Troubleshooting Mouse Lag: My Journey to Smooth Performance on a P51 ThinkPad

After dedicating over 50 frustrating hours to resolving mouse lag on my new P51 ThinkPad, I finally identified a significant improvement: removing Cortana. This change helped alleviate approximately 75% of my mouse lag issues, especially while I was engaged with Flash-based presentations in Chrome for work. However, I still haven’t achieved the smoothness I desire and am eager to explore additional solutions for that remaining 25%.

The Struggle with Mouse Lag

From the moment I started utilizing my new computer, I encountered persistent mouse stuttering—particularly while interacting with slides generated by Flash. This disruption has made it challenging to maintain my productivity during work hours. To address the problem, I have employed a variety of strategies. I’ve gone through extensive troubleshooting, including:

• Updating Drivers: Ensuring that both my system and applications are running the latest versions.
• Reinstalling Software: A complete refresh of the applications I rely on for my work.
• System Restore: Performing a full wipe and restoration of my operating system to eliminate any potential glitches.

Despite my efforts, the mouse still experiences lag, especially within Flash presentations. Every few seconds, I face a frustrating stutter as I navigate.

Finding Partial Relief

Interestingly, I discovered that disabling Cortana led to an instant reduction in mouse lag. While this change has greatly improved my experience, I still encounter issues, particularly when the cursor is on the Flash-generated slides. It’s worth noting that resizing the working window or scaling down the slides temporarily alleviates the problem, but these are not sustainable solutions for my needs, as visibility on the slides is crucial for my work tasks.

Seeking Additional Solutions

At this point, I’m reaching out to the community for guidance. If anyone has dealt with similar mouse lag issues, especially related to Flash content, I’d greatly appreciate your insights. What additional steps can I take to troubleshoot and ideally resolve the remaining lag?

So far, the feedback I’ve received has been helpful, and I have implemented many suggestions. However, the challenge persists: my mouse remains smooth and responsive everywhere outside of the Flash slides. The moment I hover over those areas, the stuttering reappears.

I’m keen to tap into the collective wisdom of fellow tech enthusiasts and troubleshooters. What more can I try? Your assistance could lead to solutions that benefit not only my experience but potentially others