KB5120998 resets custom mouse cursors on Windows 11 and blocks restoring them (August 28, 2026)
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TL;DR
Microsoft opened a known issue at 15:36 PT on August 28, 2026 for the optional preview update KB5120998 resetting mouse personalization on Windows 11, recorded on its own release health page. The entry says the settings "are being reverted to certain standard settings", including the cursor and cursor animations selected in Mouse Properties, and that "attempting to manually restore the settings values is not successful, as the issue prevents loading these settings regardless of their value." Windows Latest and PCWorld both told readers the same day to skip the update, and uninstalling it is the only remedy published as of August 28, 2026.
- The known issue is titled "Mouse customization is reset on non-English Windows devices", opened 2026-08-28 at 15:36 PT, originating update KB5120998, OS Build 26100.9278, released 2026-08-27.
- Reapplying a cursor scheme does nothing: Microsoft says the issue prevents the settings loading regardless of their value.
- Users describe a bigger, white, Windows 98-style pointer that refuses to change back, colour shifts and broken cursor animations. PCWorld notes the problem is not occurring on all Windows 11 PCs.
- The same update is also being blamed for desktop backgrounds turning solid black, which Microsoft's known issue does not cover.
- Uninstalling KB5120998 costs the movable taskbar, the resizable Start menu and the decluttered Search box. A Microsoft engineer noted the update is optional and that the same changes arrive in the next mandatory update anyway.
What the update does to the pointer
Mouse personalization reverts to standard settings after KB5120998 installs. The cursor scheme and the cursor animations chosen in Mouse Properties go back to defaults. Windows Latest describes the result as a large, white, Windows 98-style default pointer, with colours flipping and animations breaking. PCWorld describes the same thing as "a bigger, white, Windows 98-style cursor that refuses to change back".
The refusal is the part that matters. This is not a reset you can undo by setting it again. Microsoft's entry says the update prevents the settings loading regardless of their stored value, so Windows falls back to a default no matter what you pick in the dialog.
What Microsoft's known issue says
The release health entry opened at 15:36 PT on August 28, 2026, hours after the reports started. It names the originating update as OS Build 26100.9278, KB5120998, released on August 27, 2026, and lists the affected platforms as Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, with no server versions affected.
The title of the entry carries a detail worth reading twice: "Mouse customization is reset on non-English Windows devices". If your Windows is English and your pointer is wrong, this entry is not describing your machine, and as of August 28, 2026 that case is outside what Microsoft has acknowledged.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Update | KB5120998, optional preview, released August 27, 2026 |
| Builds | 26200.9278 (25H2) and 26100.9278 (24H2) |
| Known issue opened | August 28, 2026, 15:36 PT |
| Scope in the entry | non-English Windows 11 devices, 25H2 and 24H2 |
| Server versions | none affected |
| Fix as of August 28, 2026 | none |
| Remedy | uninstall KB5120998 and restart |
The other half, which is not acknowledged
The cursor is not the only complaint about this update. Windows Latest reports the desktop background changing to solid black and staying black after a logout or a restart even when it is set again by hand, plus pixelated or blurry fonts. PCWorld pairs the wallpaper reset with the cursor bug in its own write-up.
Microsoft's known issue covers the mouse only. PCWorld adds two honest caveats: the problems are not occurring on all Windows 11 PCs, and the cause was not known. So as of August 28, 2026 there is a documented entry for one symptom, a pile of reports for the other, and one update in common.
Uninstalling, and what it costs
The remedy published on August 28, 2026 is removal: Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, pick KB5120998, then reboot. PCWorld reports that affected users saw the problem disappear after uninstalling.
The cost is features. KB5120998 is an optional preview update, and what you give up is the new work it carried: the movable taskbar, the resizable Start menu and the decluttered Search box. A Microsoft engineer noted that the update is optional and that skipping it means the same changes arrive in the next mandatory update anyway, which is the strongest argument for leaving it alone this month.
What you can do today
As of August 28, 2026 this one is entirely in your hands, because the update is optional. In order:
1. Check whether you have it. Settings > Windows Update > Update history lists KB5120998. Or press Windows and R, type winver, and look for build 26200.9278 on 25H2 or 26100.9278 on 24H2.
2. If you have not installed it, do not. It is offered rather than required, and a Microsoft engineer has said the same features arrive in the next mandatory update.
3. If you have it and the pointer is wrong, stop reapplying the cursor scheme. Microsoft says the update prevents those settings loading regardless of their value, so every attempt is wasted effort.
4. Uninstall it: Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, select KB5120998, then restart.
5. Know what you are handing back: the movable taskbar, the resizable Start menu and the decluttered Search box all came with this update.
6. If your Windows is English and your pointer reset anyway, write down the build and the language. Microsoft's entry is scoped to non-English devices, so an English-language case is worth reporting rather than assuming it is covered.
If you would rather not do this by hand on every machine, Get XLAnt.
Frequently asked questions
Will reapplying my cursor scheme fix it?
No. Microsoft says the issue prevents the mouse settings loading regardless of their value, so the choice you make is not read back. As of August 28, 2026 the only published remedy is to uninstall KB5120998 and restart.
Is my machine affected if Windows is in English?
Microsoft's known issue is titled for non-English Windows devices, so an English installation is outside the entry as written on August 28, 2026. PCWorld also notes the problems are not occurring on all Windows 11 PCs. If an English machine resets anyway, the update is still optional and removable.