Microsoft has been busy adding long-requested features to Windows 11, but its latest preview update has managed to break something much simpler as the mouse cursor.
Users who installed preview update KB5120998, released on August 27, have reported that their personalized cursor settings are being changed or reset. For some, the cursor suddenly becomes huge, while for others, it becomes too small or behaves strangely. Some users have even reported that their custom cursor disappears altogether.
Microsoft has acknowledged the problem, saying the update can reset cursor personalization settings to their defaults. High-DPI cursors and custom cursor animations appear to be particularly affected, with some users unable to restore their previous settings even after changing them back manually.
The timing is a little unfortunate. KB5120998 is actually one of the more interesting Windows 11 updates in a while, introducing several long-awaited interface changes. It gives users more freedom to position the Taskbar, adds new Start menu customization options, and improves Windows Search.
And the cursor may not be the only thing that went wrong as some users have reported their desktop wallpaper turning black, while others claim text looks blurry after installing the update. Microsoft has not officially confirmed those problems yet. Fortunately, KB5120998 is an optional preview update, so most users won’t have installed it unless they chose to.
If your mouse started behaving strangely after the update, the safest workaround for now is to remove KB5120998 using Windows Update -> Update History – Uninstall updates. Microsoft has until September 8, when the regular Patch Tuesday update arrives, to get this one sorted out.