Updated

Updated · BleepingComputer · Aug 31

Microsoft Confirms KB5120998 Resets Windows 11 Mouse Settings After August 27 Update

Updated

Updated · BleepingComputer · Aug 31

Microsoft Confirms KB5120998 Resets Windows 11 Mouse Settings After August 27 Update

Q: Will rolling back your Windows 11 system permanently erase your custom settings, or is a secret fix already deploying?

Rolling back KB5120998 should not permanently erase your custom cursor or wallpaper settings; for most affected users, uninstalling the update restores normal behavior. Reports reproduced by Windows Latest, along with Microsoft’s own release-note acknowledgment, indicate the August 27 optional Windows 11 preview update is resetting or overriding personalization settings rather than deleting them outright. Right now, the practical fix is to remove KB5120998 if your cursor size, color, scheme, or wallpaper keeps reverting. Users have reported that registry tweaks, DISM, and manually reapplying themes often do not hold while the update remains installed. Once the patch is uninstalled, the cursor and wallpaper issues generally stop. There is no confirmed “secret fix” for the cursor and wallpaper bug already rolling out. Microsoft says it is investigating and a corrective update is expected in the coming days, but it has not yet published a dedicated patch for this specific regression. The out-of-band update KB5121767 that Microsoft recently released is for a separate issue affecting some systems with Intel Innovation Platform Framework drivers, mainly on certain Dell devices, and is not the fix for KB5120998’s personalization problems. Because KB5120998 is an optional non-security preview update, uninstalling it should not cause you to miss this month’s core security fixes. If your PC is unaffected, you can wait for Microsoft’s repair patch before installing it.

3 articles · Updated · BleepingComputer · Aug 31

KB5120998 is reverting Windows 11 mouse cursor personalization to standard settings, and affected users reportedly cannot restore their previous customizations after the change.
Microsoft said the issue appears after installing updates released on Aug. 27 and later, with reports citing high-DPI cursors being replaced by larger white pointers and custom animations falling back to defaults.
The company is still investigating the root cause and asked users to submit cases through Feedback Hub if they encounter the bug.
The optional August 2026 preview update added Start menu, taskbar and Windows Search changes for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, but it installs only if users click Download and install or enable early updates.
The bug follows other recent Windows mouse problems, including a black-wallpaper issue tied to the same update and separate Microsoft fixes or probes involving WinRE USB mice and classic Outlook pointer disappearances.