Windows 10: Win10: Minimized programs dissappear from taskbar but keep running

Hello all,
I have digged a lot to try to find any info related to my problem, and I haven't been able, so I decided to post in this forum since it seems like the biggest Win10 community all around *Smile
Well, I have a HP Notebook 15-ac134ns Windows 10 Home 64bits from 3 months ago. When I run some programs (at the moment I have detected Firefox, Chrome, Teamviewer, Windows Live MSN, and some others) installed by me, they work normally, but when I minimize them they don't go to taskbar, I see like the windows goes up and dissappears. But program keeps running, so I can locate in running processes.
Then I have to find Explorer process, kill it, and firefow shows up in task bar for a few seconds, so I can click on it and it is accessible again in the very same point it was before.

I have tried to locate the "missing" programs with Alt+Tab or in different desktops, but not available.
I have also tried to pin and unpin the programs to taskbar, but same.
I have no idea what to do to avoid this annoying behavior.
Do you have any idea about anything I could do?? (Besides than switching to Edge which doesn't have that behavior *Smile )
Thanks a lot in advance!

:)

 

Multiple flickering windows

Multiple screens keep appearing and dissappearing on my pc. It minimizes anything i am doing at da moment. Multiple scans with antivirus wasnt able to solve this.

 

Task Manager no longer minimizes to Notifications tray in v1607 Win10Pro

I have the Taskbar on the left side of my screen. I like having Task Manager running all the time. I access Task Manager frequently at times. I had it set as a tray notifications icon (little icon) when minimized on Taskbar. The little icon was
always visible when minimized. Setting it up this way takes up a much smaller amount of space on
Taskbar than a full size icon on the Taskbar. That way much more space remains on
Taskbar for Icons from apps I open and close frequently. This is the way it was set up Win10 Pro 15xx. (I use 15xx because I cannot remember if it was 1511 or 1507)

I just upgraded to Win10 Pro 1607 from Win10 Pro 15xx. (I use 15xx because I cannot remember if it was 1511 or 1507)

Task Manager now minimizes to both a full size icon on Taskbar below the other full size icons AND the little icon in the Notifications Area or Tray area.
In other words Task Manager now minimizes with TWO icons on the Taskbar.

This is the Taskbar settings and the corresponding results:

Right click Taskbar > settings > scroll down to “Notification Area” > click “select which icons appear on
Taskbar” > :

Task Manager “On” = full size icon on Taskbar AND icon in “Notification Area” on
Taskbar.

Task Manager “Off” = full size icon on Taskbar AND icon NOT in “Notification Area” but in the pop-out side menu when clicking little arrow above “Notification Area” on
Taskbar.

Two questions:

1. How do I return this to the way it was in 15xx? (The way it was: no full size icon on
Taskbar when minimized but a little icon always visible at bottom).

2. How do I set up “Services” console this way (services.msc)?
Some installed apps only run with their services on so I toggle the associated services on and off.

I use my computer in a normal user account not an administrator account.

I am running Win10 Pro on a i7 tower 16GB memory 2TB HD and 19 inch screen (I am working on purchasing a bigger screen).
I vigilantly keep everything updated daily. Or at least every three days I check EVERYTHING for updates.

 

try running SFC /Scannow from your dos prompt ADMIN and see if it finds any errors, and if it repairs them or not

Then try running this command, from dos prompt ADMIN
dism /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

 

Hi, I'm having similair problem on my HP 6510b on w10 x64 and I think it's the OSD function on "HP Quick Launch Buttons" that somehow causes it. I've noticed when pressing for example "volume up"/"volume down"/"mute" on keyboard, so when the volume bar shows on display, the problem disappears and you're able to minimize and alt-tab.

 

Thanks a lot for your feedback!!
very valuable tip @p83, I'll try nex sunday when back home, but it sounds like an easier workaround than opening task manager and killing explorer *Smile
Regarding @OldMike65 advice, I was able to run the SFC /Scannow and it conplained about several error that it wasn't able to fix!! So it seems there is something wrong! I'll try to run all the recommended commands and see if a mixing of both of you fixes the real problem!!! @p83, is there a way to disable those options regarding OSD and have you already tried it?

Thanks a lot!!

 

Np! *Smile Haven't really tried to nail it down, just found out that the "shortcut-keys" fixes the problem temporarily *Smile Sometimes it comes back after a while and sometimes it doesn´t appear at all.

Good luck *Smile

 

Sounds like you might have to try and repair your Windows 10 in order to fix those errors that sfc found. You will have to download the windows 10 iso from TECH Bench 1st. Here is a link for that, use option 1 <----
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9...-download.html
Once you have downloaded the right ISO for your windows, then you will need to Mount it on your hard drive. Then run this command.
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:H:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
Note: H is the letter where the iso is mounted. If yours is not H, change it.

This should do all the repairs needed to fix your Windows 10 Home. After you have completed this successfully then run SFC /scannow again to make sure you have no more errors.

 

Super Thanks for such detailed explanations!
I'll let you know about results.
I have started also support case towards HP related to @p83 answer.
Have a nice weekend!!
BR

 

Let me know if HP have a solution *Smile Have a nice weekend as well!

 

Hello again,
finally I was able to run SFC /Scannow and fix the found problems, and then I ran the other 2 commands with successful result. After that, I rebooted, but problem minimizing some of the apps remained *Sad
I have also seen that in my laptopn, the workaround provided by @p83 is not working either, and when my program has "disappeared", nothing brings it back, even pressing OSD keys (vol+, vol-, etc). I think my laptop is not running HP quick launch software anyway, but it was worth the try.
Anyway, thanks for your time and support!
BR

 

Too bad :/ Hope you'll find a way to fix it.

 

Hello juaaslo, *Smile

Double check to see if you may have just switched desktops by mistake for why they are not showing on the desktop you switched to.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html

 

Thanks @Brink,
I had already checked, and minimized programs are not going to extra desktops. I really don't understand where they go, because in normal "minimizing", the program transitions down to the task bar, but here, it is like the program transitions up. I have checked also if it goes to extended desktop (hdmi output), but it doesn't and behavior is similar with hdmi unplugged....so I just guess this will remain as an unresolved mistery *Sad
Is Windows accepting bug reports? Any way to tell them about this problem?

Thank you all for support!

 

Yes, you can report this by sending feedback in the Windows Feedback app.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...dows-10-a.html