"Microsoft has received reports indicating that mouse cursor personalization settings are being changed or reverted to certain standard settings. This occurs following installation of Windows updates released August 27 2026 (KB5120998) and later," Microsoft explained.
Microsoft acknowledgement and current status
Microsoft has confirmed that the August 27, 2026 non-security preview update identified as KB5120998 is reverting mouse cursor personalization settings on some Windows 11 systems. The company says it is still investigating the root cause and has asked affected customers to file a report via the Feedback Hub if they experience the issue.
Reported symptoms: appearance regressions and lost customizations
User reports compiled by Microsoft describe a narrow but persistent set of behaviors: cursor personalization settings are either changed or reset automatically after installing KB5120998, and affected users are unable to restore their previous settings once they are reverted. Microsoft characterizes the problem as producing "appearance regressions and intermittent animation changes." Specific examples noted in reports include high‑DPI mouse cursors being replaced with larger, white cursors, and custom cursor animations reverting to standard, non-animated settings.
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See what we buildKB5120998: what the update contains and how it reaches systems
KB5120998 is an optional, non‑security preview update released on August 27, 2026 for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2. Microsoft said the package includes improvements to the Start menu, taskbar, and Windows search. Because the update is optional, the update will not install automatically unless a system has the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option enabled; otherwise, users must click the "Download and install" link to apply it.
Context: recent mouse-related disruptions Microsoft has addressed
Microsoft's acknowledgement comes after several other mouse-related problems earlier in the year. In October, the company pushed an emergency update to fix a known issue that disabled USB mice and keyboards in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), leaving that environment unusable on affected devices. Microsoft is also investigating a separate bug reported since February that causes the mouse pointer to disappear for some classic Outlook users when the pointer is moved over the interface.
What this means for end users and IT teams
- End users: Those who value customized cursors or who use high‑DPI cursor packs should be cautious about installing KB5120998 until Microsoft issues a resolution. Because the update is optional, users can avoid immediate exposure by not clicking "Download and install" unless they rely on the Start menu, taskbar, or search fixes included in this preview update. Users who already installed KB5120998 and experience reverted settings are asked to file a Feedback Hub report so Microsoft can gather telemetry and reproduce the issue.
- IT teams and administrators: On managed fleets, administrators can defer the optional update or control its deployment while Microsoft investigates. Documentation and change logs for KB5120998 should be reviewed to weigh the benefits of Start menu, taskbar, and search improvements against the risk of cursor personalization regressions for affected users. Encouraging users to report instances through the Feedback Hub can help Microsoft diagnose a pattern across environments.
Microsoft's public acknowledgement narrows the immediate technical question to two points: the specific mechanism by which KB5120998 changes cursor settings, and whether a repair path will be provided that restores user customizations. For now, the company is collecting reports and investigating the root cause; affected users are advised to submit Feedback Hub entries and to hold off on optional installation if preserving cursor customizations is a priority.
