Mouse lagging or pointer speed delay puts your Windows 10 out of place. Even with a superfast processor, a mouse lag in Windows 10 brings down its performance like a flat tire.
Mouse lagging, freezing or stuttering is a result of various factors. The slow response to pointer speed or glitchy cursor becomes a giant pain in the neck. For Windows 10, mouse lag commonly occurs due to an issue with system updates.
But, you are unable to fix mouse lagging in Windows 10 simply by uninstalling the update or removing newly-installed software.
A mouse lag in Windows 10 weighs down your pace while using the computer for common purposes. So, to fix this, you need to know exactly why your mouse is unable to work properly.
Why is Your Mouse Lagging in Windows 10?
Your mouse may lag while playing games, using a software suite, or even browsing through system files. Windows 10 users can face mouse freezing or mouse lagging on multiple occasions.
On the same lines, there are multiple reasons why your mouse is lagging in Windows 10.
-
System Lag
If your Windows 10 is running low on resources, you may find your mouse not moving from time to time. Low processing power and RAM can cause a sluggish cursor and delayed click-inputs.
-
Device Disconnection
Sometimes, your pointing device is unable to connect to your Windows 10. For laptop touchpads, the disconnection could be a result of some internal glitch. The wired or wireless mouse may lose the connection with your system due to additional connected devices, system driver issues, or other reasons.
-
Software Interference
Third-party programs can cause mouse stuttering in Windows 10. Some software can fiddle with your default system settings and stop your mouse from working as normal. Existing software and authentic Microsoft services can also cause mouse freezing in Windows 10.
-
Changes in System Settings
Connectivity issues such as wireless delay or unsuccessful detection of pointing devices occur when you mistakenly change some setting. You can roll back the changes to fix the mouse lag unless you want to make those modifications permanent.
In addition to these, there are also some secondary factors that cause mouse lag in Windows 10. Something wrong with the mouse, your USB port, system files, and device drivers, among others, can also lead to mouse lagging in Windows 10.
How to Fix Your Mouse Lagging/Freezing in Windows 10
To fix the mouse lagging, Windows 10 users can try out more than a dozen ways, each handling the issue differently.
Some fixes presented below can increase the pointer speed to fix the mouse lag. Others can unfreeze your mouse and also stop it from lagging ever again.
Here’s a look at all the quick fixes to mouse lagging in Windows 10.
1. Reconfigure your mouse frequency
In simple cases of mouse lagging, changing the device’s wireless frequency can fix the issue. You may be able to solve the problem by opening the configuration software of your mouse.
Then, you can adjust the frequency and set it in the range 500-250 Hz. It will make your mouse faster in Windows 10.
2. Adjust the palm check threshold
To speed up your mouse on Windows 10 laptops, you can tweak the touchpad settings and reset the palm check threshold.
- Go to the Start menu and open Settings (click on the gear icon )
- Click on the Devices section and go to Mouse & Touchpad
- In the Mouse & Touchpad settings window, click on Advanced Mouse Options
- Now, select the Touchpad tab and click on Settings
- Go to the Advanced tab in the settings window
- Look for Palm Check Threshold
- Move the threshold all the way to the left
- Refresh your PC
Your touchpad becomes more sensitive to your palm movements. It speeds up the pointer speed and overcomes any form of mouse lagging.
3. Switch to USB 2.0 or use a USB extender
You can make mouse faster in Windows 10 by switching to a wired mouse , instead of a wireless device. Get a wired mouse and plug it in a USB 2.0 port.
The USB 2.0 connectivity offers more stability and works well for external input devices such as keyboards and mouse. You can also use a USB extender to free up the built-in USB 2.0 ports on your PC.
With a USB extender, your built-in ports don’t get overused. As a result, you don’t face connectivity issues and the mouse lagging gets solved almost instantly.
See this guide if your computer doesn’t recognize the USB mouse.
How Do You Unfreeze a Mouse in Windows?
Now, there are a few ways to solve mouse freezing in Windows. Before trying them out, you should know that mouse lagging and mouse freezing are quite different.
In mouse lagging, your pointer speed is delayed, but the cursor still moves with your hand. When you face a mouse freeze, you won’t be able to manually move the mouse for at least a few seconds. Mouse freezing can abruptly bring your PC to a standstill.
Here are a few fixes to unfreeze mouse in Windows 10.
1. Set No Delay on Touchpad
Windows 10 laptops may face the mouse lagging due to Windows Update issues. Recent system updates have caused the touchpad on Windows 10 laptops to slow down.
To fix the touchpad lagging,
- Open the Start menu and go to Settings
- Go to Devices > Mouse & Touchpad
- Click on Mouse & Touchpad settings
- Under the Touchpad section, look for the No Delay field
- Click on it
- Refresh your PC
You can also reset this feature to see if your touchpad works normally under No Delay.
2. Turn on/off Scroll Inactive Windows
To unfreeze your mouse, you can try switching some settings on and off. It usually works when the mouse lagging occurs due to improper signaling.
For Windows 10, disabling and enabling the Scroll Inactive Windows option can do the job.
- Go to the Start menu and open Settings
- Click on Devices and open Mouse & Touchpad
- Now, look for – Scroll Inactive Windows
- Here, disable it if it’s enabled already and vice versa
- Try doing this a few more times
- Refresh your PC in between
It resets the automatic scroll of non-active windows on your PC and stops the mouse freezing while browsing through multiple windows.
3. Check LAN Settings
When a wireless mouse freezes, it is usually due to some interference from other connections such as your Local Area Network (LAN).
You can disable the LAN and use a wireless router/card to connect to the internet. Then, by turning off the Ethernet, your wireless mouse gains better connectivity.
- Open the Run dialog box (press Windows and R key)
- Type ‘ control ’
- Press the Enter key or click on OK
- In the Control Panel window, press Tab key and then the Enter key
- Now, click on the left arrow on the View by menu
- Select small icons and press Enter
- Press the Tab key , highlight the Network and Sharing Center and click on it
- Again, press the Tab key , highlight the Change Adapter Settings link and click on it
- Select the LAN card while pressing the Tab key
- Now, in the Ethernet Status window, click on Disable (under the Activity section in the General tab)
- Click on OK/Close to save changes
Restart your Windows 10 PC to put the changes into effect. When your mouse unfreezes, you can enable the connection again.
4. Disconnect other devices
If your mouse is freezing after connecting some other device to your PC, unplug the device. Printers, scanners, external HDDs and other devices can interfere with your mouse and freeze it.
Disconnecting the other devices is a good way to quickly fix the mouse lagging issue. You can manually unplug the devices and see if the mouse works properly or not. If this fixes the problem, then detect the connected device that’s causing the freezing and get it repaired.
5. Change Power Management on Windows
USB ports may take up more power to run a frozen mouse. You may need to change the Power Management settings on Windows to unfreeze the mouse.
Some users modified the power management settings on Windows 10 and effectively fixed the mouse lagging.
- Open the Run dialog box ( Windows + R )
- Type ‘ devmgmt. msc ’ and click on OK
- Expand the list of System Devices
- Under the Universal Serial Bus controllers list, click on USB Hub and open its Properties window
- Now, open the tab that says Power Management
- Under it, deselect the box for – Allow the PC to turn off this device to save power
- Click on OK and save the changes
Try using the mouse again, and you’ll notice how it doesn’t freeze this time.
Other Ways to Stop Mouse Lagging in Windows 10
In addition to the ways presented above, you can try some more fixes to stop your mouse from lagging on Windows 10.
1. Disable Fast Startup
Windows 10 comes with a distinct new feature called Fast Startup. It is a combination of hibernate and shutdown and is enabled by default in Windows 10.
When Fast Startup is enabled, you allow your PC to overlay the critical processes and save up resources. It reduces boot up time, but at the cost of skipping some processes
By disabling the Fast Startup , you can allow mouse drivers and other devices to load properly during the system boot up.
2. Reinstall Mouse Driver
You can reinstall your mouse driver to fix the issue.
- Press the Windows key and the X key
- In the menu, use the keys to select Device Manager and hit the Enter key
- Now, use the Tab key to expand the – Mice and other pointing devices – list
- Select the current mouse and right-click on it
- Click on Uninstall and follow the onscreen instructions
Restart your PC thereafter (or boot it in safe mode) and allow Windows 10 to reload the mouse driver. The driver gets reinstalled automatically, so don’t shut down during boot up. Connect the mouse to see it work normally.
You can also use free driver updater tools to update your mouse device driver on Windows 10.
Let us know how you fixed mouse lag on your Windows 10. Send in your comments and share with us more ways to fix mouse lagging in Windows 10.
See Also: