Mouse wheel zooms instead of scrolling

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Some Windows users are experiencing a strange problem on their computers. When they use the scroll wheel on their mouse, it zooms in and out instead of scrolling. The problem usually occurs in web browsers and Microsoft Excel. However, other applications may also be affected by this issue. If your mouse wheel zooms instead of scrollingthe solutions provided in this article may help you resolve this issue.

Mouse wheel zooms instead of scrolling

The issue where the mouse wheel zooms in and out instead of scrolling usually occurs when the Ctrl key is stuck. However, there are also other causes that can trigger this problem. You can try the following solutions if you face the same problem on your Windows 11/10 computer.

  1. Check your Ctrl key
  2. Disable Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse (solution for Microsoft Excel)
  3. Change or reset your keyboard layout
  4. Update or reinstall your mouse driver
  5. Disable Pinch Zoom option

Let’s see all these solutions in detail.

1]Check your Ctrl key

As explained earlier, most often this problem occurs when the Ctrl key is stuck. Most web browsers and some applications have a feature that lets you zoom in and out by pressing and holding the Ctrl key and moving the mouse scroll button. It is possible that the Ctrl key on your keyboard is stuck due to which you are experiencing this issue. There are many ways to check this, take a look:

  • Free keyboard testing software: You can install a free keyboard test software that allows you to check the functionality of your keyboard.
  • Online keyboard testing tools: If you don’t want to install third-party software, you can check the functionality of your keyboard with free online keyboard checker and tester tools.
  • Connect another keyboard to your system and check if the problem appears. If another keyboard is not available, you can use your friend’s keyboard.
  • Disable the Ctrl key: You can disable a keyboard key of your choice in Windows 11/10. Disable the Ctrl key on your keyboard and see if the problem appears. If this solves your problem, the problem is with the Ctrl key.
  • Disable your laptop keyboard: You can disable your laptop keyboard and connect an external keyboard. This will let you know if the problem is related to your laptop keyboard or not.

2]Disable Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse (solution for Microsoft Excel)

If the problem only occurs in Microsoft Excel, chances are that the Zoom on roll feature with IntelliMouse is enabled in Excel. Check this box and disable it (if you found this feature active). The following steps will help you:

Disable Roll Zoom with IntelliMouse Excel

  1. Open Microsoft Excel and open a spreadsheet or create a new one.
  2. Go to “File > Options.”
  3. Select the Advanced category on the left side.
  4. In the Editing Options section, see if the Roll Zoom with IntelliMouse the box is checked. If yes, uncheck it.
  5. Click on OKAY to save changes.

This should fix the problem in Excel.

3]Change or reset your keyboard layout

Another thing you can try is changing your keyboard layout or resetting your keyboard settings. Some software may have changed your keyboard settings. In such a case, resetting its default settings can fix the problem.

4]Update or reinstall your mouse driver

A driver is software that establishes the link between a hardware device and an operating system. Any hardware device that you connect to your Windows computer requires a specific driver to work. In the event of a driver malfunction, the respective device also stops working or does not work properly.

If despite trying the solutions above, the problem persists, your mouse or touchpad driver may have been corrupted. In this case, updating the driver solves the problem. To update your mouse or touchpad driver, open the Windows Update Optional Updates page and check if an update for your mouse or touchpad driver is available. If so, install it.

If no updates are available on the Optional Updates page, reinstalling the mouse or touchpad driver may resolve the issue. The following steps will help you:

Uninstall the mouse or touchpad driver

  1. Open the Device Manager.
  2. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices node.
  3. Right-click on your mouse or trackpad driver and select Uninstall device.
  4. Close Device Manager and restart your system. Windows will automatically detect hardware changes and install the missing mouse or touchpad driver.

If that doesn’t fix the problem, download the latest driver for your mouse or trackpad from the manufacturer’s website. Now uninstall the mouse or touchpad driver by following the steps given above and then run the file you just downloaded to install the driver manually.

5]Disable Pinch Zoom option

If the problem only occurs when using the touchpad, it could be caused by the pinch-to-zoom feature. Windows laptops have a feature using which you can zoom in and out by pinching the touchpad with your two fingers. On the other hand, you can scroll up and down by moving your two fingers up and down on the touchpad. These two touchpad gestures sometimes create a conflict. The issue of zooming in and out instead of scrolling may occur due to this conflict.

You can solve this problem by disabling the Pinch Zoom option. To do this, follow the steps written below:

Disable Pinch Zoom option

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Select Big Icons in the Seen by fashion.
  3. Click on Mouse. You can also type Mouse in the Control Panel search bar.
  4. In the Mouse Properties window, select the MOMENTUM tongue.
  5. Click on the Choice button.
  6. Under the Multi-finger tab, select Zoom.
  7. Deselect the Enable check box.

Lily: The mouse cursor moves in the opposite direction on a Windows PC.

Why does my mouse only zoom instead of scroll?

There are many reasons why your mouse just zooms instead of scrolling. Most often, this problem occurs when the Ctrl key is stuck. In some apps and web browsers, when you move the scroll wheel by pressing and holding the Ctrl key, it will zoom in and out. Therefore, it is possible that your Ctrl key is stuck. Check the Ctrl key on your keyboard to fix this problem. You can use another keyboard for this purpose or install free keyboard testing software.

Another possible cause for this problem is incorrect keyboard layout. In Windows 11/10, you can select any keyboard layout you want. If you have a shared computer, it is possible that someone has changed your keyboard layout due to which you are having this problem. Check your keyboard layout in Windows 11/10 settings.

The problem can also occur if your keyboard settings are changed. Some software may change the keyboard setting. If this is your case, resetting the default keyboard settings will fix the problem.

If everything is fine but the problem persists, chances are your mouse driver has been corrupted. Corrupted driver issue on Windows device can be fixed by updating or reinstalling the respective device driver.

How do I stop my mouse from zooming in and out?

As you know, the combination of Ctrl and mouse scrolling is used to zoom in and out in web browsers and some applications. If you want to prevent your mouse from zooming in and out, you can disable Ctrl Scroll zoom in Windows. Because there is no built-in feature in Windows that allows you to disable Ctrl Scroll zooming, you need to install dedicated software for this purpose. No Mouse Wheel Zoom is one of the software that allows you to disable Ctrl Scroll zoom in Windows.

I hope this helps you.

Read more: The mouse pointer moves when you press the arrow keys.

Mouse wheel zooms instead of scrolling

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