Ramp-Up Productivity by Increasing Your Mouse Pointer Speed

by James Kirk

Occasionally I will sit down at someone’s desk and find that their mouse pointer is far too slow, and that it requires too much effort to move their mouse pointer across the screen. It may be great hand exercise, but it must also be slowing these people down. As we spend so much time using our mice or touch-pads as our primary interface to Windows; after receiving a new machine it makes sense to visit the options associated with our mouse pointers (in control panel) to see if some changes might be in order.

By default, the pointer speed setting in Windows is set in the middle range; but for many mice and trackballs this is not fast enough. Increasing your pointer speed means that a small movement of the mouse will produce a greater movement in the pointer’s movement. Fortunately it is easy to find your way to these controls.

In Windows 10 you can simply click the start button and start typing the word “mouse”. Click on the icon/area for a selection called “Mouse Settings”, then “Additional mouse options” near upper right side of screen. Once there, click on the “Pointer Options” tab.

Try moving the point speed slider to the right a few clicks then hitting, “Apply”. Test your new pointer speed settings out. Make additional adjustments as needed. It could take some time to get accustomed to a faster speed before moving it up further. Over time you can determine the fastest speed that works for you.

Before leaving the mouse settings, take a look around these tabs to see if there are any other changes you would like to make. If you have trouble finding your pointer at times, you may want to try making your pointer larger, turning on “pointer trails, or other changes.