Does the mouse cursor on your Windows or Mac computer stop from time to time, jump it move erratically on its own? In Windows 10, you can fix this by disabling the disappearing feature, Enhance pointer precision, and any additional mouse drivers on the Device Manager. 

In severe cases, you may need to reinstall the mouse drivers to fix the problem in Windows 10. In Mac, you can fix the same issue by shutting the computer down and carrying out a Safe Boot. Other solutions for macOS would be to configure the Accessibility Options or reset the System Management Controller. 

Whether on macOS or Windows, the “mouse randomly stops moving” can be caused by different things. Get to know what actually triggers this problem as well as the various solutions you can use to fix it in Windows and Mac. 

What Causes the Mouse to Randomly Stop Moving?  

Different things can cause the mouse cursor on your screen to disappear or freeze momentarily while the system is still active. In Windows, you are likely to encounter the problem following a Windows 10 update. 

While the wired Mac mouse models are quite reliable, you may encounter this mouse problem with the wireless Mac mice, including the Magic, and Logitech mouse options. In both Mac, and Windows computer, the “mouse randomly stops moving” issue may be attributed to different causes, including: 

• Improper, outdated, or corrupted mouse drivers on your computer 
• Viruses and Malware infection 
• Low batteries on wireless mouse models 
• Damaged/loose cord in wired mouse models 
• Accumulated dirt, and debris on the mouse, causing it to malfunction
• An obstructed signal between the computer and the mouse in wireless mouse models
• Misconfigured settings on the computer 

Although the causes are somewhat the same in Windows and Mac computers, each system calls for a unique approach in resolving the problem, as illustrated below.

How to Fix the Mouse Randomly Stops Moving Windows 10 Error 

Just as there are multiple causes of the error, different approaches may be used to fix it. If you are using a wired mouse, check to see whether the cord is well connected to the computer. You may also try to move it to a different USB port, or replace the batteries in wireless mice.

Again, restarting the computer will reinstall the device, and possibly fix the problem. If this does not work, here are some of the most effective solutions for the “mouse randomly stops moving” issue in Windows 10:

Method 1: Run the Find and Fix Problems Tool 

This method is particularly beneficial if your mouse cursor freezes momentarily or is jumping from one point to another on its own. The Find and Fix Problems tool is essentially a Troubleshooting wizard that is built into your Windows operating system. To run this tool, click on the Windows button to display the Start menu, and then select ‘Control Panel’. 

Now expand the ‘System and Security’ category on the Control Panel window, before selecting the ‘Find and Fix Problems’ option. This operation should launch the Troubleshooting window on your desktop. On the left-hand side of the Troubleshooting window, find and click on the ‘Hardware and Sound’ option. 

Navigate to the Device category, and click on the Next button to move to the ‘Hardware and Devices’ screen. At this point, the Troubleshooting wizard should automatically start scanning for problems in your computer. Once done, click on the ‘Apply this fix’ button, close the window and restart the computer. 

Method 2: Disable the Disappearing Feature in Windows 10

Disabling the disappearing feature on your Windows 10 PC can also help fix the “mouse randomly stops moving” problem. To begin with, you need to open the Start Menu on your Windows 10 computer, and then click on the Desktop icon. 

Next, you need to move the mouse cursor to the lower-right corner of the screen. On the menu window that pops up, click on the Settings icon, and then select the ‘Control Panel’ option. Under the ‘Hardware and Sound’ category, select the ‘View Devices and Printers’ option, and then click on the mouse icon. 

Navigate to the ‘Pointer options’ tab, positioned on the upper side of the Mouse Properties window that you opened in the previous step. Now uncheck the box adjacent to the ‘Hide pointer while typing’ option before clicking on the OK button. Once done, reboot the computer for the changes to the effect. 

Method 3: Configure Power Management Settings for the Mouse 

The Windows 10 operating system is designed to automatically close unnecessary drivers and processes running in the background in order to conserve power. If this happens to the mouse drivers on your computer, the mouse may stop functioning from time to time. 

To fix this issue, you only need to adjust the power management settings for the mouse accordingly. The following steps will help you accomplish this:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to launch a Run dialog box. Type devmgmt.msc into the dialog box and press the Enter key. This should open the Device Manager window. 

Step 2: Scroll down the Device Manager menu, and click on ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ to expand it. 

Step 3: Now double-click on the ‘USB Root Hub (USB 3.0)’ option to display its Properties. Ensure that the box next to the ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’ option is unchecked. 

Step 4: Once done, click on the OK button at the bottom of the window to save the changes and close the window. Finally, you need to reboot the computer for the changes to the effect. 

Method 4: Disable Enhance Pointer Precision Settings

If activated, the ‘Enhance Pointer Precision’ settings may also cause the mouse cursor to freeze from time to time. If this happens to be the problem, you need to disable this setting to fix the “mouse randomly stops moving” problem. 

Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings menu on your Windows 10 PC. Next, click on Devices on the Settings menu, and then select Mouse from the left pane of the window. On the right pane of the window, click on the ‘Additional mouse options’ link and navigate to the ‘Pointer Options’ tab. 

While on the Pointer Options menu, ensure that the box next to the ‘Enhance Pointer Precision’ heading is unchecked. Now check the box adjacent to the ‘Display Pointer Trails’ options, and then click OK. Close the window, restart the computer and check to see whether the mouse is working as it should. 

Method 5: Disable the HP Control Zone

If you are using an HP computer, the HP Control Zone may be the one causing the mouse to freeze or jump. As a matter of fact, a considerable number of users have been able to fix the mouse stops moving issue by just disabling this feature.  

In this regard, you need to launch the Settings menu by pressing the Windows + I keys simultaneously. Under the Settings menu, select Devices and then click on Mouse. This should launch the Properties window for the mouse. Now navigate to the ‘HP Control Zone’ tab on the Properties window. 

Towards the middle of this window, you will see the ‘Disable internal pointing device when the external USB pointing device is attached’ option. Check the box adjacent to this option, and then click on the Apply button. Finally, click OK to close the window. 

Method 6: Reinstall the Mouse Drivers 

In most cases, the “mouse randomly stops moving” issue is caused by outdated or corrupted drivers. In such a case, the appropriate solution would be to reinstall the mouse drivers on your computer. You may install the mouse drivers automatically using such tools as DriverFix. 

Alternatively, you just have to download and install the drivers manually, as follows: 

Step 1: Launch the Device Manager 

Press Windows + X keys at the same time, and then select the ‘Device Manager’ from the menu that comes up. Alternatively, you could just press the Windows key to bring up the Start menu and then search for Device Manager using the search bar.

Step 2: Uninstall Mouse Drivers 

Find and expand the ‘Mice and Other Pointing Devices’ category in your Device Manager. Now locate the Mouse, right-click on it and select ‘Uninstall device’ from the context menu that appears. This operation will uninstall the driver software, rendering the mouse unusable. 

As such, you will have to use the keyboard to navigate through the next steps. 

Step 3: Scan for Hardware Changes 

Since you already deactivated the mouse, you should use the keyboard for this step. For instance, you can use the arrow keys to navigate and select different items in a folder or the control panel. The Windows key launches the Start menu, and the Tab key can be used to navigate to various items in an application. 

Using the keyboard, select Mouse on the Device Manager, and select Action. Choose the ‘Scan for Hardware Changes’. If you are unable to access this menu using your keyboard, just restart the computer. Windows will automatically search for and install the right drivers. 

Method 7: Roll the Drivers Back to a Previous Version 

If you started getting the “mouse randomly stops moving” error after updating the mouse drivers, then the problem could be the driver installation files. The best way to fix such a problem would be to roll back the drivers to a version that previously worked. 

To begin with, press the Windows + X keys at the same time, and then select the Device Manager to open it. Next, expand the ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ category, and locate the problematic mouse. Double click on the mouse to open a Properties window. 

Navigate to the Driver tab on the Properties window, and then click on the ‘Roll Back Driver’ button. You should then follow the on-screen prompts to roll the driver back to the previous version. Once done, close the window and restart your computer for the changes to the effect. 

Method 8 Disable Additional Mouse Drivers 

The “mouse randomly stops moving Windows” problem may also be caused by a software conflict between pointing device drivers. If your cursor freezes momentarily or jumps from one point to another on its own, this could be the problem. 

In such a case, you should disable the additional mouse drivers from your computer. The following steps will help you accomplish this: 

Step 1: Press the Windows + X Keys combination and select Device Manager to launch it 

Step 2: Expand the ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ category on the Device Manager. If this operation displays multiple device entries, you need to disable the ones you are not currently using. 

Step 3: Select any of the additional drivers, right-click on it, and select ‘Disable device’ from the context menu that appears. When you get a prompt asking you to confirm this operation, click on Yes to continue. 

Step 4: Repeat step 3 for each of the additional mouse drivers on your computer to disable them. When you are done, you should only have the drivers for the mouse you are using enabled on your computer. 

Restart the computer, and check to see whether the mouse is now working without a problem. 

Method 9: Disable the Realtek HD Audio Manager 

On rare occasions, the Realtek HD Audio Manager may also lead to mouse cursor problems on your computer. If the above-discussed methods have not resolved the problem, you may need to prevent the Realtek HD Audio Manager from starting automatically at Startup.  

Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously to launch the Task Manager on your computer. Next, navigate to the Startup tab, and locate Realtek HD Audio Manager on the list of Startup programs displayed. Right-click on this entry, and select Disable. 

Once done, restart the computer, and check whether the “mouse randomly stops moving” problem has been fixed.

Method 10: Adjust Touchpad Delay Settings 

If you are using a laptop computer, wrong touchpad delay settings can cause the mouse pointer to jump from one point to another on its own. To change these settings, press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to launch the Settings menu. 

Next, click on devices and then select the ‘Mouse & touchpad’ tab. Click on Touchpad, and use the drop-down menu to change the delay. It is advisable to choose a higher value on the drop-down menu to increase the delay period. 

Method 11: Check for Signal Interference on a Wireless Mouse 

In most cases, a wireless mouse will freeze when the battery is low or something is interfering with its wireless signal. Wireless mice signals are susceptible to radiofrequency (RF) interference. Check to see whether a device emitting such signals is positioned in between the mouse and the computer. 

Such devices include wireless routers, headsets, keyboards, and phones. If the monitor is not properly shielded, it could also lead to an electrical interference of the mouse signals. Again, an object may be physically blocking the wireless mouse signals from reaching the computer. 

In either case, you need to remove the interference to fix the problem. Make sure that such interfering devices are placed far from the mouse. 

How to Fix the Mouse Randomly Stops Moving Mac Issue 

Is the mouse or Trackpad cursor on your macOS/OS X moving randomly on its own? First, try to switch off any non-Apple monitor(s) or any additional display you may have connected to the computer. Disconnecting the Bluetooth, and USB accessories connected to the computer may also fix the problem. 

If none of these seem to resolve the issue, the following methods will help you fix the mouse randomly stops moving issue in Mac: 

Method 1: Reboot into the Safe Boot Mode 

The Safe Mode in Mac features a programmed startup check and repair functionality, which is designed to fix minor issues automatically. To boot your Mac into the Safe mode, you first need to shut it down by selecting ‘Shut Down’ from the Apple menu. 

Next, press the Power button, whilst holding the Shift key on the keyboard to boot the computer into the Safe Boot mode. You will be prompted with the login screen where you are supposed to enter your credentials to sign in. 

The process may take a while as the computer automatically scans for and fixes the problem. Once the computer has booted into the work area, you can now reboot it. Check to see whether the error message has cleared. 

Method 2: Reconfigure Accessibility Options

From the settings menu, select Preferences, and then Accessibility. Next, you need to select the ‘Mouse and Trackpad’ option from the Accessibility settings menu. At this point, you should click on the check box adjacent to ‘Ignore built-in Trackpad when mouse or wireless Trackpad is present’ to check it. 

You can now restart the computer and check whether the mouse is working as it should. 

Method 3: Reset the SMC Settings 

The System Management Controller (SMC) is a component within the macOS that controls a host of things within the system, including the thermals, battery, and display settings. Resetting these settings can resolve the mouse cursor freezes on Mac.

The right procedure for resetting the SMC will mainly depend on the type of device you have, and whether it has a removable or non-removable battery. For instance, all the MacBook Pro computers produced after 2009 feature a non-removable battery. 

Depending on the type of device you have, the following steps will help you fix the mouse randomly stops moving issue on Mac:

How to Reset SMC in MacBook Pro with a Removable Battery 

Shut the computer down by selecting the ‘Shut Down’ option from the Apple menu. Next, you need to remove the battery from the MacBook Pro device, as directed in the user manual. With the battery removed, press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to drain the capacitors. 

Now replace the battery and press the Power button to start the computer. This process hard resets the device, effectively clearing any temporary files that may be corrupted. Once the computer has started, check to see whether the cursor problem has been resolved. 

How to Reset SMC in a MacBook Pro with a Non-removable Battery 

Click on the Apple menu on the MacBook screen and select ‘Shut Down’ from the menu. After the device has shut down, press and hold the Shift + Control + Option keys simultaneously, alongside the Power button. 

Keep holding all the keys down for about 10 seconds to effectively reset the SMC settings. After 10 seconds, you can release all the buttons. Now press the Power button alone to power the computer up. Check to see whether the mouse cursor freezes or jumps randomly problem has been fixed. 

How to Reset SMC in Mac mini, iMac, Xserve, and Mac Pro

If you are using any of these devices, the procedure for resetting the SMC settings is rather similar. To begin with, you need to shut the device down by selecting ‘Shut Down’ from the Apple menu. Next, unplug the power cord connecting the device to the power socket. 

Keep the device disconnected for about 15 seconds to drain the capacitors. Now plug the power cord back into the power socket, and wait for about 5 seconds before starting it. You can now press the Power button to start the device. 

After the device boots up, check to see whether the cursor stays in place. 

Method 4: Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac

The cursor problem on your Mac may also be triggered by faulty NVRAM or PRAM settings. The nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM) is a storage location for settings that need to be accessed quickly. 

Both NVRAM and PRAM store such settings as display resolution, sound volume, startup-disk selection, recent kernel panic information, and time zone. Note that resetting the NVRAM or PRAM will not cause you to lose your data.

The procedure for resetting the NVRAM and PRAM is the same, and is as follows: 

Step 1: Click on the Apple Menu and select ‘Shut Down’ to shut the computer down

Step 2: Press the Power button to turn the computer back on, and immediately press, and hold down the Option + Command + P + R keys at the same time. 

Step 3: Wait for about 20 seconds or until you hear the startup sound before releasing the four keys. During this period, your Mac might appear to restart (wait until the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time before releasing the keys). 

Final Verdict 

The “mouse cursor randomly freezes or jumps on its own” issue occurs on both Windows and Mac computers. It may be caused by several things, ranging from corrupted/outdated mouse drivers to misconfigured settings on the computer. 

In rare cases, the issue may arise simply because you are using the mouse on an uneventful surface. If the mouse hardware components appear to be alright, the above-described methods will help you fix the mouse randomly stops issue in both Mac and Windows systems.

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