That Weirdly Bright In-Game Cursor After a Windows Update? Here’s How to Fix It.

So, What's Actually Causing This? The Usual Suspects

• Windows Updates Being… Windows Updates: This is probably the biggest reason you're here. A recent Windows update, especially feature updates like the Windows 11 23H2 or even smaller cumulative updates like KB5050094, can mess with how your system renders things, including the cursor. It seems like sometimes these updates don't play nice with existing drivers or system settings, leading to visual glitches.
• Graphics Card Driver Conflicts: This is a HUGE one. Your graphics card driver (whether you're Team NVIDIA or Team AMD) is what tells your computer how to display everything, including your cursor. Sometimes, a new Windows update can create a conflict with your current graphics driver. The driver might have been working perfectly before, but now it's struggling to communicate properly with the updated operating system. I've seen reports of this happening with both NVIDIA & AMD cards, so no one's really safe.
• Corrupted System Files: It's also possible that during the update process, some of your system files got corrupted. It happens. This can cause all sorts of weird issues, & a wonky cursor is definitely one of them.
• Outdated or Incompatible Monitor Drivers: This is a sneaky one that a lot of people don't think about. Your monitor has its own drivers, & if they're old or not fully compatible with the latest version of Windows, it can lead to display problems. I saw one user who fixed their issue just by uninstalling their monitor driver & letting Windows install a generic one.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Cursor Back to Normal

The Quick & Easy Fixes (You've Gotta Try These First)

1. The Classic Reboot: I know, I know, it's the oldest trick in the book. But seriously, just restarting your computer can solve a surprising number of problems. It clears out temporary files & can reset any minor glitches that might have popped up during the update.
2. Turn Your Monitor Off & On: This sounds almost too simple to work, but I've seen multiple people say this fixed their bright cursor issue. There's no real technical explanation for why this works, but hey, if it works, it works. Just turn your monitor off for a few seconds & then turn it back on.
3. Restart Your Graphics Driver: There’s a cool little keyboard shortcut you can use to restart your graphics driver without rebooting your whole system: Windows Key + Ctrl + Shift + B. Your screen will go black for a second, you might hear a beep, & then everything will come back on. This can be a super quick way to fix any minor driver-related glitches.

Diving into Windows Settings

1. Check Your Mouse Pointer Scheme: Windows lets you customize your cursor, & sometimes an update can switch you to a different "scheme" or mess with your current one.
   • Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
   • Click on Additional mouse settings. This will open up the old-school Mouse Properties window.
   • Go to the Pointers tab.
   • Under Scheme, try selecting a different one from the dropdown menu, like "(None)" or "Windows Default (system scheme)". Click Apply, then switch back to your preferred scheme & click Apply again. This can sometimes force it to reset.
2. Disable Pointer Trails & Other Enhancements: These features are designed to make your cursor more visible, but they can sometimes cause issues, especially in games.
   • In that same Mouse Properties window, go to the Pointer Options tab.
   • Make sure the box for "Display pointer trails" is unchecked. While you're there, you can also try unchecking "Enhance pointer precision". Some people find this helps with gaming in general.
3. Adjust Your Display Scaling: Sometimes, Windows gets the scaling wrong, which can lead to some weird visual artifacts.
   • Go to Settings > System > Display.
   • Under Scale & layout, look for the Scale setting. It should be set to the "Recommended" percentage (usually 100% or 125%). If it's on something else, try changing it back to the recommended setting.

Let's Talk About Graphics Drivers

1. Clean Install Your Graphics Drivers: Simply installing the new drivers over the old ones doesn't always work. A "clean install" is the way to go. This means completely removing all traces of your old drivers before installing the new ones.
   • Download the latest drivers: Go to the NVIDIA or AMD website & download the latest drivers for your specific graphics card. Don't install them yet, just have the file ready.
   • Get Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU): This is a fantastic free tool that will completely wipe your old drivers. It's much more thorough than the standard uninstall process.
   • Boot into Safe Mode: To use DDU properly, you'll need to be in Safe Mode. You can do this by holding down the Shift key while you click Restart from the Start Menu. Then navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. When your computer reboots, press the corresponding key for Safe Mode.
   • Run DDU: Once you're in Safe Mode, run DDU & let it do its thing. It will completely remove your graphics drivers.
   • Reboot & Install: After DDU is finished, reboot your computer. Windows will likely load in a low-resolution mode. That's normal. Now, run the driver installer you downloaded earlier.
2. Roll Back to a Previous Driver Version: Sometimes, the latest driver is the problem. If the issue started right after you updated your drivers, you might want to roll back to a version that was working for you. You can find older drivers on the NVIDIA & AMD websites. Just use the same DDU process to do a clean install of the older driver.
3. Check for Hotfix Drivers: Occasionally, if a new driver is causing widespread issues, NVIDIA or AMD will release a "hotfix" driver to specifically address the problem. These aren't always widely advertised, so it's a good idea to check their support forums or do a quick search for "[your graphics card] hotfix driver".

System-Level Troubleshooting

1. Run SFC & DISM Scans: These are built-in Windows tools that can find & fix corrupted system files.
   • Open the Start Menu, type "cmd", right-click on Command Prompt, & select "Run as administrator".
   • Type
     1 sfc /scannow
     & press Enter. This will scan your system for any corrupted files & try to repair them.
   • Once that's done, type
     1 DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
     & press Enter. This is a more advanced scan that can fix issues that SFC might miss.
2. Uninstall the Latest Windows Update: If you're pretty sure the Windows update is the cause, you can uninstall it. This is a bit of a last resort, but it can be effective.
   • Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
   • Scroll down & click on "Uninstall updates".
   • Find the most recent update (it should be at the top of the list) & click "Uninstall".
   • Keep in mind that Windows will probably try to reinstall the update later, so you might need to pause updates for a while.
3. Check & Reinstall Your Monitor Drivers: As I mentioned earlier, this can be a sneaky cause.
   • Go to the Device Manager.
   • Expand the "Monitors" section.
   • Right-click on your monitor & select "Uninstall device".
   • Reboot your computer. Windows should automatically reinstall a generic driver for your monitor, which might be all you need.

Game-Specific Fixes

• Check In-Game Settings: Look for any settings related to the cursor, UI scaling, or display mode (fullscreen, windowed, borderless). Try toggling these settings to see if it makes a difference.
• Disable Overlays: Overlays from programs like Discord, Steam, or the Xbox Game Bar can sometimes interfere with how games render. Try disabling them one by one to see if that helps.

A Quick Word for Businesses

Wrapping It Up