Hey there, let's figure out how to fix this IntelliJ IDEA issue you're facing!

Problem Breakdown #

First, let's recap what's going on:

• You installed IntelliJ IDEA 2018.1.4 on Windows 10 Home Insider Preview (10.0.17672)
• When trying to open a project or directory, you hit an error, and the log points to java.lang.RuntimeException: cannot load system cursor: CopyDrop.32x32

This error typically happens because older IDE versions (like 2018.1) don't play nice with newer Windows Insider builds—those preview versions often have changes to system resources (like cursors) that outdated software isn't prepared for.

Fixes to Try #

Let's go through solutions from easiest to more involved:

1. Force IDEA to use its own cursors

   • Navigate to your IDEA installation's bin folder: E:\Apps\ideaIU-2018.1.4.win\bin
   • Open the idea.properties file with a text editor
   • Add these lines at the bottom of the file:

     idea.use.default.override.cursor=true
     awt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on
     swing.aatext=true
     

   • Save the file and restart IDEA. This tells the IDE to skip loading system cursors and use its own built-in ones instead.

2. Update IDEA to a newer patch or version

   • IDEA 2018.1.4 isn't the latest patch for that release line—2018.1.6 is the final update for 2018.1, and it might include fixes for cursor-related bugs.
   • If possible, consider upgrading to a newer IDEA version entirely (like 2023.x or 2024.x). Newer versions are built to support modern Windows builds, and they come with bundled Java runtimes so you don't have to worry about compatibility there.

3. Repair your Windows system files

   • Open Command Prompt as Administrator
   • Run this command to scan and fix corrupted system resources (including cursor files):

     sfc /scannow
     

   • After the scan finishes, restart your computer and try opening IDEA again.

4. Restore default Windows cursor scheme

   • Open Windows Settings > Personalization > Themes > Mouse cursor
   • From the dropdown menu, select "Windows Default" and apply the changes
   • This ensures the system has all the standard cursor files that IDEA is trying to load.

5. Roll back to a stable Windows release

   • If you don't need the Insider Preview features, rolling back to a stable Windows 10 version will eliminate compatibility issues with older software like IDEA 2018.1.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Nitesh Jain