Fix: Erratic / not smooth mouse movements in Windows 10
- The erratic movements of the mouse pointer can be produced by many issues, including hardware, drivers, third-party software, or corrupted programs.
- The most common scenarios include cursor freezing or disappearing or simply a mouse movement that is not smooth.
- Start by checking the mouse properties and make sure you tweak them to perfection.
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 slow or no cursor movement, and overall not smooth mouse movement.
This article describes how to deal with an erratic mouse or erratic cursor movements associated with your mouse.
The erratic movements of the mouse pointer can be hardware-related or caused by an issue with your drivers, third-party software, or corrupted programs.
While there is no doubt that a glitching mouse can seriously impact productivity and cause a lot of frustration to any user, gamers tend to suffer most from mouse stuttering.
How do you get smooth mouse movement in games?
Mouse movement that is not smooth in games can mean more than a simple delay, it can cost you the victory. Unfortunately, even gaming-dedicated peripherals such as Razer mice can face issues like stuttering, jiggering, or latency issues.
In fact, when a gaming mouse is not smooth it’s usually because it struggles to run the game. FPS games in particular tend to strain CPU and GPU levels to the max. Thus, COD (Modern Warfare) aficionados are frequently affected by mouse lags.
Minecraft, Splitgate, League of Legends, Warzone, and Fortnite are quick to join the battle against not smooth mouse movements.
Should I enable mouse smoothing? As you will see in our solutions below, activating the Enhance pointer precision option can actually worsen the erratic mouse behavior because it affects your accuracy when taking a shot.
Instead, you can go for a mouse with higher DPI and/or high FPS if you prefer a smoother feel.
Finally, wireless mice not working are more common, but you can also struggle with mouse movements that are not smooth when using a wired one.
If you have an external mouse connected through Bluetooth /wireless or in a wired manner, check the batteries and make sure that the integrity of the device is ok, the cable is not torn and the USB connection is functioning properly.
Also, check if the connection between your mouse and the system is stable and it’s not interfered with by external factors. If possible, connect your device to another system to see if the behavior repeats itself.
Finally, if your mouse still doesn’t work or it’s an integrated one (touchpad), follow the guide below to find the solution to your problem.
How can I fix an erratic mouse on Windows 10?
- Update your drivers
- Perform a clean boot
- Use System settings to turn Mouse Acceleration on and off
- Check the mouse properties
- Check your cursor speed
1. Update your drivers
- Right-click the Start button and 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 on Update Driver Software
- If there are any updates, the system will install the driver automatically
We also strongly recommend a dedicated tool to automatically download all the outdated drivers on your PC you need to actualize.
⇒ Get Driverfix
2. Perform a clean boot
- Go to the search box
- Type msconfig
- Select System Configuration
- Find Services tab
- Select Hide all Microsoft services box
- Click Disable all
- Click the Startup tab
- Click on Open Task Manager
- Close Task Manager, then click OK
- Reboot your computer
Note: If the problem persists, contact Microsoft support with your specific issue.
3. Use System settings to turn Mouse Acceleration on and off
- 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
4. Check the mouse properties
- Right-click the Start button and select Control Panel
- Go to Hardware and Sound and select Mouse
- Select Click to change Touchpad settings
- Click on 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 the touchpad utility
- Click OK
5. Check your cursor speed
- Open Control Panel and select Mouse
- Choose the 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
We hope these solutions worked for you. If not, you probably have a hardware problem with your device and you will need a new mouse.
Luckily, we also have a list of the best mice for Windows 10 PCs for you to choose from.
If you have other suggestions, kindly share more information in the Comments section below.
