Windows 10: Custom Cursors

Information
Thread related to self-made / custom cursors (mouse pointers).
Following @Cliff S hint on moving my cursor thread from EightForums.
New cursors may follow.

Newer cursor versions and types will be added in newer posts.
I'll try to update this post with the necessary links below.

Starting reference:
EightForums - Custom Cursors

Resources:
How To Create Cursors - Customize.org
RealWorld Cursor Editor - make animated cursors (site has cursor gallery)
Cursor Editor (online tool)
Axialis CursorWorkshop - Make cursors for Windows.
Preloaders.net - Circular (Spinners) loading GIF APNG animations (AJAX loaders)
loading.io - Your SVG + GIF Ajax Loading Icons
In practice - about the file formats and challenges building cursors

List of cursor schemes/themes
Black Green Binary (150% DPI normal size)
Black Cyan Binary (150% DPI normal size)
Dark-Blue Cyan Binary (150% DPI normal size)
Red Yellow Binary (150% DPI normal size)
Dark-Red Yellow Binary (150% DPI normal size)
Black Yellow Binary (150% DPI normal size)
DMZ Neon Blue (200% DPI normal size)
DMZ Neon Orange (200% DPI normal size)
DMZ Neon Yellow-Red (200% DPI normal size)
Aero8 Yellow (200% DPI normal, large and extra-large sizes)
Aero7 Default (Remastered) (200% DPI, normal, large and extra-large sizes)
From the "Good Ole Days" of XP (thanks to f14tomcat) (100% DPI classic animated horse, dinosaur, barber pole, etc.) mega pack (preview here)
Bat Cursors (by SonicBlue) (100% DPI, normal, static + animated) (preview here)
Delta45 Neon-Green (300% DPI normal size)
Star Trek Cursors (by Sonic Blue) (100% DPI, normal size)
Aero7 Red (Remastered) (200% DPI, normal, large, extra-large sizes)
Aero8 Purple (200% DPI normal, large and extra-large sizes)
Delta45 Neon-Red (300% DPI normal size)
LLX-Copper (300%-400% DPI normal-large)
LLX-Red (300%-400% DPI normal-large)

Theme expansions - alternative styles - standalone goodies
Vortex cursor (multi-colored, animated busy state, 100% DPI)
Dotted spinners for the White Default Windows pointers (200% DPI, animated, busy/working states)
Cursor Folder ICON (by Cliff S) customize your favorite cursor-containing folder)
LLX-Copper (Beta) - no animations, no hand link state + darker in color than the final release


:)

 

CUSTOM CURSORS

I want to change to a custom cursor theme. I've found what I want and downloaded it. Now, how do I install it in Windows 10?

 

How do you install custom cursors in Windows 10?

This isn't the answer for this particular question. We know how to download cursors.

We need to know where to drop the .cur files in order to make them usable. I've done this on older versions of windows, but it's been ages and I'm not sure the way I did it even exists on Windows 10.

 

A complete tutorial on changing mouse pointers can be found here:
Mouse Pointers - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Installing a cursor theme:
Complete cursor packs can include an install file (install.inf) right-click -> install should install the new mouse pointer theme entirely. To use the new theme, select it from the list: (Figure 2 -> Figure 3).
*




Changing or installing a cursor theme manually:
To use the new cursor file(s) first unzip/open the downloaded file. There you find a folder and/or in that folder the needed files. Then you can place those (extracted) files, the static (*.cur), or animated files, in this case, (*.ani) anywhere you want (Windows cursors are placed in "C:\Windows\Cursors" so this might be the ideal place where you'll need to browse to the files).
Figure 1:




You then need to access mouse settings from Control Panel -> Mouse or by right clicking on the Desktop -> Personalization
Figure 2:




That will open the cursor settings then go to pointers:
Figure 3:




You can double-click the ones needed to be changed or select each one and go to browse. Here we browse to our cursor folder needed (where you placed the extracted cursor files).
Figure 4:




After all is changed you can even save (see below: select "save-as" and enter a theme name) the cursor theme (scheme) as a new scheme and the settings will be kept for later use, in case the cursors get changed by you or the Windows Themes.
Figure 5:




That's it.

 

Information
Windows cursors are multi-layered.
(Starting with Windows 7)
In other words one pointer file, let's say the standard right arrow

contains multiple images each showing at different DPI settings.

A user running at 144 DPI (150%) would see a different / more detailed arrow pointer that a user at 96 DPI (100%) but both arrows would appear to have (almost) the same size on the respective user monitors.

Cursor resolution sizes on specific DPI settings


DPI scale (%) Optimal cursor size (px) 100% 32x32 150% 48x48 200% 64x64 250% 80x80 300% 96x96 350% 112x112 400% 128x128 450% 144x144 500% 160x160

DPI settings:





Mouse cursor specs between Windows versions

Windows XP-Vista:
Single-layered cursors
32x32px

Windows 7:
2 layered-cursors:
32x32px
48x48px

Windows 8:
3-layered cursors:
32x32px
48x48px
64x64px

Windows 10:
5-layered cursors:
32x32px
48x48px
64x64px
96x96px
128x128px*
*at the moment of writing, static (cur) goes up to 128px, animated (ani) goes up to 64px

Size of files also increases significantly as larger images get included in mouse pointer to make them compatible with higher DPI screens.

Using a (older) cursor pack lacking higher DPI layers on a high DPI screen will result in a blurred and less-detailed pointer being shown (the small bitmap layer will get stretched up).



Note
More info about DPI settings and how to change them:
DPI Scaling Level for Displays - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

You're welcome!

 

Information
There are two types of mouse cursors:

Static (cur-file)
Contains a single frame, forms a still image.




Animated (ani-file)
Can contain multiple (n) frames (played at n frames/second) forming an animated sequence.




Both types (cur & ani) can be single-layered or multi-layered to improve user experience on higher DPI.

 

Black Green Binary cursor scheme
black-green-binary.zip

Windows 7 specs. Based on Windows System Black scheme.
An install.inf file is included to facilitate installation.
Right click to install is way easier than manual copy-pastes.

 

Black Cyan Binary
black-cyan-binary.zip
​
Same as the green one, except the color...

 

Dark-Blue Cyan Binary
dblue-cyan-binary.zip

The same but cooler...

 

Red Yellow Binary
red-yellow-binary.zip

*Red-Yellow combo is the house specialty.

 

Dark-Red Yellow Binary
dred-yellow-binary.zip

Who knows... it might be used somewhere.

 

Black Yellow Binary
black-yellow-binary.zip

 

vortex-cursor.zip

note: This is not a full theme but a single item: can be used for the BUSY cursor state.

Specs:
- normal 32x32 size
- ANI-format























*preview (GIF) reduces actual quality.
**a spare pair of eyes may be required after long exposure.

 

Thanks, Hopachi!

Since my eyes have gotten so bad, I need a bigger cursor, so you've answered my request that wasn't yet. *Smile