Microsoft adds a text cursor indicator to Windows 10
Where is that cursor? Have you ever asked yourself that question or similar questions? All recent versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system support an option to highlight the cursor when you press the Ctrl-key on the keyboard, but that option needs to be activated before it is of any use.
Plenty of third-party accessibility tools exist for Windows, e.g. BigType to magnify text, Auto Hide Mouse Cursor to hide the cursor, or TouchFreeze to disable the touchpad on the laptop when you type using the keyboard.
Microsoft improved cursor visibility options in Windows 10 version 1903 by adding an option to the Settings application to change the pointer color on the system. Classic options to change the size of the pointer and the thickness of it while typing remain available.
The latest Windows 10 Insider Build for the first feature update release of 2020, aka the big one, features a new accessibility option. Microsoft added a text cursor indicator option to the Settings application.
The option adds a visible indicator to the text cursor to improve its visibility. Here is how you configure the option:
- You need to run the latest Windows 10 version 2020 Insider Build (at least). The feature was enabled in build 18999.
- Use Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Go to Ease of Access > Text Cursor.
- Toggle the "turn on text cursor indicator" option there to enable the feature (it should read on afterward).
- Pick a text color for the cursor indicator. You may select one of the default colors or click on the "pick a custom color" button to select a custom color.
- Select a thickness for the indicator.
- Changes are highlighted automatically on the Settings page. I recommend that you check them out in a text editor or similar application to find out if the selection works out for you.
Once you are done you will notice that Windows 10 will use the indicator to highlight the position of the cursor on the screen; the indicator is visible in many places including the Settings application, File Explorer, web browser text input fields, or text editors.
Note that it may not be displayed in some fields, e.g. it is not displayed when you type in the address bar of Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based).
Closing Words
Microsoft plans to launch the text cursor indicator option in Windows 10 20H1, the next major feature update for Windows 10. All users will be able to enable the option in the Settings application.
I'd like to see an option to turn the feature on or off using a keyboard shortcut or an option to blacklist it in certain apps as it may be distracting.
Now You: What is your take on the new feature?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277