Microsoft Admits Windows 8.1 Update May Bork Your Mouse, Promises a Fix
Microsoft has several valid reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 8.1, which is free if you already own Windows 8. However, there's a known issue that might give some gamers pause before clicking through in the Windows Store. There have been complaints of mouse problems after applying the Windows 8.1 update, most of which have been related to lag in video games, though Microsoft confirmed there are other potential quirks.
Acknowledging the problem is one thing, but Microsoft says it's also actively investigating the issues and working on a patch.
"First off, we want to thank our gaming community for the detailed feedback many of you have provided on these issues. While we don’t have a date yet for the release of a fix, we are working to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible," a Microsoft forum moderator posted on the company's community forum. "The 'mouse lag' issue is actually several different issues that could vary based on the game, input methods used, etc. There are a few workarounds that have been found to help some of these issues, which we list below."
There are three issues Microsoft says its working to fix. They include mouse jittering as you move it through a game, mouse movement not being to scale even after acceleration is turned off, and measured mouse polling rate having a lower reporting frequency than expected. Microsoft seems to have found the culprit for the jitter issue, which "occurs in some games because Windows 8.1 handles the games' checks for the mouse status different."
If you find that your mouse won't reach all areas of a game in Windows 8.1, the company suggests disabling DPI scaling (right-click the game's icon, select Properties, select the Compatibility tab, and check the box next to Disable display scaling on high DPI settings).
Have you run into any mouse-related issues in Windows 8.1?
Acknowledging the problem is one thing, but Microsoft says it's also actively investigating the issues and working on a patch.
"First off, we want to thank our gaming community for the detailed feedback many of you have provided on these issues. While we don’t have a date yet for the release of a fix, we are working to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible," a Microsoft forum moderator posted on the company's community forum. "The 'mouse lag' issue is actually several different issues that could vary based on the game, input methods used, etc. There are a few workarounds that have been found to help some of these issues, which we list below."
There are three issues Microsoft says its working to fix. They include mouse jittering as you move it through a game, mouse movement not being to scale even after acceleration is turned off, and measured mouse polling rate having a lower reporting frequency than expected. Microsoft seems to have found the culprit for the jitter issue, which "occurs in some games because Windows 8.1 handles the games' checks for the mouse status different."
If you find that your mouse won't reach all areas of a game in Windows 8.1, the company suggests disabling DPI scaling (right-click the game's icon, select Properties, select the Compatibility tab, and check the box next to Disable display scaling on high DPI settings).
Have you run into any mouse-related issues in Windows 8.1?
