Pointer Issue

[JuliaDream]

I have Windows 11 on a Pavilion laptop. When moving my finger over the touchpad, the mouse will disappear and re-appear quite often. I will move it over a text box to type something in and the pointer isn't there. It changes to just the vertical line rather than the pointer. This happens on different sites, on the internet, off the internet, etc. It's driving me nuts. When it happens I have to just click somewhere when I think I'm in the text box and then use the arrows to get to the place I want to type. In review, the pointer turns into just the vertical line that is pretty much invisible. I have checked for driver updates (there were none) and Windows updates (nothing that pertained to this problem).

[zoey7886]

@JuliaDream, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding the pointer issue! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

I understand how frustrating it can be when your cursor disappears or changes unexpectedly while using your HP Pavilion 16-ag0000 laptop. Let’s try a few troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue.

Reinstall or Roll Back the Touchpad Driver

1. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Right-click on the Touchpad driver (Synaptics, ELAN, or Precision Touchpad).
4. Click Uninstall device, then restart your PC.
5. If the issue started after an update, try rolling back the driver:
   • Right-click the driver again, go to Properties > Driver, and click Roll Back Driver (if available).

Test in Safe Mode

Boot your laptop in Safe Mode to check if third-party software is causing the issue:

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
2. Under the Boot tab, check Safe boot and select Minimal.
3. Click OK, then restart your laptop.
4. If the issue does not occur in Safe Mode, a third-party app may be interfering. Consider disabling startup apps or performing a clean boot.  

Let me know how it goes!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[JuliaDream]

I tried what you suggested and the problem still occurs. It has been like this since I got the computer so maybe it's just that something was poorly built and there's nothing that can be done about it. If you have any other thoughts, though, I would LOVE to get this fixed. It is SO annoying and slows down productivity more than you would think.

[zoey7886]

@JuliaDream, Thanks for getting back and letting us know what you've tried so far! I totally get how frustrating this must be—having your pointer vanish when you need it the most can definitely slow things down. But don’t worry, we’ll keep troubleshooting and see if we can get this sorted out for you!

Since the issue has been there from the start, it might be a setting or a compatibility quirk rather than a hardware defect. Let’s try a couple more things:

Adjust Pointer Settings

Sometimes, Windows hides the pointer in certain scenarios. Let’s check your settings:

• Open Control Panel and go to Mouse (or search for “Mouse settings” in the Start menu).
• Click on the Pointer Options tab.
• Uncheck "Hide pointer while typing" (if it’s checked).
• Click Apply and OK, then restart your laptop to see if it helps.

Disable Enhanced Pointer Precision

• Go to Mouse Settings again.
• Under the Pointer Options tab, uncheck “Enhance pointer precision.”
• Apply the changes and test if the issue persists.

Try a Different User Profile

To rule out any profile-specific settings, try creating a new user account:

• Open Settings > Accounts > Other Users and add a new local user.
• Log in with the new account and check if the problem still happens.

External Mouse Test

• If you haven’t already, try plugging in an external USB or Bluetooth mouse. If the external mouse works fine but the touchpad still has issues, it could be a driver conflict or a hardware-related touchpad sensitivity setting.

If none of these work, let me know, and we can explore further options, including a BIOS update or advanced driver reinstall. I know it’s a hassle, but I really appreciate your patience!

Looking forward to your update—let’s get this fixed! 😊

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[JuliaDream]

Thank you for working with me on this! I tried everything except the external mouse because I no longer have one. Nothing worked. Would it be worth getting a mouse? I can't imagine they're that expensive these days. I'll do whatever it takes to resolve this issue.

[zoey7886]

@JuliaDream, Thank you for sticking with me through all the troubleshooting steps—we really appreciate your patience! 😊

I totally get how frustrating it must be to have your pointer disappear right when you need it the most. Since the issue has been there from the beginning, it’s possible that it’s related to a setting or driver compatibility rather than a hardware defect.

Before we dive deeper, would you be able to borrow an external mouse from a friend or family member, just to test if the issue persists? This will help us figure out if the problem is isolated to the touchpad or if it’s a more general pointer issue. If the external mouse works fine, we can narrow it down to a touchpad-specific setting or driver.

Let me know how it goes! We’ll get to the bottom of this together. 👍

Take care, and I’m looking forward to your update!

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[JuliaDream]

I'm sorry it's taken me a while to respond. I tried a mouse and have the same problem.

[Kuroi_Kenshi · Accepted solution]

Hi @JuliaDream,

Thank you for the response:

Since even an external mouse is affected and the cursor vanishes or turns into the text cursor (I-beam), the problem likely isn't hardware... it's software, display rendering, or even a weird UI glitch in Windows 11. Let me walk you through what we can do next, step by step

Turn Off Pointer Disappearance Completely

Even though this was partly tried, let's do the full reset:

Press Windows + R, type main.cpl, and hit Enter.

Go to Pointer Options.

Uncheck:

"Hide pointer while typing"

"Enhance pointer precision"

Go to the Pointers tab, and select a different scheme like Windows Black (system scheme) to make the pointer more visible.

Click Apply > OK.

This changes the default scheme in case the I-beam or visibility settings are bugged.

Disable Tablet/Input Pen Services

Sometimes Windows thinks you're in tablet or stylus input mode, making the pointer change behavior.

Press Win + R → type services.msc

Look for Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service

Right-click → Properties → Set Startup type to Disabled

Stop the service → Apply → OK

Then restart your laptop and test the mouse behavior again.

Check Display Scaling & Graphics Settings

Right-click on desktop > Display settings

Make sure Display scaling is at 100% or 125% (avoid weird scaling like 110% or 150%).

Scroll to Graphics Settings

Turn Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling OFF (if it's on).

Restart after changing these.

Check for Conflicting Accessibility Settings

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch

Make the pointer bigger or change color (temporarily to something vibrant like red or green)

This forces Windows to re-render the cursor layer.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[JuliaDream]

Thank you for all the steps to try. Actually, the first thing I did was change the cursor to black and that seems to have fixed it!  Thank you for all your help.

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @JuliaDream 

That's wonderful to hear! Changing the cursor to black was a smart move—it can definitely make it more visible and reduce frustration.

I'm glad the issue is resolved and you're back to navigating smoothly.

If you ever need help with anything else, whether it's tech-related or just something you'd like to brainstorm, I'm here to assist! 😊 

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye