Screen weirdness when computer is idle? Can anyone tell me what's going on? Can anyone tell me how to fix it?

Ok, from square one.

It's an old Win8 computer that has been upgraded to Win10 and kept up to date whenever MS asks. And no, this didn't happen after any update that I know of.

I keep my computers plugged in and they go to screen saver if left idle for 15 minutes. I use that Windows Mystify saver.

Yesterday instead of going to screen saver when left idle, the screen went dark gray semi-translucent with my open apps in miniature glowing among the gray.



It doesn't matter what apps I have open and it doesn't seem to happen if something is open full screen (although that could be coincidence).

Sometimes the windows pop up and pop down a few times as if something interrupted it, and sometimes it comes up full screen.

The first time it happened, my VPN window and two blue settings windows with the white gear showed up. I hadn't had them open.

I restored the computer from a disk image as far back as July 9, waaaay before this happened and the problem persists.

This may be related or not, I can no longer change my mouse cursor, it says it can't find the program that in needs to do that.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
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PS I love computers for what they do, but really really hate computers because they have a reliability problem and malfunction more than any other thing I have ever owned.

First thing I would suspect is the video driver, especially since you said this is a Win8 to Win10 upgraded computer. For example, I know I can't get a proper Win10 video driver for my old HP laptop. Some of the newer drivers sort-of work, but not completely. I would check your manufacturer's web site and see if there is a better driver (perhaps you only have a generic Microsoft driver).

Just a thought.

Ok... A different thought. Windows 10 has this thing, from the desktop it can show active programs as tiles...I never personally used the feature, but pressed couple of times accidently to wake it...

Could it be that you have a keyboard or mouse fault/issue that wakes this tile feature?

Just a thought.

Another thought is your power supply. When they start to go all kind of wacky things can happen.

This is similar to the Windows thing where it shows the open apps as tiles. I know that display and have no use for it either, but it doesn't gray out the rest of the screen. I've hit that key by accident once in a while.

I did some scans with the Lenovo diagnostics and Windows, and Windows found hard drive errors and is doing a repair. I don't remember where I found that test, I was poking around in the Control Panel functions.

I feel like I'm wasting an entire day here, only because I'm in the middle of another project and this has put a damper on it.

Next step is to make sure I have all the data backed up to the external. I usually do, but I need to double-check.

If I have hard drive errors, I need to get it replaced ASAP.

Fortunately it's an older computer. I use it along with Power Tracks Pro Audio or Audacity to record backing tracks for my duo and demo files for my styles. I have an mp3 copy of all my backing tracks on 3 computers and a flash drive plus the back-up drives, but I'm in the process of recording demos from a new style disk I'm finishing up. I definitely don't want to lose any of them. They can be done again but it's time consuming.

I've restarted the computer after the Window HD repair, and if it's still happening I'll know it wasn't the problem.

Nope, it hasn't fixed the problem. I may just take it to a computer shop tomorrow. and spend some money instead of a lot of time.

Notes

It's in the shop, I couldn't figure it out.

Thanks for your suggestions and help.

Bob

In the shop two days now and the tech can't figure it out.

If he is having problems, I never would have gotten there myself

Notes

Computer is fixed. It seems that there was some mouse software that was installed with the Microsoft Mouse back when the computer had Windows 8 on it. It was meant to activate the two side buttons and a press of the scroll wheel, things I've never actually used. The software got corrupted some how and was intermittently turning on some kind of task view function.

The clue was I couldn't change the mouse cursor back to black. After extensive testing and finding nothing wrong with the computer, the tech took that cue and removed the mouse software. Now it's back to the mouse software that Lenovo put in (which is the one I always used anyway).

The problem seems fixed, as it's been working all day.

And I'm $80 less affluent but my computer is working and I can use PG Music's Power Tracks Pro again without the screen weirdness popping up in the middle of a session!!!

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I'm glad that everything is back to normal. Mouse software? Who da thunk it?

Probably the best $80 you have spent on a computer.

Indeed, I never would have gotten that myself. It took the tech 3 days to find it too.

That software may have been installed when it was a Windows 8 computer. The tech said there is a lot of Win8 baggage that stays on the computer when it upgrades to 10 unless you do a clean install - which I did not do.

When the frustration was at its peak, there was a tiny part of me that wanted to throw the computer as hard as I could at a brick wall and watch it smash to bits, but as satisfying as that might have been, the brain knew that moment of pleasure wouldn't last nearly as long as the problems that move would have created.

The tech was good to only charge $80 for all the work he put into it. He's a good guy.

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The same this happens when you upgrade from 7 to 10. I was having problems after the upgrade so I did a clean install. No now problems; I hope I didn't just jinx myself!



I know that feeling well!

I probably would have wiped the disk and reinstalled Windows long before. My patience is a little thin. Glad you got it working without having to do that.

I would wipe and re-install Windows as a last resort. It means a few extra days installing software, setting preferences, and all that associated time eating but necessary things.

Of course, not as much work as the aftermath of throwing it against a brick wall, but not as satisfying (for an instant anyway).

All is well, it's working fine now and I'm back recording demo files for a new style disk I'm working on.

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Mouse driver did that?

I would not have found it, either.

I guess it ran my computer tech through a maze.


This clue I gave him may have helped:


I always figured it's better to give too much information than not enough.

I also told him about a CheckDisk incident and a MalwareBytes update that happened about the same time.

Anyway, it's good to have my recording computer back. Recording is it's primary function although I also do web page maintenance and music research on that one.

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