Mouse lag in video games since upgrading to Windows 8.1

I'm trying the registry fix, but I don't want a solution that only works for games -- I want the whole Windows subsystem to always be running 1000Hz 24/7 from the mouse.

Add explorer.exe to the registry, or any other process that always runs, just like they said you shouldn't - as long as the process is running, the "fix" will be active and the mouse will run at the rate you want it to, it worked for my Logitech G700 (running at 500Hz because 1000 drains the battery too fast).

I just upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1

I am noticing the same problem too as well.

Even with the Microsoft's gaming mouse fix (KB 2908279 and KB 2908279), dragging windows and dragging scroll bars is NOT as smooth as before.  Knowledgeable in math, also a vision researcher, and am a display tester -- Microsoft made a miscalculation here thinking 1000Hz mice was useless at the desktop.

With a 1000Hz mouse, everything ran very smoothly and window movements was really smooth.  Now the report rate seems to be limited to 100Hz or 200Hz, and that creates some nasty framerate-aliasing effects with 120hz and 144Hz.   Microsoft should have kept Window dragging at full mouse report rate (500Hz or 1000Hz), because of less framerate-aliasing (stutter) with the monitor's refresh rate.

One could easily keep the mouse report rate at 1000Hz and take:

• At 120Hz, every 8 or 9 out of the 1000Hz mouse (1/120sec= 8.3ms)
• At 144Hz, every 7 or so out of 1000Hz mouse (1/144sec = 6.9ms)
• At 60Hz, every 16 or 17 out of 1000Hz mouse (1/60sec = 16.7ms)

In these situations, the mathematic error is only 1 millisecond worth of mouse movement.  e.g. At a mouse movement of 2000 pixels/second, 1000Hz means about 2 pixels per mouse movement. So the mouse mis-positioning error (if a mouse position "rounds-off" to the wrong refresh) is as little as only 2 pixels.

However, Microsoft messed up and chose a report rate of 100Hz or 200Hz during Windows manipulation (dragging windows, dragging scroll bar, etc) which is noticeably less clear than before.  At 200Hz, you've a math error of 5 millisecond worth of mouse movement.   e.g. At a mouse movement of 2000 pixels/second, 200Hz means about 10 pixels per mouse movement.   So the mouse mis-positioning error (if a mouse position "rounds-off" to the wrong refresh) is as huge as 10 pixels.

Big stutter (error of +/- 10 pixels) is much worse than small stutter (error of +/- 2 pixels).  The use of 1000Hz reduces stutters caused by aliasing between the mouse-rate and the refresh-rate.  That's why a 1000Hz mouse is much smoother than 200Hz mouse, even at Windows desktop.   I don't think the WIndows programmers were smart enough to figure this out.

Especially as us 120Hz users and gaming mouse users, are sensitive to stutters and are complaining about this -- even at the Windows desktop!

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P.S. This stutter problem is especially apparent when using monitors with ultra-clear CRT-like motion -- such as gaming monitors with strobe backlight LCD's.  (e.g. LightBoost blur reduction, EIZO Turbo240 strobing in FG2421, or BENQ XL2720Z Blur Reduction strobing), gaming monitors that eliminate motion blur.   

I still detect these Windows 8.1 mouse stutters even at 60Hz.   It's just that mouse fluidity is far more massively degraded for 120Hz and 144Hz users (on a relative basis), since there's some nasty aliasing between the refresh rate and mouse rate (which create microstutters when dragging windows)

Often on many of these ultraclear-motion computer monitors, text remain readable while scrolling (e.g. Internet Explorer up/down arrow key smooth scrolling).  Just like on a CRT in the old CRT days.  Dragging windows, text stayed this clear too (text remained readable while dragging window, with a 1000Hz mouse on a strobe-backlight gaming LCD)

Note: The microstutters occur so rapidly at 120Hz and 144Hz, they kind of blend into a motion blur.  Which is enough to make text unreadable when dragging window. The 200Hz mouse is 5x more stuttery than the 1000Hz mouse.  So because of this, someone at Microsoft may say "it looks fine".  So here's a more specific scenario that shows a startling dramatic difference:

Reproduction Scenario, Two separate computers, Test side by side.

1. Obtain two 120Hz or 144Hz monitor, such as one from http://www.blurbusters.com/faq/120hz-monitors/
2. Obtain two good 1000Hz mouse, configure them to run 1000Hz
3. Enable the clearest motion mode on that monitor (e.g. LightBoost, Turbo240, etc)
4. On computer #1 in Windows 8, drag browser window around briskly, while trying to read web page text in window.  Text remains fully readable (just like when dragging window on a CRT).
5. On computer #2, in Windows 8.1, drag browser window around briskly, while trying to read web page text in window.  Text is no longer readable because it looks so stuttery.  Microstutter (mouse positioning error) in window movement is about 5x worse (e.g. window position inconsistency caused by aliasing effect between mouserate and refreshrate)
6. The difference is startlingly dramatic when tested this way, especially with two people dragging a window at the same time on these two separate systems.

Yes, the above is just an extreme scenario, designed to show dramatic differences.  Others can still see the problem even at just 60Hz,, and in less demanding use cases.  One ought to realize that different people are more sensitive, so even in less dramatic use cases than the above, are still greatly bothered by the degradation of Windows 8.1 mouse fluidity.

It's possible Microsoft may think this is unimportant, but I would hope they realize gamers a valuable target audience for Microsoft, and they also speak pretty loudly, as well.   Especially when computers get higher end equipment (better monitors, better mice, etc).

Again, as of December 2013, NONE of the hotfixes fixes this.

Not KB 2908279, not KB 2908279, etc...

I'm trying the registry fix, but I don't want a solution that only works for games -- I want the whole Windows subsystem to always be running 1000Hz 24/7 from the mouse.  Just like I could with Windows 7 and 8.

Side note: Just in case someone at Microsoft think 200Hz is enough -- There are vision researchers that have found that humans can also tell imperfections that gradually disappear when going higher frame rates 250fps vs 500fps vs 1000fps indirectly via motion blur effects and stroboscopic effects.  Vendors such as vpixx.com sells scientific displays with a 500Hz refresh rate.

Game: EverQuest 2

> "Rundll32 apphelp.dll,ShimFlushCache"

Yes, this should display nothing at all.

You only need to run this command once, after every time you manually edit the AppCompatFlags\Layers registry.

You can test if the Microsoft fix is being applied to EverQuest2 (that is, test if you have made the correct registry changes.)

Follow these instructions:

See if we can see the affects of the KB 2908279 fix using MouseMovementRecorder.exe.

• Get the latest version of MouseMovementRecorder.exe (version 1.12) from my MarkC fix ZIP file \[link\]
• Open that ZIP file, and inside it is MouseMovementRecorder_1.12_20131113x.zip, open that also
• Unzip MouseMovementRecorder.exe to a folder
• Go to that folder in File Explorer
• Right-click MouseMovementRecorder.exe, and click "Create a shortcut"
• Right-click the shortcut, and click "Rename"
• Arrow-key-right and edit the "Shortcut" to "No Fix". (Press Enter key)
• Right-click the shortcut, and click Properties
• Click into the "Target" field, and right-arrow key or End key to the end add to the end:

(space)-NoCompatLayer

(By "(space)", I mean a single space character, press the space-bar ... don't type the full word "space" or any brackets...)

OK, so now you have the original MouseMovementRecorder.exe and a new "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix"

Exit EverQuest2, and try the versions of MouseMovementRecorder one at a time.

With MouseMovementRecorder.exe running, you should notice that it is able to display mostly black.

With "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix" running you should see much red and green (ONLY that running, don't also have the EXE running and don't also have EverQuest2 running).

If you see what I said you should see, then try this:

• Run "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix", and see red and green.
• Then keep "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix" running and run EverQuest2.
• Switch back to "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix", using the taskbar, or Alt+Tab or whatever (keep EverQuest2 running in the background).
• Move the mouse.
• Do you see mostly black when moving the mouse while "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix" is active?

(Mouse movement while EverQuest2 is active will show red and green, that is expected and normal : We want to see what happens when "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix" is active, and EverQuest2 is running but is not-active, but just in the background, on the taskbar...)

If "MouseMovementRecorder No Fix" shows much red and green when EverQuest2 is NOT running, but shows mostly black when EverQuest2 is running on the taskbar (but is not active), then you have applied the manual registry edit for the MS fix correctly.

Rather than use MouseMovementRecorder.exe to test, you should also be able to use MouseRateChecker to test:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Mouse-Rate-Checker.shtml

If MouseRateChecker shows a Hz values lower than what your actual mouse polling rate is when EverQuest2 is NOT running, but shows your actual mouse polling rate when EverQuest2 IS running, then you have applied the manual registry edit for the MS fix correctly.