How to Change Mouse Settings
Open the Control Panel., Click "Hardware and Sound" and then select "Mouse" from the "Devices and Printers" section., Adjust the settings for the physical buttons., Change your pointers., Adjust the mouse movement., Change how fast your wheel...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open the Control Panel.
You can access the Control Panel from the Start menu.
Windows 8 users can press ⊞ Win and type "control panel" to open it. -
Step 2: Click "Hardware and Sound" and then select "Mouse" from the "Devices and Printers" section.
If you are in Icon view, you can just select the "Mouse" option from the main Control Panel screen. , The Buttons tab allows you to change the way your mouse buttons work.
The box in the "Button configuration" section switches the primary mouse button from the left to the right.
You can adjust the speed required to register as a double-click using the slider.
Double-click the folder in the box to test.
You can toggle ClickLock on, which allows you to perform click-and-hold actions without having to hold the mouse button down.
You can adjust the sensitivity by click Settings.... , The Pointers tab allows you to change the cursors for all the different modes.
You can use the "Scheme" menu to choose from any of the pre-installed collections of cursors.
You can download custom cursors online and then load them by clicking Browse..., but always make sure you're downloading from a safe location. , The Pointer Options tab allows you to change how the mouse cursor moves around on the screen.
The first slider allows you to adjust how quickly the mouse moves around the screen.
You'll be able to test the effects as soon as you adjust the slider.
The "Enhance pointer precision" box will turn on mouse acceleration, which can make moving it around more natural.
If you play video games, however, this should be turned off.
This is because mouse acceleration makes it more difficult to be perfectly precise when aiming.
The "Snap To" box, when enabled, will automatically move the cursor to the default button on any windows that appear.
If you are browsing the internet, this isn't recommended as it can lead to accidentally clicking malicious buttons.
The "Visibility" section allows you to enable a trail for the pointer, as well as hide the pointer when you're typing.
You can also make the pointer emit circles to help you locate it when you press Ctrl. , The settings in the Wheel tab affect how fast you can scroll through documents and web pages.
The "Vertical Scrolling" speed is dictated by lines-per-click.
You can also set it to scroll a whole screen at a time.
The "Horizontal Scrolling" speed is dictated by characters at a time.
Not all mice support horizontal scrolling. , The Hardware tab displays the mice that are currently installed, as well as their status.
You can see more details as well as update or rollback the driver by selecting a mouse and clicking the Properties... button. , If you have a mouse with a fourth or fifth button, you can use configuration programs to set specific functions for those buttons.
Your mouse manufacturer may have software available on their support site, or you can download a program like X-Mouse Button Control or Mouse Manager. -
Step 3: Adjust the settings for the physical buttons.
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Step 4: Change your pointers.
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Step 5: Adjust the mouse movement.
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Step 6: Change how fast your wheel scrolls.
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Step 7: Check the drivers for malfunctioning mice.
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Step 8: Set the functions for your other mouse buttons.
Detailed Guide
You can access the Control Panel from the Start menu.
Windows 8 users can press ⊞ Win and type "control panel" to open it.
If you are in Icon view, you can just select the "Mouse" option from the main Control Panel screen. , The Buttons tab allows you to change the way your mouse buttons work.
The box in the "Button configuration" section switches the primary mouse button from the left to the right.
You can adjust the speed required to register as a double-click using the slider.
Double-click the folder in the box to test.
You can toggle ClickLock on, which allows you to perform click-and-hold actions without having to hold the mouse button down.
You can adjust the sensitivity by click Settings.... , The Pointers tab allows you to change the cursors for all the different modes.
You can use the "Scheme" menu to choose from any of the pre-installed collections of cursors.
You can download custom cursors online and then load them by clicking Browse..., but always make sure you're downloading from a safe location. , The Pointer Options tab allows you to change how the mouse cursor moves around on the screen.
The first slider allows you to adjust how quickly the mouse moves around the screen.
You'll be able to test the effects as soon as you adjust the slider.
The "Enhance pointer precision" box will turn on mouse acceleration, which can make moving it around more natural.
If you play video games, however, this should be turned off.
This is because mouse acceleration makes it more difficult to be perfectly precise when aiming.
The "Snap To" box, when enabled, will automatically move the cursor to the default button on any windows that appear.
If you are browsing the internet, this isn't recommended as it can lead to accidentally clicking malicious buttons.
The "Visibility" section allows you to enable a trail for the pointer, as well as hide the pointer when you're typing.
You can also make the pointer emit circles to help you locate it when you press Ctrl. , The settings in the Wheel tab affect how fast you can scroll through documents and web pages.
The "Vertical Scrolling" speed is dictated by lines-per-click.
You can also set it to scroll a whole screen at a time.
The "Horizontal Scrolling" speed is dictated by characters at a time.
Not all mice support horizontal scrolling. , The Hardware tab displays the mice that are currently installed, as well as their status.
You can see more details as well as update or rollback the driver by selecting a mouse and clicking the Properties... button. , If you have a mouse with a fourth or fifth button, you can use configuration programs to set specific functions for those buttons.
Your mouse manufacturer may have software available on their support site, or you can download a program like X-Mouse Button Control or Mouse Manager.
About the Author
Emily Jimenez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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