The mouse pointer function is one of the most important tools in a computer, whether you’re using a mouse, a touchpad, or something else. That’s why it’s so frustrating when the mouse pointer isn’t working properly.
For example, a lot of users have found that their mouse isn’t clicking where the mouse pointer is located, but in an area next to the mouse pointer instead. How do you fix this issue?
First, try using the mouse in another USB port. If that does not work, make sure that you have the latest driver for your mouse. You can either download new drivers directly in Windows or look for new drivers on the manufacturer’s website. There are more things you can do to fix this mouse pointer issue, but these two are the most common fixes.
As you can tell, there isn’t a universal solution for this issue. Instead, there are multiple possible solutions. Keep reading to find out what those solutions are. Before we start, make sure that you try to restart your computer as this can reset certain processes and in some cases, entirely solve your issue.
1. Try Another USB Port
In most computers, there are a bunch of different USB ports. Desktop PCs usually have some behind the chassis and at the top of the chassis, and laptops have them on the sides.
These USB ports vary slightly in functionality. For example, some ports are better to connect charging devices while others are better to use peripherals such as mice. Plus, USB ports sometimes stop working for one reason or another.
In short, you should try using a different USB port for your mouse to see if that solves your issue. Before doing this, however, connect your mouse to another computer to see if there’s something wrong with the mouse itself.
2. Uninstall the Mouse Drivers
Drivers are essential to any device on a computer. If your drivers are outdated or faulty, you need to uninstall your mouse drivers. This is quite easy to do, so just follow the simple steps below.
- First, press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run window
- After this, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter
- In the new Device manager menu, look for Mice and Other Pointing Devices and double-click it
- Right-click the option under Mice and Other Pointing Devices and select Uninstall device
- Restart your computer to automatically install new drivers
As I mentioned, your Windows will automatically install drivers after you’ve restarted your system. Don’t worry about uninstalling the drivers.
3. Look For Mouse Software On Manufacturer’s Website
If updating your drivers through the previously described process does not work, you should look for new updates on your mouse manufacturer’s website.
It’s great that driver updates are integrated into Windows, but at the same time, these updates are oftentimes not the best. However, drivers directly from manufacturers’ websites are usually a lot better.
It’s hard to say exactly how you have to download these drivers since it depends a lot on what brand of mouse you have, but usually, you can simply google your product paired with “driver” and get the right result.
4. Align the Mouse Cursor Through Pointer Options
You can quite easily make the mouse cursor “snap” to the closest icon, and if you think that this can help you with your issue, you should try it.
Simply start by pressing the Windows key + I at the same time. After opening the settings menu this way, look for an option called Devices. When you have selected devices, look for Mouse options.
In Mouse options, click on More mouse options. Select Pointer options and then check the box next to Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box.
You’re done! Try clicking an icon on your desktop and see if your issue is fixed. If it isn’t simply disable the option in the same way you enabled it before.
5. Restart Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is a process that is in charge of showing you almost all of the UI in Windows. The desktop, search bar, file explorer, and more are all controlled by Windows Explorer.
If there is an error, fault, or bug in any of these user interfaces causing your mouse to become imprecise, you can simply restart the Windows Explorer process to see if that solves your issue.
You can do this quickly and easily through the task manager. Follow the steps below.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and click the Task Manager option
- Click the Processes tab
- Find the Windows Explorer process
- Right-click it and select Restart
After this, try using your computer and see if your issue is fixed. Restarting the Windows Explorer process is completely safe, so you’re not risking anything by trying this fix.
6. Turn Off MiniSearchHost.exe
MiniSearchHost.exe is the little pane that shows up when you hover over the search icon in Windows, and it’s infamously prone to bugs. Since it arguably doesn’t provide any value to your experience anyway, you should try disabling it.
To turn off the MiniSearchHost, go into the Task Manager in the way described before and look for the MiniSearchHost.exe process. One thing to note is that the MiniSearchHost is located under Search, so you’ll have to double-click that to find it. Right-click it and select End task.
The MiniSearchHost will start whenever you boot Windows, however, so if the fix works, you’ll have to disable the process permanently. I could describe the process here, but there are quite a few steps to it. Instead, check out this video.
The video describes in detail what you can do to permanently disable the MiniSearchHost. It’s not complicated, really, but there are a number of steps to it as I mentioned before.
7. Disable the Search Icon Function
For a lot of people, this issue occurs mainly when they want to click the search icon in Windows. If this is the case for you, you can try disabling it. If this isn’t the case for you, disregard this solution.
This solution, like most of the fixes presented in this article, is very easily accessible. If you want to disable the search icon function, follow the simple steps below.
- Press the Windows key + I at the same time to bring up the Settings menu
- In the menu to the left, click Personalization
- Click Taskbar to head over to the Taskbar settings
- Uncheck the Search option from On to Off
If the issue persists despite toggling the Search icon, simply toggle it on again using the same method as before.
8. Update Your Graphics Driver
Outdated drivers are the cause of many issues for computer users. If your mouse pointer isn’t clicking on the position where you have it pointed, you should absolutely update your graphics driver to see if that solves the issue.
However, I don’t recommend updating your GPU drivers through Windows. Instead, update your GPU drivers through your GPU manufacturer’s website.
Most people have either AMD or Nvidia drivers, so those are the two options I’ll go through. The process works in a similar manner for all GPU drivers, however, so you should be fine if you have a GPU from another manufacturer.
If you want to update your GPU drivers for an Nvidia GPU, follow the steps below.
- In the dropdown menu, select both your Product series and Product then click Search
- When you’ve found drivers for your GPU, click Download
- Run the downloaded file and follow the installation guide
If you want to update your GPU drivers for an AMD GPU, follow the steps below.
- Search for your specific GPU in the search field
- Select your operating system and then click Download next to the latest driver
- Run the downloaded file and follow the installation guide
9. Match Screens’ Resolutions
For users with multiple screens, it’s important that you match their resolution. Not doing this can, in some cases, cause bugs and errors which can cause mouse pointer errors.
Change the resolution so that they match. For example, if you have 1920 x 1080 on one screen, set that resolution on your other screen as well.
Furthermore, if you already have the same resolution on both your screens, or if simply using one screen, change the resolution, and then reset it to its original resolution. This has been shown to solve the issue for some users, so it’s worth a try.