6 Windows File Explorer add-ons that make life easier
Windows File Explorer does the job, but only just. No quick previews, clunky cloud access, and tedious batch operations make day-to-day file management more difficult than it needs to be.
The mouse pointer has disappeared from your Windows device and you are wondering, “How do I get the mouse pointer back?” Or, the mouse pointer always decides to disappear when you type.
If you find yourself in one of such situations, here is how you can get the mouse pointer back on the device.
Table of Contents
Before we dive into the detailed solutions, let’s explore some quick fixes that might bring back the mouse cursor. However, these solutions only apply if you’re using a mouse and not a trackpad.
If you are using a wired mouse, try reconnecting the mouse cable. In case you are using a wireless mouse, try reconnecting the sensor.
When done, move the mouse and check if the cursor appears on the screen.
For wired mice, check the cable and make sure it doesn't show any signs of damage.
If you are using a wireless mouse then you need to take a different approach. If the mouse pointer disappears, try using new batteries and see if that solves the problem.
The mouse may have disappeared simply because of a faulty USB port . So try using a different port and see if that solves the “no mouse pointer” problem.
Try using your mouse on another device and see if that helps. In case the problem persists, your mouse may be faulty.
If the mouse works on the other device, the problem may be with your PC. But don't worry! There are a number of solutions that can help you fix this problem.
If the cursor only disappears while you are typing, the problem may be with your mouse settings. So let's see how you can restore the mouse cursor in this case:
Next, use the arrow keys to navigate to the Pointer Options tab. Once you get there, press the Tab key repeatedly until the Hide pointer while typing box is highlighted.
From there, press the spacebar to uncheck the Hide pointer while typing box .
Navigate to the Apply option using the Tab key , then press the spacebar to apply these settings. Finally, navigate to the OK option using the Tab key , then press the spacebar to complete the process.
If you are experiencing this issue when using the touchpad, then most likely the touchpad is disabled in the system settings.
So here's how to restore the touchpad cursor that keeps disappearing:
Navigate to the Apply option using the Tab key , then press the spacebar to apply these changes. Finally, navigate to the OK option using the Tab key , then press the spacebar.
If you're using a touchscreen device, chances are you're using Windows' Tablet Mode. However, switching to Tablet Mode could be the reason your mouse cursor often decides to disappear.
So, if the Tablet Mode feature is enabled on your device, here is how you can disable it .
You can also restore the mouse pointer using Windows' built-in troubleshooting tools. We'll see how the Bluetooth and Hardware and Devices troubleshooters can help resolve this issue.
To start, here's how you can use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter :
In the next window, use the Tab button to move to the options in the right pane. From there, use the arrow keys to navigate to the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter .
Press Enter once the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter is highlighted. From there, press Tab to highlight the Run the troubleshooter button , then press Enter to continue.
Once done, you can run the Bluetooth troubleshooter. However, this will only help if you're using a wireless mouse.
If the problem persists, you may be dealing with corrupt or damaged system files. In this case, the best thing to do is to repair corrupted Windows files using built-in tools (such as the SFC and DISM tools).
Corrupted mouse drivers can also cause problems. In this case, you can restore the mouse pointer by updating or reinstalling these drivers.
Here's how you can update your mouse driver:
In the next window, use the arrow keys to select the Search automatically for updated driver software option . From there, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
If the problem persists, try reinstalling the mouse driver using the following steps:
When you're done, restart your PC to save these changes.
Sometimes the disappearance of the mouse cursor can be due to a software conflict in the system. Certain applications, especially those that modify or interact heavily with graphical output, can cause the cursor to disappear unexpectedly.
To start troubleshooting software conflicts, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly. Once Task Manager is open, use the arrow keys to navigate through the list of running applications and background processes. Look for any unusual or strange applications that may be running.
If you suspect a specific application is the problem, temporarily kill that application to see if the cursor reappears by selecting that application with the arrow keys and pressing Alt + E to end the task.
If closing suspicious applications doesn't resolve the issue, consider performing a clean boot of your system. This process allows you to start Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, which can help determine if background software is causing the cursor to disappear.
Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box . Type msconfig and press Enter. Use the Tab key to navigate in the System Configuration window . Move to the Services tab , press Alt + H to hide all Microsoft services, then press Tab to select the Disable all button . Press Enter.
Switch to the Startup tab and use the Tab key again to open Task Manager, where you can disable startup items. After making these changes, press Alt + A to apply the settings and restart your computer.
Hardware acceleration, or graphics acceleration, is a feature that allows Chrome to offload certain tasks to the GPU, which can improve performance and image quality. However, it can sometimes cause conflicts that cause your cursor to disappear. Disabling hardware acceleration can help resolve these conflicts.
To turn off hardware acceleration, open Chrome, type chrome://settings/ in the search bar, and press Enter .
In the Settings menu , press the Tab key repeatedly until the search bar at the top is highlighted. Type graphics acceleration to quickly find related settings. Use the Tab key again to navigate to the Use graphics acceleration when available option . This option will be highlighted if graphics acceleration is currently enabled. Press the Spacebar to disable the setting.
After disabling graphics acceleration, you'll need to restart Chrome for the changes to take effect. Disable this setting by using the Tab key to navigate to the Relaunch button , then press Enter to restart the browser.
If all else fails, resetting Windows may be your best option to fix your disappearing mouse cursor. This will reinstall Windows and may help clear up any software conflicts or corrupted files that are causing your cursor to disappear.
To reset Windows without using a mouse, start by pressing the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type reset this PC and press Enter , which will take you to Recovery settings. Use the Tab key to navigate through the options until you highlight Get started under Reset this PC , then press Enter .
You'll be given two options: Keep my files and Remove everything . The Keep my files option will keep your personal files during the process. The Remove everything option is more radical, deleting all of your personal files, settings, and apps, providing a completely fresh start. Use the arrow keys to select the option you want and press Enter .
Follow the on-screen instructions to perform the reset. This will take some time, during which your computer will restart several times. Make sure your device is plugged into a power source to avoid interruptions.
To prevent the disappearing mouse problem from recurring, make sure your system is up to date, regularly check for software conflicts, and properly maintain your hardware.
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The mouse pointer has disappeared from your Windows device and you're wondering: How do I get the mouse pointer back? Or, the mouse pointer always decides to disappear when you type.
Windows File Explorer does the job, but only just. No quick previews, clunky cloud access, and tedious batch operations make day-to-day file management more difficult than it needs to be.
Windows 10 support is coming to an end, and if your computer can't run Windows 11, it's headed for the scrap yard. But there's a clever tool that can get Windows 11 running on your old computer, thanks to a simple hack.
Game Mode, Windows 10/11's performance booster, can do more than just squeeze a few extra frames per second out of your favorite FPS.
When you first bought your computer, it booted up in seconds and ran like a dream. But things have changed over time.
This document is about deleting .tmp files, not how to clear your internet history or browser cache.
There are many ways to take screenshots on Windows computers, you can take them using keyboard shortcuts or using third-party software.
Installing a VPN will help keep your Windows 11 computer more secure.
Windows offers a number of useful accessibility options, ideal for customizing your PC's interface, improving comfort, and even operating things completely hands-free.
If Windows 11 taskbar Widgets are not working, unavailable, not opening, frozen, or malfunctioning and restarting Widgets doesn't help, then you can reset the widgets on your computer.
Using this tool, you can safely check suspicious files, install suspicious software, or browse dangerous websites without risking damage to your main computer.
You may wonder why Task Manager is disabled? But don't worry! The following article will guide you through the best solutions to fix Task Manager when it is not working.
Microsoft introduces redesigned Advanced Settings page in Windows 11, adding system customization for developers and users with new features
Docker makes it easy to build, run, and manage containers. However, you may encounter an Invalid Reference Format error when running or building an image.
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