Tweaking.com Support Forums
Main Forum => General Computer Support => Topic started by: The old timer on January 12, 2015, 01:08:15 am
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I have just rerun the the all in one tweaking tool to see it anything thing had changed with regards 'my PC loosing focus'. The problem was that if I had a few windows open & I opened the Notepad it would flash for half a second before just becoming an icon on the task bar It's been almost impossible to get it to stay open even when I clicked on the icon now on Task bar to do things like copy & paste.
Someone suggested that I should try an alternative to Notepad so I selected Notepad ++. Sad to say this both programs perform in the same way & that nothing has improved. I see from the net that many other have yet to discover why this occurs.
Any more ideas?
Thanks in advance
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Have you ran any anti-malware scans as well as a sfc /scannow from an admin command prompt and does it stay up when you right click on it and select Run as administrator ?
Also check to see if Notepad stays up when you boot up into Safe Mode with Networking.
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A full scan using Malwares bytes is always done first thing every morning, as is Avaste anti virus before any thing else is done. Tweaking was run as administrator. I don't know what sfc/scannow is.
I'll try safe mode in the morning.
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sfc /scannow is the command that will check your system files and repair any that it can, but this article will explain how to run it and how to post just the bits that it has checked/repaired, although you haven't said which version of Windows you are running.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html
If you are using XP then the command chkdsk /f or chkdsk /r would be better as you don't need an install CD as you could be prompted for when running the sfc /scannow in XP.
With XP you auto have an elevated command prompt but with Vista or Win 7 you need to do it this way http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/cc947813(v=ws.10).aspx
The /f switch checks and repairs files whereas the /r switch checks for bad sectors on the disk as well as repairing corrupt files.
Chkdsk needs the volume to be dismounted before it can run a repair so after entering chkdsk with either the /f or /r switch, you will be prompted to type and enter y then reboot to let it do its thing.
To view its full report go Start orb - type eventvwr and press enter - this will open Event Viewer and when it has read the logs, click on the arrow to the left of Windows Logs then click on Application - Action - then on Find.
In the Find box type either chkdsk or wininit and press enter.
Close the Find box and then read its report.
To copy its report to the forum click on Copy in the lower right pane then on Copy details as text.
You can then place the cursor in the Reply box, right click and select Paste.
It may need editing a bit so it isn't all bunched up and will make it easier to read.
Booting up into Safe Mode with Networking will isolate your AV program and any other 3rd party programs that run on Start up should they be the cause of a conflict.
You haven't said if you have tried Notepad as an admin.
You can do this by going Start - type notepad - right click on Notepad and select Run as administrator.
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Is it only notepad that is doing it, or all programs?
Shane
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I could not get into safe mode by using F8. I'm on Windows 7 Pro. So I told msconfig to reboot into safe mode. Once started I opened a few programs & even though its hard to see whats open because everything is enlarged it would appear that both Notepad & Notepad ++ still loose focus.
I think that even in regular mode some other programs also loose focus.
Thanks in advance
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Other windows definitely loose focus. I had to download & install a few updates for some programs. I downloaded the updates & it says it's ready to install nut before I get the cursor there to install update its, gone & I have to shut down all open windows to find it.
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OK good, so it isnt notepad but any window that is open. It is also happening in safe mode, which means it is most likely not a program or driver causing it.
By any chance do you have another keyboard and mouse you can swap with and test with for me? Reason why is I want to cover all the bases, and I have seen where the keyboard had a problematic key sticking on it that was causing a lot of odd behavior. So the best way to rule out the keyboard and mouse is by simply user a different one. :wink:
Shane
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The Keyboard that I have been using recently is a small Logitech K220 which connect to PC via a dongle. I also have 2 other older Logitech models which connect through USB models Y-raj56a & LX 710. I thought that they were both just plug & play but when I plugged one in it updated its software.
I have put new batteries in both & pressed the connect button after Windows made its connect sound & said that drivers were installed. Neither of these keyboard/mouse combos are working at all even though I had used them as recently as yesterday on another PC that used Windows 8.
So another mystery.
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Have you tried the sfc /scannow yet ?
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I haven't had a chance yet as we are looking after 2 grand kids this week. I have noticed however that the keyboard is no longer allowing me to select a range of items to ,cut,paste, move etc.
I'm also always hesitant to try programs that I have never heard of before unless I can get assurance that they aren't harmful as there are so many programs just full of PUP's etc.
I has also reluctant to even try this Tweaking program until it had been recommended by a few people that I know.
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The sfc /scannow takes about 20 mins to run and will leave its report on screen, so once you have entered the command, you don't need to be in attendance - but grandkids can be demanding :smiley:
I'm not sure if the keyboard problem is related to the program problem.
Have you tried the rear USB port for the keyboard as that one has more power than the others.
You could try downloading the chipset or video drivers depending upon your CPU should it be the BUS Controller drivers acting up, but it could also be the PSU.
Download HWMonitor (quite safe) to check that your computer isn't overheating. http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
This program will also display the voltages.
You could also go into Devices and Printers, right click on the keyboard and select Troubleshoot to see it that pops up anything.
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My Tweaking.com - Windows Repair doesnt target the keyboard and mouse, so not sure you need to run it just yet. I am more curious why the other keyboard and mouse didnt want to work.
Try it again, but this time open up the device manager first, then plug in the other keyboard and mouse and see if the device manager shows any problems for them.
Shane
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I hadn't read the previous posting closely enough & hadn't noticed that sfc /scannow was to be run from a command prompt. This suggests that this is part of Windows itself & not a 3rd party program.
I have run many programs as administrator even though I'm the only person who touches this machine. How do you run as an administrator from a CMR prompt? Can I turn of the prompt for administrator completely?
Thanks in advance
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I found the answer myself & have now run this program. It took only about 7-8 minutes but reports no problems..
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I found the answer myself & have now run this program. It took only about 7-8 minutes but reports no problems..
The link I'd posted in Reply #3 gave instructions in how to perform a sfc /scannow but have you tried Shane's suggestion in Reply #12 ?
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When you tried it in safe mode showed me that it wasnt a 3rd party program getting in the way, mainly because none where running in safe mode.
So the problem could either be corrupt windows files (SFC can check that) or messed up drivers, or messed up keyboard. The fact that you cant use another keyboard makes me think it is messed up drivers.
Try what I asked about the device manager, I want to see if any keyboard or anything else gets a yellow exclamation point on it that shows problems. :wink:
Shane
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Shane I would have replied earlier but I had the box ticked to get replies but none did. I see that you have a new version of the All in One Tool available so I have downloaded & installed it.
I had checked device manager before I started but there are no yellow flags & when asked for it to check for newer drivers it said that I already had the best, but Windows never says otherwise even when its wrong.
I turned off my anti virus & ran all of the tweaks as administrator. Unfortunately nothing appears to have changed. I have checked Notebook & Notebook ++ as well as other programs.
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I had another question about drivers that I forgot to ask in the last reply. Many programs Avaste,Ashampoo etc offer to update drivers. Are any of these reliable or are they just going to create more problems?
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I never use driver programs like that, so I dont know how well they do. But when it comes to keyboards and mice the default MS ones normally work just fine and there is rarly any updated drivers for keyboards and mice unless they have something special about them.
Have you had any luck at all getting a different keyboard and mouse to work yet?
Shane
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I haven't tried any other Keyboard/mice other than the ones mentioned in previous posts. When I plug in the cordless receiver/transmitter I get the audio signal from Windows but pressing the button to make connecting to both nothing happens even with new batteries. They don work on another PC howerer.
I will have a friend back in a few days time that is likely to have another keyboard/mouse to try.
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Try to use a normal usb keyboard and mouse and not a wireless one just to be sure :wink:
Shane
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Finally I was able to borrow another Keyboard/mouse. Sad to say,nothings changed. I can open a half a dozed different programs & each one stays on top of the previous one. If I run the cursor across the icons on task bar each one has its preview.
If I open Notepad or Notepad ++ they both just flash for a fraction of a second & drop to the task bar. If I run cursor across the task bar to their icon I get the preview but its often difficult if not possible to reopen them unless I start shutting everything else down.
Another problem related to this is when I tell the machine to shut down & Windows says that I have open Windows that must close first. You can't just tells it to close down anyway but have to drill down to find what program is open so that you can close it.
Thanks in advance
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Lets try disabling the desktop manager service which make the glass effect and such in Windows. At least as a test anyways, I always turn it off anyways because of the cpu usage it does and I like my system to be as fast as possible, so i dont have all the pretty things running lol.
So easiest eay to disable the service is to open a cmd.exe window as administrator, and then copy and paste this
sc config UxSms start= disabled
And then hit enter and it should say it was successful. If it did go ahead and reboot and see how it does :-)
Shane
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I have done this. The only difference that I can see is if I hover cursor over icon I see the program name rather than a preview of page. Notebook & Notebook ++ still behave as before closing as soon as they open.
Thanks in advance
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OK so lets go down the check list...
1. Not the desktop service doing it
2. Not drivers doing it (Such as video) since it happens in safe mode as well and only the bare minimum of the drivers are loaded in safe mode.
3. Keyboard and mouse are good. Having you try completely different ones covered this.
From the sounds of your last post, it is now only notepad and notepad++ doing it, before you said other programs did it as well, but from the last post you said the others where not, correct?
Also does it happen if say you only open one? Say you only open notepad and not notepad ++. How does note pad do on its own? Does the problem seem to start only after you open notepad++?
Shane
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Whether I open the notebook programs one at a time one first then the other or both together nothing changes. The other thing that does the same sort of thing was as I mentioned the shutdown message.
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Ok, so how about the rest of the system if you go a while without opening either of those. Does it happen to anything else?
Shane
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I don't know if Notepad is inherently different from other programs but I can across an unusual mention of 'Notepad' on the forum for the indexing program 'Everything'.
"Certain files under Windows Vista and Windows 7 are hard links.
"Everything" will not include hard links.
For example, on Windows 7 C:\windows\notepad.exe is a hard link to c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe
Only the original file c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe will show in "Everything".
Could this have bearing on current problem?
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No, they are just talking about junctions and symbolic links.
But you didnt answer my other question :-)
Ok, so how about the rest of the system if you go a while without opening either of those. Does it happen to anything else?
Shane
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I have seen it happen with other programs as well as when I select shutdown as previously mentioned.
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I dont have an answer at this point. The most common things that could make this happen would be the keyboard and mouse, or a certain program or certain drivers, like video.
But in this case, so far it is looking like it is something messed up with the OS itself, which loo9ked like it was when your other keyboards and mice refused to work during testing.
So at this point I would say a repair install of Windows is the next thing to do. It isnt a fresh install, but a repair install, so you keep your programs and such.
First you will need a Windows 7 disk with SP1 already on it, you can grab a image file here
https://sites.google.com/site/linuxlablibrary/windows-iso
Then you can use a program like imgburn to burn the image to a dvd properly.
Then once you have that you just follow these instructions
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
Shane
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I had a fellow I know over at the house working on this PC for a couple of hours on this problem.I could not follow everything that he did but I know many of the things looked at are things suggested on this forum. We tried several things including the mouse & that may have been the culprit but I can't be more certain.
So at this time it appears things are back in focus. Thanks to Shane & the others for the help.
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I am curious if it was the mouse or not lol
But good to hear you got it working properly :-)
Shane
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The fellow that look at my machine ran a utility called Hitman Pro on it & it reported that I had a PUP called Snapdo on the machine. I don't think that this could possible have caused my problems but I'm surprised that MalwareBytes Pro which runs every day didn't detect it.
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Lately I am starting to lose faith in malwarebytes
Shane
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It's a pity that the programs that detect & delete malwares don't or can' tell from what download they originated from, then perhaps there could be a list of sites to avoid. Some utilities like 'MediaInfo' used to be clean but this is no longer true.