How to Change Horizontal Scroll Speed in Regedit

This guide explains how to adjust the horizontal tilt scroll sensitivity of your mouse wheel directly through the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit). By modifying the dedicated registry value for horizontal scrolling, you can increase or decrease the number of characters scrolled per wheel tilt, allowing for precise control over your horizontal navigation speed across Windows applications.

Steps to Adjust Horizontal Scroll Sensitivity

  1. Open the Registry Editor
    • Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
    • Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
    • Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).
  2. Navigate to the Desktop Control Panel Key
    • Paste the following path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window and press Enter:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
  3. Locate the Horizontal Scroll Value
    • In the right-hand pane, scroll down and find the string value named WheelScrollChars.
    • If WheelScrollChars does not exist, right-click in an empty space in the right pane, select New > String Value, and name it WheelScrollChars.
  4. Modify the Scroll Sensitivity
    • Double-click WheelScrollChars to open the Edit String window.
    • In the Value data field, enter your desired number:
      • Default value: 3 (scrolls 3 characters per tilt).
      • Higher number (e.g., 5–10): Increases sensitivity and scrolls faster.
      • Lower number (e.g., 1–2): Decreases sensitivity for slower, more precise scrolling.
    • Click OK to save the changes.
  5. Apply the Changes
    • Close the Registry Editor.
    • Sign out of your Windows user account and sign back in, or restart your computer for the new scroll sensitivity settings to take effect.