You mouse is moving erratically? Here are 5 solutions to fix it

By: Elsie Otachi

▪ October 7, 2017 ▪

3 minute read

Home » Windows » You mouse is moving erratically? Here are 5 solutions to fix it

One of the most annoying experiences computer users complain about has to do with an erratic mouse.

Some of the four common issues that almost always come up include mouse or touchpad freezing, mouse cursor disappearing or lack of cursor movement, and/or slow cursor movement. Speaking of which, if your mouse randomly disappears, this troubleshooting guide will help you to get it back on track.

This article, however, describes how to deal with an erratic mouse, or erratic cursor movements associated with your mouse.

Before we get to the solutions, it is important to note that erratic movements brought about by the mouse device, which is manifested by erratic cursor movements on your computer’s screen, can be hardware related, or an issue with your drivers, third party software, or corrupted programs.

If you’re tired of an erratic mouse, here are 5 quick ways to fix it.

How to fix an erratic mouse on Windows 10

Clean Boot to fix erratic mouse issue
Use System settings to turn Mouse Acceleration on and off
Check Mouse Properties
Check your cursor speed
Update your drivers

Solution 1: Clean Boot to fix erratic mouse issue

Performing a clean boot for your computer reduces conflicts related to software that can bring up the root causes of the erratic mouse issue. These conflicts can be caused by applications and services that start up and run in the background whenever you start Windows normally.

In order to successfully perform a clean boot on Windows 10, you have to be logged on as the administrator, then follow these steps:

Go to the search box
Type msconfig
Select System Configuration
Find Services tab
Select Hide all Microsoft services box
Click Disable all
Go to Startup tab
Click Open Task Manager
Close Task manager then click Ok
Reboot your computer

You will have a clean boot environment after all these steps are carefully followed, after which you can try running your mouse again. If the problem persists, contact Microsoft support with your specific issue.

Solution 2: Use System settings to turn Mouse Acceleration on and off

Follow these steps to fix the erratic mouse issue using Mouse Acceleration:

Right click Start
Select Control Panel
Go to Hardware and Sound
Select Mouse
Choose Pointer Options tab
Uncheck Enhance pointer precision box to turn off Mouse Acceleration
Click Apply then click Ok

Check whether your mouse movement is better now. If not, try solution 3.

READ ALSO: Best Windows 10 PC mice to own today

Solution 3: Check Mouse Properties

Follow these steps to do this:

Right click Start
Select Control Panel
Go to Hardware and Sound
Select Mouse
Select Click to change Touchpad settings
Click Sensitivity
Check the Turn On box next to Touch Guard
Move the white circle under Touch Guard to your extreme right (towards the + sign)
Click Save and close touchpad utility
Click Ok

Solution 4: Check your cursor speed

Do the following to change the cursor speed and resolve the erratic mouse issue:

Right click Start
Select Control Panel
Go to Hardware and Sound
Select Mouse
Choose Pointer Options tab
Use the slider scale to choose the pointer speed suitable for you
You can also change speed for double-click by using the Buttons tab and adjust using the slider scale

Solution 5: Update your drivers to fix erratic mouse issue

Follow these steps to do this:

Right click Start
Select Device Manager
Locate Mice and other pointing devices
Collapse the list and choose your touchpad
Right click on the touchpad you’re using (or mouse)
Click Update Driver Software (you can search automatically or locate and install manually)

We also strongly recommend TweakBit’s Driver Updater (approved by Microsoft and Norton) to automatically download all the outdated drivers on your PC you need to actualize. This tool will keep your system safe as you can manually download and install the wrong driver version.

Disclaimer: some features of this tool are not free.

We hope these solutions worked for you. If not, kindly share more in the comments.

RELATED STORIES TO CHECK OUT: