microsoft/Terminal

Plagued by the throbber?

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#18,662 opened on Mar 7, 2025

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Area-UserInterfaceHelp WantedIssue-BugNeeds-Tag-FixPriority-3Product-Terminal

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Description

Throbber = spinning blue annulus (no arrow)

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.5487] (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for Workstations 10.0.19045.5487 (2009, 22H2) WindowsTerminal 1.22.2502.04002 (1.22.352.0)

I'm in a situation like this. The mouse pointer is in the text area of the WT window.

Image

When I execute the command I get a new instance of WT. If I immediately "exit" the new CMD (and the new WT), not having moved the mouse, I'm back in the original WT and instead of a mouse pointer I see the throbber. The throbber remains until I move the mouse. ONLY moving the mouse will get rid of the throbber; no keystrokes, even starting other apps (Win+R), will get rid of it. Windows 10 is "throbber-happy". In scenarios not involving WT, it goes away on its own.

The throbber has plagued me ever since I started using WT. This is just one way (of many) to see it. Very occasionally, I'll see the horizontal double-headed arrow (as if resizing a window) instead.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate cursor state management in Windows Terminal, specifically how the throbber (spinning blue annulus) is shown when a new terminal instance exits. Trace the code paths that set the cursor to the throbber and check if there is a missing reset on window focus or mouse move events.
Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
C++Windows development
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
30