Colored mouse cursors

[Peter Kinross]

Boring, boring, boring! That's the Win 7 Aero mouse cursor. In XP & Vista there were heaps of mouse pointer choices. I have used the 'Bronze' one for years, but not anymore. As far as i can see, in Win 7 there is only one Aero mouse pointer, and that's plain white! Seriously.
Does anyone know of any place that one can get colored mouse pointers for Win 7?

[HansV]

See Free mouse pointers for Windows 7 (haven't tried it out myself, I like boring mouse pointers... )

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks Hans.
I had already tried that site. there are 2 buttons. The first 'Click Here' (I assumed for the free cursors) takes you to a 'Free movie hire trial' site with nothing else there. The other offers to make MyWebSearch search engine (never heard of it) your default search engine and home page. It also mentions stuff that will be on' the toolbar' (I want no part of any toolbar). All that is on the download conditions before clicking on the 'Click Here to Start' button. Seemed a bit suspect to me. So I hightailed it out of there.
If anyone has used that site with no ill after effects, please let me know.

[HansV]

Sorry about that - as I mentioned I hadn't actually tried it.

Apart from that, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of mouse pointers for the Aero theme.

[Peter Kinross]

Yeah, bummer! Thank anyway.
Another example of Microsoft's idea of progress. If we keep progressing like this we will be back using abacuses in no time. But they will be much more compact than they used to be and will generate far less heat. However they will no doubt crash more frequently.
Avagr8day,

[John Gray]

If you'd worked your way down to the bottom of the webpage, to the third comment, you may have found that the link http://www.philip-henderson.co.uk/cursorr.shtml gives you a whole bunch of plain-coloured cursors... Not exciting but large, and in colour!

[Charlotte]

Yeah, bummer! Thank anyway.
Another example of Microsoft's idea of progress. If we keep progressing like this we will be back using abacuses in no time. But they will be much more compact than they used to be and will generate far less heat. However they will no doubt crash more frequently.
Avagr8day,

They seem to have decided those refinements should be part of the mouse software. Both my MS mice allow me to select size and color of my cursor on Win 7. There are also accessibility options that might help, but they come with a bunch of other baggage you may not want.

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks John. I have looked and looked but I cannot see the part of the web page you refer to. However that is a moot point as the web address you gave the link for is for large cursors. I only want something in a reasonable color that is more easily seen on a white background.

Charlotte, my mouse is a ms mouse too, but in the Aero cursors, I get only the plain vanilla cursor available. Maybe my mouse is too old?
Unless it is the theme you are using. What theme do you use?
I tried to include a shot of my windows 7 Mouse Properties dialog box, but cannot work out how to insert an image. I assumed that I should click on the Img button in the message editor. However, I did that but there was no way to navigate to the image on my computer. (Whoops, I guess that that is way off topic)

[HansV]

If you want to add a screenshot, use "Upload attachment". The img tag is for images on that are stored on a website.

[Charlotte]

Charlotte, my mouse is a ms mouse too, but in the Aero cursors, I get only the plain vanilla cursor available. Maybe my mouse is too old?
Unless it is the theme you are using. What theme do you use?

I haven't a clue. I just let it default. My mouse did not provide anything like that until I installed the software that came with it rather than just letting Windows match it up to the built in drivers. Did you try that? I'll check my machine tonight (I'm on XP in the office) and see what else I might have done.

[Pilgrim]

Of course, there is always the option to go with a 3rd-party cursor program such as Stardock's CursorFX. I have been using this program for many years (it used to be named, 'CursorXP') and there are literally 1000's of cursor packages you can get on their associate site Wincustomize all for free.

[viking33]

Boring, boring, boring! That's the Win 7 Aero mouse cursor. In XP & Vista there were heaps of mouse pointer choices. I have used the 'Bronze' one for years, but not anymore. As far as i can see, in Win 7 there is only one Aero mouse pointer, and that's plain white! Seriously.
Does anyone know of any place that one can get colored mouse pointers for Win 7?

I see that Jeff/Pilgrim beat me to it but I'll just second his recommendation. Cursor FX is Win 7 compatible and the choices and options are huge.

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks for that guys, but it doesn't look as though Cursor FX will even come close to what I want. To quote their web page on what the program does.
"CursorFX users can create and use cursors that look and feel far superior to anything you've ever seen before! Best of all, it's really easy to create your own super-charged cursors! It integrates into the standard Mouse interface of Windows and is easy to turn on and off as you need."
I certainly do not want to create and use my own cursors. Simply download and use a neat looking colored cursor set that doesn't look boring and won't get lost on a white background.
I downloaded a cursor set from WinCustomize. I had avoided that because it looked like I had to subscribe. But it turns out I didn't have to. However when I unzipped the download it was a file called 'Gold2.CurXPTheme'. I have absolutely no idea what to do with that.

[Pilgrim]

Thanks for that guys, but it doesn't look as though Cursor FX will even come close to what I want. To quote their web page on what the program does.
"CursorFX users can create and use cursors that look and feel far superior to anything you've ever seen before! Best of all, it's really easy to create your own super-charged cursors! It integrates into the standard Mouse interface of Windows and is easy to turn on and off as you need."
I certainly do not want to create and use my own cursors.

The ability to create your own cursors is an OPTION which many don't use. The ability to download the 1000s of free cursor sets is what most do and use.

Simply download and use a neat looking colored cursor set that doesn't look boring and won't get lost on a white background.
I downloaded a cursor set from WinCustomize. I had avoided that because it looked like I had to subscribe. But it turns out I didn't have to. However when I unzipped the download it was a file called 'Gold2.CurXPTheme'. I have absolutely no idea what to do with that.

If you have downloaded and installed the program, CursorFX, then all you have to do is double-click on the ".CURXPTheme" or "CURFXTheme" file. It will automatically install itself and be applied. FYI, the ".CURXPTheme" file is the older format but it will work with the newer CursorFX program. Within the program itself there are myriad options to change the size, color, add trails, even sounds and of course change cursors at will. DeviantArt is another good source for CursorFX/XP sets too.

I'm sure I and others who are familiar with CursorFX can help you further if needed.

[Charlotte]

I certainly do not want to create and use my own cursors. Simply download and use a neat looking colored cursor set that doesn't look boring and won't get lost on a white background.
I downloaded a cursor set from WinCustomize. I had avoided that because it looked like I had to subscribe. But it turns out I didn't have to. However when I unzipped the download it was a file called 'Gold2.CurXPTheme'. I have absolutely no idea what to do with that.

Peter. a simple option is to use the Accessibility feature from control panel -> Ease of Access, click "Change how your mouse works", and use the inverting color. It keeps the mouse from being lost on a white backgroun and inverts the colors to keep it in sight on colored backgrounds as well. I use the extra large and did so even before my vision got as poor as it has become. I use the default aero theme and this works perfectly for me.

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks all. I downloaded CursorFX and it is GREAT!
It really is a shame that their description of what the program is about, strongly indicates that it is for creating and using your own cursors. Instead, as you say, it puts GREAT cursors at your fingertips.
I now have a hand with a pointing finger as my cursor. Can't see me ever loosing sight of that! Not only that, but the finger changes position when it is over buttons. Very clever and very handy, as some web buttons are hard to spot.
Thanks again everyone, you guys are wonderful (and patient).

[viking33]

Thanks all. I downloaded CursorFX and it is GREAT!
It really is a shame that their description of what the program is about, strongly indicates that it is for creating and using your own cursors. Instead, as you say, it puts GREAT cursors at your fingertips.
I now have a hand with a pointing finger as my cursor. Can't see me ever loosing sight of that! Not only that, but the finger changes position when it is over buttons. Very clever and very handy, as some web buttons are hard to spot.
Thanks again everyone, you guys are wonderful (and patient).

Glad it worked out for you, Peter.
Sometimes, the description doesn't do justice to the actual performance of the product.
A quicky try is most times the better way to go. ( this can apply to other things besides software too )