How I can get the "pointer resolution" (or mouse DPI) on Windows?

Question

experts.

How I can query the mouse DPI (pointer resolution) on Windows?

I read the article Pointer Ballistics for Windows XP. It says "the typical pointer resolution is 400 mickey/inch". But how I can query the exact value used by various kinds of mice?

It would be great if you could also point me to documents related to this topic.

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's impossible to tell. The mouse DPI is simply the number of times the mouse reports a change in location when it's moved by one inch. On the other side of the mouse cord all you know is that you periodically get a change in location, and you simply move the pointer on the screen every time.

One thing you can do if this is critically important for some special application is to have the user move his/her mouse exactly one inch and count the changes in location. If you're doing this in some professional environment then it's probably worth your while to issue special equipment- give your users the same model of high-end mouse with a particular known DPI. I say high-end because for most mice the approximate DPI number will be ludicrously inaccurate.