Custom mouse cursor not displaying despite correct settings – Windows 11

Rinor 0 Reputation points
2026-08-30T12:59:35.46+00:00

Hello,

I'm experiencing an issue where my custom mouse cursor (a cross-shaped cursor, file: cross_r.cur) is not being displayed. Instead, the system always shows the default Windows arrow, even though all settings indicate the custom cursor should be active. This cursor worked fine for a long time and then randomly stopped displaying correctly.

Here is everything I have already tried, without success:

  1. Verified the cursor scheme in Mouse Properties > Pointers – "Normal Select" is correctly set to the cross cursor, and the preview box shows it correctly.
  2. Rebuilt the cursor scheme from scratch (Browse > selected the correct .cur file > saved as a new scheme).
  3. Clicked Apply and OK multiple times.
  4. Verified in the Registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Cursors) that "Arrow" correctly points to %SYSTEMROOT%\Cursors\cross_r.cur.
  5. Confirmed the cursor file itself is valid and undamaged (contains all standard resolutions from 32x32 to 128x128).
  6. Tried switching to a completely different built-in cursor scheme (e.g. "Windows Black") to test if any cursor change is visually applied at all – no visual change occurred with any scheme.
  7. Tried changing the pointer size via Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch to force a redraw – no effect.
  8. Restarted Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) via Task Manager.
  9. Performed a full restart (not just shutdown/fast startup, using Shift+Restart) – multiple times.
  10. Closed Logitech G HUB completely (I use a Logitech Superlight 2) to rule out mouse software interference – no change.
  11. Created a new local Windows user account and tested the same cursor there – same issue occurs, ruling out user profile corruption.
  12. Ran sfc /scannow – it found and repaired corrupted system files. Restarted – issue persisted.
  13. Ran DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth – completed successfully. Restarted – issue persisted.
  14. Toggled "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" off and on (I have an NVIDIA GPU), with a restart between each change – no change to the cursor display.
  15. Checked for MSI Afterburner / RivaTuner Statistics Server running in the background – confirmed neither was running at the time of testing.
  16. Updated my NVIDIA graphics driver to the latest version.

Despite all of the above, the cursor still displays as the default arrow instead of the configured custom cursor. This appears to be a system-wide rendering issue rather than a profile-, file-, or registry-level problem, since it persists across user accounts.

i tried AI and it didnt help
everything i did it still was the same standard cursor from windows so please help me.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. DaveM121 923.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-30T13:31:28.81+00:00

    The problems with the black wallpaper and custom cursors are widely reported as a bug in the optional preview update (KB5120998) released at the end of August.

    Check if you have that update installed and if so, uninstalling the update should fix the problems.

    Also, in the Windows updates section in the settings app, disable this setting to stop the optional preview update re-installing on your system - 'Get the latest updates as soon as they are released'.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-08-30T12:59:54.3+00:00

    This matches a currently reported Windows issue, not a cursor file, profile, or basic settings problem.

    Supported facts for this scenario:

    • Microsoft has received reports that mouse cursor personalization settings can be changed or reverted to standard settings after certain Windows updates.
    • The reported behavior includes high-DPI cursors being replaced with larger white cursors and custom cursor animations reverting to standard settings.
    • Attempts to restore previous cursor customization may be unsuccessful.
    • The issue is reported on Windows 11, version 24H2 and 25H2.

    Given the troubleshooting already completed, the most relevant next step is to report it through Feedback Hub using Windows key + F. Microsoft is investigating this issue.

    If the problem started after a recent Windows update, the context indicates this regression is associated with updates released August 27, 2026 (KB5120998) and later for the reported 24H2/25H2 issue.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.