Troubleshooting the Dell Active Pen PN557W

Use the Dell Active Pen Identification guide to check what model of pen you have. This page applies to the Dell Active Pen PN557W. If you have a different model then consult Dell’s web site for further help.

The writing/drawing function of the Dell Active Pen only works with touchscreen devices. If you’re not sure whether your device has a touchscreen then open any Word document and use a two-finger-stretch to zoom in/out. If this works then you have a touchscreen.

Press the top button in the pen briefly. Your computer should respond, normally by opening an application. If nothing happens then follow the next BT steps to restore connectivity; otherwise you can skip these steps.

1. Turn the pen so that the Dell name on the flat section at the top of the pen is facing away from you
2. Press and hold the top button for 5 seconds
3. You should see a very small white indicator light in the top of the pen flashing

If the indicator does not flash then follow Dell’s guide to replace the coin-cell batteries. You will need two 319 / SW527 batteries.

In some cases the battery connection has simply worked loose, and following the guide to remove and replace the original batteries is enough to restore operation.

1. Select Start  , search for “bluetooth” and select Bluetooth and other devices settings
2. Wait for the list of devices to be displayed, and then search for a “Dell PN557W Pen” entry saying Paired
3. If you see a matching entry then select it, and then press Remove device
4. Follow Dell’s guide to pair your pen with your device

After pairing is complete then you should find that the Check bluetooth connection step above now works.
 

1. Select Start , search for “bluetooth” and select Bluetooth and other devices settings
2. Wait for the list of devices to be displayed, and then search for a “Dell PN557W Pen” entry saying Paired
3. If the battery indicator on the right is below 40% then follow Dell’s guide to replace the stylus battery – you will need one AAAA (quadruple-A) battery

If the pen is working but doesn't perform the required actions when you press the top button then you can reconfigure that to personal preference.

1. Select Start , search for “ink” and choose Pen and Windows Ink settings
2. Scroll down to find the Pen shortcuts section
3. Select your preferred settings

Note that each operation displays two settings – the upper setting will be used when your device is in tablet mode, the lower setting will be used in all other cases