X-Mouse Controls

Microsoft Windows utility to manage the active window tracking/raising settings. This is known as x-mouse behavior or focus follows mouse on Unix and Linux systems.

Works on Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003. Might work on other versions as well.

Download latest version

Alteratively, install the Chocolatey package: choco install xmouse-controls

What is x-mouse behavior?

When multiple programs are running on a Windows operating system, the default mode of operations is that you click one window after another to give them focus for keyboard inputs. With the x-mouse settings that click is not necessary — the only thing needed is to move your cursor over the window for it to become active.

This behavior has been possible, but disabled, in different versions of Windows for years. It is usually enabled through Windows accessibility settings or a wide variety of tools and utilities, most notably Tweak UI found in Microsoft PowerToys. However, Tweak UI does not run on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, and later versions, which is why I created this utility.

Screenshots

Historical screenshots

Features

Active window tracking

Enable to give focus to windows by moving your cursor over them, known as focus follows mouse. Obeys the delay described below.

If disabled (default) a click is required to activate a window, known as clickfocus.

Active window raising

Enable to automatically make the active window the topmost window, known as autoraise.

If automatic window raising is disabled (default) it allows the user to type text or give commands in one window without changing the order of the other windows.

Active tracking delay

The delay in milliseconds (ms), until the window focus changes. This program allows settings from 0 milliseconds (instant focus) to 2500 milliseconds (very long delay). A value of 100—300 milliseconds is recommend to avoid windows stealing focus too fast. See usage.

Apply

Saves the settings and applies them to your system. The settings come in effect right away, and stay even after rebooting.

Usage, tips, and workarounds

• X-Mouse Controls does not require installation. You only need to run it once to change settings; all applied changes are persisted immediately.
• If windows and menus disappear before using them, try increasing the delay. A delay of 100—300 milliseconds is recommended, depending on how fast you move the mouse cursor.
• To work around some window raising and menu problems, click and hold your left mouse button on an empty (unresponsive) area, drag the cursor to where you want to focus, and let go.
• Active window raising can be problematic when some programs/windows completely overlap others, especially in combination with a low delay. Try turning off active window raising.
• If using a Microsoft Account to log in to Windows, the active window tracking settings are synchronized to other machines using the same account. This is because the settings are part of Windows, and X-Mouse Controls merely lets you conveniently change them.
• You can find more tips in the Github issues.

Donate

X-Mouse Controls is competely free! You even get the source code for free. To develop open source software is not without cost though — it takes technical knowledge, time, and effort.

You don't have to be a developer to support my open source work! Sending a link to a friend, or posting on social media, helps as well. If you want to receive personal support, or just feel all warm and fuzzy inside from helping open source development, donations are very welcome. There is no predefined price — you pay what you want.

Notes

• Report issues on github or contact the developer.
• In order to avoid X-Mouse Controls being buried below other windows while experimenting with the settings, it will always stay on top of other windows. Minimize first to test window raising.
• Uninstallation is easy — just delete the X-Mouse Control files. Optionally run the program to turn off active window tracking first, as the settings are persisted automatically by Windows.
• Some applications, especially those with a Multiple Document Interface, may raise their own window even though the feature is disabled. See usage.
• What is known as x-mouse on Windows is different from Xmouse on other systems, such as Unix and Linux variants. On Windows, it is closer to the X Window System (X11) setting focus follows mouse (FFM) or focus follows pointer.
• Requires Windows Presentation Foundation, which is included in .NET Framework 3.5 and .NET Framework 4. One of them is most likely already installed on your system.
• If you use a version of Windows released prior to Windows Vista, it is recommended to use Tweak UI, found in Microsoft PowerToys and the related powertoy Microsoft Xmouse 1.2.

Source code

The source code, including this webpage and original graphics, has been released under the GNU General Public License. Contributions are most welcome! Please create pull requests against the develop branch, and follow the git-flow branching style.

To work on X-Mouse Controls, Microsoft Visual Studio is required. It is easy to run a complete developer setup in a virtual machine, freely available from Microsoft.

• Microsoft development environment — virtual machine with Visual Studio pre-installed.

Preferably test any changes on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, as both have a lot of users and high market share (January 2023) (more up-to-date data source).

[XMouse]
BringWindowToTop=1
ConsoleWindowsOnly=1
Delay=1