While helping a friend remove malware, I accidentally suspended a process in Resource Monitor on my Windows 11 PC. Since then, I can't change the default applications associated with file types, and I'm no longer seeing the normal Windows warning before a shutdown. I've restarted the computer several times, but the problems remain. Is there a way to determine which process is suspended, or should I repair or restore Windows?
1 Answer
A suspended process normally won’t stay suspended after a full restart, so repeatedly restarting should have cleared that specific change. Windows 11 lets you change associations through Settings > Apps > Default apps, then selecting a file extension. If the controls or confirmation window are missing, the issue may be related to damaged system files, permissions, a policy setting, or remaining malware rather than the suspended process itself. Since malware was involved, run an offline or reputable full malware scan before making more system changes. You can also try repairing Windows system files with DISM and SFC, and use System Restore or an in-place repair if the problem continues.
I’ve already restarted several times and the behavior is unchanged. The missing window is the small confirmation prompt that normally appears when changing a file association. The warning I mentioned is actually the Windows message saying the computer will shut down in under a minute, not a prompt from the batch file itself.