As it turns out, the problem in question arises often when you have a File Explorer window open in the background. In some cases, the file explorer window must be full screen while in other cases, that doesn’t really matter. There are a few reasons why this problem can occur which includes reasons like any modifications applied to the taskbar which may sound weird but has been reported by several users. In addition to that, third-party software can also cause this issue in some cases. To understand this in more detail, let us first go through the possible causes of the issue before we get started with the various methods that you can use to resolve the problem. So, without further ado, let us get into it. Taskbar Mods — The first reason that the problem in question may occur is when you are modding your taskbar. There are various apps available for this purpose such as TaskbarX or TransparentTB. In case you are using either of these mods on your computer, it is very likely to cause the problem. Third-Party Software — Another reason that the problem may occur is when you have a third-party application that might be interfering with the file explorer process. In such a scenario, you will have to uninstall the third-party app to resolve the issue. Now that we have gone through the possible list of causes, we can get started and show you how to circumvent the problem in question. So, with that said, let us dive right into it.
Remove Taskbar Mods
As it turns out, the first thing that you should do when you encounter the problem in question is make sure that you are not using any taskbar mods. As per multiple user reports, the issue seems to be caused when you have modified the default taskbar of Windows 11 using third-party utilities like TaskbarX or TransparentTB. We are not exactly sure why, but this has been causing the drag lag issue. Therefore, if this case is applicable to you, you will need to remove these modifications from your taskbar in order to resolve the issue. If the problem persists even after you have undone the mods, move on to the next method down below.
Uninstall Wox
Wox is a popular application that essentially acts as a full-featured launcher. It allows the users to search and access programs that are installed on your system along with web contents. Such a launcher is pretty common in other operating systems like Ubuntu or MacOS and as such, alternatives have been developed for Windows since there is no such launcher other than the Start Menu. As it turns out, if you are using Wox on your system, it has been reportedly causing the mouse lag problem. Therefore, in such a scenario, to resolve the problem, you will have to uninstall the application. As per some user reports, you can fix the issue by changing the theme from something blurry to a solid color. If that doesn’t work out for you, follow the instructions given down below to uninstall Wox:
Turn off Game Mode
Windows has a feature that allows it to optimize the system for games by limiting the activity in the background. This feature is called Game Mode. As per some user reports, disabling game mode might fix the lag drag issue. To do this, follow the instructions given down below:
Change Mouse Polling Rate
Mouse polling rate is the speed at which your mouse communicates input to your PC. Some users have reported that they were able to resolve the problem in question by changing the polling rate or refresh rate of their mouse to 125 Hz. While this may not sound like a real fix, it can actually resolve your issue and can be useful if you want to get rid of it until it is resolved. To change your mouse polling rate to 125 Hz, first, unplug your device from the computer. Once you have done that, go ahead and hold down the mouse button 4 and 5. While you are doing that, plug the mouse back into your computer. Once the mouse wheel lights up, the polling rate should now be changed to 125 Hz. After doing that, see if the problem is still there.
Enable Classic File Explorer Ribbon UI
Windows 11 has been mostly overhauled visually which has been taken as good and bad at the same time. While Microsoft tries to introduce a new design and theme with Windows 11, some of these decisions have been causing this issue. As it turns out, one way you can resolve the problem in question is by enabling the classic ribbon UI for file explorer. For this purpose, we will be using a third-party application called Winaero Tweaker. To do this, follow the instructions that are given down below:
Perform a Clean Boot
Finally, if none of the above mentioned methods have fixed the problem for you, then it is very likely that the issue in your case is being caused by the interference of a third party application. In such a scenario, what you can do is perform a clean boot. Clean boot essentially starts the operating system with only the required services running in the background and all of the third party services and apps are disabled. If the problem is no longer there after you perform a clean boot, it will be apparent that the issue is being caused by a third party app. In such a scenario, you can try turning on the services one by one to figure out which app is actually causing the issue. To do this, follow the instructions given down below:
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