How to Stop Pointer from Blinking Windows 10?
How to Stop Pointer from Blinking Windows 10?
3 Answers

If you’re dealing with a blinking pointer on Windows 10 and it’s driving you nuts, don’t worry—there are ways to calm that shaky cursor down! Here’s how you can get it to chill out.
Tweaking the Cursor Blink Rate
-
Get into Settings:
- Hit the Start Menu and click on Settings—it’s the little gear icon with all the answers.
-
Go to Ease of Access:
- Once in Settings, look for Ease of Access. It’s like the relaxation zone for tech stuff.
-
Check Out Keyboard Settings:
- On the left, click Keyboard.
- Find Cursor blink rate. You can use this option to set how fast or slow your cursor blinks—it’s like giving it a personality tweak.
- Adjust the Blink Rate:
- Slide that thing all the way to the left, and presto! No more blinking.
Turning Off Caret Browsing
Now, if caret browsing is sneaking in and messing with your vibe, you’ll want to nip it in the bud:
- Use a Keyboard Shortcut:
- Just smack
F7
while browsing like a champ. Turn off caret browsing when it asks you—bye-bye blinking!
- Just smack
- Change Settings in Firefox:
- Type
about:config
in that Firefox address bar and hit Enter. - Look up
accessibility.browsewithcaret
and flip it tofalse
. Simple as that!
- Type
Fiddling with Touch Input Settings
If you’re on a touchscreen device and anything feels off, it might be competing with your mouse. Here’s the fix:
- Fire Up Device Manager:
- Right-click the Start button, snag Device Manager, and you’re in.
- Disable the Touchscreen:
- Expand Human Interface Devices, find HID-compliant touchscreen entries, right-click, and hit Disable device. Magic!
Restarting Windows Explorer
Every now and then, a quick reset does wonders. Try restarting Windows Explorer:
- Open Task Manager:
- Slam
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
to get to Task Manager.
- Slam
- Give Explorer a Fresh Start:
- Scroll until you find “Windows Explorer.” Right-click it and choose Restart. Bam, done!
Updating Mouse Drivers
If your mouse driver is old as the hills, a little update might do the trick:
- Visit Device Manager Again:
- Right-click the Start and select Device Manager once more.
- Update Your Mouse Driver:
- Find “Mice and other pointing devices,” right-click your mouse device, then hit Update driver and select “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
Running Troubleshooters
Don’t forget—Windows usually has a trick or two up its sleeve:
- Press
Win + R
, typemsdt.exe /id DeviceDiagnostic
, and smash Enter. - Follow the steps to run diagnostics on those hardware devices, including your mouse.
Piece by piece, with these steps you’ll have your pointer behaving like a pro in Windows 10 in no time.

How to Stop the Mouse Pointer/Cursor from Blinking in Windows 10
Ugh! That blinking mouse pointer on Windows 10 is the worst, right? It can really mess with your workflow or just straight-up annoy you. But don’t sweat it—we’ve got a bunch of fixes to help you calm down that jittery cursor.
What’s Causing the Flicker?
- Power Management Settings: USB power-saving features might be fighting with your keyboard and mouse.
- Graphics Driver Woes: Outdated or bad drivers can freak out your display.
- Cursor Customization Drama: Funky third-party themes might be over-the-top for Windows.
- Third-Party Software Chaos: Stuff like remote desktop apps or gaming utilities may interfere.
- Hardware Hiccups: We’re talking bad USB ports, wireless dongles, or mouse hiccups.
- Display Refresh Rates Not Jiving: Mismatched rates can make your screen look buggy.
Getting Rid of the Flicker: Step-by-Step
1. Tweak Your Power Settings
Why this helps: Your PC’s energy-saving tricks might be messing with your USBs.
- Here’s how:
- Open the menu with Windows + X and choose Power Options.
- Hit up Additional power settings > Change plan settings (your active one).
- Jump to Change advanced power settings.
- Find USB settings > USB selective suspend setting and set to Disabled.
- Apply and restart your computer.
2. Update or Roll Back Display/Graphics Drivers
Why this helps: Old drivers can bungle your cursor’s look.
- The steps:
- To Update:
- Access Device Manager through Windows + X.
- Bump open Display adapters and right-click your GPU to choose Update driver.
- Opt for Search automatically for drivers and follow along.
- If It Hasn’t Helped: Roll Back Drivers.
- Back in Device Manager, right-click the GPU and select Properties.
- In the Driver tab, press Roll Back Driver if it’s possible.
- To Update:
3. Reset Cursor Customization
Why this helps: Those flashy cursor schemes might be the culprit.
- Here’s what to do:
- Open Settings with Windows + I.
- Head to Devices > Mouse > Additional mouse options.
- Choose the Pointers tab and select (None) or Windows Default scheme.
- Hit Apply to see if the blink went bye-bye.
4. Turn Off Third-Party Trouble Makers
Why this helps: Some software might be muddying the waters.
- How to fix this:
- Bring up Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- In the Startup section, banish sketchy apps (remote desktop tools, etc.).
- Restart and scope out your cursor.
- For a deeper dive:
- Type
msconfig
in Windows + R dialog. - Hide Microsoft services, then take out any others under the Services tab.
- Type
5. Check Your Hardware Connections
Why this helps: Could be something simple like a loose wire or faulty gadget.
- The remedy:
- For wired mice, try a different USB port or a new cable.
- For wireless mice, swap the batteries, redo the pairing, or test with a wired one.
- Tighten or check your monitor connections (HDMI, DisplayPort).
6. Adjust Your Monitor’s Refresh Rate
Why this helps: Syncing the refresh rate might be just what the doctor ordered.
- Steps:
- Right-click your desktop and choose Display settings.
- Scroll and click Advanced display settings.
- Go to Display adapter properties > Monitor tab.
- Select the highest refresh rate available (e.g., 144Hz, 60Hz).
- Hit Apply.
7. Run the System File Checker (SFC)
Why it helps: Fix up those corrupted files that might be messing with your cursor.
- Here’s how:
- Choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) from Windows + X.
- Enter
sfc /scannow
and let it do its thing. - Errors appearing? Give your PC a reboot and scan again.
Extra Tips to Give Your Cursor Peace
- Dump Pointer Trails: In Settings > Devices > Mouse > Additional mouse options, uncheck Display pointer trails.
- Try Safe Mode: Boot it up and see if the hiccup sticks (it’s a software thing then).
If none of this helps, maybe roll back the clock with a system restore or hit up Microsoft Support for hardcore troubleshooting.

Got a blinking pointer in Windows 10 driving you nuts? You’re in luck—I’ve rounded up a handful of fixes that should get your cursor behaving again.
Update Mouse Drivers:
- Hit
Windows + X
and wander over to Device Manager. - Take a peek at the Mice and other pointing devices section.
- Give your mouse device a right-click and opt for Update driver.
- Pick Search automatically for updated driver software and roll with the instructions.
- If no dice, try right-clicking again and choose Uninstall device. Get a restart going; Windows will do the heavy lifting with driver reinstallation.
Disable Pointer Trails:
- Here’s a neat trick that might help.
- Crack open Settings with
Windows + I
. - Go to Devices and showcase Mouse.
- Hit up Additional mouse options.
- Jump to the Pointer Options tab.
- Uncheck Display pointer trails, click Apply, then OK. Easy as pie!
Adjust Visual Effects Settings:
- Visual effects can sometimes throw a wrench in the works.
- Run a
Windows + R
, typesysdm.cpl
, and get in there with Enter. - Scoot over to the Advanced tab and give Settings a click under Performance.
- Opt for Adjust for best performance, or untick Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing. Don’t forget to click Apply and then OK.
Check for Hardware Issues:
- Don’t forget to consider hardware hiccups.
- Plug your mouse into a different USB port or go wild with another mouse.
- See if the glitch sticks around. A working new mouse might signal your old one’s on the fritz.
Perform a Clean Boot:
- When all else fails, try smoothing things out with a clean boot.
- Fire up
Windows + R
, typemsconfig
, and hit Enter. - Click on Selective startup under the General tab, and uncheck Load startup items.
- Hang out in the Services tab, bury all Microsoft services, and hit Disable all.
- Over on the Startup tab, click Open Task Manager and disable all the startup riff-raff.
- Close Task Manager, click OK, and reboot your PC.
Try these fixes out and see which does the trick for your quirky cursor. No sweat!