Computer Cursor Keeps Jumping Around – What To Do

Jamie Read more June 5, 2021

For computers, the keyboard and mouse combination is the perfect way to control it. Until we can control computers by pure thought anyway. For such a simple device, the mouse causes quite a few issues in Windows 10, way more than something so established really should. One common issue is when the computer cursor keeps jumping around. That’s what we’re going to tackle today.

Computer Cursor Keeps Jumping Around - What To Do

When we say jumping around, we mean when the cursor randomly appears in different areas of the screen without you moving it. The cursor could remain in place one minute and appear somewhere else entirely the next. It can also jump too far when you’re moving it, way above what speed you have it set to. Either way, the mouse is a precision device and it isn’t acting like it.

Stop the Cursor Jumping in Windows 10

There could be several reasons why your cursor is jumping around. It could be an issue with the mouse, with the mouse driver, with mouse settings or even malware. I’ll start with the most likely suspects and work through each of the more common causes here.

I’ll assume you have tried rebooting your computer and the symptoms keep reappearing. I’ll also assume you haven’t made any big changes to your computer that could be causing this to happen.

Mouse Issue

Your first point of call is to check the mouse. If the cursor is jumping around after working properly for ages, it could be a hardware error or mouse failure. Mice are cheap so buy or borrow another mouse, plug it into your computer, let Windows 10 detect the change and retest.

If the cursor stops jumping, the issue is with your mouse. If it still happens, it isn’t the mouse. You can either keep using your new mouse or replace it with your old one.

Update the Mouse Driver

Normal mice work perfectly well with the default Windows driver. Gaming mice with special features may require a specific driver to use those features. Either way, check the driver and roll it back or reinstall.

Right click the Start button and select Device Manager.
Now, under Mouse and other pointing devices, right-click your mouse and select Update driver.
Let Windows check for a new driver and install if it finds one.

Uninstall the Mouse

If there is no new driver, you can try uninstalling the device. Repeat steps 1 and 2 mentioned above, but select Uninstall device instead of Update driver.
Reboot your computer and let Windows discover the mouse again and reload the default drivers.

If you use a gaming mouse with specific software, uninstall the driver and that software. Retest the mouse with the default Windows drivers. If the cursor doesn’t jump, there could be a conflict with the driver. Check for updated drivers on the manufacturer’s website or troubleshoot separately.

Remove Extra Mice in Device Manager

If you have used your computer for a while and have added or removed hardware or software, you may find you have more than one mouse installed in Device Manager. This isn’t that unusual but can cause instabilities. If you saw more than one mouse in Mouse and other pointing devices, you should try removing them.

Identify the mouse you use and then right-click and select Disable device on the others that appear in your list.
Repeat until you only have your actual mouse left in Device Manager.

If you disable the wrong one, use Ctrl + cursor keys to select Device Manager and scroll through the settings to enable the mouse once more.

Change Your Mouse Settings

There is specific setting in the mouse configuration screen that is known to cause cursor jumping in some situations. That setting is pointer precision. It works perfectly well on some computers and can cause issues on others. Let’s see if it’s causing problems with yours.

Right-click the Start button and select Settings.
Now, select Devices and Mouse.
Next, select Additional Mouse Options from the center.
Then, select the Pointer Options tab and uncheck the box next to Enhance pointer precision.
Retest your mouse for a little while.

Usually, this setting dials in your mouse so it is much more exact when in use. Stopping this function will slightly alter how responsive your mouse is but you soon get used to it and adjust.

Scan for Malware

There are a few pieces of malware that cause the cursor to jump around as a side effect of their nefarious tasks. That’s easy to tackle with a full malware and antivirus scan. Once removed and your system rebooted, your mouse should work perfectly again. Perform regular scans and it should never happen.