To Turn On or Off Show Pointer Location with CTRL Key using PowerShell:

Save this file to your computer as Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1

Code:

# Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1
# Turn On or Off "Show Pointer Location when <Ctrl> Key is pressed".

# Parameters:
# $UserKey: Registry key to modify (HKCU or HKU\(SID) or HKU\TempHive)
# $Off: If specified, "Show Pointer Location when <Ctrl> Key is pressed" will be turned off.
#       If not secified, "Show Pointer Location when <Ctrl> Key is pressed" will be turned on.

param(
  [string]$UserKey = "HKCU",
  [switch]$Off
)

#Which bit to toggle in which byte
$Bit = 0x40
$B = 1

$UserPreferencesMask = (Get-ItemProperty "Registry::$($UserKey)\Control Panel\Desktop" -Name "UserPreferencesMask").UserPreferencesMask

If ($UserPreferencesMask -eq $null){
  Write-Error "Cannot find $($UserKey)\Control Panel\Desktop: UserPreferencesMask"
  exit 2}

# Make a copy of $UserPreferencesMask for comparison
$NewMask = $UserPreferencesMask

# Toggle the "Show pointer location" bit
if ($Off) {$NewMask[$B] = $NewMask[$B] -band -bnot $Bit}
else {$NewMask[$B] = $NewMask[$B] -bor $Bit}

if ($NewMask -ne $UserPreferencesMask) {Set-ItemProperty "Registry::$($UserKey)\Control Panel\Desktop" -Name "UserPreferencesMask" -Value $NewMask}

Exit $error.count

Use one of the following depending on what you want to do:
To turn it ON for the current user from the GUI, just double-click the Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1 file.
To turn it ON for the current user from the command line or batch file,

Code:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1"

To turn it OFF for the current user,

Code:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1" -Off

To turn it ON for another user in HKEY_USERS,

Code:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1" HKEY_USERS\(sid)

To turn it OFF for the another user in HKEY_USERS,

Code:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1" HKEY_USERS\(sid) -Off

To turn it ON for another user in the USERS directory,

Code:

FOR /F "tokens=2*" %%P IN ('REG QUERY "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /V "ProfilesDirectory" ^| find /i "REG_"') DO CALL set ProfPath=%%Q
REG LOAD HKU\TempHive "%ProfPath%\(username)\ntuser.dat" 2>NUL: && (
  PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1" HKU\TempHive
  REG UNLOAD HKU\TempHive )

To turn it OFF for the another user in the USERS directory,

Code:

FOR /F "tokens=2*" %%P IN ('REG QUERY "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /V "ProfilesDirectory" ^| find /i "REG_"') DO CALL set ProfPath=%%Q
REG LOAD HKU\TempHive "%ProfPath%\(username)\ntuser.dat" 2>NUL: && (
  PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file "Set-ShowPointerLocation.ps1" HKU\TempHive -Off
  REG UNLOAD HKU\TempHive )

After running this, you (or the user you changed in HKEY_USERS) must log off and back on before the change takes effect.

Toggling this setting in Control Panel -> Mouse takes effect immediately so the GUI must be doing something else besides changing the registry value. I haven't found out what else it's doing yet.

Shaun,
1. Please add "Download" buttons for this code.
2. Please copy this into the Windows 7, 8 and 11 forums, or provide links there to this one.

GugaJedi said:

I'm having problem with this, I know that this is a old thread, but my problem is that the control location of pointer is disabled and even though the control location is still active. I would like to completely disabled this, because when in game this is annoying and cause a miss behave of the aim. How can I completely disable the control press point location. I've tried the script above and it did not work for me.

It's not an "old thread". It's a tutorial.

Exactly what prevents you from using the UI to turn off the pointer location as described in the tutorial?



Post diagrams if it helps you explain.
How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files - TenForumsTutorials


All the best,
Denis

I always use the... move the "mouse around in big circles, until I see the pointer"... method.

I think the relevant Registry Key is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
and the particular entry is
UserPreferencesMask
but I do not know what the relevant data entries should be. I cannot make out what the script is suggesting for them.

When mine was set on, the data was
9e 5e 06 80 12 00 00 00
[on 2nd computer 9e 5e 07 80 12 00 00 00]
[3rd computer same as 2nd one]
and when I cleared the checkbox, as the tutorial says, mine changed to
9e 1e 06 80 12 00 00 00
[on 2nd computer 9e 1e 07 80 12 00 00 00]
[3rd computer same as 2nd one]
but I have no idea if those data value patterns are universal.
- The change pattern from my computers seems to be consistent - the first digit of the second group changes between 5 [On] and 1 [Off].

I'd also want to investigate further using RegShot to see what other changes the UI setting makes.
regshot - SourceForge.net
regshot - Discussion - Open DiscussionANSI or Unicode
How to Use Regshot To Monitor Your Registry - HTG


Denis
All three computers are supposed to be set up the same way but these results [06/07 variation] makes me think there is some setting that differs between them.

Try3 said:

I think the relevant Registry Key is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
and the particular entry is
UserPreferencesMask
but I do not know what the relevant data entries should be. I cannot make out what the script is suggesting for them.

When mine was set on, the data was
9e 5e 06 80 12 00 00
and when I cleared the checkbox, as the tutorial says, mine changed to
9e 1e 06 80 12 00 00 00
but I have no idea if those data values are universal.

I'd want to investigate further using RegShot
regshot - SourceForge.net
regshot - Discussion - Open DiscussionANSI or Unicode
How to Use Regshot To Monitor Your Registry - HTG


Denis

Hello Denis,

This setting is indeed saved to the UserPreferencesMask value, but so are other Visual Effects settings. It will not always be the same per system.

GugaJedi,

I'd be interested to know what those Registry entries are for you on both the Ctrl-enabled & -disabled settings [done through the UI].
Note that the Registry Key is not the one you illustrate.

Denis

Brink said:

... so are other Visual Effects settings. It will not always be the same per system.

Agreed.

I've updated my post with results from two other computers.
I'll be interested in seeing what values GugaJedi has.

All the best,
Denis