Make Scrollbars on Windows 10 or Windows 11 Easier to See
I just got a new laptop to replace my El Cheapo laptop. And setting up a new computer isn’t as hard as it used to be. But some things need to be adjusted if you’re getting old like I am. For instance, the mouse cursor and pointers on a new Windows 11 PC are tiny – it was annoying to have to look for them. But I looked up one of our handy tips and fixed that.
And with a new computer, I was annoyed at how Windows, by default, hides scrollbars. The scrollbars on Windows 10 and Windows 11 are nearly invisible until you hover over them. While this is supposed to be a cool GUI feature, it makes scrollbars harder to see. But it’s easy to change if you know how.
Here’s how to make your scrollbars visible all the time, and much easier to see
Windows 11
1. Press & hold down the Windows key and tap the U key to open Accessibility.
2. In Windows 11 >Settings > Accessibility look under “Visual effects”. Next to “Always show scrollbars” turn the switch on.
See the screenshot below.
Windows 10
Press & hold down the Windows key and tap the U key to open Ease of Access.
Under Ease of Access, locate the “Simplify and personalize Windows” section and turn the switch next to “Automatically hide scroll bars in Windows” to “Off”. See the screenshot below.
And that’s all there is to making scrollbars easier to see and your Windows a little less “cool” and a lot less frustrating.
Good tip
Don’t bother about the scroll bar. Just press down the middle mouse button and the arrow will change to a scroll arrow. Adjust the speed of the scroll by moving the scroll bar up or down.
It’s a matter of personal preference. Using the middle mouse button does not make the scroll bar easier to see. It displays an up and down icon which makes the page scroll faster but it’s harder to control the speed of the scroll at least for me. If need be I can scroll faster by using the up & down and Home & End keys on the keyboard. Making the scrollbars bigger should help a lot of people – like me – who have trouble on Windows seeing the scrollbars.
There are a lot of folks ( older now ) who have commented about all the tiny fonts Microsoft uses on Windows 11… I’m not allowing Windows 11 on my HP until at least
July 2025 , near the very end of my Windows 10 – HP laptop.
I’ve been trying ti find the info about what pc you got to run win 11. Would like to know the brand name.
Thanks.
I currently have an Asus, and Alldocube (cheap plastic case) and a AceMagic (cheap but nice metal case).Here’s the AceMagic ($399) with 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD, 16″ screen, Quad-core Intel N95 processor, all-metal case, and Windows 11 Pro.