The default Window mouse pointer setup should suffice for most of your computer work, but you can change things up if you feel like a refresh is on the cards. If you want to boost visibility of your mouse pointer on Windows 10, or if you’re simply looking to make the cursor stand out a little more on a bright background, you can enable the mouse pointer shadow.

And if that sounds complicated, it's anything but. In just a few steps, you can set your mouse cursor to drop a shadow. Here are two ways to do it.

How to Enable or Disable the Mouse Pointer Shadow via System Settings

Mouse pointer shadow can be enabled (and disabled) via Windows’ advanced system settings. It is here that you can change settings related to user profiles and performance in Windows 10. To enable or disable the shadow under the mouse pointer in Windows 10, perform the following steps.

  1. Click on the Start menu, type ‘control panel,’ and click on the first option that surfaces.
  2. Access the Control Panel from the Start menu
    Make sure you’re viewing the Control Panel by items, either large or small icons.
  3. View Control Panel by Items
    Click on System, and on the left panel, go to Advanced system settings.
  4. Advanced System Settings
    Under the Advanced tab, click on the Performance settings.
  5. Tweak visual effect and other performance settings
    Under the Visual Effects tab and check the box for Show shadows under mouse pointer.
Turn on or off mouse pointer shadow

Use the same method to disable the mouse pointer shadow.

How to Enable or Disable Mouse Pointer Shadow via Mouse Settings

If you’re a bit cautious about inadvertently messing up other system settings, use this next method to enable or disable your mouse pointer shadow in Windows 10. There are not many other options to toggle here, so you can be sure you’re changing only what you intended to. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Click on the Start menu, type ‘control panel,’ and click on the first option that Windows throws up.
  2. Again, make sure you’re viewing the Control Panel by items.
  3. Click on the Mouse option to customize your mouse settings.
  4. Windows 10 Mouse Settings
    Browse to the Pointers tab below the section to customize the mouse pointer, and check the Enable pointer shadow box.
Enable or disable mouse pointer shadow

Once again, you can use this same set of steps to disable your mouse pointer shadow.

Make Your Mouse Pointer More Visible

It’s simple enough to enable or disable the mouse pointer shadow on Windows 10, whether you want to make it slightly more visible or just to give your Windows experience a little more flavor. If you’re looking for a bigger cosmetic change when customizing your mouse, you can even switch out all the Windows 10 default mouse pointer styles for custom mouse cursors that suit you better.