You can't do anything on your computer if the cursor doesn't appear on the screen unless you know the keyboard shortcut.

We have to admit, using the mouse to move across Windows makes our computers easier to operate.

However, the mouse cursor sometimes disappears from your screen. This can happen, but it usually happens after a Windows upgrade or update. This can also happen to systems that are frequently in sleep mode.

You can still browse and use Windows with your keyboard, but this will be a pain. Moreover, you are not used to using the keyboard and do not know the keyboard shortcuts.

This is a very unpleasant and scary situation. Here are some ways to fix a mouse that doesn't appear on the screen.

Unplug and Reinstall Your Mouse

Unplug the mouse USB cable from your computer and plug it back in. You can try with another USB port.

If you are using a wireless mouse, turn off the mouse, remove the wireless dongle, wait a moment, reinsert it, then turn the mouse back on. Also check the battery of your wireless mouse, as an already low battery might be the problem.

Restart your computer

1. Press (WIN + D) to open the Desktop in Windows.
2. Press (Alt + F4) to open the Shut Down menu.
3. Then use the Tab key on your keyboard to navigate to the Restart option.
4. Press Tab to go to the OK button and press Enter.

Update Mouse Driver

1. Press the keyboard key (WIN + R) to bring up the Run box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc then press Enter to open Device Manager.
3. Press Tab to move to the list of devices.
4. Use the arrow keys to scroll down to Mouse and other pointing devices and use the Right arrow key to expand it. Use the down arrow key to select your mouse device.
5. Press Shift + F10 to open the context menu. Select Update driver with arrow keys and press Enter.
6. Follow the on-screen installation instructions to complete the update and then check if the missing cursor or mouse not working issue persists on your Windows 11 laptop or desktop PC.

Rollback Mouse Driver

1. Repeat steps 1-4 in the previous method.
2. Press Enter. Press Tab several times until the box is in General.
3. Press the right arrow key to go to Driver.
4. Press Tab several times until Roll back driver is selected, then press Enter.
5. Follow further on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
6. Reboot your computer and your mouse cursor will return to normal.

Windows Upgrades

If you recently updated to Windows 11, try using Windows Operation Keys to restore the disappearing cursor in Windows 11. Installing Windows 11 may disable your mouse cursor function, resulting in the mouse pointer not being present in Windows 11. If this is the case, you may fix it. By using the Windows, function keys on your keyboard.

You can try the following combination to make the missing cursor visible again in Windows 11:

• Fn + F3
• Fn + F5
• Fn + F9
• Fn + F11.

If using the “Fn” key to restore a lost cursor doesn't work, there may be an error with your mouse driver.