How to Enable or Disable Mouse Pointer Trails on Windows

It’s pretty easy to lose your mouse pointer, but giving it a trail is a surefire way to keep an eye on it on Windows.

The default Windows mouse cursor works for most people, but you can always customize it to your liking. Enabling cursor trails is just one of many ways to make your mouse cursor stand out.

You can turn mouse trails on or off in the Settings app, Control Panel, or Registry Editor. Let’s go through all three methods one by one.

1. Enable or disable mouse cursor trails using the Settings app

The Settings app provides an easy way to configure most system settings on Windows. You can use it to enable or disable mouse cursor trails on Windows. Here’s how to do it.

1. Right click on the Start icon and select settings from the list.
2. Use the left panel to navigate Bluetooth & Devices Tab.
3. Click on Mouse.
4. Under Related settings, click Additional mouse settings.
5. In the Mouse Properties window, switch to pointer options Tab.
6. Enable or disable the Show pointer tracks Field to enable or disable mouse cursor trails.
7. Use the slider to adjust the length of the mouse cursor trails.
8. click Apply followed by OK.

Tired of people adjusting mouse pointer settings on your device without your consent? Check out how to block access to mouse pointer settings on Windows.

2. Enable or disable mouse cursor trails from the Control Panel

Using the Control Panel is an old-school method of making changes to your system. Enabling or disabling mouse trails from the Control Panel is just as easy. Here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Press victory + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control in the field and press Enter. This opens the Control Panel.
3. Use the drop down menu in the top right corner to change the view type Large icons.
4. Click on Mouse.
5. Under the pointer options tab, use the Show pointer tracks to enable or disable pointer trails.
6. click Apply followed by OK.

3. Enable or disable mouse cursor trails using the registry editor

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also enable or disable mouse trails by modifying a registry file. As you may know, editing registry files is risky. If you’re worried about accidentally corrupting registry files, consider using one of the other two methods.

If you choose this method, consider backing up all your registry files in case things don’t go as planned. Alternatively, you can create a system restore point. If you need help, read our guide to creating a restore point and follow the steps outlined there.

To enable or disable mouse cursor trails through the registry editor, follow these steps:

1. Click on the search icon in the taskbar or press victory + S to open the search menu.
2. Type Registry Editor and select the first result that appears.
3. Choose Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
4. Use the left panel to navigate HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel > Mouse.
5. Double-click the mouse tracks in the right area.
6. In which reading enter any value between 2 (short) to 7 (long) to define the length of the mouse cursor trails.
7. click OK and exit Registry Editor.
8. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

If you want to disable the mouse cursor trails, follow the same steps above and change the reading to the mouse tracks to 0.

Follow your mouse pointer with ease

Windows certainly makes it easy to change the look of your mouse pointer. Enabling mouse cursor trails should help you track his movements with ease.

Of course, enabling mouse trails isn’t the only way to customize a mouse pointer on Windows. On Windows, you can also change the color and size of the mouse pointer.