Windows 10: Some Programs Only Open as Background Processes

I've recently been having a problem opening certain programs properly on Windows 10. For over a month, some programs that I used to use perfectly fine before have now started to not open anything when I click on them. Regardless of whether I open them from the File Explorer or a desktop shortcut, whether I run it regularly or as an administrator, or if I uninstall and reinstall the programs, these programs just won't open. When I check the Task Manager, I see that they're being opened as background processes, but they're intended to run as regular Apps, not in the background, and no matter how long I wait, they never make the jump to running as a proper application.


The specific programs I can't run are Telegram, Origin, and 4K Video Downloader. None are made by Microsoft, and are a variety of completely different applications made by different companies and people, with very little I know of that they have in common beyond their sudden inability to be opened properly. I never see any sort of error messages pop up, and I can end their tasks in Task Manager without any issue, but they just don't seem to open at all.


When I first turn on my computer, however, occasionally the programs WILL open properly. If I attempt to open them immediately upon turning the computer on, they will sometimes open as they should and not as a background process. If I then close them and later attempt to re-open them, the same background process issue will then occur. This isn't a foolproof method of opening these apps, though, and often it won't have any effect on them at all. I've also tried disabling everything that would run at start-up and not opening anything else manually beyond the affected programs, and the same results would occur. Sometimes they would open as normal, other times they would fail to be anything beyond a background process.


I've tried looking up help for this issue, but it almost seems like I may be the only person to ever have this happen to them, judging by Google results at the very least. So I thought I ought to ask here to see if anyone could give me advice for fixing this problem and getting these programs, which previously would run without any issue whatsoever, to once again open for me properly.

:)

 

Program running a background process?

I'm running Corel Video Studio 2018, and it's updates function shows characteristics of a background process:

- the program has an auto check daily plus a manual option for updates

- manually checked, presented with an option of downloading an update and Ok'd, evidence of any activity vanishes from the program workspace, yet the connected internet modem activity light begins running hot as the download happens

- it's repeatable over several up-date cycles

The evidence seems to suggest a background activity - whilst the program/PC is free to use for other things. Several software packages do this.

However, a check in task manager/processes, show all, does not display any info of a related background process for any Corel or Video Studio program. If a background process is being used by the software, MUST it be listed in the task manager/processes
list?

Platform is windows 7 home sp1 64bit plus the important patches.

 

Background Processes

Hello Andrew,

Task Manager shows you the running processes or programs depending on what kind of services they are.
Background processes run in the background without user intervention. The processes you see under this category include processes that involve logging, system monitoring, scheduling, and notifications. These are the processes that programs
usually use in the background. Windows services on the other hand, shows you the list of processes that make up your computer's interface or behavior. This explains why what you normally see under this category are the Windows services that
tell your computer how to operate.

Regards.

 

Background Processes

Hi kartik10000

Go into Control Panel - Programs and Features and uninstall the following from your system:

HP Support Assistant

HP Support Solutions Framework

HP Touchpoint Analytics Client

HP Jumpstart Bridge

Bonjour

Turn off all unnecessary startup applications and processes:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager

Click on the Startup Tab

See any non-essential items are listed there

If so, select and click 'Disable'

Close Task Manager

Click your Start Button, type msconfig and hit Enter

When the System Configuration dialog opens, click on the Services Tab

Check the box marked 'Hide Microsoft Services'

In the remaining list, see any non-essential items are listed there, uncheck any you find

Click Apply and OK

Turn off all unnecessary Background Apps

Open the Settings App

Go to Privacy - Background Apps

Turn off any App you do not need running in the background

Restart your PC