Mouse stickiness change with multiple monitors after Windows 8.1 Update 1: Bug or feature?

Anonymous
2014-04-06T22:26:14+00:00

There is a new bug that won't let the mouse to the other screen unless you move the mouse quickly across the monitor edge. Before, this would only happen on the corner edges to allow easier access to the charms and apps bar. Now, it happens to the whole edge.

These four videos demonstrate that the mouse stickiness issue happens in both desktop and metro mode and that it is inconsistent - only happening sometimes. I hope these videos help paint a clear picture of what is going on.

Desktop Mode

http://youtu.be/-0mrPXXtkfw No bug

http://youtu.be/3TVYvu4Yi5g Bug

Metro Applications

http://youtu.be/hOEeo9r0xs8 No bug

http://youtu.be/b-Usdhnvl3A Bug

Is this issue already known and will there be a hotfix, or is this a new feature?

November 12th 2014 Update

Mouse stickiness still a problem as of today for Windows 8.1. As of Windows 10 Build 9879 which was released today, the mouse stickiness is fixed! This mouse stickiness only happens when dragging a window around and is used to assist in snapping windows. Outside of this, the stickiness issue is gone! I think this was what Microsoft intended to do with the mouse stickiness, but I believe it was a hard bug to diagnose, but they finally fixed it!

November 2nd 2014 Update

Mouse stickiness still a problem as of today for Windows 8.1. As of Build 9860 of Windows 10 Technical Preview, the mouse stickiness bug/feature has started happening.

June 9th 2014 Update

Still no official word from Microsoft. I have found a fix, but it is more of a workaround. Just don't use any metro apps, and it should be fine. Very rarely you will get the stickiness again. If it does occur anyways just press WIN + P and click Duplicate. After all monitors are duplicated, press WIN + P again and then click Extend to go back, and the mouse stickiness issue should be gone.

May 16th 2014 Update

According to Shawn "Cmdr" Keene \[MVP\] at the end of page 2, this is NOT a bug and it is an intentional design. I hope that Shawn is incorrect and would like further verification by an employee of the Windows development team.

There is also a "fix" by editing some registry values, but this removes the mouse stickiness on the corners and makes it very hard to access the apps and charms bar in between monitors. I do not believe this is a fix to the problem.

May 5th 2014 Update

Still no word from Microsoft that this is a bug or feature.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Search, touch, and mouse

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  1. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2014-05-16T19:27:48+00:00

    It's intentional design to help reach the edge controls, the edges are sticky unless you are moving fast enough to reach escape velocity.  Luckily you can adjust this using the above-referenced value in the registry.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-05-16T20:45:15+00:00

    It's intentional design to help reach the edge controls, the edges are sticky unless you are moving fast enough to reach escape velocity.  Luckily you can adjust this using the above-referenced value in the registry.

    Hi Shawn,

    I understand that you believe this is an intentional design to help reach the edge controls, but this is simply not true. If you had multiple monitors, you would be able to clearly see and understand that this "new" feature, that was not there before, is actually a bug. Here's how I know:

    1. It is inconsistent. If there are no metro applications open, you will have no issue moving the mouse from screen to screen.
    2. Since it is only apparent when metro applications are open, one could explain it as a feature to better reach the "Left App Bar" since when there are no metro applications open, you wouldn't need sticky edges. The problem here is that it also happens to the right edge. If this was truly a feature, it would only be sticky on the left edge, and consistently stick or not sticky on the right edge since there will always be the charms bar.
    3. These sticky edges should only be stick in the corner edges. You can't activate the bars by swiping from the center outside to the inside with your mouse. You need to have the mouse on the corner edges. These sticky corners have always been there even before Update 1. It is useless having the whole edge sticky.
    4. If the sticky edge was a feature, I would be able to snap my desktop windows, but I cannot. Nothing happens.

    In summary, Shawn, this is a bug, and I am very surprised and flustered that you think it is. You have a MVP badge, and your words carry weight. I would think that you would verify with either official online sources or a Microsoft employee instead of posting what you think is right.

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  3. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2014-05-16T20:55:40+00:00

    "Shawn, this is not a bug, and I am very surprised and flustered that you think it is."

    You're putting words in my mouth. I never said that it is a bug.  I agree with you that it is not.

    By the way, intentional designs can still have quirks and bugs. Example: if you show apps on the taskbar, you will end up at the desktop when you close an app instead of going to the Start screen -- even if you already unchecked the "go to desktop when I close apps".  This is not only counter intuitive, but also contradictory to the very label on the checkbox, which sounds like the intentional feature (allowing users to decide where they go when closing an app) has a bug (being intrinsically yet frustratingly linked to a seemingly unrelated option).

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-05-16T21:15:35+00:00

    "Shawn, this is not a bug, and I am very surprised and flustered that you think it is."

    You're putting words in my mouth. I never said that it is a bug.  I agree with you that it is not.

    By the way, intentional designs can still have quirks and bugs. Example: if you show apps on the taskbar, you will end up at the desktop when you close an app instead of going to the Start screen -- even if you already unchecked the "go to desktop when I close apps".  This is not only counter intuitive, but also contradictory to the very label on the checkbox, which sounds like the intentional feature (allowing users to decide where they go when closing an app) has a bug (being intrinsically yet frustratingly linked to a seemingly unrelated option).

    Hi Shawn,

    I made a typo and am actually saying that it is a bug. Thanks for correcting me. I've edited my original post. I also understand that intentional designs have quirks and bugs, but I'm not sure how this is relevant to the current issue. I simply stated that you provided incorrect information that it was a bug while it is not and hope that next time you do more research on the issue you are talking about.

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  5. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2014-05-16T21:26:59+00:00

    I can confirm for you based on the developer feedback that the mouse sticking to the edge was intentional design.  I have replied back to the team to ask if it was also intentional to not do this on desktop mode, but haven't heard back yet.  But the core question - mouse stickiness - was intentionally developed and added to the product.

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