How to prevent Windows from letting the cursor escape in old games

¿How to prevent Windows from capturing the cursor in older games? If you play on PC with multiple monitors and you usually have two games open at the same timeIt's only a matter of time before you encounter a very annoying problem: you move the camera left or right and suddenly the mouse pointer jumps to the other monitor, the game loses focus, and you suffer an undeserved death. This behavior is especially common in older games or some titles that don't handle cursor locking well in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

This error can occur especially when one of the games is in window, borderless window, or borderless full screenBut cases have also been seen even in traditional full-screen mode. Furthermore, in certain recent configurations, elements such as the Xbox Game Bar, Windows Borders interface settings, User Account Control (UAC), or even some antivirus programs can be involved. Below, you'll find a step-by-step guide to all the known causes and possible solutions to prevent Windows from stopping cursor capture while playing games, especially in older or more demanding games.

Why Windows sometimes doesn't lock the cursor in games (especially older ones)

The origin of this problem is usually a mixture of How the game asks Windows to block the mouse and how Windows handles windows, overlays, and multiple monitors. Many modern games correctly use Windows APIs to enclose the cursor within the game window when it's in the foreground. However, older or poorly optimized PC titles may:

• Not consistently activating the lock when changing screen mode (window, borderless, full screen).
• Losing focus when the taskbar or an overlay (Game Bar, chat overlays, etc.) appears.
• Getting confused by different resolutions or different refresh rates between the main and secondary monitors.
• Share input resources with other full-screen or windowed programs that are open at the same time (for example, two simultaneous games).

Furthermore, on dual-screen systems, when the cursor is not actually "stuck" in the game, Simply move the camera towards the side of the second monitor so that the pointer crosses the border. The first click you make then goes to that other window (browser, another game, chat app…) and the main game loses focus. That's why you notice it especially when you shoot, open the menu, or interact.

The influence of the Xbox Game Bar and its widgets

In recent versions of Windows, a specific behavior has been detected related to Xbox Game Bar and the Xbox social widget which can break the cursor lock. The typical symptom is:

• You are normally playing with the mouse well "locked" into the game.
• Open the Xbox game bar (Win + G) to manage voice chat, groups, or settings.
• You interact with the Xbox social widget (friends list, groups, etc.), for example by clicking on it or trying to close it with the X.
• From that moment on, Windows behaves as if the Game Bar overlay is still active and the cursor is no longer restricted to the gameeven without you seeing the Game Bar above it.

The curious thing is that Other Game Bar widgets do not reproduce this bugThe problem is concentrated in the social widget and, in particular, in how its window is closed or manipulated within the overlay.

This bug has been recognized by contributors to the Microsoft forums This issue is being reported as a bug in the current Game Bar update and has even been documented as a known problem in Windows 11 Insider channels, with the indication that it will be fixed via a system update. Therefore, if you've suddenly started experiencing this bug after tinkering with the Game Bar, it's very likely that The origin lies there and not in the ancient game itself..

Temporary solution with Game Bar: how to use it without breaking mouse lock

While Microsoft finishes ironing out this issue in Windows/Game Bar updates, you can take a number of precautions to use Xbox Game Bar without the cursor going out of control in the middle of a game:

• To join an Xbox party on PCDo it from the Xbox app (or Xbox for PC) and not from the Game Bar social widget. That is, open the Xbox app, go to your friends list, start or join the party, and once you're in, you can return to the game.
• If you want to see who's talking while you play, you can pin the party widget from Xbox Game Bar. The pinned party widget doesn't usually break mouse lock, as long as you don't touch the social widget.
• Avoid closing the social widget Using the X in the corner or the close button on the Game Bar at the top. This specific action is what, in many cases, triggers Windows to believe there is still an overlap and release the mouse between screens.
• If you notice that, after using the Game Bar, the cursor escapes from the game again, Restart your PC before starting new sessions. This resets the internal state of the game bar and usually restores normal behavior.

This alternative solution might be a bit cumbersome, but if you usually use Xbox chat on PC and also play with several monitors and old gamesThis will save you a lot of trouble. It's also a good idea to occasionally check the release notes for new Windows builds, as it has been explicitly stated that this problem is documented and will be fixed through system updates.

The case of Sea of ​​Thieves: cursor escaping when moving the camera

One of the best-documented examples of this behavior is Sea of ​​ThievesThe game's support team has published several articles explaining that many players were seeing the Windows taskbar appear or the mouse cursor move outside the game window when looking up or down or rotating the camera.

In this context, Rare explains that there are three lines of action The main ways to mitigate the problem are through Windows settings themselves, without resorting to third-party programs. Although the case is documented with Sea of ​​Thieves, These same solutions can help with other older games. or maladjusted individuals who suffer from the same.

Solution 1: Adjust User Account Control (UAC)

The first proposal from Sea of ​​Thieves support involves reviewing the configuration of the Windows User Account Control, given that certain alert levels can interfere with how the game window overlaps and is prioritized:

1. Press the Windows key and type “User Account Control”.
2. Open the UAC settings and you'll see the notification slider.
3. Adjust the slider to the level recommended by Windows (or to the lower level recommended by Rare in their guide) and press OK.
4. Restart the computer so that the changes are fully implemented.

After the restart, the game should maintain better control of the focus and mouse. He shouldn't escape so easilyHowever, the study itself indicates that lowering security without reason is not recommended, so it's advisable to evaluate the change and, if you don't notice an improvement or you're concerned about security, revert to the previous settings.

Solution 2: Disable edge gestures from the Group Policy Editor

Another approach that has proven effective for more than one player is disable swipes from the edges of the screenThis feature, designed for tablets and touchscreens, sometimes displays the taskbar or Action Center when it shouldn't. It uses the Local Group Policy Editor (available in Windows Pro and some higher editions).

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Writes gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. In the left panel, navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Border Interface.
4. On the right side, locate the option called “Allow edge sliding”.
5. Right-click on it, choose Edit, and in the window that opens, select the option “Disabled”.
6. Apply the changes, close the Policy Editor, and try launching the game.

By disabling this option, you are telling Windows that Do not respond to gestures or movements that trigger actions from the edges of the screen, which reduces the chances of the taskbar appearing when you're rotating the camera with the mouse stuck to the bottom or top edge.

Solution 3: Same setting, but using the Windows registry

For those who do not have the Group Policy Editor (for example, in Windows 10 Home), Rare details the same change but directly in the Windows registryThis method does the same thing as the previous directive, but manually:

1. Press Windows + R, writes regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the route: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
3. If within that key there is no folder called “Edge interface”To create one: right-click on “Windows” > New > Key > name it Border Interface.
4. In the “Border Interface” key, right-click in the empty area on the right and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Value name: “Allow sliding edges” (exactly like that, without spaces). It sets its value to 0.
6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC, or at the very least, log out and log back in before trying the game.

With this change, Windows understands that swipes from the edges are expressly disabled by policyThis helps to prevent unexpected gestures or the taskbar from being displayed when moving the mouse to the edges of the screen in windowed or borderless games.

Other factors that may affect cursor locking

Although the above are the settings most directly related to the cursor escaping, support for games like Sea of ​​Thieves compiles a number of general factors that can worsen or trigger these types of behaviors on Windows, especially when we're talking about older or demanding games:

• Outdated Windows updatesOlder versions of the system may contain bugs that have already been fixed or perform worse with multiple monitors and overlays. It's always a good idea to go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates.
• Outdated or corrupt graphics driversIf your GPU drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) are outdated or corrupted due to a failed installation, they can cause anything from black screens at startup to problems with borderless full-screen windows. It is recommended completely uninstall the old drivers before installing the latest version from the manufacturer's website.
• aggressive or known conflicting antivirus programsThere are documented cases with antivirus software such as Trend Micro, Comodo, Kaspersky, or banking solutions like WARSAW/gas technology that have caused crashes, rendering problems, or freezes when starting the gameIn some cases, they also affect how overlays and background processes are handled, which could ultimately harm the focus of the game.
• Third-party software that is injected into the processesPerformance overlays, "gaming" audio applications, capture devices, etc., may try to hook into all processes and cause instability or loss of focus.
• Unstable overclock or faulty hardwareA poorly tuned overclock (CPU, RAM, or even GPU) can corrupt game data during installation or gameplay. Problems have also been observed when the hard drive or SSD starts to fail.

In short, to minimize problems with the mouse and with games in general, it's a good idea Keep Windows and drivers up to date, check your antivirus software, and avoid questionable overclocks.especially if you notice that the problems started coinciding with hardware or software changes.

Antivirus and game blocks: how they affect the experience

Delving deeper into the security aspect, the Sea of ​​Thieves team has had to document several cases in which Specific antivirus programs directly interfere with the game's executable file. (for example, sotgame.exe), marking it as potentially harmful or quarantining critical files. Common symptoms include:

• The game crashes when launched or even fails to open.
• Graphics problems (textures that don't load, broken rendering).
• Mid-game crashes or freezes on loading screens.

For Trend Micro, for example, the recommendation is to add the Add Sea of ​​Thieves installation folder to the exceptions listIn the case of the UWP (Microsoft Store) version, the exact path to the game can be located using PowerShell with commands such as Get-AppxPackage *SeaOfThieves* | ForEach{ $_.InstallLocation }, and then paste that path into the antivirus exceptions settings.

If the antivirus has already quarantined files, you need to access the security reportLocate the executable (for example, SoTGame.exe) and restore it manually. This procedure usually needs to be repeated with each major game update, because Change the version and the antivirus will re-analyze it from scratch..

Installation errors, corrupted data and their indirect effects

Although it may seem to have nothing to do with the mouse, a game that It has not been installed correctly or it has corrupted files It can behave in rather strange ways: crashes on loading, black screens on startup, errors such as "A data file required for the execution of the game is missing or corrupted" and even problems managing windowed mode or full screen.

In these cases, it is recommended to:

• In Steam games, use the option “Verify the integrity of the game files” from Properties > Local Files.
• If the error message points to a specific file (for example, a pak named Core_xxxxxx), locate it in the game's content folder and Remove it before verifyingto force its download again.
• Completely reinstall the game if you suspect the installation has been corrupted, especially in the case of the Microsoft Store, where there is evidence that In rare cases, the store may corrupt installations.

A game that starts clean, with all its data intact and without antivirus interference, has a much higher probability of Properly manage cursor locking and window controlwhich indirectly also reduces the problems of mice escaping.

Other common related problems (controllers, audio, chat, store…)

Although your query focuses on the mouse and older games, many of the official guides related to Sea of ​​Thieves compile Other typical Windows 10/11 errors when playing gameswhich is worth knowing because they often share the same root: drivers, permissions, regional settings, or conflicts with the store.

• Controllers that don't work on Windows / SteamIt is recommended to test the controller in other games, restart the Sea of ​​Thieves app (in the Microsoft Store) or verify files (in Steam), and update or reinstall the device drivers from the Device Manager.
• Audio and voice chat problemsIt's advisable to check that the microphone is enabled in Windows privacy settings, verify that Sea of ​​Thieves and other apps have permission to use it, set the default device in Sound, restart the Windows Audio service, and ensure that there are no VPNs blocking traffic.
• Store glitches, content purchases, or coinsOn the Microsoft Store, restarting the store (wsreset), ensuring you're signed in with the correct account, and, if necessary, restoring the Xbox/Console Companion app or the game itself are usually sufficient. On Steam, always make sure you're purchasing from the correct platform's store to ensure the content reaches the correct account.
• Errors when signing in to Xbox Live from SteamIf the login window closes on its own or gives an error, one documented solution is to delete the specific Xbl_Ticket credentials from the Windows Credential Manager and try again.
• Problems with the Windows Store when downloading gamesMicrosoft suggests several actions, such as clearing the Store cache, using official troubleshooting tools, changing the installation drive, or, in specific cases, using PowerShell commands to re-register the game package.

Having all of this under control not only improves how a particular game works, but also Reduces background noise from minor faults which are sometimes mixed up with things like mouse lockup, making it harder to identify the real cause.

General best practices for playing with two monitors and older games

In addition to specific solutions regarding the Game Bar, the border interface, and system settings, there are a number of habits that greatly help when playing with two screens and titles that aren't really designed for it:

• Whenever possible, put the main game in Exclusive full screennot only in borderless window mode. Some engines lock the cursor better in this mode.
• If you're going to have two games at the same timeTry to keep the "secondary" window in a significantly smaller window or minimized when not in use, so that it doesn't compete for focus with the primary one.
• Disable unnecessary overlays (statistics of FPS, voice panels, overlaid video games, etc.) and Limit background apps who get hooked on the game.
• Keep the primary monitor correctly defined in Windows (Settings > System > Display) and check that the resolutions and refresh rates are not absurdly disparate for no reason.
• In some cases, if the mouse continues to escape, it may be helpful to try... external cursor locking toolsI understand you'd prefer to avoid external programs, but it's a last resort when the game is very old and there are no official patches.

With all these system tweaks, Game Bar-specific fixes, and some best practices, it's quite likely that your games (old or not) will stop... “releasing” the mouse on the secondary monitor at the worst possible momenteven if you keep two titles open at the same time to alternate between them while waiting for respawns or queues.