Windows EXE Programs Open in the Background or Run Extremely Slowly
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VelvetMango47
I'm using Windows and installed a new NVIDIA RTX 5060 about a week ago. It worked normally at first, but now many standalone EXE programs either fail to open, run extremely slowly, or appear in Task Manager without displaying a window. This affects games downloaded from Game Jolt and itch.io, as well as Audacity. Restarting, compatibility modes, reinstalling the programs, and updating Windows and the NVIDIA drivers haven't helped. Steam games still run normally, and I have plenty of free drive space. I also installed MuseHub around the time the problem began, although I have since removed it. What should I check next?
Answers
It would help to compare what changed just before the issue started. The previous graphics card, your antivirus settings, and anything installed around that time are all relevant. MuseHub is worth considering since it was installed before Audacity became affected, even though deleting it may not undo changes it made. In Task Manager, watch CPU, memory, disk, and GPU usage while launching an affected program and after closing it. Also run Windows’ system file check from an administrator Command Prompt with `sfc /scannow`; damaged system files can cause programs to hang or remain running in the background.
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Check whether Windows is detecting an extra display and whether the monitor is connected directly to the RTX 5060’s video outputs. A stray display configuration can sometimes leave applications running off-screen. In Windows display settings, make sure only the screens you actually use are enabled. Also check the graphics settings for the affected applications and assign them to the high-performance NVIDIA GPU. Since you’ve already updated the driver, a clean driver reinstall could be worth trying if the display configuration looks normal.
MapleOrbit22: I already updated the graphics driver, but the problem affects some EXE programs and not others. Could having another HDMI cable plugged into the monitor, even with nothing connected at the other end, affect the display setup?
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Windows Defender or the browser could be blocking newly downloaded programs, but that seems less likely if the same behavior happens with files downloaded before the problem began and Defender shows no warning. Still, check Windows Security’s protection history and the file’s Properties dialog for an Unblock option. If nothing is being blocked, focus on the display/GPU assignment, recent software changes, and whether the processes are actually hung rather than being prevented from launching.
PaperComet6: The browser downloads the files normally, and Defender hasn’t shown any alerts. Older programs are affected too, so it doesn’t seem limited to newly downloaded files.
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VelvetMango47: The previous card was an older AMD GPU, though I don’t remember the exact model. I normally use the built-in Windows security tools and don’t know of another antivirus. I installed MuseHub around the time this started, but I’m taking a short break from troubleshooting before checking CPU usage and running the system scan.