8 Fixes When the Text Cursor Turns White on Windows 11

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Basic Fixes:

Fix 1: Update the Mouse Properties to Use beam_r

Updating the mouse properties is one of the most effective ways of fixing the cursor problem. Specific mouse settings may cause the cursor to turn white, so follow the steps below to update them.

Step 1:Click the magnifying lens on the Taskbar, typemouse, and click theMouse Settingsoption.

Step 2:Scroll down and clickAdditional mouse settings.

Step 3:Click thePointerstab, clickText Selectin theCustomizecategory, and click theBrowsebutton.

Step 4:Selectbeam_rand clickOpen.

Step 5:ClickApplyandOKon the Mouse properties windows.

Fix 2: Disable the Registry’s Multi-Plane Overlay Key

The Multi-Plane Overplay (MPO) is a function that helps enhance graphics rendering on Windows devices starting from Windows 8. It does so by offloading certain rendering tasks to a dedicated overlay plane. However, the MPO may interfere with how the cursor is rendered and can turn your cursor white on Windows 11.

You may disable the MPO from the Registry editor, but you should back up your registry before making the changes in case you need to revert it.

Step 1:PressWindows+Rto open the Run dialog, typeRegedit, and hitEnter.

Step 2:Navigate to the path below.

Step 3:Right-click a Space on the right pane, clickNewandDWORD (32-bit) Value, then name the newly created valueOverlayTestMode.

Step 4:Double-clickOverlayTestModeand give it aValue dataof5, clickOK, then restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

Fix 3: Enable Show Location of Pointer When I Press Ctrl Key

Windows has a feature that allows the cursor to show when you press the Ctrl key. This may not be a permanent fix, but it will always help you know the position of your cursor, even when it turns white.

Step 1:Click the magnifying lens on the Taskbar, typemouse, and click theMouse Settingsoption.

Step 2:Scroll down and clickAdditional mouse settings.

Step 3:Click thePointers Optiontab, tick theShow Location of Pointer When I Press Ctrl Keyoption, then clickApplyandOK.

Fixes if Cursor Turns White in Google Docs, Word or Other Online Apps

While this problem may happen with built-in applications, having the cursor turn white when you use online tools is also prevalent. If this is the case, you should try any of the following fixes:

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Last updated on 30 August, 2024

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