A Project Stardust mouse-lock problem can come from an open Roblox menu, an accidental lock action, chat or interface focus, a touch-input conflict, a disconnected device, or a temporary client state. Diagnose the layer before changing settings. The official game page states that normal play requires a mouse and keyboard.
Community reported — checked September 12, 2026: Recent players have suggested accidental Control-key actions or touch-screen interaction as possible causes. Reports conflict, so neither is a universal fix. Use the safe sequence below and stop when normal input returns.
Describe the exact symptom
Decide whether the cursor is visible but cannot move, invisible while the camera will not turn, trapped in a menu, free when it should control the camera, or working in Roblox menus but not the ship interface.
Note what happened immediately before the problem: opening chat, using a carrier panel, pressing Control, tabbing to another app, touching the screen, changing settings, or reconnecting a device.
A precise symptom prevents unrelated fixes from creating more problems.
Press Escape and check menus
Press Escape once and inspect whether the Roblox menu opens or closes. If a game panel, chat box, tech tree, or settings surface remains active, close it normally. Click once inside the game view and test a harmless camera movement.
Do not repeatedly press keys while the active focus is unknown. Typing into chat or triggering a ship command can make the state more confusing.
If normal control returns, the issue was likely interface focus rather than a permanent lock.
Check the current lock action
Inspect live control hints and settings for a mouse-lock or camera action. Press the documented current action once, observe the state, and press it again only if the UI indicates a toggle.
Recent community posts mention Control in connection with accidental lock behavior, but bindings can change. Do not use that key blindly when the current interface identifies something else.
Record any remapped input or mouse software profile that may send the action unintentionally.
Restore game focus
Use the operating system to return to the Roblox window, then click the game view once. Close overlays from chat, recording software, launchers, or accessibility utilities if they visibly capture the pointer.
Test camera, cursor, and one movement input in a safe area. Avoid testing weapons near teammates or objectives.
If the problem appears only after a specific carrier or tech-tree panel, reproduce that panel once after rejoining and capture the visible state.
Reconnect mouse and keyboard
Check that both devices work in another ordinary application. Reconnect the affected device or move it to a known working port if safe. For wireless devices, verify power and connection.
Return to Roblox and click the game view. Do not install an unknown driver package from a community link. Use the device maker or operating system’s normal management tools if a driver check is necessary.
The game’s desktop requirement means a partially connected input setup may expose menus without supporting normal control.
Test touch-screen conflict carefully
On a touch-capable Windows computer, avoid touching the screen and rejoin once. If the issue disappears, touch input may be involved. Community players have reported success from temporarily disabling a touch device, but other reports do not confirm a universal relationship.
Only use built-in operating-system device controls if you understand how to restore the device. Record its exact name, disable it temporarily for diagnosis, test Roblox, and re-enable it afterward. Do not remove drivers or disable unrelated human-interface devices.
Skip this step entirely on systems without touch hardware.
Restart in increasing order
First leave the current server and join a normal new server. If the problem remains, close Roblox completely and reopen it from the official experience page. If a system input issue affects other applications too, restart the computer only after saving work.
Test after each step. Do not change multiple settings between tests.
A server rejoin can clear an interface state; a client restart can clear focus or input initialization problems.
Compare the Roblox desktop client
Make sure the experience is running in the normal supported desktop environment. The official description warns that unsupported devices may only view the tech tree. If you can browse the tree but cannot operate a ship, verify that the current device actually meets the mouse-and-keyboard requirement.
Do not use an emulator, browser script, macro, or modified client as a workaround. Those add account risk and make support evidence unreliable.
Launch only from the verified official game page.
Avoid unsafe fixes
Do not paste JavaScript into a browser console, run an executable from a video description, delete unknown Roblox configuration folders, share a security cookie, or install a “mouse unlock” extension. A basic input problem never requires account credentials.
Avoid permanent registry edits or broad device removal based on one comment. Temporary, reversible, one-change-at-a-time diagnostics are safer.
If you already installed suspicious software, remove it using normal system controls and secure the Roblox account.
Collect useful evidence
If the problem persists, record operating system, Roblox client, mouse and keyboard type, touch capability, ship or menu, exact symptom, trigger, and steps already tested. Include a screenshot or short recording without private information.
Reproduce after a clean client restart and note the date. Ask through a creator-controlled community destination linked from official surfaces. Evidence helps distinguish a current Project Stardust issue from Roblox input or hardware.
Safe troubleshooting order
Describe the symptom, press Escape, close active panels, click the game view, check the live lock binding, restore window focus, reconnect devices, rejoin, restart Roblox, and only then test a reversible touch-input change where applicable.
When control returns, use controls to verify movement and interface actions safely before combat. Change nothing else until the fix remains stable across another normal server.