Mouse acting as an “eraser” after switching tabs/screens

Troubleshooting Persistent Mouse Behavior: When Your Cursor Acts as an “Eraser” After Switching Tabs or Screens

Experiencing unexpected cursor behavior can be both frustrating and disruptive, especially when it persists over an extended period. Recently, a user shared a perplexing issue: their mouse appears to behave as an “eraser” after switching between different tabs or screens. This phenomenon has been ongoing for several weeks, prompting a series of troubleshooting steps and questions about underlying causes.

Background of the Issue

The user built their PC on June 20, 2025, and is utilizing specific hardware components:
– Graphics Card: ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070
– Monitor: Acer SB240Y

Since setting up the system, the user has encountered a recurring problem: after switching between applications, browser tabs, or displays, the mouse cursor sometimes behaves unpredictably, akin to an “eraser” that somehow distorts or disappears as if erasing parts of the screen or input. Despite various troubleshooting efforts, the underlying cause remains elusive.

What Has Been Tried?

To resolve the issue, the user has undertaken several standard troubleshooting steps:
– System Restart: Restarted the computer multiple times to reset potential temporary glitches.
– Driver Updates: Verified that all device drivers, particularly graphics and input device drivers, are up to date.
– Display Settings Adjustments: Modified display configurations in an attempt to identify any settings that could be influencing cursor behavior.

Despite these measures, the problem persists, suggesting that the cause may not be related to simple software glitches or outdated drivers.

Potential Causes and Considerations

Given the details, several factors could contribute to such an erratic mouse behavior:

Graphics Driver or Hardware Conflicts: Even with updated drivers, conflicts or corruption may cause visual anomalies that affect mouse cursor rendering.
Hardware Issues: Faulty peripherals, such as a malfunctioning mouse or USB port issues, could cause erratic cursor behavior. Testing with a different mouse or port might help identify the problem.
Display or Screen Calibration Problems: Certain display settings, resolution mismatches, or scaling issues, especially when switching between screens or applications, could impact cursor appearance.
Software Conflicts or Background Processes: Some background applications or overlay software could interfere with cursor rendering or input processing.
Graphics Card or Monitor Compatibility: Compatibility issues between the GPU and monitor, or with specific display configurations