Finding the Mouse Pointer

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 28, 2017)

1

I don't know about you, but as I get older it seems that it is harder and harder to locate the mouse pointer on the screen. It could be a symptom of aging eyes, but it could also be because with higher and higher resolutions for the screen, it can be pretty easy to "misplace" the location of the mouse pointer.

If you have this problem often, Windows provides a cool way to easily locate the mouse pointer location:

  1. Display the Control Panel. (How you do this varies based on the version of Windows you are using.)
  2. Click Hardware and Sound.
  3. Click Mouse. (This link is under the Devices and Printers section.) Windows displays the Mouse Properties dialog box.
  4. Make sure the Pointer Options tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

    5. Figure 1. The Pointer Options tab of the Mouse Properties dialog box.

  5. Make sure the Show Location of Pointer When I Press CTRL Key check box is selected.
  6. Click OK.

That's it. Now, when you press the Ctrl key, by itself, Windows "zeroes in" on the location of the mouse pointer, and you can easily see that location.

 This tip (11252) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Macro-Inserted AutoText Doesn't Set Style

Inserting AutoText from a macro can give unwanted results, particularly when it comes to any style that may be stored ...

Discover More

Printing to a File

Word allows you to send your output to a file instead of to a printer. This tip shows you how.

Discover More

Converting Field Results to Text

Fields are meant to be dynamic, providing a result based on conditions at the time they are updated. You may want to ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Increasing the Number of Restore Points

You may feel constrained by the low number of restore points your system is keeping. You can increase the disk space ...

Discover More

Moving and Sizing Windows Using the Keyboard

Moving and sizing windows is a normal part of using the Windows operating system. There are times when you may want to do ...

Discover More

Determining if You Have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows

There are occasions when you may want to know whether you're running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows. This tip ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three minus 0?

2017-08-28 15:30:36

Lou Jones

On my computer (Windows 10) it's a little different: Only after I release the CTRL key does Windows "zero in" with a series of shrinking circles

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.