If your mouse wheel scrolls too fast, too slow, or in the opposite direction from what feels natural, you don’t have to live with it. Windows lets you fine-tune exactly how scrolling behaves, and the whole process takes about two minutes once you know where to look.
Quick answer: To change mouse scrolling settings in Windows 11, press Windows key + I, go to Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, and adjust the options under Scrolling — including how many lines the wheel moves and whether it scrolls a fixed number of lines or a full screen at a time. On Windows 10, the same settings are found under Settings > Devices > Mouse. For horizontal scrolling or more precise numeric control, the classic Mouse Properties panel offers additional options not available in the Settings app.
This guide covers every scrolling setting worth knowing — vertical speed, direction, inactive window scrolling, horizontal scrolling, and what to do if changing the settings doesn’t fully fix the problem. If your mouse itself isn’t connecting properly in the first place, our guide on connecting to your PC remotely on Windows covers related input and connection troubleshooting worth checking first.
What You Can Customize
| Setting | What It Controls | Where to Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Lines per scroll | How far the page moves per wheel notch | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse |
| One screen at a time | Scrolls a full screen instead of a set number of lines | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse |
| Scroll inactive windows | Lets you scroll a window just by hovering, without clicking it first | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse |
| Scrolling direction | Reverses which way the page moves when you roll the wheel | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse |
| Horizontal scrolling | Sets how far the page moves when tilting a compatible wheel left or right | Classic Mouse Properties panel |
| Touchpad scrolling | Separate settings for two-finger scrolling on a laptop touchpad | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad |
How to Change Mouse Scrolling Settings on Windows 11
1. Open the Mouse Settings Page
Press Windows key + I to open Settings, then select Bluetooth & devices in the left sidebar, followed by Mouse. Scroll down to the section labeled Scrolling.
2. Choose How the Wheel Scrolls
Under Roll the mouse wheel to scroll, you’ll see two options:
- Multiple lines at a time — the wheel moves a set number of lines per notch, which you can adjust with the Lines to scroll at a time slider. A lower number gives finer, more controlled scrolling; a higher number covers more ground per notch
- One screen at a time — each notch of the wheel jumps roughly a full screen, which some people prefer for reading long pages quickly
Most users find a middle setting, around three to six lines per notch, feels the most natural, but there’s no universally “correct” value — it comes down to personal preference and how you use your PC day to day.
3. Turn On Scroll Inactive Windows (Optional but Useful)
Below the wheel setting, you’ll find Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them. Turning this on lets you scroll any window just by pointing at it with the mouse, even if it’s not the window you’re actively working in — useful for checking a reference document or chat window without clicking away from what you’re doing. Turn the toggle on, then simply hover over a background window and scroll; there’s no need to click it first.
4. Reverse the Scrolling Direction (If Needed)
If scrolling feels backwards compared to what you expect — a common adjustment for people switching from a Mac or a trackpad-heavy workflow — this can now be changed directly in Settings without editing the Windows Registry, which used to be the only method.
- Still on the Mouse settings page, find the Scrolling direction dropdown
- Choose either Down motion scrolls down or Down motion scrolls up, depending on which feels natural to you
How to Change Mouse Scrolling Settings on Windows 10
The settings themselves are nearly identical, but the menu path is different:
- Select Start > Settings > Devices > Mouse
- Under Choose how many lines to scroll each time, set your preferred number of lines
- Scroll down for the option to scroll inactive windows when hovering over them, and the scrolling direction setting, both available in the same panel
If you’re following instructions written for Windows 11 and can’t find the Bluetooth & devices section, this is the most likely reason — Windows 10 keeps mouse settings under the older Devices category instead.
Using the Classic Mouse Properties Panel for More Control
The Settings app covers most people’s needs, but the older Mouse Properties dialog — still present in both Windows 11 and Windows 10 — offers two things the modern Settings app doesn’t: a typed numeric value instead of a slider, and horizontal scrolling control.
How to Open Mouse Properties
Any of these three methods gets you to the same place:
- Run dialog (fastest): press Windows key + R, type
main.cpl, and press Enter - Windows Search: press Windows key + S, type “mouse settings,” open the result, then select Additional mouse settings
- Control Panel: open the Start menu, search “Control Panel,” set View by to Large icons, then select Mouse
Set an Exact Number of Lines
- In Mouse Properties, select the Wheel tab
- Under Vertical Scrolling, select The following number of lines at a time and type your preferred value
- Select Apply, then OK
Turn On Horizontal Scrolling
If your mouse has a tilt-wheel or another horizontal-scroll mechanism, you can set how far the page moves when you tilt it left or right:
- In the same Wheel tab, find the Horizontal Scrolling section
- Enter the number of characters you want the page to move per tilt
- Select Apply, then OK
This setting only has an effect if your mouse’s hardware actually supports horizontal scrolling — most standard mice with a simple roller wheel won’t respond to this option, regardless of how it’s configured.
Touchpad Scrolling Is a Separate Setting
It’s a common mix-up: adjusting the mouse scrolling settings above has no effect on a laptop’s built-in touchpad, since Windows treats the two as entirely separate input devices.
- Windows 11: go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad > Scroll & zoom, where you’ll find options like Drag two fingers to scroll and a separate scrolling direction setting for the touchpad specifically
- Windows 10: go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad for the equivalent options
If you’ve changed your mouse settings but two-finger scrolling on your laptop still feels off, this separate touchpad menu is almost always where the fix actually needs to happen.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Scrolling Settings Won’t Save or Keep Resetting
- Make sure you’re selecting Apply before closing the Mouse Properties window, not just OK — in rare cases the setting doesn’t commit properly if the window is closed too quickly
- Update your mouse driver through Device Manager, since an outdated driver can occasionally cause custom settings to revert after a restart. Driver issues follow a similar pattern to other peripherals — the same troubleshooting logic covered in our guide on connecting a scanner to Windows also applies here
- If you use manufacturer software (like Logitech Options+ or Razer Synapse), check there too — some manufacturer apps override Windows’ own scrolling settings, so changes made in Settings may not stick until the manufacturer app’s settings are adjusted as well
Scrolling Feels Inconsistent Between Apps
Some applications, particularly older software or certain browsers, implement their own scrolling behavior that can override or interact unexpectedly with Windows’ system-wide settings. If scrolling feels fine everywhere except one specific app, check that app’s own settings or preferences menu for a separate scrolling option before assuming it’s a Windows-wide issue. This same principle applies to other built-in Windows apps — for example, our guide on getting help with Paint in Windows covers app-specific quirks that can look like a system setting problem but aren’t.
Mouse Wheel Doesn’t Scroll at All
If the scrolling settings don’t seem to do anything because the wheel isn’t registering input at all, this points to a hardware or driver issue rather than a settings problem:
- Try the mouse on a different USB port, or reconnect it if it’s wireless
- Open Device Manager, find your mouse under Mice and other pointing devices, and check for a warning icon indicating a driver problem
- Test the mouse on another computer if possible, to rule out a hardware fault with the mouse itself
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my mouse scroll faster or slower in Windows? Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse on Windows 11 (or Settings > Devices > Mouse on Windows 10), and adjust the “Lines to scroll at a time” value under the Scrolling section. A higher number scrolls farther per wheel notch; a lower number gives finer control.
How do I reverse the scrolling direction in Windows 11? On the same Mouse settings page, use the “Scrolling direction” dropdown to choose between “Down motion scrolls down” and “Down motion scrolls up.” This can now be changed directly in Settings, without needing to edit the Windows Registry.
Why can’t I find mouse scrolling settings in Windows 10? Windows 10 uses a different menu path than Windows 11. Instead of Bluetooth & devices, go to Settings > Devices > Mouse, where the same scrolling options are available under a slightly different layout.
Does changing mouse scrolling settings affect my laptop’s touchpad too? No. Mouse and touchpad scrolling are controlled separately in Windows. Touchpad scrolling settings are found under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad > Scroll & zoom on Windows 11, or Settings > Devices > Touchpad on Windows 10.
How do I enable horizontal scrolling for my mouse? Open the classic Mouse Properties panel (press Windows key + R, type main.cpl, and press Enter), select the Wheel tab, and enter a value under Horizontal Scrolling. This only works if your mouse has a tilt-wheel or another horizontal-scroll mechanism built in.
Why do my custom scrolling settings keep resetting? This is often caused by manufacturer mouse software, such as Logitech Options+ or Razer Synapse, overriding the settings you changed in Windows. Check for a scrolling option within that software as well, since it may need to be adjusted separately from the Windows Settings app.
What does “Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them” actually do? When turned on, this lets you scroll any window on screen just by pointing your mouse at it, even if you haven’t clicked into that window first. It’s especially useful for checking a second window, like notes or a chat, without interrupting what you’re actively working on.
Getting your mouse to behave exactly the way you want is a small tweak with a real day-to-day payoff. If you’re setting up a new peripheral device in general, our guide on connecting a scanner to Windows covers a similar device setup process. And if you use Remote Desktop and notice scrolling or input feels different during a remote session, see our guide on connecting to your PC remotely on Windows for related settings worth checking.