Although there are several Windows 10 devices that are touchscreen-based, the mouse still remains to be an important part of usage for many users especially the ones who do some hardcore work on their Windows 10 computers or laptops. If you’re one of the users who often edit images or videos either for fun or work, using Touch is difficult as it’s a bit hard to drag on the screen so nothing really beats the mouse. However, as awesome as the mouse is, there are times when you encounter issues while using it. One of these issues is when your mouse pointer lags or freezes so in this post, you can try out a few tips that can help you resolve the issue.
Option 1 – Clean both the mouse and the mousepad
It might sound silly but it is a fact that either the mouse or the mouse pad themselves is the problem. Even though mouse balls are long gone, the laser lights that replaced them are not immune to some dirt which is why you need to clean the bottom of the mouse and then clean the mouse pad afterward.
Option 2 – Try changing the USB port
This is another basic thing you can do to resolve the problem since there are instances when USB ports where either your mouse is connected have gone rogue so you need to try switching to a different port and then see if the problem’s fixed or not.
Option 3 – Switch back to the default settings of the mouse
Switching your mouse back to its default setting is always a good idea since you are dealing with a pointer issue. To go back to the default settings of the mouse, here’s what you have to do:
- Click on Mouse and Touchpad.
- Next, click on Additional Mouse Settings located in the right pane.
- After that, click on the “Use Default” option under the Pointer tab.
- Then click on Apply and OK to save the changes made.
Option 4 – Try disabling Smooth Scrolling
You have to slow down both the horizontal and the vertical scrolling of the mouse in the settings which are called “Smooth scrolling”. This will help if you think that the websites you are visiting scroll up and down way too fast.
Option 5 – Try to update or rollback mouse drivers
If the first few options didn’t work for you, then it’s time to either update or roll back the mouse drivers. It is most likely that after you updated your Windows computer that your driver also needs a refresh. On the other hand, if you have just updated the mouse driver then you need to roll back the driver. Whichever applies to you, refer to the steps below.
The problem may be caused by a corrupted or outdated driver. So you have to update or reinstall the mouse driver. How? Follow these steps:
- Open the Devices Manager from the Win X Menu.
- Then locate the Mouse and other pointing devices and right-click on the mouse driver to open the Properties.
- After that, switch to the Driver tab and click on the Uninstall Device button.
- Follow the screen option to completely uninstall it.
- Finally, disconnect the mouse and plug it back in to reinstall the mouse driver.
Note: You can install a dedicated driver on your computer in case you have it or you could also look for it directly from the website of the manufacturer.
Option 6 – Try to check if your laptop is turning off the mouse
In case you don’t know, the power management can turn off the devices that are not in use to save battery power if you use a laptop. And this can also happen on USB-based devices like the mouse. Thus, you need to verify if your laptop is turning off the mouse.
- Go to Device Manager > Universal serial bus controllers > USB Root Hub > Power Management.
- After opening Power Management, uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option.
- If you have lots of USB Root hubs, you can try changing each one of them and see if it works or not.
Option 7 – Try updating the Graphics Drivers
- Tap the Win + R keys to launch Run.
- Type in devmgmt.msc into the box and tap Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
- After that, a list of device drivers will be displayed. If you see a red or yellow sign that shows up against the driver, right-click on the driver’s name and select “Update Driver Software” or “Uninstall”. And if you find any “Unknown device”, you need to update it as well.
- Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and then follow the instructions to complete the process.
- Restart your PC.
Note: You also have the option to go directly to the website of your graphics card manufacturer and check if there’s a new update – if there is, download it.
Option 8 – Try setting the No Delay option for Touchpad
If you are using a laptop that’s touchscreen-based, you can try setting the delay to zero in the settings. To do so, simply go to Settings > Devices > Mouse and Touchpad. From there, you can set the delay before clicks to “No Delay”.
Fear not because we had this issue and tried several things in order to overcome the problem and after some time here is a list of what can you do if you are facing this exact issue. The list is written from most simple solutions to more complex ones and it is advisable to follow it as presented. That being said, let's dive into solving the problem.
