Some Cursors not updating according to custom cursor scheme

Question

Some Cursors not updating according to custom cursor scheme

Timi Abenemi 20

On my Windows 11 PC, I changed my default cursor scheme and noticed that all the cursors applied the update except for the Pan cursor, grab cursor, zoom in and zoom out cursors didn't change. When I opened Mouse Properties. Under Pointers, there are no sections to change each of these cursors, unlike the remaining ones. I have tested this with a different scheme but got the same results.

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Answer accepted by question author

Vikki-T 13,320 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Timi Abenemi,

I understand why this is confusing, especially since the rest of the cursor scheme changes correctly.

The Pointers tab can only customize the pointer roles shown in its Customize list. Since Pan, Grab, Zoom In, and Zoom Out are not listed there, Windows does not provide a separate option to assign cursor files to them through Mouse Properties.

Could you let me know where these unchanged cursors appear, such as in a browser, PDF reader, image editor, or another specific application? If they appear only within one application, that application may be displaying its own cursors rather than using the Windows cursor scheme. In that case, it would be worth checking the application’s Accessibility, Appearance, or navigation settings.

You can also compare the same action in another application. If the cursor looks different there, that would help confirm that the cursor is controlled by the individual application.

For reference, Microsoft’s documented pointer customization options are available under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Additional mouse settings > Pointers: Change mouse settings

If the same unchanged cursors also appear across multiple applications or elsewhere in the Windows interface, please share the application names and your Windows version/build so the behavior can be investigated further. Thank you so much for your understanding.

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Timi Abenemi 20 Reputation points

2026-10-23T11:55:30.6933333+00:00

The cursors are different on different applications. They all vary but none use the scheme probably because of what you said earlier. Thanks for the help
Vikki-T 13,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-23T14:22:34.51+00:00

Hi Timi Abenemi,

Thank you for confirming the results of your testing. Since the cursors vary between applications, this indicates that they are being provided by each application rather than by the Windows cursor scheme.

Unless an application includes its own cursor customization option, those particular cursors will not follow the scheme selected in Mouse Properties. I’m glad the explanation helped clarify the behavior.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Timi Abenemi 20 Reputation points

2026-10-23T11:55:30.6933333+00:00

The cursors are different on different applications. They all vary but none use the scheme probably because of what you said earlier. Thanks for the help
Vikki-T 13,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-23T14:22:34.51+00:00

Hi Timi Abenemi,

Thank you for confirming the results of your testing. Since the cursors vary between applications, this indicates that they are being provided by each application rather than by the Windows cursor scheme.

Unless an application includes its own cursor customization option, those particular cursors will not follow the scheme selected in Mouse Properties. I’m glad the explanation helped clarify the behavior.

Answer 1

Mouse Properties can change only the standard pointer roles shown under Pointers > Customize; Pan, Grab, Zoom In, and Zoom Out are typically selected by the application displaying them and therefore may not follow a Windows cursor scheme.

Windows exposes standard roles such as Normal Select, Text Select, Busy, Move, resize pointers, and Link Select. Microsoft documents that users can replace these standard cursors system-wide, while applications can create and display their own custom cursors or override a window’s cursor. ^1^

In particular:

Pan/Grab: Windows app guidance describes open and closed grasping-hand cursors for panning, but an app can supply those images itself. ^2^
Zoom In/Zoom Out: These are not among the documented system cursor roles exposed through Mouse Properties, so they are typically application-defined.
An application can change the displayed cursor in response to the pointer’s location or current operation, overriding its normal class cursor. ^3^

What to do

Identify the application in which each unchanged cursor appears.
Check that application’s Settings, Preferences, Accessibility, or Appearance section for cursor or navigation controls.
If it has no cursor customization option, its Pan/Grab/Zoom images cannot be replaced through the Windows pointer-scheme interface. The application developer would need to expose such an option or change the cursors it uses.
Test the same action in another application. Different cursor images between applications confirm that the cursor is being supplied by the application rather than by the Windows scheme.

The documented Windows path—Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Additional mouse settings > Pointers—only permits individual replacement of pointers present in the Customize list. ^4^ Because the roles you named are absent from that list, trying another scheme would not make application-supplied versions change. This behavior by itself does not indicate a Windows fault.

If the unchanged cursors occur in a specific Microsoft or third-party application, its name and version are needed to determine whether that application provides a supported customization setting.

References