it prematurely.
This software is created by ELAN Microelectronic, a company that creates touchpads for laptops.
ETD Control Center allows users to get the best performance and experience from their computer’s touchpad, enabling the multi-touch feature, which functions similarly to that of a smartphone’s screen.
However, this isn’t clearly explained by the manufacturers, so when a user finds this software installed on their PC they often end up searching the internet for more information about it.
Some antivirus programs flag this software as a potential threat, which is a false positive. This leads to some users reading information on forums and websites dealing with that type of content, which can encourage them to uninstall the software right away.
Should I Keep ETD Control Center On My PC?
The short answer is yes unless you experience reduced performance, high CPU usage caused by ETD Control Center, or other strange behavior you believe is caused by having this software installed on your system.
Some users have experienced this in the past, but many have never had an issue with the ETD Control Center and are happy to continue using it.
If you are experiencing issues with this software, it could be due to using an outdated or faulty version, in which case we recommend downloading the latest, stable one using the Device Manager panel.
You can do this by following the steps below:
- Right-click the Windows logo located in the bottom-left corner of your taskbar and choose Device Manager.
- Expand the Mice and other pointing devices category and search for your ELAN Touchpad device.
- After finding it, right-click it and choose Update Driver.
Complete the process and wait until the driver is installed.
You should no longer experience any issues with the ETD Control Center. However, if you still want to remove it from your system, read the following section, where we will explain this further.
What Happens If I Uninstall ETD Control Center?
As mentioned earlier, uninstalling the ETD Control Center is not recommended if you use a touchpad manufactured by Elan Microelectronics, but it is still possible.
You can remove this software from your control panel like any other application on your PC. There isn’t a particular procedure that differs from what you’re already accustomed to when removing programs from your system.
However, after uninstalling the ETD Control Center, your trackpad may not work as it did before. You will also lose the ability to use the multi-touch feature when working on your laptop.
If this doesn’t matter much to you, and the ETD Control Center was causing more issues than benefits, removing it may be your only choice.
How Did ETD Control Center End Up On My PC?
The ETD Control Center is installed on your system automatically if your computer has a trackpad (touchpad) device produced by ELAN Microelectronics.
There is a slim chance that you accidentally installed it as part of a software package that wasn’t intended for your configuration, but this is very rare.
Known Issues Caused By The ETD Control Center & Fixes
ETD Control Center is safe to keep on your PC. Even so, every computer is different, and sometimes there are strange bugs and issues caused by even trusted programs.
Here are a few known issues caused by the ETD Control Center trackpad driver.
- CPU Usage spikes up to more than fifty percent while this software is enabled.
Solution: Disable the software and see if your CPU usage is still high. If it isn’t, re-enable it and download the latest version using the steps provided in the first section of this guide. If the issue persists even with the updated version, uninstalling the software can help, although that would sacrifice a degree of trackpad functionality.
- Antivirus programs detect ETD Control Center as a threat and disable it, causing the computer’s trackpad to malfunction.
Solution: Add the ETD Control Center as an exception in your antivirus software. Consider using a different antivirus program if this isn’t an option in your current one.
- ETD Control Center causes a bluescreen as soon as the computer boots.
Solution: Boot your PC in safe mode and disable the ETD Control Center, or uninstall it from your PC if disabling it doesn’t solve the problem. If you see a bluescreen even in safe mode, you can open your laptop and see if the trackpad device wire is disconnected. Be careful, however, as doing this will void your computer’s warranty.
Please note that you might encounter a problem we’re unaware of with this software installed on your PC, as every computer is different.
Conclusion
You now know what the ETD Control Center is and why it is on your PC. By using the knowledge provided in this guide, you can now decide whether or not you want to keep it on your PC.
In short, we recommend keeping this software installed unless it is causing errors and making your computer unusable, as it generally improves the functionality of your trackpad.