The latest PowerToys gives your mouse 2 new tricks for free – how to use them

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The new version of PowerToys adds two handy mouse helpers.
• Mouse Button Lock helps you more easily select a large chunk of text.
• CursorHide hides the mouse cursor until you start typing or move the mouse.

Ever have trouble using your mouse? Sometimes selecting a large block of text proves to be a challenge. Other times, your mouse cursor may get in the way of what you’re trying to type or see. Now Microsoft can help you resolve both issues via the latest version of its free PowerToys utility.

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Popping up in the official release of PowerToys version 0.102 are two new tools for you to mouse around with. One is called Mouse Button Lock, while the other is known as CursorHide. I’ll explain how to use each one. But to try them yourself, you’ll first need to install or update PowerToys.

To install the program from scratch, go to the PowerToys Microsoft Store page and click the Download button. Or, you can head to the PowerToys GitHub page and click the correct exe file for your flavor of Windows. To update an existing installation, open PowerToys from the Start menu or the System Tray and click the button to check for updates or select the notice to grab the latest version.

Mouse Button Lock

Selecting a block of text normally requires that you hold down your left mouse button for the entire process. But if you’re trying to select a long block that extends to multiple sections or pages, that maneuver can be tricky.

With Mouse Button Lock, you’re able to hold down a mouse button for a second or two and then release it. You then move your mouse toward the end of the block you wish to select, and the text is automatically selected along the way. Then just click your mouse button again to stop the selection.

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This capability has already been available through the ClickLock setting built into Windows. To access this with or without PowerToys, go to Settings and select Accessibility. Scroll down to the screen to the Interaction section and select the option for Mouse. Click the setting for ClickLock. You can then turn it on and set the duration in seconds to determine how long you must hold down your left mouse button to activate it.

If this functionality is already built into Windows, why enable it in PowerToys? The PowerToys flavor is much more versatile. You can choose the left, right, or middle mouse button as the trigger. You can also set the duration more precisely in miliseconds. Plus, you’re able to choose the distance in pixels during which your selection will remain. On my end, I chose the right mouse button, set the duration to 1,500 ms (1.5 seconds), and increased the distance to 100 pixels.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

To try this in action as I set it, move your cursor to the start of the area you want to select and then hold down the right mouse button for around 1.5 seconds. Release the button and then move your mouse to the end of the area you want to select.

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You should see the text being selected along the way. When you’ve reached the end, click the right mouse button again, and the selection will stop. It sounds more intricate than it is. After you try it a couple of times, I think you’ll find it a more convenient way to select a large area of text.

CursorHide

Does the mouse cursor ever get in the way when you’re typing text or just trying to see something on the screen? CursorHide will hide the mouse cursor while you’re typing or after a certain period of inactivity so it doesn’t obscure whatever is on the screen.

For this one, click its entry in the Mouse Utilities section in PowerToys and turn on the switch. You can then choose to hide the cursor during most kinds of keyboard input, after a certain period of cursor inactivity, or both. If you choose cursor inactivity, you’re able to set the delay to determine how long until the cursor disappears, anywhere from 1 to 60 seconds. I enabled both options and set the delay to 5 seconds.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Now open an app, document, or file in which you can type text. Move the mouse so you can see the cursor. As soon as you start typing, it should disappear. Move the mouse to show the cursor again. Next, wait for the number of seconds that you chose for the delay, and the cursor should again vanish. Move the mouse to view it again.

While you’re here, you may want to try some of the other mouse utilities. I like Find My Mouse, which helps you locate a mouse pointer or cursor that’s playing hard to get. I also sometimes use Mouse Highlighter, which visually highlights the area I click on with the mouse.

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PowerToys is one of my favorite free Windows utilities. With more than 30 tools, it offers something for everyone from beginners to power users. Take time to explore some of the other tools to see which ones you find helpful and then just try them. You can easily turn each one on and off and use your favorites whenever you want.

Lance Whitney is a technology journalist with an IT background. He's written for TechRepublic, PCMag, Macworld, and Time, among others, He also teaches classes in AI, cybersecurity, and social media. See full bio