How to copy system cursors properly?

Question

How to copy system cursors properly?

d3x0r 0

I'm trying to Hide the mouse after a certain time from a console application. ShowCursor() does not work.

I find I can do SetSystemCursor with a blank cursor... but then when I restore the cursors they are not the same; especially if I use the cursor scaling option (HKEY_CURRENT_USER/control panel/cursors/CursorBaseSize), which if I use that to copy the cursor doubles the size of the cursor (approximately)

https://github.com/d3x0r/sack.vfs/blob/master/src/system_module.cc#L265-L333

is the fragment of code... it does a CopyCursor( LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_*)) and then sets the cursor to blank when it finds the cursor position hasn't moved; and restores the icons using SetSystemCursor( CopyCursor( hOldCursor[n]), oldCursors[n]) for all cursors.

I'm also using CopyImage instead of the default function #define CopyCursor(icon) (HCURSOR)CopyImage( icon,IMAGE_CURSOR,0, 0,0)

such that I am supposed to be able to copy animated cursors). Although, I find that if I search for that, that people have asked since 2000 how to use CopyImage to actually copy the cursor. If I use the default like above, then the cursor becomes highly pixelated.
If I use the basecursorsize from the registry in the size then it gets big and blurry.

#undef CopyCursor

#define CopyCursor(icon) (HCURSOR)CopyImage( icon,IMAGE_CURSOR,cursorSize, cursorSize,0)

Left is the original sharp cursor, the middle is copy with 0,0, the right is copy with cursor base size.
User's image

how do I use DrawImage to copy an animated cursor (I haven't yet looked at (Figured out a way to force in order to look at) the wait cursor which is animated, and maybe it IS... but I suspect it's not copying.
How do I copy the current cursor set in the correct size and sharpness to be able to restore?
Why is this so hard to just hide the cursor? Looks like mostly iff the cursor is moved anyway it gets restored by application default behaviors. (Others have complained that they can get ShowCursor(FALSE) to work, but then it automatically comes back).

Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-06-23T09:26:31.66+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

I used the code snippet you provided on win11, and the cursor was set to empty successfully, but the cursor is still displayed in the console window. Maybe I'm missing something.

Could you please provide a complete code sample that reproduces the problem, and what is your test environment?

If the resource contains multiple images, the function uses the size of the first image.

When using CopyImage, the cursor may have multiple resources( 3232, 6464, 128*128 like this), CopyImage copied the resources with low resolution. Since I haven't reproduced your behavior, this is just my guess, you can try to add parameters flags LR_COPYFROMRESOURCE | LR_DEFAULTSIZE |LR_DEFAULTCOLOR in CopyImage,

Thank you

Junjie
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-06-24T00:06:43.0333333+00:00

I created a gist https://gist.github.com/d3x0r/98b97a40511888ccfa0b0652dfa951a0

which has a test_wait.cc program which forces the wait cursor, and test_cursors.cc which waits for the mouse position to not change for 1 second (checking every 0.1 seconds). The program exits after 15 seconds, and restores what it thinks are the default cursors. But the wait cursor is lost.

I applied the suggested LR_COPYFROMRESOURCE | LR_DEFAULTSIZE |LR_DEFAULTCOLOR

LR_DEFAULTCOLOR is 0 so doesn't really do anything. LR_DEFAULTSIZE is the behavior when the size is set to 0,0 anyway, and COPYFROMRESOURCE doesn't appear to change the effect.

https://youtu.be/fDK21MAz1Yc Made a quick video to demonstrate..

The cursor in the console window is Fine; I want to hide the system cursor. (I would prefer to not have to modify system settings, but this seems to be the only route at this time).

I am setting up systems which run display boards, which are full screen webpages in Edge or Chrome, and I often don't even have a free monitor that I can move the cursor to so it's not seen. I need the cursor to be large, because it's difficult to see across a room on a TV which is quite a distance from the computer. I need to hide the cursor, because otherwise it ends up showing on the screen where I don't want it to. I tried to move the cursor the bottom (off the screen) but then it trigger the task bar (which I could move to another side) and all of these additional things complicate the setup of a system.
Castorix31 90,686 Reputation points

2023-06-24T13:00:46.0066667+00:00

I tried to move the cursor the bottom (off the screen) but then it trigger the task bar (which I could move to another side) and all of these additional things complicate the setup of a system.

If I set the cursor at a position off the screen where there is no hidden Taskbar (by checking ABM_GETTASKBARPOS for example), it seems to work for me

(tested with a LL Mouse hook)
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-06-25T08:36:06.36+00:00

Sometimes the systems are Windows 10, and there isn't a place where there isn't a taskbar. Even then, they are often configured as legacy systems that have a full taskbar. (And, although yes, it could be that the taskbar can be moved, but that proposal was rejected)
Castorix31 90,686 Reputation points

2023-06-25T09:31:17.5966667+00:00

there isn't a place where there isn't a taskbar.

I don't understand.

On my Windows 10 OS (22H2), the Taskbar is either left, top, right, bottom

If it is hidden, if on bottom, I set the cursor on right, if on right, I set the cursor on bottom, and then the cursor is hidden in both cases

(I don't move the Taskbar, I just check its position to move the cursor on the side where the Taskbar is not)
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-06-27T10:21:36.6933333+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

I checked the code you shared, followed your steps using cmake, running in VS.

But I didn't reproduce the same behavior, my cursor didn't change anything after hiding.

My Test environment:

Windows 11 Pro 22H2

OS build: 22621.1413

cmake version 3.27.0-rc3

Windows SDK Version: 10.0.22621.0

Platform Toolset: Visual Studio 2022 (v143)
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-07-02T01:05:25.7466667+00:00

Hiding the cursor off the right side (or bottom if the taskbar was on the right) works for me... though I still think it should work as advertized (as in, if you want to copy a animated cursor, use DrawImage() ).

I did recently get the update for Windows 11 (not pro) 22H2... but the behavior is still the same. Several things that make it more notable, adjust the cursor size to be fairly large (and maybe display scaling > 100%), if you have a small cursor, then it seems to work... but the associated 'test_wait_cursor' to show the wait cursor with an animated cursor still just cpies the first frame.

With a large cursor, the cursor still becomes highly pixelated. With the windows settings (settings->Bluetooth and devices->Mouse->Mouse Pointer, the top Pointer Style) or even using the slider to adjust the size makes the wait an un-animated hourglass.

(Hmm after the update, print-screen brings up a snipping tool that prevents me from doing a screenshot and grabbing the cursor)

But even that hourglass at size 2 (the above image) the top pixels become shifted and mangled... On the smallest settings, there is generally not a notable change, but the cursor that is up-down sizing arrow is slightly different (the points at the end aren't quite as long, and the ends of the top arrow are missing a couple pixels).

The behavior for me is still as shown in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDK21MAz1Yc (Hmm the right side was chopped so it doesn't show the slider for the mouse size ) for 'this setting'
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-07-06T07:54:18.0533333+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

Thanks for the details, I'll try to reproduce your problem. there may be some delay.
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-07-07T09:46:27.6166667+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

As this issue is complex, to resolve this issue as soon as possible, you can open an incident via 'Contact us' tab at link below:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/support/

Please choose the Technical Support - Coding/Debugging for Windows SDK for this issue. In page Create a new support request, Please choose Desktop app UI development and Windows management (User32) API and Windows messages. In-addition, if the support engineer determines that the issue is the result of a bug the service request will be a no-charge case and you won't be charged.

1 answer

Your answer

Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-06-23T09:26:31.66+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

I used the code snippet you provided on win11, and the cursor was set to empty successfully, but the cursor is still displayed in the console window. Maybe I'm missing something.

Could you please provide a complete code sample that reproduces the problem, and what is your test environment?

If the resource contains multiple images, the function uses the size of the first image.

When using CopyImage, the cursor may have multiple resources( 3232, 6464, 128*128 like this), CopyImage copied the resources with low resolution. Since I haven't reproduced your behavior, this is just my guess, you can try to add parameters flags LR_COPYFROMRESOURCE | LR_DEFAULTSIZE |LR_DEFAULTCOLOR in CopyImage,

Thank you

Junjie
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-06-24T00:06:43.0333333+00:00

I created a gist https://gist.github.com/d3x0r/98b97a40511888ccfa0b0652dfa951a0

which has a test_wait.cc program which forces the wait cursor, and test_cursors.cc which waits for the mouse position to not change for 1 second (checking every 0.1 seconds). The program exits after 15 seconds, and restores what it thinks are the default cursors. But the wait cursor is lost.

I applied the suggested LR_COPYFROMRESOURCE | LR_DEFAULTSIZE |LR_DEFAULTCOLOR

LR_DEFAULTCOLOR is 0 so doesn't really do anything. LR_DEFAULTSIZE is the behavior when the size is set to 0,0 anyway, and COPYFROMRESOURCE doesn't appear to change the effect.

https://youtu.be/fDK21MAz1Yc Made a quick video to demonstrate..

The cursor in the console window is Fine; I want to hide the system cursor. (I would prefer to not have to modify system settings, but this seems to be the only route at this time).

I am setting up systems which run display boards, which are full screen webpages in Edge or Chrome, and I often don't even have a free monitor that I can move the cursor to so it's not seen. I need the cursor to be large, because it's difficult to see across a room on a TV which is quite a distance from the computer. I need to hide the cursor, because otherwise it ends up showing on the screen where I don't want it to. I tried to move the cursor the bottom (off the screen) but then it trigger the task bar (which I could move to another side) and all of these additional things complicate the setup of a system.
Castorix31 90,686 Reputation points

2023-06-24T13:00:46.0066667+00:00

I tried to move the cursor the bottom (off the screen) but then it trigger the task bar (which I could move to another side) and all of these additional things complicate the setup of a system.

If I set the cursor at a position off the screen where there is no hidden Taskbar (by checking ABM_GETTASKBARPOS for example), it seems to work for me

(tested with a LL Mouse hook)
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-06-25T08:36:06.36+00:00

Sometimes the systems are Windows 10, and there isn't a place where there isn't a taskbar. Even then, they are often configured as legacy systems that have a full taskbar. (And, although yes, it could be that the taskbar can be moved, but that proposal was rejected)
Castorix31 90,686 Reputation points

2023-06-25T09:31:17.5966667+00:00

there isn't a place where there isn't a taskbar.

I don't understand.

On my Windows 10 OS (22H2), the Taskbar is either left, top, right, bottom

If it is hidden, if on bottom, I set the cursor on right, if on right, I set the cursor on bottom, and then the cursor is hidden in both cases

(I don't move the Taskbar, I just check its position to move the cursor on the side where the Taskbar is not)
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-06-27T10:21:36.6933333+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

I checked the code you shared, followed your steps using cmake, running in VS.

But I didn't reproduce the same behavior, my cursor didn't change anything after hiding.

My Test environment:

Windows 11 Pro 22H2

OS build: 22621.1413

cmake version 3.27.0-rc3

Windows SDK Version: 10.0.22621.0

Platform Toolset: Visual Studio 2022 (v143)
d3x0r 0 Reputation points

2023-07-02T01:05:25.7466667+00:00

Hiding the cursor off the right side (or bottom if the taskbar was on the right) works for me... though I still think it should work as advertized (as in, if you want to copy a animated cursor, use DrawImage() ).

I did recently get the update for Windows 11 (not pro) 22H2... but the behavior is still the same. Several things that make it more notable, adjust the cursor size to be fairly large (and maybe display scaling > 100%), if you have a small cursor, then it seems to work... but the associated 'test_wait_cursor' to show the wait cursor with an animated cursor still just cpies the first frame.

With a large cursor, the cursor still becomes highly pixelated. With the windows settings (settings->Bluetooth and devices->Mouse->Mouse Pointer, the top Pointer Style) or even using the slider to adjust the size makes the wait an un-animated hourglass.

(Hmm after the update, print-screen brings up a snipping tool that prevents me from doing a screenshot and grabbing the cursor)

But even that hourglass at size 2 (the above image) the top pixels become shifted and mangled... On the smallest settings, there is generally not a notable change, but the cursor that is up-down sizing arrow is slightly different (the points at the end aren't quite as long, and the ends of the top arrow are missing a couple pixels).

The behavior for me is still as shown in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDK21MAz1Yc (Hmm the right side was chopped so it doesn't show the slider for the mouse size ) for 'this setting'
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-07-06T07:54:18.0533333+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

Thanks for the details, I'll try to reproduce your problem. there may be some delay.
Junjie Zhu - MSFT 21,646 Reputation points

2023-07-07T09:46:27.6166667+00:00

Hi @d3x0r ,

As this issue is complex, to resolve this issue as soon as possible, you can open an incident via 'Contact us' tab at link below:

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/support/

Please choose the Technical Support - Coding/Debugging for Windows SDK for this issue. In page Create a new support request, Please choose Desktop app UI development and Windows management (User32) API and Windows messages. In-addition, if the support engineer determines that the issue is the result of a bug the service request will be a no-charge case and you won't be charged.

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How to copy system cursors properly?

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