Tired of standard cursors in Windows – I found 15 alternatives. I’ll tell you how to install them.

At some point, I got tired of looking at the standard cursor arrow and wanted to replace it with something else. Having climbed the sites, I managed to find some cool and interesting sets of pointers. And it turned out that putting another cursor is quite simple.

How does the cursor change

There are several ways to change the pointer. Usually, if you download an archive with a set of cursors, there is an install.inf file, which, after double-clicking, will change the cursor and add the corresponding scheme to the mouse properties. To return to the standard pointer or select a different set, you can press “Win + R”, enter “control Main.cpl” and select the “Pointers” tab in the window that opens, where there will be a choice of schemes.

Unfortunately, some kits do not have an installation file. In this case, you will have to change the pictures manually, which is done through the settings in the same tab. Images must be in .cur or .ani format. If you want to use another type of image, such as .png, then you first need to convert it to the appropriate format, which online converters do well: for example, Convertio, Convertertools or Anyconv.

Another option is programs that allow you to change pointers to ready-made sets, and also give you the opportunity to create and install your own cursor design. You can learn more about them at the end of the article.

15 Alternative Cursors I Picked

In Windows, the pointer has several states that depend on the object and the mode of interaction with it, and each of them looks different. For example, the normal state of the cursor is an arrow, when following hyperlinks it becomes a hand, and when editing text it looks like a wand.

The Internet is full of different packages of cursors, and if you try, you can draw your own set. But in order not to waste time on either one or the other, I suggest taking a look at the thematic sets that I found, which can be easily found on the Internet by name. And if you don’t like them, even below you can learn about special applications with their own cursor options.

Point.er

MinimalisticLnD

DeCody

Watch_Dogs

Nord Cursor

Stalker

Overwatch Pointer and Blackwatch Pointer

Anoop

BLUE ALIEN

Assassin’s creed black

Windows 11 Cursors Concept v2

Hacked Mod Cursors

macOS cursors for Windows

The Division Cursor pack

Opera Gx Cursor

Cursor replacement programs

If you didn’t like the option to change the cursor above or simply don’t have a suitable set, then you should try special applications. They have a big advantage over searching and downloading archives with cursors – these are directories with a large number of pointer designs and even easier installation. Also, applications make it possible to create your own sets of cursors and apply them in a few clicks.

Custom Cursor (Free)

It is both an app and a browser extension. In the second case, after installation, you can choose any set from those offered or find the one you want on the site, but they will only work in the browser. Several sets are also pre-loaded into the application, and the rest are added from the site. If you want, there is a “Download Cursor” tab, where you can create your own pointer scheme from your pictures. Changing the cursor is disabled using the “Default Cursor” button. In the application settings, you can set the cursor size, change the application language, refuse notifications, and enable or disable autoplay. The Custom Cursor has only one drawback – all sets change only two pointer modes: main and selection.

To change the cursor using this application, you need to:

1. Find the cursor you like on the site.
2. Click the “Add” button.
3. In the application, find the selected pointer.
4. Press the “Apply” button.

CursorFX ($4.99)

CursorFX is a paid program, but there is a 30 day trial. The application has 24 pre-loaded sets of cursors. If you don’t like them, in the “My Cursors” tab there is a link to a site where people offer their own versions of pointers. Most of them are free, but the rest are paid. In addition to the cursor, you can change the click effect, trail, and click sound using the application, but only if you have changed the pointer using CursorFX. And if you don’t like the existing options, the application allows you to create your own set of cursors, effects, sounds and trail.

Changing a pointer is easy:

1. In the “My cursors” tab, select a theme.
2. Press the “Apply” button.

RealWorld Cursor Editor (Free)

The application is designed to create their own cursors, but some people upload their works to the site, from where they can be downloaded, and then manually applied to each type of pointer, since there are no installation files in the archives. To create your own cursors, there is the “Create” tab, where you can choose to create a cursor from scratch or from an image. And the “Pointers” tab contains all the cursor settings, so you can easily replace all or several with an existing image. In the “Online” tab you can find news, tutorials and links to other materials.

There are two options for applying your pointer design. The first one is pretty simple:

1. Draw cursor from scratch or from a picture.
2. In the “Cursor” tab, hover over “Use current for”.
3. Apply the drawing on the desired cursor state.

And the second, with which you can also change the pointer to the set downloaded from the site:

1. Download the cursor or draw your own, saving the design on your computer.
2. Open the “Pointers” tab and select the cursor state.
3. Click “Open cursor file” and find the downloaded or created cursor.
4. Press the “Apply” button.