Question Anyone run into a problem with Windows 10 constantly refreshing?

[ZedClampet]

Every now and then, starting a couple of days ago, I find that my computer, after sitting idle, will start to refresh the desktop and the task bar every few seconds, which makes it impossible to use.

I've looked up fixes online, but they haven't been helpful yet. One thing I haven't done is to open the Task Manager and start closing processes one at a time to see if I can figure out what is causing the problem (It's only happened twice, and I got frustrated and rebooted). But before I do that, I was just curious if anyone else had run across this and knows how to fix it. I guess I may have to eventually do a restore if I can't figure it out.

 

[Colif]

Try a clean boot and see if it changes anything - make sure to read instructions and make sure NOT to disable any microsoft services or windows won't load right - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

if clean boot fixes it, it shows its likely a startup program. You should, over a number of startups. restart the programs you stopped to isolate the one that is to blame.

tried malwarebyes? or Bitdefender? https://www.bitdefender.com.au/solutions/free.html or Hitman Pro: https://www.hitmanpro.com/en-us

if its at idle it sounds like a background task
Have you tried SFC?

right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press enter

SFC fixes system files, second command cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC

fixing things like this is what I do when I am not here.

 

[ZedClampet]

Try a clean boot and see if it changes anything - make sure to read instructions and make sure NOT to disable any microsoft services or windows won't load right - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

if clean boot fixes it, it shows its likely a startup program. You should, over a number of startups. restart the programs you stopped to isolate the one that is to blame.

tried malwarebyes? or Bitdefender? https://www.bitdefender.com.au/solutions/free.html or Hitman Pro: https://www.hitmanpro.com/en-us

if its at idle it sounds like a background task
Have you tried SFC?

right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press enter

SFC fixes system files, second command cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC

fixing things like this is what I do when I am not here.

Thanks for the help. The only problem with a clean boot is that I can't cause the problem to start, so I'm not sure I would know if it was fixed or not. What I might do is do a clean boot before going to bed tonight and let the PC idle overnight to see if the problem pops up.

I'll try the SFC and see how that goes.

 

[Colif]

randomly closing programs doesn't sound like right approach.
Problems that don't always happen are more annoying than ones that do.

You could put it into safe mode and see if it still happens overnight, that would tell us if its windows or maybe something else, depending on result...

1. go to settings/update & security/recovery
   
2. under advanced startup, click restart now button
   
3. this restarts PC in a blue menu
   
4. choose troubleshoot
   
5. choose advanced
   
6. choose startup options
   
7. click the restart button
   
8. choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
   
9. Pc will restart and load safe mode
   

Safe mode also doesn't need you to stop anything in msconfig.

 

[Brian Boru]

Did you install any hardware or software just before this started?

Look in Device Manager for any yellow warning icons—expand sections to see individual components.
Check Reliability Monitor and/or Event Viewer for any warnings around the times of the problem happening.

 

[ZedClampet]

@Brian Boru No, didn't install anything and Device Manager looks fine.

I think I figured it out, though. Was pretty dumb of me, but I finally noticed last night that Wallpaper Engine wasn't working. I've had that installed for ages and don't really notice it anymore, tbh, because the way I use Windows I hardly ever see the desktop. I think it kept trying to start and failing. For some reason, it's never listed in the startup programs or the "apps" in Task Manager.

Anyway, I uninstalled it, and my computer didn't have the problem over night. Doesn't mean that it's fixed, but I hope that was it. Will update in a few days. Since it didn't always happen, I'm not sure if it's fixed or not.

 

[Colif]

clean boot might have worked but it could have taken a few weeks to find that. depends on how often it decided to happen. If you had left it off until last it may have taken a while.

 

[Brian Boru]

Good find, hope that's it

it's never listed in the startup programs or the "apps" in Task Manager

Anyone know if there's a definitive way to see everything starting with Windows boot? Process Monitor maybe?

 

[Colif]

this does for windows - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
it may not see everything, Antivirus programs have mechanisms in place to make sure they running even if blocked in other places. but it sees most things and lets you uninstall drivers or block programs

 

[ZedClampet]

Just as an update, it hasn't happened again, so I assume it was Wallpaper Engine.

 

[Brian Boru]

autoruns
it may not see everything

Oh yes, now I remember why I don't run that—much faster to do a reinstall of Windows & software than to go thru its super-ultra-mega-comprehensive list of every speck of dust which lands within a mile of a Windows boot-up