If your mouse cursor disappears in the Google Chrome web browser, here are some workable solutions to assist you in resolving the issue.

Introduction

You’re browsing through YouTube on Google Chrome for an interesting video to watch. You’ve finally found a video that peaks your interest. You’re directing the mouse cursor to click on the video……….and the cursor goes missing. What!? You shake the mouse frantically and the cursor appears at the bottom of the screen over the Taskbar. Great, it’s back! Time to click on that video……….and the cursor disappeared again……….as soon as it hovered over Google Chrome. What is wrong with that darn mouse cursor?

Description of Problem

There is a bug relating to the Google Chrome web browser in which the mouse cursor disappears whenever it hovers over the application window. The cursor is visible anywhere else outside of the Google Chrome window, yet it disappears as soon as it crosses into the border of the window. This bug is a graphical issue in nature and stems from a fault in the coding of the Google Chrome application or the communication between the application and the Windows Operating System (mostly Windows 10).

Solutions

Let us take a look at some proven solutions to the problem of the disappearing mouse cursor in Google Chrome.

1. Restart Google Chrome

When the mouse cursor disappears in Google Chrome, one of the first solutions to attempt is to restart the web browser. This can be accomplished by simply closing the Google Chrome application then reopen it.

There is a built-in function of the Google Chrome application which performs a quick restart of the web browser by typing a simple text into the URL (Address) Bar. Restarting the web browser this way ensures that all opened tabs will be restored while completely ending and loading a fresh copy of the Google Chrome executable into the system memory. Here’s how to perform the built-in Google Chrome restart function.

1. In the Google Chrome window, type chrome://restart in the URL (Address) bar at the top of the window.

2. Press the Enter key

After pressing the Enter key, Google Chrome will close then reopen with all tabs restored.

If restarting the Google Chrome application does not solve the problem, move unto the next solution.

2. End Google Chrome Process

Ending the Google Chrome application in the Task Manager will remove its executable from the system memory so that it can be reopened glitch-free. Here’s how to remove the Google Chrome executable from system memory using the Task Manager.

1. Open the Task Manager.

Quick Note:

One of the quickest means to open the Task Manager is through the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Right-click on the Taskbar to open the Taskbar Menu, then click on Task Manager in the menu.

2. In the minimized Task Manager window, click on More details

Quick Note:

When opening the Task Manager for the first time since your computer booted Windows, it will be opened in a minimized view as illustrated in the image above. If the Task Manager opened in its expanded view as in the image below, skip this step.

3. In the expanded Task Manager window, click on the Processes tab 

4. On the Processes tab, search for and select Google Chrome from the list of processes

5. Once the Google Chrome process is selected, click the End task button 

6. You will be given a warning in a dialog box; click the End process button

If more Google Chrome processes continue to exist after you have ended some of its processes, use the same procedure to ensure that all Google Chrome processes have ended. After successfully closing all Google Chrome processes, reopen Google Chrome.

If ending the Google Chrome processes from the system memory does not solve the problem, move unto the next solution.

3. Delete Google Chrome Cache and Browsing Data

Web browsers store files from previously visited webpages on your computer called Cache. Cache allows the web browser to quickly load previously visited webpages whenever you revisit them. Sometimes, a large storage of old and obsolete Cache is the cause of some problems in the performance of web browsers, including Google Chrome.

If the mouse cursor disappears over the Google Chrome application window, deleting the Cache may assist in solving this visual glitch and/or many other glitches. Here’s how to delete the Cache in the Google Chrome web browser.

1. In the Google Chrome window, click on the More Option icon

Quick Note:

The More Option icon is basically an image of three vertically aligned dots which reveals additional options. The More Option icon is found at the top-right section of the application window as illustrated in the image to the right.

2. In the More Option menu, click on Settings

3. On the Settings page, click on Privacy and security found in the Left Pane

4. Under the Privacy and security heading, click on Clear browsing data

5. In the Clear browsing data window, click on the Basic tab

6. Click on the Time range drop-down menu and select All time

7. Ensure that the Cached images and files checkbox is ticked (You can choose to allow the Browsing history and the Cookies and other site data checkboxes to remain ticked)

8. Click on the Clear data button

9. Restart Google Chrome after deletion is completed

If deleting the Cache in Google Chrome does not solve the problem, move unto the next solution.

4. Disable Hardware Acceleration in Google Chrome

The Hardware Acceleration feature in Google Chrome improves the overall performance of the web browser while sometimes having a graphical side effect. When the mouse cursor disappears over the Google Chrome window, it is possibly one of the side effects of hardware acceleration.

Some people who have experienced this problem have solved the issue by turning off the Hardware Acceleration feature in the web browser. Here’s how to disable Hardware Acceleration in Google Chrome.

1. In the Google Chrome window, click on the More Option icon

2. In the More Option menu, click on Settings

3. On the Settings page, search for and expand the Advanced category found in the Left Pane

4. In the expanded Advanced category, click on System

5. Under the System heading, turn off the Use hardware acceleration when available toggle switch. Doing so will reveal a Relaunch button near the switch

6. Click on the Relaunch button

Clicking on the Relaunch button will reopen Google Chrome with the Hardware Acceleration feature. Based on the capabilities of your computer system, you may experience a change in the performance and graphical quality of the web browser.

If disabling the Hardware Acceleration feature in Google Chrome did not solve the problem, move unto the next solution.

5. Reinstall the Google Chrome application

One or more of the files associated with Google Chrome can become corrupted, thus the mouse cursor disappears within the application window. Completely uninstalling and reinstalling the Google Chrome application may assist in replacing the corrupted files. Here’s how to uninstall then reinstall the Google Chrome application.

Step 1: Uninstall the Google Chrome application

1. Open Windows Settings from the Start Menu

Quick Note:

One of the means to open the Windows Settings is through the Start Menu. Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Windows icon found at the bottom-left corner of the screen. In the Start Menu, click on the Settings icon, which is the image of a gearwheel as illustrated in the image above.

2. In the Windows Settings window, click on Apps

3. On the Apps page, click on Apps & features found in the Left Pane

4. On the Apps and features page, scroll down and search for the Google Chrome application

5. Click on the Google Chrome application to expand for more options

6. On the expanded Google Chrome application options, click on the Uninstall button

7. Follow the instructions

Once the Google Chrome web browser is uninstalled, reinstall the application

Step 2: Install the Google Chrome application

1. On another Web Browser, visit Google Chrome’s official webpage

2. Click on the Download Chrome button on the webpage to begin the download of the Google Chrome Installer

3. In the Web Browser’s Download Page, double-click and run the Google Chrome Installer application (ChromeSetup.exe) which was downloaded

4. Follow the instructions and the Installer will download and install the latest version of the Google Chrome Web Browser application

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