Can’t Move Mouse in NVIDIA Overlay? Here’s the Fix!

In NVIDIA’s in-game overlay, the mouse cursor can suddenly freeze or stop responding completely, making it impossible to use overlay menus or controls. This means the overlay is taking input focus but not handling or passing on mouse actions, leaving the cursor stuck until focus is restored.

The most common cause is a focus or window-mode conflict—especially when using fullscreen—along with temporary bugs in the overlay’s input handling, while other causes include problems from anti-cheat systems such as EasyAntiCheat.

Now that you know what might be causing the issue, let’s look at some effective solutions to fix it.

1. Restart Your Game

When troubleshooting any software issue, your first step should be to clear out minor glitches or temporary bugs. The quickest way to do that is to restart your game.

1. Before quitting your game, save any progress to avoid loss of data.
2. Exit the game from the in-game menu, or use a keyboard shortcut (e.g., Alt + F4 on Windows).
3. While you’re at it, close all background processes related to the game. To do this, launch Task Manager, select the process, and click End task.

4. Wait a few moments, then relaunch the game.
5. Once you’re back in, open the NVIDIA Overlay and check if the mouse cursor moves normally.

2. Reset In-Game Overlay

If the mouse stops moving inside the NVIDIA Overlay, you can’t interact with its features. Restarting the overlay can refresh its settings and restore normal behavior.

This involves turning the In-Game Overlay off and back on to clear temporary glitches that might be causing the issue.

1. While in the game, press the keyboard shortcut to bring up the overlay. Usually, it’s Alt + Z or Alt + F3. It may vary if you’ve customized your shortcuts.
2. Click the Gear icon to open overlay Settings.
3. In the General tab, toggle off In-Game Overlay.

4. Wait a few seconds, then re-enable the option.
5. Relaunch the game and check if the issue persists.

3. Enable Borderless Window

Many users who can’t move the mouse in NVIDIA Overlay fix it by leaving Fullscreen mode and switching to a borderless window. This lets the game cover the whole screen without the borders and title bar you see in traditional windowed mode. 

Besides restoring mouse movement, borderless windowed mode often makes switching between apps smoother and can reduce hiccups.

1. Launch the game and open its Settings.
2. Go to the Video tab and change the Display Mode to Borderless Window.

3. Also, set the Aspect Ratio to 4:3 or 5:4, and choose a matching Resolution such as 1280 x 960 (4:3) or 1280 x 1024 (5:4).
4. Save the changes, then open the NVIDIA Overlay to see if the issue is resolved.

Note: The steps to enable borderless windowed mode can vary by game.

4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Switch Between Programs

The Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut lets you switch between apps without using the mouse. This is especially useful here, since a stuck mouse cursor prevents you from trying anything else.

This method lets you switch to another open program while the game is still running. Using the shortcut again returns you to the game, which can reset focus and help restore mouse control in the NVIDIA Overlay.

While this may not be a permanent fix, it’s a handy temporary workaround while you try other solutions.

5. Update or Reinstall NVIDIA Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers connect your NVIDIA graphics card (the hardware) with the apps that use it (like the NVIDIA Overlay). 

If your graphics drivers are outdated or incompatible with the game, that can be why you can’t move the mouse in NVIDIA Overlay. Updating the drivers is an important step when troubleshooting this problem.

Before you start, identify your NVIDIA graphics card model. You can find this in the NVIDIA Control Panel or in Windows Device Manager.

1. Go to the official NVIDIA Drivers webpage to download the latest drivers.
2. Enter the required details and click Search.
3. Click Download to get the updated driver for your card model.

4. Once it’s downloaded, go to the file’s location and start the installer.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions in the setup wizard to update the driver.