Windows 11 Disappearing Text Caret Fix in Text Boxes

If your mouse cursor vanishes the moment you click into a text box on Windows 11, you’re not alone — the problem has hit a wide swath of users, is usually software‑side, and in most cases can be fixed quickly without replacing hardware.

Background / Overview​

Windows 11 users began reporting a recurring bug where the text caret (the vertical I‑beam that marks where you’re typing) becomes invisible or nearly impossible to see when focused inside text input areas. The issue is most noticeable in Chromium‑based applications such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, and has also shown up in productivity apps like Microsoft Word, Outlook, and some web editors.
This is not a mysterious hardware failure of your mouse or touchpad: community investigations and vendor diagnostics point to interactions in the display composition pipeline — specifically how Windows hands layers to the GPU/display hardware (Multiplane Overlay, or MPO), combined with modern GPU drivers and browser rendering paths — that cause the caret rendering to fail in certain circumstances.
In practice this manifests as:

• The cursor is visible while moving, but disappears when placed inside an editable text field.
• The effect is intermittent for some users and persistent for others.
• It’s frequently reproducible inside Chromium apps, but may also appear in native Office or UWP apps on affected systems.

Below I’ll walk through the fastest workarounds (safe, reversible), then progressive diagnostics and root‑cause mitigations — including the registry change that targets MPO — and explain tradeoffs so you can choose the best path for your setup.

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Quick checks you should try first (2 minutes)​

Before touching drivers or the registry, run these fast, non‑destructive checks. Many users recover their caret in seconds by trying one of them:

• Refresh the page or app (F5 / Ctrl+R). Transient rendering glitches sometimes resolve immediately.
• Reset browser zoom to 100% (Ctrl+0). Extreme zoom can misalign rendering paths in some engines.
• Open a private/incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N). If the caret is visible there, a browser extension is likely interfering.
• Try another app: open Notepad or Word. If the caret is fine there, the problem is app‑specific rather than global.

If those don’t help, proceed to the low‑risk fixes below.

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The fastest reliable fix: change the Text Select cursor (2 minutes)​

If the caret blends into bright backgrounds or is misrendered by the composition path, switching the Text Select pointer to the built‑in beam cursor (beam_r.cur) is the quickest, safest fix most users report. It’s reversible, zero‑risk, and often immediately effective.
Steps:

• Press Win + R, type main.cpl, and press Enter to open Mouse Properties.
• Go to the Pointers tab.
• Under Customize, select Text Select and click Browse.
• Choose beam_r.cur (the classic Windows text caret) → Open → Apply → OK.
• Test typing in Chrome, Edge, Word, or your problem app.

Why it works: the default text select cursor can be a thin, lightly outlined image that sometimes blends into white/light backgrounds or fails to composite correctly under the affected presentation path. The beam_r.cur is a more robust, high‑contrast cursor that avoids the bug for many systems.

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Browser‑specific fix: disable hardware acceleration​

Chromium‑based browsers are a common place to see the issue; disabling hardware acceleration in the browser often fixes rendering conflicts that make the caret disappear. This is low‑risk and easy to test.
Steps (Chrome / Edge):

• Open the browser menu → Settings → System (or Performance).
• Turn off Use hardware acceleration when available.
• Relaunch the browser.

If disabling hardware acceleration fixes the cursor only in the browser, the problem likely lives in the browser → GPU → OS presentation chain rather than in DWM system‑wide compositing. Keep it off until you can test driver updates or a vendor fix.

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Accessibility and cursor visibility tweaks​

If you prefer not to change driver or registry settings immediately, Windows accessibility options can make the caret visible while you troubleshoot.

• Turn on Text cursor indicator (Settings → Accessibility → Text cursor) and pick a bright color and size. This draws a visible marker on the caret so it can’t vanish unnoticed.
• Set Mouse pointer style to Black, White, or Inverted and increase the size slightly (Settings → Accessibility → Mouse pointer and touch). This affects the general pointer but can help with visibility.

These are user‑friendly workarounds that don’t alter system composition behavior and are easily reversed.

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Driver troubleshooting: update or roll back GPU drivers​

Because the problem often involves GPU presentation paths, driver updates or rollbacks are a natural next step. Both NVIDIA and AMD driver changes have been implicated in reports: updating to a vendor‑published fix can solve the root cause, while a recent driver can also be the trigger and require rollback.
Recommended steps:

• Note your current GPU model and driver version (Device Manager or vendor control panel).
• If you haven’t updated drivers recently, install the latest official package from the GPU vendor (not just Device Manager). Vendor installers usually include fixes and an option to clean install.
• If the problem started immediately after a driver update, roll back the driver via Device Manager → Display adapters → right‑click GPU → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver (or reinstall the previous driver version from vendor site).

Note: updating drivers is advisable, but because recent drivers have also been implicated, keep a documented rollback plan (save the working driver installer) so you can revert if needed.

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Advanced (root‑cause) mitigation: Multiplane Overlay (MPO) / OverlayTestMode registry toggle​

When quick fixes fail across multiple apps, community diagnostics point to Multiplane Overlay (MPO) interactions with certain drivers and DWM presentation paths as the underlying cause. An established mitigation is to add a registry DWORD that instructs Windows to avoid the overlay presentation path that triggers caret misrenders. This is more intrusive and should be done carefully: back up the registry or create a System Restore point first.
What you change:

• Add a DWORD named OverlayTestMode under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm and set its value to 5 (decimal). This forces Windows to avoid using the overlay path for certain composition tasks and has been widely reported to fix the missing text caret.

Registry steps (summary):

• Press Win + R, type regedit, and run as administrator.
• Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm.
• Right‑click → New → DWORD (32‑bit) Value → name it OverlayTestMode.
• Set value data to 5 (decimal). Click OK and reboot.
• To revert, delete the OverlayTestMode value and reboot. You can also apply the change via an elevated command line: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm" /v OverlayTestMode /t REG_DWORD /d 5 /f.

Important cautions:

• Editing the registry carries risk; back up first.
• Disabling MPO may affect video playback, certain performance characteristics, and battery usage on mobile devices in subtle ways. Test your key workflows (video, gaming, editing) after making the change.

Community reporting indicates this registry tweak reliably mitigates the caret bug on many affected machines, but it’s a workaround — not a guaranteed permanent fix — until vendors release driver/OS updates that address the underlying overlay interaction.

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HAGS (Hardware‑accelerated GPU Scheduling) — A/B testing approach​

Another lever to test is Hardware‑accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS). Toggle HAGS in Settings → System → Display → Graphics → Change default graphics settings, then reboot and test. HAGS changes the scheduling behavior and presentation pipeline and has produced different results across systems; use it as an A/B test while other mitigations are applied.
Recommended workflow:

• Reproduce the bug reliably (note affected apps).
• Apply the Text Select cursor change and test.
• If still present, toggle browser hardware acceleration to isolate browser cases.
• Test HAGS on or off and reboot between tests.
• If unresolved, create a System Restore point and apply the OverlayTestMode registry tweak for MPO.

This structured A/B approach isolates the specific interaction (browser vs. system, MPO vs. HAGS) so you can pick the least intrusive permanent setting for your workflows.

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Diagnostic checklist — what to capture when the bug persists​

If you need to escalate the problem to Microsoft, your PC/OEM vendor, or GPU vendor, collect these details — they make bug reports actionable and speed triage:

• Exact Windows build and channel (run winver).
• GPU make/model (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and exact driver version string.
• A short list of apps where the caret disappears and which ones are unaffected.
• Repro steps that consistently trigger the bug (e.g., open Chrome, navigate to a page, click into address bar).
• What you tried (Text Select change, browser H/W acceleration toggle, OverlayTestMode = 5, HAGS toggles, driver rollback) and the outcomes.
• Short screen recording or screenshots showing the caret disappearing (if possible).

Include these details in Feedback Hub entries, GPU vendor support forms, or OEM support tickets; reproducible reports with exact driver/build info get attention faster.

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Risks, tradeoffs, and what to watch for after fixes​

Be clear about tradeoffs so you don’t introduce new problems while fixing the caret:

• Performance & Power: Disabling MPO or toggling HAGS may change GPU utilization and battery usage, especially on mobile devices. Test representative tasks after changes.
• Stability with future updates: The workaround may be unnecessary once Microsoft or GPU vendors publish a proper fix. Keep a note of the changes you made so you can revert after an official update.
• Reverting: Keep the commands or steps to remove the registry DWORD and re‑enable browser hardware acceleration or HAGS. If a change introduces regressions (video playback oddities, worse battery life), undo it quickly and file a bug report.

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Practical, prioritized recommendations​

If you want a simple, safe plan to fix the disappearing caret with minimal fuss, follow this order:

• Try the Text Select cursor change first — fast, reversible, and fixes the issue for many users.
• If the issue is limited to a browser, disable hardware acceleration in that browser and retest.
• Update GPU drivers from the vendor site; if the problem appeared after a driver update, roll back to the prior driver version. Keep installers for rollback.
• If the problem persists across multiple apps, create a System Restore point and try the OverlayTestMode = 5 registry change; test deeply after reboot.
• If you rely on maximum video/gaming performance, evaluate the performance/power impact and keep the registry change only as long as necessary while awaiting an official fix.

This flow minimizes risk, isolates the cause, and gives you the best compromise between productivity and system integrity.

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When to escalate and how vendors typically respond​

If you’ve followed the steps above and still see the issue, escalate to both Microsoft and your GPU vendor. Vendors are more likely to act when bug reports include:

• Repro steps and the exact Windows build string you used (winver).
• The GPU make and precise driver version.
• Evidence you tried community‑recommended mitigations (Text Select change, registry toggle, HAGS toggles) and their outcomes.
• A short video/screenshot illustrating the vanished caret.

Community threads show that vendors do respond when reports are reproducible and well documented; this helps push a driver or OS update that removes the need for workarounds.

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Testing matrix — what to try and record​

Run this short matrix to isolate the problem and gather useful information for escalation:

• App: Notepad — Caret visible? (Yes / No)
• App: Chrome (normal window, extensions enabled) — Caret visible?
• App: Chrome (incognito, extensions off) — Caret visible?
• App: Edge — Caret visible?
• Toggle browser hardware acceleration — does the browser case change?
• Change Text Select to beam_r.cur — did caret reappear?
• Toggle HAGS — compare before/after.
• Add OverlayTestMode = 5, reboot — test all apps again.

Record your answers and driver versions; they form the core of a high‑quality bug report.

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Final thoughts​

The disappearing text caret in Windows 11 is an infuriating but generally repairable problem. Most cases are caused by a rendering/composition path interaction between Chromium (or other apps), GPU drivers, and Windows’ overlay/presentation subsystems. Community testing and vendor diagnostics point to two pragmatic tiers of remedy: a fast, safe workaround (switching the Text Select cursor to beam_r.cur or using the Text cursor indicator) and a more aggressive, effective workaround (disabling MPO via the OverlayTestMode registry value) for systems where the quick fixes don’t hold.
If you’re conservative about system changes, start with the Text Select cursor swap and the browser hardware acceleration toggle. If you need a root‑cause fix for multiple affected apps and you’re comfortable with registry edits, the OverlayTestMode approach has a strong track record in community troubleshooting — but always back up the registry and test your critical workflows afterward.
If you still need help after trying the above, capture the diagnostic checklist (winver output, driver version, reproducible steps, short recording) and file a focused bug report with Microsoft and your GPU vendor; reproducible, well‑documented reports are the fastest route to a permanent fix.
Putting a few minutes into the simple fixes above will usually get you back to typing with confidence — and if not, the steps here give you a safe way to dig deeper while minimizing the chance of introducing new problems.

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Source: HowToiSolve Mouse Pointer Disappears in Text Fields on Windows 11 (How to Fix It)