How To Fix Cursor Moving On Its Own In Windows 11

The cursor moving on its own in Windows 11 is an abnormal mouse or touchpad behavior. The issue is concerning to many users. However, they should know that it isn’t a major problem, and many fixes can be tried to eliminate it.

Key Takeaways

• The cursor In Windows 11 moves on its own on the screen despite zero mouse or touchpad movement.
• The reason behind the issue is that the mouse may be damaged, there might be hidden malware, the PC might have bugs, the drivers may have compatibility issues, and so on.
• To fix the issue, users can clean their mouse, update their drivers, uninstall the last Windows update, turn off mouse acceleration, and so on.

Why Is My Cursor Moving On Its Own On Windows 11?

This is an issue some users might face while using their PC. The issue may be linked to different root causes. I have dug deep into the matter and figured out the causes behind this issue. 

• The mouse of the PC or the Laptop’s touchpad might have some physical damage; such hardware damage can lead to unusual behavior like this.
• If the mouse is connected to the PC via Bluetooth, it may have obstructions, causing it to behave abnormally. 
• The Bluetooth mouse may have run low on batteries.
• There might be hidden malware or viruses on the PC.
• The currently installed mouse drivers on the PC may have compatibility issues with the mouse or the touchpad.
• The PC may have bugs that might have come along with the last update.
• The user may have made incorrect changes to the mouse settings.
• The user may have changed the touchpad’s gestures in the settings.
• There might be other peripherals connected to the same PC. Their interference can also cause the mouse or touchpad to behave abnormally.
• In the case of a laptop, the connection to an external mouse might be causing the touchpad to behave this way.

How To Fix Cursor Moving On Its Own?

The cursor moving issue is no biggie. You don’t have to worry much about this issue. You can opt for multiple fixes to fix this issue on your Windows 11. Moreover, for your ease, I’ll first provide you with some quick and easy fixes that you can try. There are chances that your issue will most likely be fixed by the following.

• Firstly, restart your PC and your mouse.
• If the mouse is connected to your PC via Bluetooth, repair it.
• Ensure the desk surface you keep your mouse on is free of dust and debris.
• Ensure your mouse/touchpad hasn’t got any dust and debris stuck in itself. Clean it using a compressed air can and microfiber cloth.
• Inspect your mouse or touchpad, and look for any hardware issues. 
• Remove/disconnect alternate peripherals connected to your PC, such as controllers.
• Update your mouse drivers.
• Update Windows 11.
• Wipe out any malware or viruses.
• Get a new mouse.

Moving on, you might need detailed fixes if the quick and easy fixes don’t work for you. Here’s the list of detailed fixes that you can try.

• Turn off mouse acceleration.
• Turn off inactive scrolling.
• Turn off the touchpad if using an external mouse.
• Uninstall the last Windows Update.
• Reset your PC.

Turn Off Mouse Acceleration

Mouse acceleration is when your cursor movement depends on the speed of your mouse’s movement. Unfortunately, if this feature is enabled, it can change how your mouse normally works. Therefore, this might cause you sometimes to witness the cursor moving on its own in Windows 11.

Here’s how you can turn off mouse acceleration on Windows 11:

1. Firstly, head to the Windows 11 ‘Settings’ app.
2. Navigate to ‘Bluetooth & Devices’ on the left panel.
3. Click on the ‘Mouse’ tab.
4. Click on the ‘Additional Mouse Settings’ tab.

   

5. Click on ‘Pointer Options’ under the ‘Mouse Properties’ section.
6. Remove the tick from the ‘Enhanced Pointer Precision‘ box.

   

Turn Off Inactive Scrolling

The inactive scrolling option is of huge help when scrolling through multiple windows simultaneously. However, the option left enabled can cause the cursor to move independently even when unused.

Here’s how you can turn off inactive scrolling on Windows 11:

1. Firstly, head to the Windows 11 ‘Settings’ app.
2. Navigate to ‘Bluetooth & Devices’ on the left panel.
3. Click on the ‘Mouse’ tab.
4. Disable the option, ‘Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them.‘

   

Turn Off The Touchpad If Using An External Mouse

If you are witnessing the cursor moving on its own while connecting an external mouse on a laptop, it will be wise to turn off the touchpad.

Here’s how you can turn off touchpad if using an external mouse on Windows 11:

1. Firstly, head to the Windows 11 ‘Settings’ app.
2. Navigate to ‘Bluetooth & Devices’ on the left panel.
3. Click on the ‘Touchpad’ tab.

   

4. Disable the touchpad.

Uninstall The Last Windows Update

Uninstalling the latest Windows update can help you eliminate bugs if the option to update your PC is unavailable.

Here’s how you can uninstall the last Windows update:

1. Firstly, go to the Windows 11 Settings.
2. From there, find and click on ‘Windows Update.’
3. Access the ‘Update History’ tab.
4. Find and click the ‘Uninstall Update’ option.

   

5. Select ‘Uninstall‘ next to the most recent Windows 11 update.

Reset Your PC

The last option left for you is to reset your PC. This is to help eliminate any software issues that could not be eliminated using the given fixes. Resetting your PC will help clear any software issues that might be causing the cursor to interpret this abnormal behavior on-screen.