Mouse Without Borders no longer works since a Windows update

[GPAVOZ]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.87.1

Installation method

Microsoft Store

Running as admin

No

Area(s) with issue?

Mouse Without Borders

Steps to reproduce

After installing the updates below, the "Mouse Without Borders" function can no longer establish the connection between two computers. I made a new key without success.

Windows 11 entreprise 23H2 : 2025-01 Mise à jour cumulative pour Windows 11 Version 23H2 pour les systèmes x64 (KB5050021) 2025-01 Mise à jour cumulative pour .NET Framework 3.5 pour et 4.8.1 pour Windows 11, version 23H2 pour les systèmes x64 (KB5049624) Mise à jour de la configuration de Windows (KB5035942)

✔️ Expected Behavior

No response

❌ Actual Behavior

No response

Other Software

No response

[similar-issues-ai[bot]]

We've found some similar issues:

• #35354 , similarity score: 88%
• #31062 , similarity score: 84%
• #36379 , similarity score: 83%
• #35523 , similarity score: 81%
• #27792 , similarity score: 81%

If any of the above are duplicates, please consider closing this issue out and adding additional context in the original issue.

Note: You can give me feedback by 👍 or 👎 this comment.

[gitgud5000]

Experiencing the same issue

[MechJayTi]

Same issue since yesterday. Also installed KB5050021 and KB5049624, but not KB5035942

Resolving works, but handshake fails (can be seen very briefly in the classic ui). Re-doing the setup did not help.

[thatgeekcasey]

I have the same issue for about a week. Exact same scenario - it resolves the other PC but handshake fails and it retries. I have tried redoing the setup and even reinstalling powertoys. Always end up in the same scenario.

[Tomnewsom]

Similar issue here in the latest version 0.90.0 but it's been around for at least a month now. When I try and connect from my desktop (10 Pro, 22H2, 19045.5608) to my laptop (11 Home, 24H2, 26100.3476), I get the cycling yellow blue which sometimes gets to yellow orange then back to blue. The .etl log just says:

ProcessingErrorData ErrorCode 15003 DataItemName EventPayload 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

When I try the other way (from laptop to desktop) the pattern is different, just blue, orange, blue, orange. The logged error is the same but the payload is different

ProcessingErrorData ErrorCode 15003 DataItemName EventPayload 0000000200000000010000760030002E00390030002E0030000000

In addition, during the connection attempts on desktop I get intermittent interruption of held-down modifier keys; about once every 1.5 seconds. It doesn't seem to be synchronised with the MwB connection attempts, at least visually. Here's an online keyboard tester screenshot - see that the a key (nor any other key that isn't win, shift, alt or ctrl) doesn't repeat. It's very obvious when holding down alt when alt-tabbing because all the app icons disappear!

This behaviour stops if I clear the Connect information but leave MwB turned on in settings.

On the laptop, there is still interference with modifier keys but it's harder to tell what's going on. If I hold a modifier key for a short period, it works normally, but for longer than ~1 second I get a spurious second press when I release. Alt-tab behaves strangely and I can't determine the pattern.

[dlehrman]

I've experienced the connection failure and modifier key issues after several PowerToys/Windows updates over the past year. Happened again this month and I finally decided to try the non-PowerToys version of MWB. The non-PowerToys MWB connects without issue and also seems much snappier so far. I'll probably be sticking with the non-PowerToys version of MWB.

winget install Microsoft.MouseWithoutBorders

[noraa-junker]

The Newest version fixes a commonly appearing connection bug. Can you confirm that still happens with the newest version of PowerToys?

/needinfo

[microsoft-github-policy-service[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.