Category: Tech Tip | Published: 2026-10-29
Writing a proposal while checking a supplier's website? Preparing meeting notes with a reference document beside them? The repeated clicks between windows can become an irritating part of an otherwise straightforward task.
One of the most useful Windows scrolling tips is also easy to overlook: you can move through a reference window with your mouse wheel without making it the active window. Your document keeps keyboard focus, so you can continue typing without clicking back into it.
It is a built-in mouse setting, not an extra app or browser extension. Once enabled, it can make working with two visible windows feel much less awkward.
The active window is the one currently receiving your keyboard input. An inactive window can still be visible on your screen, but it is not where your typing goes.
Windows can send mouse-wheel scrolling to the window beneath your pointer without switching keyboard focus to it. For example, you can keep a Word document active while scrolling through a webpage beside it.
The important part is not to click the reference window. Hovering and using the wheel lets you browse; clicking normally changes which window is active. If you click a link or select text in the reference material, expect to click back into your document before carrying on typing.
Start by opening the mouse settings:
- Right-click the Start button and choose Settings.
- Select Bluetooth & devices, then Mouse.
- Find Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them.
- Set the switch to On. If it is already on, you can move straight to the test below.
Microsoft also documents the option in its guide to changing mouse settings .
The same feature is available in Windows 10, but the route through Settings is slightly different:
- Right-click Start and open Settings.
- Choose Devices, then Mouse.
- Turn on Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them.
This explains the setting's location, not a recommendation to stay on an unsupported system. Standard free support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025. Businesses still using it should check their support arrangements and upgrade plans with their IT provider.
Arrange your writing app and reference window so that both are visible. They can sit side by side on one display or on separate monitors. You do not need a second screen to use this feature.
Click inside your document and type a short line. Then move the pointer over the content of the reference window and turn the mouse wheel, without clicking.
The reference material should move while your document remains active. Type another word to check that keyboard input still goes into the document. Using a blank test document first makes it easy to see what is happening without changing important work.
This is particularly handy when you are reading a long page and noting a few details at a time. It removes the need to reactivate your writing window after every small scroll, provided you have not clicked elsewhere.
Check these simple points before assuming the feature is broken:
- Make sure the switch is on in Windows mouse settings.
- Place the pointer over scrollable content, rather than a title bar or an area with nothing to scroll.
- Check that the reference window is visible and that the page is not already at its end.
- Try another app or a normal webpage to see whether the behaviour is specific to one program.
- Confirm that you have not accidentally clicked the reference window and changed keyboard focus.
Applications can handle scrolling differently. A page with its own scrollable panels may move the panel under your pointer rather than the whole page. Test with the actual tools you use rather than assuming every program will respond identically.
If inactive scrolling feels confusing, you can return to the same setting and turn it off. It is a preference you can change, not a permanent alteration to your documents.
This setting will not write the report for you, but it can remove a repeated interruption when your work involves consulting one window and typing in another. The useful habit is simple: click to choose where you type, then hover to choose where you scroll.
For help with the wider setup of your team's computers and day-to-day support, see our Managed IT Services . Sometimes a smoother working day starts with making better use of a feature Windows already includes.
Photograph: a real desktop workspace with multiple open windows, a keyboard and a mouse. It illustrates the working setup, rather than the Windows setting itself.