The empty CMD window appears when no command is active.
The empty CMD window appears when no command is active.
It might be AVG handling something. I've also noticed this on a machine with AVG.
It appears when certain programs are launched, often triggered by a quick command in the terminal. This happens frequently when higher permissions are needed. It might not be visible at all since it executes rapidly. Ensure it only shows up when you open specific apps; if it pops up while watching a video, it could indicate another problem.
It appears to show up unexpectedly. This has occurred during games like Skyrim and also when I was idle chatting with friends on Discord.
Windows updates aren't automatic, I don't think anything I have is set to update automatically. The programs and features only display four updates—Microsoft Visual C++ security updates for Windows and Adobe Flash Player updates. I'm not sure what you mean by logs; I don't have any idea how to find suspicious log entries.
I understand what you're referring to. The logs show a window appeared about an hour ago. I'm reviewing events from two hours back and haven't noticed any warnings or errors. The messages I see mention a "Certificate for local system with tumbprint." That seems to relate to an update issue or driver changes. It looks like a possible background threat, so I'm cautious about any unexpected activity on my PC.
Randomly even when idle, nothing appeared. I verified startup, services, and task scheduler but found nothing.
For items that launch automatically upon startup, open msconfig (start > run > msconfig in Windows 7) or similar utilities that display auto-start settings. Delete any unfamiliar entries. Some installed apps or drivers might have set a command to run at first boot, but due to a bug, the file never got removed. Consequently, Windows repeatedly tries to open those programs that shouldn’t be there anymore—because they were meant to run once and then disappear. Investigate background applications like quick launch helpers or automatic update tools for shareware. Look at the system tray or background tasks via Task Manager to see what’s running. For instance, a utility might periodically check for updates, download them, or launch the tool, but if it fails, it stays in the background and repeatedly attempts again after hours, creating a loop.
I’ll keep that in mind. I’m not using any third-party tools. If needed, I might try a clean Windows install and start fresh, just in case it’s a software trying to download a non-existent driver. But that will be my last option. Also, I’m currently running Windows 10.
It's happening to me and a few friends. Lots of discussions online, but no one really understands what's going on. We're sure it's a new issue, possibly unique to Intel or AMD systems, not tied to any specific GPU like Radeon, GTX 9XX, or GTX 10XX. It doesn't seem connected to antivirus software—Malwarebyte, Kaspersky, Essent, etc. What we do know is it shows up only on Windows 10 PCs that haven't been updated to the "creator update." I also noticed most affected users are gamers, which could be because of heavy CPU usage or a Windows ad that automatically skips the update when a process runs in fullscreen. PLEASE share your PC details if you're facing this—like Steam version, Windows update status, and any antivirus software in use. EDIT: We identified the cause to be a Microsoft Office Activator (confirmed via log analysis).