Pointer trails

Pointer trails are a feature of graphical user interface operating systems to enhance the visibility of the mouse. Pointer trails have been an option in every version of Microsoft Windows since Windows 3.1, though it is disabled by default and unknown to most people.

When pointer trails are active and the mouse is moved, the system waits about a second before removing the mouse pointer image from the old location on the screen. A copy of the mouse pointer persists at every point that the mouse has visited in that second, resulting in a snake-like trail of mouse pointer icons that follow the actual pointer. When the user stops moving the mouse, the trails disappear and the mouse pointer returns to normal.

Mouse pointer trails have been provided as a feature mainly for users with poor vision and for users of computers whose screens are hard to see, such as LCD screens in bright sunlight.

In Windows, pointer trails are enabled in the Control Panel, usually under the Mouse applet.