How to reverse mouse and touchpad scrolling direction on Windows 10

On Windows 10, the mouse and touchpad are essential input devices that make easy navigation and interaction with the elements on the screen possible.

The only caveat is that they come with a default scrolling direction (scroll down to move up), even though it works for most users, it’s not a preference that everyone agrees to or needs.

If you use a touchpad with your laptop or a mouse with your desktop, and you rather see pages move up as you scroll up for a more natural experience, you can reverse the scrolling direction using the Settings app, or modifying the Registry in the case of a mouse.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to reverse the scrolling direction of your touchpad or mouse.

How to reverse touchpad scrolling direction on Windows 10

To reverse the scrolling direction of your touchpad using the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Devices.

Click on Touchpad.

Important: The reverse scrolling option is only available for devices with a precision touchpad. If the option isn’t available, you may still be able to change the scrolling behavior using the manufacturer software for the peripheral.

Under the «Scroll and zoom» section, use the drop-down menu to select the Down motion scrolls down option.

Once you complete the steps, using the scrolling up gestures on your touchpad will scroll pages in the downward direction for a more natural experience.

How to reverse mouse scrolling direction on Windows 10

If you’re using a mouse to navigate on Windows 10, the Settings app doesn’t include an option to reverse the scrolling direction. However, you can still modify the scrolling behavior using the Registry.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don’t do it correctly. It’s recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

Identifying mouse information

To identify the mouse identification number on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager, click the top result to open the experience.
3. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices branch.

Right-click the mouse that you’re using, and select the Properties option.

Note the VID ID value for the mouse — for example, VID_0E0F&PID_0003&MI_01.

After completing the steps, continue with the steps below to reverse the mouse scrolling using the Registry.

Reversing mouse scrolling direction

To reverse the mouse scrolling direction using the Registry, use these steps:

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the Registry.

Browse the following path:

Quick tip: On Windows 10, you can now copy and paste the path in the Registry’s address bar to quickly jump to the key destination.

Expand the key (folder) that matches the VID ID of your mouse — for example, VID_0E0F&PID_0003&MI_01.

Double-click the FlipFlopWheel DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1.

Click OK.

Restart your computer.

Once you complete the steps, when you scroll up with the mouse wheel, the page should also scroll up.

In the future, if you change your mind, you can revert the flip the direction of the mouse wheel to its original settings using the same instructions, but on step No. 7, make sure to set the value from 1 to 0.

Updated February 22, 2019: This guide has been revised and updated to make sure it’s current with the latest version of Windows 10.

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For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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How to reverse Mouse and Touchpads scrolling direction in Windows 10

Mouse and Touchpads not only make computing easy but more efficient and less time-consuming. We cannot imagine a life without these devices, but still, it is a fact that you cannot customize these devices much. All touchpads and mice come with a default scrolling direction, and this post is all about how to reverse it.

Everybody has a different choice when it comes to the scrolling directions. You might like the page being scrolled in the same direction in which you move your fingers over the touchpad. Or you may like it in an inverted way. Reversing the scroll direction for your laptop’s touchpad is quite easy as Windows by default offers this customization. If you are looking to reverse the scrolling direction of your mouse, then you will have to follow a tricky little procedure mentioned in this post.

Reverse scrolling direction of a Touchpad

Touchpads are generally more customizable, and that is quite evident from the number of settings they are available with. You can configure everything including gestures, taps, sensitivity and even the scrolling direction. To reverse the existing scrolling direction, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings (Win + I) and then go to Devices.
2. Now select Touchpad from the left menu.
3. Find a setting called Scrolling Direction.
4. Click on the drop-down and select the desired setting. For the same direction scrolling, select Downwards motion scrolls down. Or select the other one for the opposite result.

The settings will be applied instantly, and you will be able to recognize the change. It is quite simple to change scrolling settings for a touchpad, but it is not the case for mice.

Reverse scrolling direction for a Mouse

As mentioned, these steps are a little complex and involve modifying the registry. Do not forget to create a backup of the registry in case anything goes wrong.

Search for Device Manager in Start.

Once opened, locate your Mouse under Mice and other pointing devices. It is usually named as HID-compliant mouse.

Right-click the device and click on Properties.

Go to the Details tab and select Device Instance Path in Property drop-down menu.

Make a note of the value displayed under the value field.

Open Registry Manager and go to location:

Under this folder start matching the values the first part of the value you noted in step 5. Open the folder which has the same value.

Now repeat this for second part of the value. Now you have arrived at your desired device.

Click on Device Parameters and find a property called FlipFlopWheel. To reverse the scrolling direction, invert its value from 0 to 1 or 1 to 0.

Restart your computer for changes to take place.

After restarting your computer, you will be able to see the changes in place. The scrolling direction for a particular mouse would be reversed. You can change the value back to its original value or use the registry backup to undo the changes. If you are stuck, try following the steps again and do note down the crucial information from step number 5.

This is how to change scrolling direction for touchpad and mouse on Windows 10. Quite simple for a touchpad, but a little tricky for the Mouse.

Do share your views or problems in the comments section below.

How To Reverse Touchpad Scroll Direction In Windows 10

Last Updated on February 24, 2020 by admin 2 Comments

Want to change the default scroll direction of the touchpad on your laptop running Windows 10? Do you want to invert the touchpad scroll direction on Windows 10? In this guide, we will see how to change the touchpad scroll direction in Windows 10.

Everyone knows how to scroll down a page or window with a touchpad. With default settings, on most notebooks, you need to move your finger(s) from the top of the touchpad to the bottom to scroll down a window or page. Likewise, scrolling in reverse direction will move up a page or window.

Although most users prefer to scroll down a page by moving a finger(s) from the top to the bottom of the touchpad, some users prefer the other way i.e., moving from the bottom of the touchpad to the top to scroll down a page.

If you have recently installed or upgraded to Windows 10 and not happy with the default scrolling direction of the touchpad, you can easily change the touchpad scroll direction with a few clicks.

Complete the directions in one of the given below methods to change the touchpad scroll direction in Windows 10. Note that these instructions are for notebooks equipped with touchpads from Synaptics (most laptops use Synaptics). These directions might not work for other touchpads like Elan.

Method 1 of 3

Reverse touchpad scroll direction in Windows 10 via Settings

Note that this method works only if your laptop is equipped with a precision touchpad. If not equipped, refer to the instructions in Method 2 (scroll down to see).

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Devices > Touchpad.

Step 2: In the Scrolling direction drop-down box, depending on your need, select either Down motion scrolls up or Down motion scrolls down option. That’s it!

Method 2 of 3

Change touchpad scroll direction via Control Panel

Step 1: In the Start search box or Run command dialog, type Main.cpl, and then press Enter key to open Mouse Properties.

Step 2: Switch to the last (extreme right) tab. Depending on your laptop’s brand and model, the last tab could be Device Settings, Touchpad Settings, TouchPad, or ThinkPad, as shown in the picture below.

Step 3: Click the Settings button (as shown in the picture above). On some notebooks, you might need to select your touchpad’s entry in the devices list to activate the Settings button.

Step 4: Once the touchpad settings panel is opened, switch to the Scroll tab.

Step 5: Look for the setting named Switch direction, Reverse direction or Reverse scrolling direction, and turn on or off the same to change the scroll direction.

If you’re running an older version of the touchpad, you might see the following screen instead of the one shown above. In that case, Expand MultiFinger Gestures tree, select two-finger scrolling, click the gear icon next to it, and then turn on or off Enable reverse scrolling direction setting.

Method 3 of 3

Another way to change touchpad scrolling direction in Windows 10

Step 1: Open the Settings app by either clicking its icon in the Start menu or simultaneously pressing Windows + I keys.

Step 2: Click Devices (Bluetooth, printers, mouse) and click Mouse & touchpad.

Step 3: Scroll down, under Related settings, you will find Additional mouse options link. Click on the link to open Mouse Properties.

Step 4: From here onwards, follow the step 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Method 1 to change touchpad scroll direction in Windows 10.

Do let us know if there are other ways to change the default scroll direction in Windows 10.