Quick Answer: A CUR file is a Windows cursor file. It holds a cursor image plus a hotspot, the pixel Windows treats as the click point. Windows uses CUR files as mouse pointers. To view or edit one, convert it to PNG first.
What Is a CUR File?
A CUR file is a Windows cursor file. It holds the picture of a mouse pointer, plus one extra piece of data that makes it a cursor rather than a plain picture.
If you found a file ending in .cur on your computer, or you downloaded one, you found a pointer file. Windows uses CUR files to draw the mouse pointer on screen. The arrow, the hand, the text cursor, and the crosshair can all live in CUR files.
A CUR file is not a picture you open to look at. It is a small container built for one job: telling Windows what the pointer looks like, and where its click point sits.
Pro tip: If you only want to use a CUR file as a pointer, you do not need to open it. Install it through Windows pointer settings, and Windows does the rest.
The Cursor Hotspot, Explained Simply
The hotspot is the single pixel Windows treats as the click point. When you click, Windows reports the position of the hotspot pixel, not the centre of the image.
Think of an arrow cursor. Its hotspot sits on the tip of the arrow, usually at coordinate 0, 0.
Think of a crosshair cursor. Its hotspot sits in the centre, because the centre is the point you aim with.
A wrong hotspot makes a cursor feel broken. Every click lands a few pixels away from where you point, even though the picture looks right. That is why the hotspot matters more than the artwork alone.
A CUR file stores the hotspot for each image size inside it. A centre hotspot on a 64 by 64 image is at 32, 32, while on a 32 by 32 image it must be at 16, 16. A good converter rescales the hotspot for each size, so the click point stays on the same feature.
Pro tip: Before you judge a new cursor, click with it on a small target. If clicks land beside the target, the hotspot is wrong, not the artwork.
How to Open a CUR File
Windows uses CUR files automatically once they are installed as pointers. You do not open a CUR file the way you open a photo. You install it, and Windows draws it as your pointer.
To install a CUR file in Windows, open Settings, go to Mouse settings, and open Additional mouse settings. In the Pointers tab, select the pointer role you want to replace, choose Browse, pick your CUR file, and click Apply.
To view or edit a CUR file, you must convert it to PNG first. Standard image viewers and editors typically cannot open .cur files directly. A PNG file opens almost everywhere, so it is the right format for viewing and editing.
Use a CUR to PNG converter to extract the image from a CUR file. That gives you a PNG file you can open, check, and edit. Keep the original CUR file, because the PNG file does not carry the hotspot with it.
Pro tip: Copy down the hotspot numbers before you edit a CUR file's artwork. You will need them again when you convert the edited PNG file back to CUR.
CUR vs ICO vs PNG
CUR, ICO, and PNG look related, and they are. CUR and ICO share the same container format, but they serve different jobs. PNG is a different kind of file altogether: a standard image format, not a Windows container.
An ICO file is for icons. It holds the pictures Windows shows for shortcuts, app icons, and favicons. An ICO file has no hotspot, because nobody clicks with an icon.
A CUR file is for cursors. It holds the pictures Windows shows for mouse pointers. A CUR file has a hotspot, because every pointer needs a click point.
A PNG file is for editing and sharing pictures. It opens in image editors, browsers, and design tools. It has no hotspot field, so it cannot become a cursor on its own.
| Format | Job | Hotspot | Opens in editors |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUR | Mouse pointer | Yes | Typically no |
| ICO | Icon or favicon | No | Typically no |
| PNG | Picture for editing and sharing | No | Yes |
The container difference is small but exact. Both CUR and ICO files start with a 6-byte header called ICONDIR, followed by one directory entry per embedded image. The type field in that header is set to 2 for CUR and to 1 for ICO.
Where an ICO entry stores colour planes and bits per pixel, a CUR entry stores two numbers instead: hotspot X and hotspot Y. That single substitution is the whole technical difference between an icon and a cursor.
Microsoft documents Windows cursors in its About Cursors guide. That guide backs the Windows cursor facts in this article.
Pro tip: If you are not sure which format you need, ask what the picture will do. If it will be clicked with, it needs to be a CUR file. If it will only be looked at, it belongs in an ICO or PNG file.
Why .ani Is the Animated Format
A CUR file is static. It holds still cursor images, not a moving sequence. If your cursor is supposed to move, it is not a CUR file doing the moving.
Animated Windows cursors use the .ani format. An .ani file stores a sequence of frames, plus timing data that tells Windows how long each frame shows. That sequence is what makes the pointer appear to move.
Confusion here is common, because CUR and ANI files both end up as pointers. The rule is simple: one still picture means CUR, a moving sequence means ANI. A converter built for CUR files is not the right tool for an ANI file, and treating an ANI file as a CUR file will not give you an animation.
Pro tip: If a downloaded cursor is supposed to animate but stays still, check its file ending. A .cur file will never animate, however you install it.
How to Make or Edit a CUR File
To make a CUR file, start with a PNG picture. Use a PNG to CUR converter with a Hotspot Editor, click the exact point that should register clicks, and download the CUR file.
Design the artwork at a small size first. A cursor that looks good at 512 pixels can turn illegible at 32 pixels on screen. Keep strokes wide enough to read at 32 pixels, and use a transparent background so only the artwork shows.
To edit a CUR file, extract it to PNG, edit the PNG file in your editor, and convert it back to CUR with the same hotspot. That round trip is the only practical editing route, since editors typically cannot open CUR files directly.
For the full Windows install steps, read how to make a custom cursor in Windows 11. That guide walks through designing, converting, and installing a custom cursor step by step.
Pro tip: Test a new cursor at the size you will actually use it. A cursor that looks sharp in an editor can still click wrong if its hotspot is off.
What to Do With a CUR File You Downloaded
Start by deciding what you want from the file. If you want to use it as a pointer, install it through Windows pointer settings. If you want to see or change its artwork, convert it to PNG first.
Do not rename the file to change its format. Renaming a .cur file to .png does not convert it, and renaming a .png file to .cur does not give it a hotspot. Conversion changes the data inside the file, while renaming only changes the name.
Keep the original CUR file after any conversion. The PNG file you extract has no hotspot inside it, so the original is the only copy that still carries the click point. Store the CUR file somewhere permanent, because Windows references the installed file in place.
Pro tip: Store downloaded CUR files in one permanent folder before you install them. Moving or deleting an installed CUR file later can silently revert your pointer.
Recap
- A CUR file is a Windows cursor file: a cursor image plus a hotspot, the pixel Windows treats as the click point.
- Windows uses CUR files automatically as pointers, but to view or edit one, convert it to PNG first.
- ICO is for icons, CUR is for cursors, and PNG is for editing and sharing pictures.
- CUR files are static; animated cursors use the .ani format instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CUR file?
A CUR file is a Windows cursor file. It holds a cursor image plus a hotspot, the pixel Windows treats as the click point. Windows uses CUR files as mouse pointers, not as pictures to open and look at.
How do I open a CUR file?
Windows uses a CUR file automatically once you install it as a pointer, through Mouse settings and the Pointers tab. To view or edit the artwork inside it, convert the CUR file to PNG first. Standard image editors typically cannot open .cur files directly.
What is the difference between a CUR file and an ICO file?
CUR and ICO files share the same container format, but their type fields differ: 2 means CUR and 1 means ICO. A CUR file stores a hotspot where an ICO file stores colour and bit-depth data. In short, ICO is for icons and CUR is for cursors.
Can I edit a CUR file directly in Photoshop or GIMP?
Typically no. Photoshop and GIMP cannot open .cur files directly, so extract the artwork to PNG first. Edit the PNG file, then convert it back to CUR with the same hotspot to keep clicks landing correctly.
What is a cursor hotspot?
The hotspot is the single pixel Windows treats as the click point. For an arrow cursor it sits on the tip, and for a crosshair it sits in the centre. If the hotspot is wrong, every click lands a few pixels away from where you point.
Can a CUR file be animated?
No. A CUR file holds still cursor images only. Animated Windows cursors use the .ani format, which stores a sequence of frames with timing data. If a cursor is supposed to move, look for the .ani ending, not .cur.
How do I turn a PNG into a CUR file?
Use a PNG to CUR converter with a Hotspot Editor, and click the exact point that should register clicks. Download the resulting CUR file, then install it through Windows pointer settings. Test it on a small target to check the hotspot.
How do I turn a CUR file back into a PNG?
Use a CUR to PNG converter to extract the image from the CUR file. That gives you a PNG file you can open, check, and edit. Keep the original CUR file, because the PNG file does not carry the hotspot with it.