Adjust Text Cursor Indicator Width and Color in Regedit

This guide explains how to customize the text cursor indicator’s thickness and color using the Windows Registry Editor. By modifying specific values under the Accessibility registry key, you can activate the visual indicator, adjust its size across a defined scale, and assign a custom HEX/RGB color value to improve text visibility across Windows.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Navigate to the Cursor Indicator Key

Paste the following path into the Registry Editor address bar at the top and press Enter:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Accessibility\CursorIndicator

(Note: If the CursorIndicator key does not exist, right-click on Accessibility, select New > Key, and name it CursorIndicator.)

Step 3: Enable the Text Cursor Indicator

  1. In the right pane, locate the DWORD value named IndicatorStatus.
    • If it does not exist, right-click an empty area, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it IndicatorStatus.
  2. Double-click IndicatorStatus.
  3. Set the Value data to 1 (Enabled) and click OK.

Step 4: Adjust the Cursor Indicator Width / Size

  1. In the right pane, locate or create the DWORD value named IndicatorSize.
    • To create: Right-click > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value > Name: IndicatorSize.
  2. Double-click IndicatorSize.
  3. Select Decimal as the Base.
  4. Enter a value between 1 (narrowest) and 5 (widest/largest).
  5. Click OK.

Step 5: Adjust the Cursor Indicator Color

The color is defined using a 32-bit hexadecimal value structured in standard Windows BGR format (0x00BBGGRR).

  1. Locate or create the DWORD value named IndicatorColor.
    • To create: Right-click > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value > Name: IndicatorColor.
  2. Double-click IndicatorColor.
  3. Select Hexadecimal under Base.
  4. Enter your desired color value. Common examples include:
    • Purple: 00d800bb
    • Blue: 00ff8000
    • Green: 0000cc00
    • Yellow: 0000d7ff
    • Orange: 000080ff
    • Red: 000000ff
  5. Click OK.

Step 6: Apply the Changes

To make the new cursor width and color take effect immediately:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Locate Windows Explorer under the Processes tab.
  3. Right-click it and select Restart (or sign out of your Windows account and sign back in).