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

by Milan Stanojevic

Deputy Editor

April 16, 2019

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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.

First of all, if you have an external mouse connected through Bluetooth /wireless or in a wired manner, please 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.

Many abnormal movements can be caused by hardware issues and can be fixed easily.

Then check that the connection between your mouse and the system is stable and it’s not interfered by external factors.

If possible, connect your device to another system to see if the behaviour 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.

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

We’ve written extensively about mouse issues before. Bookmark this page in case you need it later.

How to fix an erratic mouse on Windows 10

1. Clean Boot to fix erratic mouse issue
2. Use System settings to turn Mouse Acceleration on and off
3. Check Mouse Properties
4. Check your cursor speed
5. 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:

1. Go to the search box
2. Type msconfig
3. Select System Configuration
4. Find Services tab
5. Select Hide all Microsoft services box
6. Click Disable all
7. Go to Startup tab
8. Click Open Task Manager
9. Close Task manager then click Ok
10. 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.

Windows won’t boot? Solve this issue easily with our comprehensive guide!

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

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

1. Right click Start
2. Select Control Panel
3. Go to Hardware and Sound
4. Select Mouse
5. Choose Pointer Options tab
6. Uncheck Enhance pointer precision box to turn off Mouse Acceleration
7. Click Apply then click Ok

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

Solution 3: Check Mouse Properties

Follow these steps to do this:

1. Right click Start
2. Select Control Panel
3. Go to Hardware and Sound
4. Select Mouse
5. Select Click to change Touchpad settings
6. Click Sensitivity
7. Check the Turn On box next to Touch Guard
8. Move the white circle under Touch Guard to your extreme right (towards the + sign)
9. Click Save and close touchpad utility
10. Click Ok

Solution 4: Check your cursor speed

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

1. Right click Start
2. Select Control Panel
3. Go to Hardware and Sound
4. Select Mouse
5. Choose Pointer Options tab
6. Use the slider scale to choose the pointer speed suitable for you
7. 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:

1. Right click Start
2. Select Device Manager
3. Locate Mice and other pointing devices
4. Collapse the list and choose your touchpad
5. Right click on the touchpad you’re using (or mouse)
6. 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 actualise.

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.

The safest solution is to get a new mouse. Choose a USB-C wireless mouse from our list!

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

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness