Windows 8 mouse pointer disappeared

Anonymous
2012-12-13T21:57:37+00:00

Hello...

I am using a 1 month old Toshiba laptop, running Windows 8 (upgraded from Windows 7, which was installed when purchased)

Until now, everything was working fine, but today, the mouse pointer just froze while browsing the internet.

I restarted the laptop(eventually after working out the keyboard shortcuts), and now the mouse pointer does not appear at all - I can only control things from the keyboard - which is very difficult.

When I shut down the laptop(the first time, with the frozen pointer), it installed updates, and when it came back on it configured those updates - so maybe this is something to do with it?

Please help - thank you!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2014-09-03T22:40:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience. It worked for me. FN + F9 for Asus.

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Anonymous
2014-11-24T19:44:11+00:00

Thank you for the very simple answer!! I have searched everywhere.

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Anonymous
2014-10-30T09:38:12+00:00

Thank you so much. Mine disappeared and I pressed FN F9 and voila it's back! Windows 8.1 it is right next to F10 which is sound mute, which I meant to hit. Microsoft community is great.

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Anonymous
2014-10-05T18:10:30+00:00

Thanks for this- just helped solve a problem I've been grappling all afternoon.

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Anonymous
2014-09-22T19:03:24+00:00

You saved me from more hours of searching for this solution.  I use the F5 button to refresh a program and would have never put the two issues together.  Thanks for sharing your "embarrassing" find.

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Anonymous
2012-12-16T17:33:42+00:00

Hello...

Thanks for your reply - it is much appreciated.

I have, however, recently resolved the problem - and the solution is a little embarrassing - but I'll share it here for the benefit of anyone else with the same issue.

Quite simply, one of the function keys on the laptop has a 'switch the mouse pointer on or off' feature.  This is something I have never seen before, despite having used laptops since they were practically first available.

On my particular laptop (Toshiba Satellite L855) the F5 key does this.  It has a picture which is hardly identifiable as a mouse with a line through it.

Press this (or press FN+F5 depending on you configuration), and hey presto... the cursor returns.

Thanks again - and hope this helps someone else.

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-27T05:50:14+00:00

    Thank you for your hint.

    It worked with FN+F1 on my Sony VAIO.

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