If the sensitivity of the mouse changes randomly in Windows it will make it difficult for us to point and click in the desired position, so we will notice it especially if we are playing or working with an editing or design application. We will even notice that our experience with operating the operating system is not as optimal as one might expect. Although changing the mouse may be the first idea that comes to mind, it is recommended previously, to make some adjustments in Windows that can help us solve the problem.
Causes of mouse sensitivity changes
Adjusting the sensitivity of the mouse is something that we usually do to be able to feel more comfortable when using them. Not all users use the same sensitivity since this value will change depending on our tastes. In case the mouse sensitivity changes on its own and randomly cannot be considered as normal. The causes that originate them can be related to a hardware in bad condition in the mouse itself or problems related to the software. We can find problems due to a bad mouse configuration or due to having outdated or obsolete drivers. Pointer Precision Improvement, a Windows feature sometimes causes erratic mouse sensitivity.
Whatever the reasons why our mouse suffers from sensitivity problems, what we are clear about is that a mouse that is hypersensitive or less sensitive to the movements of our hand can slow down our workflow. For this reason, we are going to show you some adjustments that we can make in Windows to try to solve the problem, without having to change the mouse.
Fix random mouse sensitivity changes
If we have problems with random changes in mouse sensitivity, then we are going to show you some adjustments that we can make in Windows 10 to try to solve it without having to change peripherals.
Check mouse settings
The first thing we must do is verify that the current configuration of our mouse is correct. To do this we will press the keyboard shortcut «Windows + I» which will take us to the «Settings» section. Here, we will click on the “Devices” option.
In the new window, we will select the Mouse option in the left column. Now we will use the slider in the section «Choose the speed of the cursor», to adjust its speed, having to notice the changes reflected in real time. We can also try moving the slider in the “Choose how many lines to move each time” section. We must try different configurations to make sure that the sensitivity of the mouse stays true to what is configured.
Disable Pointer Accuracy Enhancement
The option Improve pointer precision may be the cause of the change in its sensitivity, so we can choose to disable it to see if this solves our problem. To do this, press Windows + I to access the Configuration section. Later we click on Devices and Mouse. Now, on the right side, click on “Additional mouse options”.
This will open a new mouse configuration window, where we will click on the “Pointer Options” tab. Here, we will find within the “Movement” section a box that indicates “Improve the accuracy of the pointer”. We uncheck the checkbox to deactivate this option to see if it helps us to solve our problem.
Windows 10 Troubleshooter
Windows has its own troubleshooter that can help us to solve some common problems that we may encounter. Although the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter tool was removed from the Settings menu, it can be accessed through the Command Prompt.
For this we must write cmd in the search box of the Start menu. This will bring up the “Command Prompt” application that we must execute as an administrator. Once it appears, we must insert the following command and press «Enter» to execute it:
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
In the new window click on «Advanced options», we mark the box «Apply repairs automatically» and click on «Next» to continue. The troubleshooter will then run and fix the mouse sensitivity error or show us more details about it.
Update drivers
Drivers are a very important element of the operating system as they help you connect and communicate with a hardware device. Keeping your drivers up to date is important to avoid possible problems. Therefore, we must access the Device Manager to verify it.
Press the keyboard shortcut Windows + X and select the “Device Manager” section from the menu. Here we move to the section on “Mouse” and other pointing devices. We will see our mouse connected here, so we right-click on it and select “Update driver”. On the next screen we select «Search for drivers automatically». We follow the on-screen instructions for Windows to search for the latest version of the automatic drivers and update them if they are out of date.
We can also go to the manufacturer’s website, download them manually and use the option Browse my PC for drivers. We can also choose to uninstall the drivers and restart the system, so that they are reinstalled automatically.
Run SFC and DISM SCAM
These are two command line tools specially developed for troubleshoot Windows related problems. The SFC command finds and fixes corrupted system files, while the DSIM command is used to service a Windows image.
To execute them, we will write cmd in the search box of the Start menu and we will run as administrator the Command Prompt app. Once open we will write each command one by one and executing them, pressing Enter.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
DISM.exe /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
sfc / scannow
When executing some of these commands, the process may take longer to complete than we imagine. If you get stuck at a certain percentage, or it seems that it does not finish progressing, do not despair and wait patiently for the process to finish completely. Once completed, it will show us if any problem related to our mouse or information about it has been solved.
