Microsoft Resolves Windows 11 Mouse Settings Reset Bug

Microsoft has resolved a software bug that caused mouse personalisation settings to reset on certain Windows 11 systems.

The issue was originally identified following the installation of the KB5120998 August 2026 preview update. Affected users reported that mouse cursor settings and animations were automatically reverted to default values. In many cases, users were unable to manually restore their preferred settings even after uninstalling the problematic update.

Root cause and affected users

Microsoft confirmed that the bug stemmed from specific code components within non-English Windows installations. In these affected locales, the system encountered failures when attempting to load personalisation settings, causing the operating system to default to standard configurations.

The bug impacted devices running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Although KB5120998 was an optional preview update, the issue could be triggered automatically for users who have enabled the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” setting.

Resolution and mitigation

The fix is included in the September 2026 cumulative update, specifically KB5124008, which was released on 8 September 2026. Microsoft recommends that all users install the latest security and cumulative updates to ensure their system settings are correctly applied and maintained.

This incident follows several recent mouse-related issues within the Windows ecosystem. Previous bugs included an issue that disabled USB mice and keyboards within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and a separate investigation into mouse pointers disappearing for certain Outlook users.