Windows 10: External monitor keeps video game programs minimized to taskbar.

I have my laptop tethered to an external monitor 100% of the time. The laptop is used solely for gaming, but whenever I open a game with the laptop open, it works fine on laptop screen, but regardless of laptop lid position, the program on my monitor won’t open. It’s minimized on the taskbar but will not expand to the screen. But it’s only the actually game, all other programs and windows open and operate as normal.

:)

 

games keep minimizing to taskbar

Do you have a key on your keyboard like i circled in the pics? If yes, point at any file on your desktop and tap it, you'll see that right click menu popup. Any chance you are bumping that key?

 

Is there a setting I can change so that videos and games in minimized windows aren't displayed as paused in the taskbar preview?

I'm assuming this is an intended feature. Videos and games appear as a still image in the taskbar preview, if the window is minimized (they aren't actually paused). If the window is just in the background, videos and games are still moving in the preview.

I've only noticed that this is a bit inconvenient, when I updated my Nvidia driver from 3xx to 4xx and Final Fantasy XIV appeared to be paused in the minimized preview. Since then I've stayed with the 3xx driver.

But I don't want to keep using an old driver for all eternity, so is there a setting that lets videos and games keep moving in minimized previews?

 

Program Fails to Maximize After Minimizing to Taskbar!?

Thanks for the reply. I haven't looked into this ÄutoHotKey" software as yet, but will do so later. Found another program which fails to maximize after minimizing for the second time! This time it is Hitpaw AI Video Enhancer v1.3.0. So this suggests that these two programs which fail to maximize (after minimizing for the second time) might be somehow incompatible with my system, or maybe both programs are bugged in some way, or maybe there is an issue with my system? Whatever the reason(s) for failing to maximize, I would like to have a resolution to this issue so that these (and any other similar) programs maximize normally when clicking on their taskbar icons. Further comments?