Mouseless Windows Beta

Note: Distribution of the Windows beta is paused until code-signing is in place. I apologize for the inconvenience.

The reason for this is that without code-signing (which is used to verify that a program comes from a given organization and has not been tampered with), the app is getting flagged by anti-malware software due to its capabilities (a keyboard hook for global hotkeys and mouse control), and the more it gets flagged, the harder it may be to establish the positive reputation that is required to avoid further flagging in the future, and avoid warnings by Windows SmartScreen, etc.

I am currently waiting on Sectigo to finish its verification process so I can receive the certificate, and I've emphasized the urgency to them. I'll do whatever I can to get a signed version into your hands, as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience, everyone. 🙏

- Ian

Update, April 19th

On April 17th, I managed to escalate the issue with Sectigo to get organization verification finalized, but I'm still waiting on them to ship my hardware key. Will escalate again on Monday (the 21st) if there isn't any movement by then.

Update, April 22nd

In a pleasant surprise, Sectigo sent me the hardware key with overnight shipping -- I will verify that signing works tonight, and assuming it does, codesigning appears to be working, and I will put out a signed patch release within a few days. 🚀

Also, I will extend all trials started after the initial release. No need to send me your trial license.

Update, April 26th

I still need another ~24 hours to ensure the Mouseless .exe, installer, etc. are set up correctly with codesigning in place. Look for the signed release on late Sunday or early Monday, US Eastern Time. Thank you again for your patience, folks. 🙏

Update, April 28th

Just wrapping things up, should have it ready by 11:15AM Eastern Time (US)

The new release is up!

Original release notes follow...

Mouseless on Windows is here! 🎉🎉 The portable .zip download is available at the bottom of this page.

I will be iterating quickly on any known / discovered issues, to try to get core functionality working as widely as possible. Your patience and feedback are appreciated! 🙏

Verifying the integrity of your download

The SHA-256 hash of the zip file is C272CFBD816C2E61AB900C5B4BB20E5FD84C1509DD118DCA51D8A198ACF57177.

To verify your download you can enter this script into a powershell window in the same directory as the zip file.

$filePath = 'mouseless_v0.4.0-windows_beta.0.zip'; $expectedHash = 'C272CFBD816C2E61AB900C5B4BB20E5FD84C1509DD118DCA51D8A198ACF57177'; $calculatedHash = (Get-FileHash $filePath -Algorithm SHA256 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Hash; if ($calculatedHash -ne $null -and $calculatedHash -eq $expectedHash) { Write-Host "[ SUCCESS ] Hashes match!" -ForegroundColor Green } elseif ($calculatedHash -ne $null) { Write-Host "[ FAILURE ] Hashes DO NOT match! Please delete the file immediately and report where you obtained it from to https://mouseless.click/support -- Calculated: $calculatedHash" -ForegroundColor Red } else { Write-Host "[ ERROR ] File not found or cannot be read at '$filePath'. Please check the path." -ForegroundColor Yellow }

Getting started

• Download the portable .zip file
• Extract to a non-system folder (e.g. some where in your home folder, like Desktop or Downloads)
  • If you extract to e.g. Program Files, the app may fail to launch due to a permissions issue, with an error like "Failed to create WebView2 controller"
• Run the contained .exe
• Note that it has a system tray icon -- you can use this to (re-)open the config editor, or force an overlay refresh if you change screen DPI scaling

Security warnings, code signing

I'm in the process of obtaining a code signing certificate, but until then, Windows SmartScreen might give a warning (though you should be able to click "More Info", then choose to run the file). Only download from https://mouseless.click or this page, and use the script above to ensure the file's authenticity and integrity!

Anti-malware mitigation

Given Mouseless' keyboard hook for global hotkeys and suppression (while the overlay is up), and ability to control the mouse, it is currently likely to get flagged by Windows Defender and other anti-malware software. This might affect your ability to launch Mouseless, or might even affect program behavior (e.g. blank windows) -- though hopefully if you add an explicit exception in Windows Security or your anti-malware software, you can use Mouseless successfully. Adding an exception for an entire folder where you place the zip, extract, and run from might result in the smoothest experience. To do this for Windows Defender: Open "Virus and Threat Protection" > Manage Settings > Add or remove exclusions > Add exclusion

I'm working to get Mouseless code-signed and verified with Microsoft and other companies, so hopefully this will be less of an issue very soon.

Also, please note that your privacy and security are my top priority, and I take great care to protect you and your data -- more details on how are available on the FAQ.

Known issues

Top priorities

• Non-QWERTY layouts have not been tested much -- YMMV
  • When Mouseless is open, it may interfere with the typing of accented characters -- e.g. when á is intended ´´a is output instead
• Some modifier keys might not map correctly (e.g. AltLeft and AltRight might both trigger AltLeft) (#233)
• Control (or other modifiers) might get stuck in a down state when using wheel mode, e.g. causing zooming in/out while trying to scroll on a webpage
• Some apps have popup elements that appear above the Mouseless overlay (#229)
• Some popup elements close when activating mouseless (#223)
• Incorrect click locations
  • Likely due to the "Make text bigger" setting in "Ease of Access display settings"
  • Current workaround: Mouseless will only work well with a value of 100%.
  • I will fix or provide a setting to adjust for this in the first patch release!
• Mouseless may crash after sleep or hibernation
• Currently Mouseless can have more than one running instance, leading to multiple overlays being triggered
• Dialog buttons may be unresponsive on Windows 11

Other

• Global hotkeys (show overlay and toggle/enter wheel mode commands) do not work while Task Manager (or Resource Monitor) is open -- and they may even cause the hotkeys to stop responding until app restart (#230)
• The system tray icon for Mouseless is a generic icon
• The 'check for updates' command from the system tray menu leads to an error dialog (automatic checking should still work, when a new update is available)
• When the task bar has focus, the overlay may appear underneath it
• Windows with content behind the task bar, may appear above the task bar when the overlay is shown
• May not work in VMs, or admin-elevated windows

Troubleshooting

• Overlay not properly sized to fit the screen? Try the Force overlay resize command from the system tray menu.
• Clicks going to the wrong spot? See "incorrect click locations" in the known issues above