My wallpaper and mouse cursor size changed after restart. Can this be malware?

Question

Hi,

I have a Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16" running Windows 11. For about three years, I have been using exactly the same wallpaper - a picture that I chose myself. After restarting my laptop, the wallpaper suddenly changed to an option "solid color" to color black. At the same time, I noticed that the mouse cursor became larger, when i had previously been using a smaller cursor size, but now I can't make it as small as it was before using the Windows settings. The cursor size slider seems to have a minimum value that is still larger than the cursor I had before. What is strange is that nothing else seems to have changed. My files and programs are still there. Can these changes be a sign of malware or a virus?

Thank you for any advice.

Answer 1

The problems with the wallpaper and cursor are reported to be caused by 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'.

Answer 2

These changes do not by themselves indicate malware.

For the wallpaper change, there is a known Windows 11 issue where a personalized background can change after Windows updates. For the mouse cursor, Microsoft has also received reports that cursor personalization settings can be changed or reverted to standard settings after certain Windows updates. On Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, reports include larger white cursors and custom cursor settings reverting, and attempts to restore the previous customization may not work.

What to do next:

1. Check the wallpaper setting:
   • Open Settings and verify whether the background is set to Solid color instead of the previous picture.
   • Re-select the preferred image if available.
2. Check cursor settings:
   • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch and review the pointer size and style.
   • If the cursor is hard to see or needs adjustment, Windows also supports changing text size, display scale, and contrast themes under Accessibility.
3. If the cursor still cannot be restored to the previous size:
   • This can match the currently reported Windows issue where mouse customization settings are lost or reverted.
   • On affected systems, restoring the old customization may be unsuccessful until Microsoft provides an update.
4. Report it to Microsoft:
   • Open Feedback Hub by pressing Windows key + F and file a report.

If there are no other signs such as missing files, removed apps, or broader system changes, the behavior described is more consistent with a Windows settings or update issue than with malware.

---

References:

• Windows 11, version 24H2 known issues and notifications
• Make Windows easier to see
• The personalized background picture changed to a solid color after installing Windows Updates - Microsoft Q&A