Tired of juggling between multiple computers in your home or office? Say hello to Microsoft’s groundbreaking Mouse without Borders!
In this tutorial, you will learn to set up this ingenious solution that empowers you to effortlessly control numerous PCs via a single set of peripherals (mouse and keyboard).
Read on and boost your productivity like never before!
Prerequisites
Ensure you have two PCs on the same network running Windows 7 or later the following in place to follow along. This tutorial uses two PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Installing Mouse Without Borders on Windows
Developed by Microsoft, Mouse without Borders is a software application that allows you to seamlessly switch between up to four computers — flexibility at its finest.
You can enjoy this capability that eliminates the need for separate input devices for each system. How? You must install Mouse without Borders on all devices you wish to control.
To install Mouse without Borders, follow these steps on each of your devices:
1. Open your favorite web browser, navigate to the official download page, and click Download to download Mouse without Borders’ setup file.
2. Once downloaded, open the MouseWithoutBorderSetup file, as shown below, to begin the installation.
3. Next, click Next on the setup window to continue with the installation.
4. Now, tick the box at the bottom to accept the license terms, and click Install to begin the installation.
5. Lastly, click Finish to complete the installation and close the setup wizard.
At this point, you should have a working installation of Mouse without Borders on both computers.
Linking Multiple Devices in Mouse Without Borders
With the Mouse without Borders installed, you are almost ready to link multiple devices. But first, you must configure your Mouse without Borders installation.
To link multiple devices in Mouse without Borders:
1. On the first computer, open Mouse without Borders (if not yet opened), and click NO since you have not configured Mouse without Borders on your second computer yet.
2. Next, note down the SECURITY CODE and COMPUTER’S NAME, as you will need them to connect to this computer later.
3. Switch to the second computer, open the Mouse Without Borders window, and this time click Yes.
4. Now, provide the SECURITY CODE and COMPUTER NAME you noted in step two, and click LINK to link your devices.
Note that both fields are case-sensitive, so do not put extra characters or trailing spaces.
5. Once linked, click NEXT to continue.
6. Click DONE to finish the setup.
Your connected computers are now shown in the main Mouse without Borders window on both computers. Once the computers are connected, the software synchronizes the input devices, enabling you to control all connected computers with a single mouse and keyboard.
7. Ultimately, move your mouse cursor beyond the borders of either of your two PCs, as shown below.
As you can see, the other monitor is like an extension of your first one. But there is so much more to this capability since you can now control two systems linked together using a single mouse and keyboard.
Fixing the “we were unable…” Error
In some instances, you may receive the following error message after attempting to link your computers. There are different causes, but no worries, as there are ways you can fix errors like this.
Running Mouse without Borders as an Administrator
Errors may come up when you launch software, like Mouse without Borders, without elevated privileges. You can fix elevated privileges-related errors by running Mouse without Borders as an administrator. Doing so allows the software to access necessary system resources and perform certain functions that may otherwise be restricted.
To run Mouse without Borders as an administrator:
1. Locate the program file for Mouse without Borders on your computer, typically at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Garage\Mouse without Borders.
2. Once found, right-click the program file and select Run as administrator from the context menu. Mouse without Borders will now run with elevated privileges.
3. Now, check the link status of your computers if the issue persists. If yes, jump to the following section to work on compatibility issues.
Running Mouse without Borders in Compatibility Mode
If running Mouse without Borders as an administrator did not fix the error, try eliminating compatibility issues. Mouse without Borders may rely on certain APIs or system calls that could have changed or been deprecated in newer versions of Windows.
To fix the compatibility issues, run Mouse without Borders in compatibility mode:
1. Right click on the program file for Mouse Without Borders again, and select Properties from the context menu.
2. Next, set the compatibility mode for Mouse without Borders with the following:
- Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
- Tick the Run this program in compatibility mode checkbox to enable the compatibility mode, and choose an appropriate Windows version from the dropdown menu. This feature ensures Mouse without Borders can use appropriate APIs and system calls, mimicking the behavior of an older Windows version if necessary.
- Click Apply and OK to save your changes.
3. Close and re-open Mouse without Borders as administrator, which also now runs in compatibility mode.
4. Now, check the link status of your computers and if the issue persists. If so, you may have to link your devices manually, as demonstrated in the following section.
Linking Devices Manually
Mouse without Borders may fail to detect all the computers in a network automatically. This failure may occur for various reasons, such as network configuration issues, firewalls, or other factors.
These factors prevent the software from discovering all the available devices. In such cases, manually linking the devices using their local IP addresses can be a viable solution.
To link your devices manually, follow the steps below:
1. Open PowerShell on the first computer and run the below ipconfig command to find the computer’s local IP address.
ipconfig
2. Note the local IPv4 address (i.e., 192.x.x.x) displayed under the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, as shown below. You will need this information for manually linking the devices.
3. Next, perform IP mappings with the following:
- Switch to your second computer, and navigate to the IP Mappings tab in Mouse without Borders.
- Input the name of your first computer followed by the local IP address you noted in step two (i.e., WINDOWS11 192.x.x.x).
4. Finally, navigate to the Machine Setup tab, and click Apply to save the changes. As shown below, you can now establish a link and connect your devices.
Conclusion
Throughout this tutorial, you have unlocked the capabilities of controlling multiple PCs using a single mouse and keyboard, eliminating the hassle of juggling between devices. Mouse without Borders provides a game-changing solution for managing multiple computers with ease and efficiency.
You are now equipped to harness the full potential of Mouse without Borders, so embrace a new level of productivity! Now that you have mastered the basics, why not explore other features of Mouse without Borders, like hotkeys? Or learn how to troubleshoot clipboard-sharing issues?
Mouse without Borders supports clipboard sharing, copying and pasting text across computers, and dragging and dropping files. Simplify multitasking and streamline workflow with a unified control interface for multiple computers today!
