Your cursor will not move, disappears entirely, or moves but clicks do not work. This applies to wired USB mice, wireless USB receiver mice, and Bluetooth mice on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Does This Affect You?
Mouse problems are often caused by a USB port, weak battery, power switch, bad surface, Bluetooth pairing issue, or Windows driver state rather than a dead mouse.
Quick Checks for Any Mouse
These take under a minute.
- Unplug and reconnect the mouse or USB receiver in a different USB port, preferably directly on the PC rather than a hub.
- For wireless mice, replace or recharge the batteries.
- Check the power switch on the underside.
- Use the keyboard to open Mouse settings and see whether Windows detects a mouse.
- Try another surface. Glass, glossy desks, and patterned surfaces can confuse optical sensors.
Reconnect a Wireless or Bluetooth Mouse
Use this if the mouse worked before but no longer connects.
- For a USB receiver mouse, remove the receiver, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in. Press pairing buttons on the mouse and receiver if your model has them.
- For Bluetooth, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices, remove the mouse, put it in pairing mode, and add it again.
- Move the mouse and receiver closer together.
- Keep routers and other 2.4GHz devices away from the receiver if interference is likely.
Update or Reinstall the Mouse Driver
Use this if Windows detects the mouse but it behaves incorrectly.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Mice and other pointing devices, right-click the mouse, and choose Uninstall device.
- Unplug and reconnect the mouse or receiver so Windows reinstalls the default driver.
- Install manufacturer software for gaming or productivity mice with custom buttons.
- Check Mouse settings for primary button swap or accessibility settings if movement works but clicks do not.
Windows can power down USB ports to save energy. In Device Manager, open USB Root Hub power-management settings and disable the option that lets the computer turn off the device to save power.
Test the mouse on another computer. If it works there, focus on ports, drivers, or settings on the original PC. If it does not light up or respond anywhere with fresh batteries, it has likely failed and replacement is normally more practical than repair.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Fix mouse and other input problems (2025)
- Logitech Support – Mouse not working or not detected (2025)
- Dell – Touchpad or Mouse Not Working in Windows (2024)