Microsoft says bug in classic Outlook hides the mouse pointer

Microsoft is investigating a known issue that causes the mouse pointer to disappear in the classic Outlook desktop email client for some users.

This bug has been acknowledged almost two months after the first reports started surfacing online, with users saying that Outlook became unusable after the mouse pointer vanished while using the app.

"My mouse just stopped being visible while I am using Outlook, and this is very, very, frustrating because my permission wasn't given to make these changes, and now I can't find anything, can't open emails, can't copy and paste, and the list goes on and on," one customer noted.

Microsoft explained in a recent support document that the mouse pointer (and in some cases the cursor) will suddenly vanish as users move it across Outlook's interface, and noted that this bug also affects some users of other Microsoft 365 apps.

"When using classic Outlook, you may find that the mouse pointer or mouse cursor disappears as you move the pointer over the Outlook interface," it said. "Although the mouse pointer is not there, the email in the message list will change color as you hover over it. This issue has also been reported with OneNote and other Microsoft 365 apps to a lesser degree."

Microsoft added that the Outlook team is investigating the issues and will provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, Microsoft is asking affected users to have their Microsoft 365 administrator open a support case with the Outlook Support Team and submit diagnostic log files to assist with analysis.

While a timeline for a permanent fix is not yet available, Microsoft has offered three temporary workarounds that require affected users to click an email in the message list when the cursor disappears, which may cause it to reappear.

Alternatively, switching to PowerPoint, clicking into an editable area, and then returning to Outlook may also restore the mouse pointer. If neither of them works, Microsoft said that restarting the computer should resolve the issue temporarily.

Last month, Microsoft fixed another classic Outlook issue that prevented Microsoft 365 customers from opening encrypted emails after installing the December 2025 updates.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Tuesday 24 February 2026 at 1:51 pm AEST (my time).

News posts: 2023 5,800+ | 2024 5,700+ | 2025 5,700+ | 2026 (to end of January) 461

RIP Matrix