HomeWinBuzzer TipsHow to Change Mouse Sensitivity and Speed in Windows 10

How to Change Mouse Sensitivity and Speed in Windows 10

We show you how to change mouse sensitivity in Windows 10 using three methods: the settings menu, Control Panel, and your Registry Editor.

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A mouse is essential for quickly navigating your operating system, which is why it can be so frustrating when it's not behaving as intended. If you have recently purchased a new mouse or reset your operating system, you may notice that your mouse cursor is too high or too low, hampering your productivity. In such cases, it's necessary to know how to change mouse sensitivity in – and we'll be showing you how to do so today.

Change DPI to adjust Windows 10 mouse sensitivity if you can

There are many ways to change mouse speed in Windows 10, and we'll be focusing on three of them today. One involves using the modern Windows 10 settings UI, one the familiar legacy , and the other regedit. No matter which method you choose, you'll notice that there are a total of twenty speeds for your mouse pointer, with 1 being the slowest and 20 the fastest.

You should be aware, however, that it's always preferable to change the DPI on your mouse before you change mouse speed in Windows 10 settings. For reasons we won't get into here, your cursor will be more accurate if you leave the Windows sensitivity at 6 or 11 and adjust the DPI in your mouse software or via its physical buttons to reach the desired behavior.

How to check mouse DPI

You can do a mouse DPI test with this web-based dpi checker here. With this tool you can measure the real DPI of your mouse, and calculate the sensor accuracy. It can also be used to find out what your DPI actually is if you don't have a setting for it in your mouse driver.

Many mice, especially cheaper ones, unfortunately, don't come with DPI control. If you're in a more restricted enterprise environment, your IT admin may also prevent you from installing third-party software such as mouse drivers. If this is the case, changing Windows 10 mouse sensitivity via its built-in tools is your only choice. Here's how you can do so:

How to Change Mouse Sensitivity in Windows 10 via Settings

Windows 10's new settings UI allows you to adjust most of the things you need these days, and that extends to mouse pointers. Its clear and touch-friendly nature makes it a good choice for a simple task like this.

  1. Open Settings
     

    Press the Start button, then click the settings cog, above the power button. Alternatively, press Windows + I.
     
    Windows 10 - Open Settings

  2. Click on “Devices”
     

    Windows 10 - Settings - Open Devices

  3. Choose “Mouse” in the sidebar and change change your mouse speed
     

    In the main pane, you'll see a slider with “Cursor speed” above it. Dragging this to the left will slow your cursor down, and dragging it to the right will speed it up. The changes will take effect immediately.
     
    Windows 10 - Settings - Devices - Mouse - Cursor Speed

How to Change Mouse Speed in Windows 10 via the Control Panel

If you prefer function over form, the legacy Control Panel is also a good choice. It allows you to quickly decrease or increase mouse sensitivity in Windows 10 in a compact, straightforward UI. Here's how to use it:

  1. Open Control Panel
     
    Press Start and type “Control Panel”, then click the top result.
     

    Windows 10 - Open Control Panel

  2. Click “Hardware and Sound”
     

    Windows 10 - Control Panel - Open Hardware and Sound

  3. Look for the “Devices and Printers” section and press “Mouse”
     

    Windows 10 - Control Panel -Hardware and Sound - Devices and Printers - Open Mouse

  4. Open the “Pointer Options” tab and adjust the mouse pointer speed slider
     

    The further to the right, the faster your cursor will get. Once you're at a speed you're happy with, you can click “Apply” followed by “OK”.
     
    Windows 10 - Control Panel -Hardware and Sound - Devices and Printers -Mouse - Pointer Options - Select Pointer Speed

How to Change Windows 10 Mouse Sensitivity via the Registry Editor

If the other options aren't working for you or keep being reset when you update or restart your PC, you can try Regedit instead. Before you do so, however, make sure to backup your registry and have a quick read of our safe registry editing guide. Once you're prepared, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Registry Editor
     

    Press Start and then type “regedit”. Click the top result.
     
    Windows 10 - Open Regedit

  2. Navigate to the Mouse key and Adjust your “Mouse Sensitivity” value data
     

    In your Registry Editor top bar, paste Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse.

    Scroll down the main pane until you find the “MouseSensitivity” entry and double-click it. In the “Value data” field, enter a number, with 1 representing the lowest speed, and 20 the highest. Press “OK” when you're done and test the changes.

    If you need to change Windows 10 mouse sensitivity again at any point, you can come back here and adjust the value.
     
    Windows 10 - Regedit - Browse to the Path - Mouse Sensitivity - Change Value Data

Extra: How to Change Your Mouse Cursor Size or Use a Custom Cursor in Windows 11 / Windows 10

The / Windows 10 cursor is more or less iconic at this point, but it's not without its flaws. Quite often, it can be too small on high-resolution displays or fit poorly with your system theme. In such instances, you can change your cursor to a custom one or change your cursor size in Windows 11 / Windows 10 settings.

Windows 10 - How to Change Mouse Cursor Size or use Custom Cursor Themes

Extra: How to Reverse Scrolling Direction for Mouse or Touchpad in Windows 11 / Windows 10

Your touchpad or mouse scroll direction is something that quickly becomes muscle memory. As a result, using Windows with mouse settings, you're not used to can seriously hamper your productivity and cause frustration. In such cases, it's necessary to know how to reverse the scrolling direction in Windows 11 / Windows 10.

Featured - How to reverse mouse and touchpad scrolling direction on Windows 10

Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.