How to make the mouse pointer easier to see in KDE 4

Step 1: Open the 'Mouse settings' window

Click on the 'K' icon on the menu bar, or press Alt + F1, to open 'Kickoff' as shown in Fig 1.

Fig 1

Click on 'Computer' and then 'System Settings', or use the arrow keys to select these and then press Enter, to open the 'System Settings' window shown in Fig 2.

(Some setups may vary. In this example, 'System Settings' is also available from the 'Favourites' tab, as shown in Fig 1.)

Fig 2

Click on the 'Keyboard & Mouse' icon, or press Tab to enter the main window, and then use the arrow keys to navigate to 'Keyboard & Mouse' and then press Enter.

In the window that opens, shown in Fig 3, click on the 'Mouse' icon, or press Tab until the pane on the left is highlighted, then use the down arrow key to move to 'Mouse'.

Fig 3

Step 2: Choose a mouse pointer size and colour

Click on the 'Cursor Theme' tab or press Alt + C, to display the window shown in Fig 4.

Fig 4

Click on the cursor theme you want, or press Tab until any of the cursor themes is highlighted and then use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the options until you find the theme you want.

When you've highlighted the cursor theme you want, click the 'Apply' button, or press Alt + A, to save your changes.

Click on the 'Overview' button or press Esc to return to the previous screen. Click the 'Close' cross or press Alt + F4 to return to the KDE desktop.

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Step 1: Highlight the mouse pointer

The 'Track Mouse' feature should be on by default. Simply press Ctrl + the Meta key (the Windows key on most setups) to display a circle of stars that will rotate around the mouse pointer, as shown in Fig 1. If that does not work, continue to Step 2 to turn this feature on.

Fig 1

Step 2: Open the 'Desktop Effects' window

Click on the 'K' icon on the menu bar, or press Alt + F1, to open 'Kickoff' as shown in Fig 2.

Fig 2

Click on 'Computer' and then 'System Settings', or use the arrow keys to select these and then press Enter, to open the 'System Settings' window shown in Fig 3.

(Some setups may vary. In this example, 'System Settings' is also available from the 'Favourites' tab, as shown in Fig 2.)

Fig 3

Click on the 'Desktop' icon, or press Tab to enter the main window, and then use the arrow keys to navigate to 'Desktop' and then press Enter.

In the window that opens, click on the 'Desktop Effects' icon, or press Tab until the pane on the left is highlighted and then use the down arrow key to move to 'Desktop Effects'.

Step 3: Turn on the 'Track Mouse' feature

Click on the 'All Effects' tab or press Alt + L, as shown in Fig 4.

Fig 4

Scroll down the list to the 'Accessibility' header and tick the box next to 'Track Mouse'.

Click the 'Apply' button, or press Alt + A, to save your changes.

Click on the 'Overview' button or press Esc to return to the previous screen. Click the 'Close' cross or press Alt + F4 to return to the KDE desktop.

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.