Common Mouse Pointers

Whuzzup with the mouse pointer? It keeps changing shape when I drag it around the desktop. Sometimes it just changes on its own and I didn't do anything! What does it mean? Pointer meaning and shape (no scheme) MEANING POINTER SHAPE Normal Select Help Select Working in background Busy Precision Select Text Select Handwriting Unavailable Vertical Resize Horizontal Resize Diagonal Resize 1 Diagonal Resize 2 Move Alternate Select Link Select The mouse pointers above are the out-of-the-box variety you see the first time Windows is fired up. If you have changed pointer schemes or desktop schemes, you may have different looking pointers. How do I change pointers? You can change pointer schemes by opening the Mouse Properties dialog box at the Pointers tab. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Mouse, and then click the Pointers tab. Need larger pointers? Just double-click on the Mouse item in the Control Panel, click on the Pointers tab, then click on the drop-down Scheme menu. Choose from 3-D, Animated Hourglasses, Large and Extra Large pointer schemes. How do I change desktop schemes? You can change desktop schemes by right-clicking on the desktop in an empty area and then click on Properties. When the Display Properties dialog opens, select the Appearance tab. Choose Desktop in the Item dropdown list box and then choose a scheme in the Scheme dropdown list box. Click on Apply to save your changes. For more information on pointers, click the Windows Start button and choose Help. Select the Index tab and type pointer in as a keyword. It's that simple! Top of page last modified Monday December 20 2004 © 2000 - David Seibold