Why Do I Have a Small Square That Follows Around My Cursor on the Computer?

Your computer's operating system includes an option to modify the pointer scheme, which changes the appearance of the cursor depending on where you are scrolling or what you are clicking. If the scheme has been changed to include a square pointer, it's possible to return to a standard scheme by accessing the "Mouse" window through the "Hardware and Sound" menu in the "Control Panel." To set the scheme, navigate to the "Pointers" tab and click the "Scheme" drop-down menu.

The touchpad on your laptop has a series of extra features for additional scrolling and clicking options. While using the vertical or horizontal scroll feature on the bottom or side of your touchpad, the cursor may be followed by a small square. To access the additional scrolling options, navigate to the "Mouse" window and open the tab for your touchpad device. Click "Options" and remove the check box next to the vertical or horizontal scrolling option.

A software driver is required for your computer's graphics adapter to interact with the operating system. If this driver has been corrupted or is currently out-of-date, you may experience graphical glitches such as colored boxes surrounding the cursor. Windows lets you automatically search for and download a new driver to replace old ones. Open the "Hardware and Sound" menu in the "Control Panel" and click "Device Manager" to see your computer's hardware devices. Right-click the entry for your graphics adapter and select "Update Driver Software."

The Firefox Web browser lets you install extra extensions, such as third party applications for blocking advertisements or preventing plugins from operating. Some of these extensions may interfere with your cursor while you browse Web pages. To find your list of currently installed extensions, open the "Firefox" menu, click "Add-Ons" and navigate to the "Extensions" tab. Click the "Disable" button next to each extension to see if that extension is causing the problem.