Windows 10 needs a Cursr mouse driver

[OlfanK]

Describe the Bug/Issue

Windows 10 (may be the case for other releases, can't test) needs a mouse connected in order to render a mouse pointer on screen. It will always have one and track its position, but displaying it needs a connected device. Cursr is not recognised as a mouse driver by Windows 10 so on a machine with no connected HIDs the mouse pointer will be invisible, making it VERY hard to use. Some screen items like desktop icons react to hovering so it can be verified that Cursr's position reporting is accurate, also any mouse action works fine, it's just extremely hard to aim an invisible pointer.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Cursr on at least two machines, at least one of them being Windows 10.
2. Configure Virtual Switch settings and pair the machines, set at least one screen transition and test it.
3. Unplug mouse and keyboard from the Windows 10 machine (if not using a physical KVM switch, make sure to set the BIOS to boot without keyboard!). Note the mouse pointer vanishing.
4. Re-test: move the mouse pointer between screens. Note the absence of a visible mouse pointer in the mouseless Windows while pointing and clicking still works.
5. Counter-test: plug in a mouse. See the pointer reappear. Unplug it, see it vanish again.

Expected Behaviour

Cursr acts like (by itself, or separately installs, or suggests installation of) a (virtual) mouse driver, activating whenever there's a Virtual Switch connection. Windows 10 machines always display a mouse pointer when Cursr is providing one.

Screenshots
Found myself unable to screenshot an invisible mouse pointer. ;)

Your Environment

• OS details: Windows 10 x64, fully updated as of 2024-11-17, MacOS Sequoia, fully updated as of 2024-11-17. Both systems know they run in the EU (differences shouldn't apply here but you never know)
• Cursr Version: 1.7.2
• License: permanent Pro (not needed for my use case but wanted to support the project)

Additional Context

Workaround: have some old cabled mouse plugged in at all times. It will accumulate dust and add to desk clutter but at least the mouse pointer will be visible. Don't use a wireless one, the battery will die at some point and the mouse pointer will vanish - probably in an inconvenient moment and after the workaround has been forgotten about.

[ragauskl]

This may be the most useful issue opened so far! I'm really grateful for you taking time to provide the feedback (Note before Cursr I did almost 0 native software stuff and I'm full stack web developer that left work to pursue Cursr so I learn a lot of things regarding native development on all 3 platforms as I go). Not once did it cross my mind to disconnect the mouse and figure this out, I mostly use laptops and have 1 stationary which just always has the mouse connected, so I never noticed that if mouse is disconnected the pointer is not there. This may just also explain why some people were not seeing the mouse and I though issue was something else.

I did know that at some point I'll have to write mouse drivers (especially on Linux as api usage does not allow for smooth simulated scroll, need a driver for that), but this case for Windows does bump up the priority for at least Windows driver by a lot. Maybe there's a way to render the mouse if it's detected as invisible, that would definitely be a faster solution, if the mouse is already moving/hovering there should be a way to show it, but if not then I'll look into the driver.

I'm almost finished with last release of 1.7.3 before it can be made stable, then with 1.8 or 1.9 I'll look into releasing a fix for this as it's of high priority.

[ragauskl]

@OlfanK I've been doing some testing and could not replicate it, if I disconnect the physical mouse and keyboard (both directly and through physical KVM, however BIOS I have does not seem to have a setting for this) from my stationary Win10 and start the system, after Cursr auto connects and I move the mouse between devices - it's visible. I tried different things I could think of and it's still working for me.

I'll add some extra logs for v1.7.3-prerelease.4 I'll be releasing soon, you will need 'Early Access' enabled in settings, maybe they will give me more insight into why the mouse is not visible on your end.

[ragauskl]

Actually - does your device have a Table Mode ('Tablet' settings 'Additional Table Settings' should show it) enabled when you connect with hardware disconnected?