Cursor keeps disappearing.

Question

My cursor keeps disappearing, sometimes on startup and sometimes after sleep mode. When it happens the only thing that works is to go to task manager go back to sign in. If it doesn't show up there, then I have to shut down completely with the power button. When everything stops, then I reboot. Mostly then, it will work.

Answer 1

Hi Kathie Ainsworth,

It looks like Q&A Assist has already covered the main troubleshooting steps, so I’ll just add a few additional things that are often helpful in cases like this:

• Try performing a Clean Boot to check if a third‑party app or service is causing the issue:
  1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter
  2. Go to the Services tab
  3. Check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all
  4. Go to the Startup tab then click Open Task Manager
  5. Disable all startup items, then restart the PC After restarting, monitor if the cursor still disappears. If the issue stops, a background program is likely responsible.
  *Disclaimer: A "clean boot" starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem.  These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by-step so that it will help you get back on track. 
• Reinstall the mouse/touchpad driver:
  1. Press Windows + X > Device Manager
  2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices
  3. Right‑click your mouse/touchpad and select Uninstall device
  4. Restart your PC (Windows will install a fresh driver automatically) This helps if the driver became corrupted after updates or sleep cycles.
• Test with another mouse (if available): Try connecting a different USB or Bluetooth mouse or test your current one on another PC. This helps determine whether the issue is related to the device itself or the system.

If the issue no longer occurs in a Clean Boot environment or when using a different mouse, it can help narrow down whether this is caused by a software conflict or a hardware-related problem.

I hope this helps and feel free to share any updates or results.

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Answer 2

The behavior matches known issues where input devices or UI elements stop responding after sleep, hibernate, or startup.

Try these steps in order:

1. Update device drivers

• Install the latest touchpad/mouse and display drivers from the PC or device manufacturer.
• Also install the latest Windows updates, as updates often fix wake‑from‑sleep and cursor issues.

2. Disable Fast Startup

• Fast Startup can cause input devices (including keyboards and pointing devices) to fail after power on or resume. Disabling it has resolved similar post‑update issues for others.
• Open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options → “Choose what the power buttons do”.
• Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”.
• Clear the “Turn on fast startup (recommended)” checkbox and save.
• Shut down completely and power on again to test.

3. Check for sleep/hibernate device problems

• If the cursor disappears specifically after sleep or hibernate, restart the PC instead of forcing power off when possible; this is a documented workaround for some input/touch issues after resume.
• If external devices (monitors, USB receivers, docks) are attached, disconnect and reconnect them after resume, or test with them temporarily removed.

4. Test in Safe Mode

• Boot into Safe Mode and use the system long enough to see whether the cursor still disappears.
• If the issue does not occur in Safe Mode, a third‑party driver or app is likely interfering; remove or update recently installed software, especially anything related to input, display, or system tweaking.

5. Use Task Manager/Explorer restart instead of hard power‑off

• When the cursor or UI stops responding, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
• If possible, restart “Windows Explorer” from the Processes tab. This is a supported workaround when UI elements stop responding.

If the problem started immediately after a specific Windows update and persists after these steps, temporarily uninstalling that update or rolling back to a previous build (if still within the rollback window) can be used as a short‑term workaround until a fixed update is available.

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References:

• Shut down, sleep, or hibernate your PC
• Troubleshoot problems waking computer from sleep mode
• Why won't my keyboard work when I power up my laptop? - Microsoft Q&A
• Start button, charms and other user interface elements do not respond