Hiding the mouse pointer on the log-on screen

[ChrisH]

Hi guys,

I'm using Windows XP in my MAME cab, and I've managed to complete almost all the steps from the WIKI when it comes to hiding Windows. I have hidden the BIOS- and Windows XP boot-screens by installing an old PCI graphics card, I have installed MaLa as my shell, hidden all the desktop icons and replaced the regular mouse cursor with a 1-pixel one. So now there is no way to tell that this thing is running Windows, except when the standard mouse pointer appears before the computer auto-logins my user and loads my 1 pixel pointer.
I have tried just about everything to hide/remove it. I have messed around with the settings in TweakUi and told it to copy my mouse setting to the log-on screen, but that doesn't work. I have changed the settings in regedit and created a cursor key in the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel folder and the REG_EXPAND_SZ entries just as the WIKI suggests (I have also tried REG_SZ entries, but no luck with that either). I have also tried to erase the cursor folder in my Windows directory and to manually replace all the cursors with my one-pixel one, but nothing seems to work.
Sure, it's no biggie and I can probably live with it if there's no way to fix it, but it's still annoying as hell and a "real experience killer".

Is there something I'm missing or doing wrong, or is there simply is no way to hide the cursor? Hope you guys can help.

[RXII]

Hi,
     I am going through the exact same scenario as you at the moment. I was going to leave the pointer visible until I had finished setting up the cabinet PC. But I found something out today when I trial fitted the PC into my cab to check some resolutions on the 21" PC monitor, I left the USB mouse disconnected and it didn't bring the cursor up on the screen at all during bootup! This will be handy once everything is configured as I will just leave the mouse out.

Something to try anyway...unless you need the mouse connected all the time.

Simon.

[ChrisH]

Thanks for the reply RXII, but I think I have solved my problem. I tested my monitor that I'm planning to use in my cab, and it turned out that it has a longer start-up time than the LCD type monitor I've been using to test and configure my computer, so by the time the monitor is actually displaying a picture, the computer has already booted up Windows and started my front-end.
Unfortunately this doesn't solve the problem for people with newer monitors or for those who doesn't have an PCI card installed, so maybe they can try out your tip, RXII.

Thanks
Chris H

[Barry Barcrest]

You can just change your windows mouse pointer to an invisible one.

[fatfingers]

You can just change your windows mouse pointer to an invisible one.

How?