Firefox 101.0.1 no cursor and blinking cursor Caret is off
About two days ago the cursor started disappearing / flashing when browsing in Firefox. It does not mater where the cursor is placed on the screen either the arrow or the hand will flash when moving. My system is a windows pro 10 system with all updates, last updates for W10 were made a couple of weeks ago, on Firefox whenever it asks to upgrade I do it.
Specifically: 1. If the mouse is stationary there is no cursor, if I move it the cursor flashes. 2. When the system comes up and I launch Firefox all is OK for about 2 – 3 minutes then the flashing begins. 3. If I stop Firefox ie “X” it and restart it the flashing occurs within 0 – 30 seconds. 4. If I restart the PC steps 2 & 3 repeat.
I have two other PC’s Windows Home, and Windows 7, as well as a laptop with Windows Home all with Firefox 101.0.1 all up to date all do not have the above issue. This does not occur with any other programs. I have two monitors, tried Firefox on each makes no difference same problem.
I have tried searching the internet and all I find is about Caret which is off. I uninstalled Firefox and installed it. That made no difference.
Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thank You
Bob
Chosen solution
Evidently there is a new preference in about:config in Windows which switches the cursor off in some circumstances. IRRC, it begins with widget.windows. I don't have Windows so can't be more specific.
Read this answer in context 👍 1All Replies (6)
Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support to see if that has effect.
Chosen Solution
Evidently there is a new preference in about:config in Windows which switches the cursor off in some circumstances. IRRC, it begins with widget.windows. I don't have Windows so can't be more specific.
That would be this pref:
- about:config => widget.windows.hide_cursor_when_typing
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/about-config-editor-firefox
- 1759558 - Enable Windows hide-cursor-when-typing by default [101]
(please do not comment in bug reports
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html)
See also:
Modified
Terry, cor-el
Thank you for the suggestions. I did not try the safe mode, I did try the widget.windows solution. I changed the: widget.windows.hide_cursor_when_typing to false. That stopped the problem. It has been about a day of use without the problem reoccurring. I just flipped it back to true and the problem reappeared. I will give it a few more days then hit the "solved problem button".
Not sure why the issue is not on the other pc's. I can only surmise that it is something unique to windows 10 Pro, as that is the only machine that has the issue.
Again thank you for the quick response.
Bob
This is about a Windows feature that some other applications an Windows support as well as you can read here:
cor-el
I think that is my entire point. Changing a parameter that has nothing to do with the problem actually fixed the problem. As described the problem was "1. If the mouse is stationary there is no cursor, if I move it the cursor flashes."
There is no typing involved just the mouse cursor flashing as it is moved around. If I am in a typing box the typing cursor moves along fine, and the arrow cursor on the screen is invisible, but if I move mouse the mouse cursor appears as a flashing arrow or hand depending where on the screen it is. Set the parameter to false, typing in a box still same, but mouse cursor visible and if moved no flashing, ie all looks fixed.
BUT!! Being someone who was in software / hardware R&D for over 35 years, stuff like the above drove me nuts, ie no real reason why it is fixed, just magic. Magic always came back to bite you, usually at the most inopportune time, ten fold worse ( ie system dead flopping around like fish out of water) and of course in front of the customer you told it was fixed several months earlier! You knew you really did not fix the real problem and now you were in a real fix!
Anyway, I will mark it solved after another day of it still performing now. I do really appreciate the quick response and help.
Regards, Bob