How to Fix the Windows 10 Mouse Lag (Working Solutions)

For end-users, life without a mouse is next to impossible. Although you might prefer using the keyboard as much as possible when it comes to using specific apps, there’s no way you can get around on a Windows computer without the little rat.

It stands to reason that a mouse needs to work well, and exceptionally so. Any lag will frustrate users on a good day, and on a bad day, it will make it impossible to work or play. If you’re experiencing a Windows 10 mouse lag, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem.

How do you fix the mouse lag in Windows 10?

A mouse, whether it’s wired or wireless, can start to lag but you will find it’s more a problem with a wireless device. Still, if your wired mouse is lagging, you can try some of the fixes below as well. They will be just as effective.

Here are 10 possible fixes for the Windows 10 mouse lag problem

1. Check the battery

This is for a wireless mouse. A wireless mouse is either charged or it runs on batteries that need to be changed. Charge the mouse if it’s that sort of a device. Change the battery if it that’s what it runs on.

1. Flip your mouse over and check for a panel that can slide out.
2. Slide it out, and pop out the battery in it.
3. Replace it with new batteries of matching size e.g., replace AA batteries with AA batteries.
4. Remove the dongle for the mouse, and restart your PC.
5. Connect the dongle, and the mouse should be working like normal.

2. Check drivers: Synaptics, Elan, and Generic

Windows 10 will normally install generic drivers for a mouse, or it will go with Synaptics. The drivers are not updated often and can cause problems down the line at any point. It’s a good idea to know which driver is recommended for your mouse.

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Expand the Mouse and other pointing devices group of devices.
3. Right-click your mouse, and select Update Driver from the context menu.
4. Allow Windows 10 to install any driver that it recommends.
5. Restart your PC.

3. Check mouse driver options

If you have a proprietary mouse driver i.e., Synaptics or Elan installed, it will have additional settings that you should check to fix mouse lag on Windows 10.

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Go to Hardware and Sound.
3. Select Mouse.
4. Check the Mouse properties window for a tab called Synaptics or Elan.
5. Explore the settings; it might help to disable the touchpad if you’ve connected a USB pointing device, or anything similar.
6. Restart the PC after making changes.

4. Disable fast Startup

Fast Startup is a Windows 10 feature that, per its name, makes starting your PC a lot faster. It comes at a cost; your system doesn’t shut down properly when you shut it down. A temporary fix is to restart your PC. A more permanent one is to disable fast Startup.

1. Open the Power Options panel in Control Panel.
2. Click ‘Choose what closing the lid does’ in the column on the left.
3. Click ‘Change settings that are currently unavailable‘.
4. Scroll down, and uncheck ‘Turn on fast startup (Recommended)‘, and click Save changes.
5. Restart your PC.

5. Uninstall/reinstall mouse

Uninstalling and reinstalling the mouse can help sort out lag.

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Go to the Mouse and other pointing devices group of devices and expand it.
3. Right-click your mouse, and select Uninstall device.
4. Once uninstalled, remove the dongle that you use to connect the mouse to your PC.
5. Restart or force shut down and boot up the PC.
6. When you’re back on the desktop, connect the dongle to your PC.
7. Windows 10 will install the driver again and the lag should go away.

6. Change port

Desktop and laptop computers generally have two types of USB ports; USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Most ports will be USB 3.0 but your mouse may not be able to support the speed of the port.

First, identify the USB ports on your PC/laptop. Once you know which is the USB 2.0 port, connect the dongle to it, and restart your PC.

7. Lag in games/apps

If your mouse works fine on the desktop but starts to lag in a particular app or a game, you don’t have a mouse lag problem. You have an app, or a system resources problem.

1. Check the app settings for the game you’re having trouble with and optimize anything related to the mouse e.g. sensitivity.
2. Increase memory allocation. Some apps allow users to allocate memory for the app. Increase it to as much as you can.
3. Reduce the frame rate. This one is specifically for games. Decreasing the frame rate might make the mouse work more smoothly.
4. Try to quit any apps that you’re not using while you’re playing games or using the app that experiences mouse lag. Freeing up system resources will help reduce lag.

8. Remove extenders and hubs

If you’re using an extension wire of some sort to connect a mouse to your Windows 10 PC or laptop, remove it and connect the mouse directly to a port. Likewise, if you’re using a USB hub, remove it and again connect the mouse directly to your system. Restart it after changing the port.

9. Power Management for Mouse

Change the power management options for the mouse so that Windows 10 doesn’t power it off to save energy. Sometimes, when it starts working again, it doesn’t work as well.

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Expand the Mouse and other pointing devices group of devices.
3. Double-click your mouse to open its settings.
4. Go to the Power Management tab.
5. Uncheck the ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’.
6. Restart the PC.

10. Try a different mouse

A mouse, like any other hardware, can break. Modern mouse devices are a bit more sensitive if dropped. Try using a different mouse to see if the problem goes away. If it does, you have a hardware problem and the mouse needs to be replaced.

Which one fixed your mouse lag?

Mouse lag is somewhat simple to troubleshoot. Often, the right driver is all you need to fix problems with it and it’s generally a good idea to use proprietary drivers instead of generic ones. It’s unfortunate the Windows 10 doesn’t have a troubleshooter for the mouse but you can try running the general hardware troubleshooter if the lag doesn’t go away.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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