Running Windows 8.1, fully patched up to 10/31/2013.

Randomly and usually several times per day, either when I'm simply reading a webpage, or today as I was typing an email, Windows suddenly minimizes every desktop window on all three autonomous monitors.  (Even I was just typing the fourth sentence everything minimized!!!!!)

This is naturally very frustrating and productivity-hindering.

There was reference to this under Windows 8 back in December 2012 and the MSFT person on this forum said to find the "Tab through webpages and apps using caret browsing" setting under Ease of Access, but in 8.1 this is non-existent.

Technical help requested, please.

Hello,

You may want to try the setting listed in this thread and see if the issue stops happening.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/e8dfc091-2d9a-4f42-9d1a-97d74af513c5/forum-faqhow-to-disableenable-aero-snap?forum=w7itproui

As this occurs when there are absolutely no mouse movements or keyboard input, I'm not sure why Aero Snap would play into this behavior.

Can you enlighten me, please?

Hello,

I have no idea why it's happening, I was just suggesting trying this to see if the problem stopped happening.

The article, as you said, is Windows 7.

Being on Windows 8.1, Microsoft has vastly changed the placement of settings such as the one to which you refer.

Searching Windows 8.1 Help evidences just two hits for "Aero Snap", one of which is for the Narrator (irrelevant) and the other for Keyboard Shortcuts, where "Snap" is mentioned for Windows+Shift+Period.

None of these deals with any "Aero" behaviors.

Still needing an answer.......

I am having this same issue......VERY frustrating. Here's what I see:

New Asus laptop purchased a few months ago, Win8 64. Did not do this originally. Updated to 8.1 and now once it boots, ~5 minutes later any window (even sticky notes) will just minimize out of the blue. It does this like clockwork. Event Viewer shows nothing. No software added or removed pre/post 8.11 upgrade.

I am a 13 year IT veteran, have worked on thousands of computers over the years...never seen anything like it. I'd like some sort of event capture utility that logs minimize requests (maybe Show Desktop also?) or similar to debug this issue. Definitely confined to 8.1.

Thanks in advance,

Michael

I'm not yet sure if this will fix the issue. I have the same issue on my machine and I've disabled Aero Snap in an attempt to figure this out.

If you want to disable Aero Snap for Windows 8, here is the location:

Control Panel > Ease of Access Center > Make the mouse easier to use 

Under the section that reads "Make it easier to manage windows" check the box for "Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen."

Hope it works
Cheers

Sorry, under Windows 8.1 Microsoft has rearranged the Ease of Access page and even under "Mouse" there's no such setting.

Therefore, "it doesn't work"... 

occurs when there are absolutely no mouse movements or keyboard input

Please be advised that on Win8, if the Windows key was firing unexpectedly, this would display the Metro screen as opposed to minimizing all open windows.

The hypothesis is that it is happening when D or M is typed.

So if I understand you correctly, you're saying while a user is typing and either M or D is pressed, the Windows key is dormant and is activating a function related to this keypress of M or D, and the unwanted behavior occurs? Not true. Please consider:

1) Microsoft IntelliType Pro software is where mskey.exe can be found. Non-MS keyboards won't have this file, as in my case. Key cannot be disabled in Control Panel either.

2) While Win+D acts similarly, Win+M acts exactly like this problem...once pressed that is.

3) Here's specifically what happens AFTER 8.1 "upgrade": Laptop boots, desktop loaded - ready to use, open a browser and just wait.

No browsing

No typing

No scrolling....nothing at all, just sit and watch. In about 5 minutes, the browser will mysteriously minimize AS IF Win+M was pressed.

Key cannot be disabled in Control Panel either.

It can if you have Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center for customizing it.

the browser will mysteriously minimize AS IF Win+M was pressed.

You haven't described your Taskbar or said if you have a Touch screen or said if you have a  Touchpad.   Again, a spurious interrupt associated with those things could cause your symptom.  But now we are discussing a different, though related symptom.  My post was made specifically to give an example of how it could happen/has happened when typing  M and D.

A related symptom happened to me today using the Command only boot in W8.1, which I installed only last night.  There, the symptom is that the Touch Keyboard keeps being presented, even though I have both a real keyboard and a real mouse and used both with that display.  So, WTH is the TK popping up so often?  The only thing that I can think of is that my Touch screen may be firing spurious interrupts that there is no driver running then which knows enough to ignore them.  Notice what happens if you really touch the screen then?  Well, I'm not doing that but something is making the window think that I am; therefore, until I have a better, simpler, hypothesis (Ockham's razor), I'll imagine getting a spurious touch interrupt. 

<LOL>  It just happened right now while I was typing this.  Focus was lost in here (on my widescreen monitor) and inexplicably(?) switched to my Tablet where I happen to have a Powershell window open, and the typing ended up there.   QED.  <EG>

Excellently, succinctly and accurately put, Michael - PRECISELY what happens.

Key cannot be disabled in Control Panel either.

It can if you have Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center for customizing it.

Please....let me make agonizingly clear...AS I TYPE THIS, ON THE SAME LAPTOP, SAME OS, SAME EVERYTHING >> BEFORE << .........AND........ >> AFTER << 8.1 UPGRADE, THE KEYBOARD SETTINGS WERE NOTTTTTTTT CHANGED!!

Now do you get it??????  "MM & KC" is not installed, never was! God damn you are hard headed.

No touch pad used, although it is on my Dell M6700, which isn't a tablet. My hands are typically eight inches away from said touchpad, which happens to be covered by two sheets of paper, or more, as the laptop is elevated and its keyboard makes for a very useful "most important document" resting place.  I use a MS Ergo keyboard, totally uncustomized, and Microsoft Explorer Trackball where the only "customization" is that button-3 is browser-back and button-4 is browser-forward.

Taskbar is auto-hidden and is locked.

The "auto-random-hide" behavior occurs when my hands are several inches away from any device and I am simply reading the text on the screen.

It is very clear to me that Microsoft introduced a bug in 8.1 because this never happened in the 8 months prior to 8.1 and absolutely no hardware or other software changed.

If a Microsoft person wants to supply an event monitor that can start at boot time and be stopped after the "auto-minimize" behavior occurs, I'm game...

• Edited by SAinCA Friday, December 13, 2013 6:39 PM

No touch pad used, although it is on my Dell M6700, which isn't a tablet. My hands are typically eight inches away from said touchpad, which happens to be covered by two sheets of paper, or more, as the laptop is elevated and its keyboard makes for a very useful "most important document" resting place.  I use a MS Ergo keyboard, totally uncustomized, and Microsoft Explorer Trackball where the only "customization" is that button-3 is browser-back and button-4 is browser-forward.

Taskbar is auto-hidden and is locked.

The "auto-random-hide" behavior occurs when my hands are several inches away from any device and I am simply reading the text on the screen.

It is very clear to me that Microsoft introduced a bug in 8.1 because this never happened in the 8 months prior to 8.1 and absolutely no hardware or other software changed.

If a Microsoft person wants to supply an event monitor that can start at boot time and be stopped after the "auto-minimize" behavior occurs, I'm game...

• Edited by SAinCA Friday, December 13, 2013 6:39 PM

Now do you get it?

I get that you are being selective about your replies, completely ignoring the second part of my reply which is on a new tack (which on review I note I had actually mentioned first).   The first part finished correcting an error which you made in a previous comment, which for some reason was an argument about my example of how poorly handled hardware problems can cause your symptom.  

My second, more recent, example proves that the device handling in the Command Only boot is less robust than the one in W8.1 Desktop.  I also described having a spurious interrupt of some kind happening while I was composing my reply.  However, subsequent analysis of this (and repeats of it) is making me think that what I am really getting is a spurious Win+1  (my  Run... button in my Taskbar), unless there is only that spot on my Tablet which is firing a spurious Touch signal there.   I could try eliminating that case by either moving that button or moving or suppressing my Taskbar.  In any case, I can imagine a spurious Touch interrupt at the extreme right end of the Taskbar  having an identical effect to produce your reported symptom.

No touch pad used, although it is on my Dell M6700, which isn't a tablet. My hands are typically eight inches away from said touchpad, which happens to be covered by two sheets of paper, or more, as the laptop is elevated and its keyboard makes for a very useful "most important document" resting place.  I use a MS Ergo keyboard, totally uncustomized, and Microsoft Explorer Trackball where the only "customization" is that button-3 is browser-back and button-4 is browser-forward.

Taskbar is auto-hidden and is locked.

The "auto-random-hide" behavior occurs when my hands are several inches away from any device and I am simply reading the text on the screen.

It is very clear to me that Microsoft introduced a bug in 8.1 because this never happened in the 8 months prior to 8.1 and absolutely no hardware or other software changed.

If a Microsoft person wants to supply an event monitor that can start at boot time and be stopped after the "auto-minimize" behavior occurs, I'm game...

• Edited by SAinCA Friday, December 13, 2013 6:39 PM

No touch pad used, although it is on my Dell M6700, which isn't a tablet. My hands are typically eight inches away from said touchpad, which happens to be covered by two sheets of paper, or more, as the laptop is elevated and its keyboard makes for a very useful "most important document" resting place.  I use a MS Ergo keyboard, totally uncustomized, and Microsoft Explorer Trackball where the only "customization" is that button-3 is browser-back and button-4 is browser-forward.

Taskbar is auto-hidden and is locked.

The "auto-random-hide" behavior occurs when my hands are several inches away from any device and I am simply reading the text on the screen.

It is very clear to me that Microsoft introduced a bug in 8.1 because this never happened in the 8 months prior to 8.1 and absolutely no hardware or other software changed.

If a Microsoft person wants to supply an event monitor that can start at boot time and be stopped after the "auto-minimize" behavior occurs, I'm game...

• Edited by SAinCA Friday, December 13, 2013 6:39 PM

I have EXACTLY this problem after upgrading to windows 8.1. After logging in, no matter what I'm doing or not doing, all windows minimize after a few minutes. This is repeated every time my computer locks itself and I log back in.

It's not the Win+D minimize, since that can easily be undone by pressing Win+D again. It's the Win+M minimize, and there's no way to undo it besides clicking every icon on the taskbar.

I've painfully gone through every Task Scheduler item that runs at log on and tried disabling a bunch of them but so far nothing has resolved the behavior.

The only applications I have running on start-up are TeamViewer v9 and Start Menu 8 v1.3.

• Edited by alainbryden Tuesday, December 17, 2013 4:48 PM

I have EXACTLY this problem after upgrading to windows 8.1. After logging in, no matter what I'm doing or not doing, all windows minimize after a few minutes. This is repeated every time my computer locks itself and I log back in.

It's not the Win+D minimize, since that can easily be undone by pressing Win+D again. It's the Win+M minimize, and there's no way to undo it besides clicking every icon on the taskbar.

I've painfully gone through every Task Scheduler item that runs at log on and tried disabling a bunch of them but so far nothing has resolved the behavior.

The only applications I have running on start-up are TeamViewer v9 and Start Menu 8 v1.3.

• Edited by alainbryden Tuesday, December 17, 2013 4:48 PM

I have EXACTLY this problem after upgrading to windows 8.1. After logging in, no matter what I'm doing or not doing, all windows minimize after a few minutes. This is repeated every time my computer locks itself and I log back in.

It's not the Win+D minimize, since that can easily be undone by pressing Win+D again. It's the Win+M minimize, and there's no way to undo it besides clicking every icon on the taskbar.

I've painfully gone through every Task Scheduler item that runs at log on and tried disabling a bunch of them but so far nothing has resolved the behavior.

The only applications I have running on start-up are TeamViewer v9 and Start Menu 8 v1.3.

• Edited by alainbryden Tuesday, December 17, 2013 4:48 PM

I have EXACTLY this problem after upgrading to windows 8.1. After logging in, no matter what I'm doing or not doing, all windows minimize after a few minutes. This is repeated every time my computer locks itself and I log back in.

It's not the Win+D minimize, since that can easily be undone by pressing Win+D again. It's the Win+M minimize, and there's no way to undo it besides clicking every icon on the taskbar.

I've painfully gone through every Task Scheduler item that runs at log on and tried disabling a bunch of them but so far nothing has resolved the behavior.

The only applications I have running on start-up are TeamViewer v9 and Start Menu 8 v1.3.

• Edited by alainbryden Tuesday, December 17, 2013 4:48 PM

It's the Win+M minimize, and there's no way to undo it besides clicking every icon on the taskbar.

In that case, try pressing  Win+Shift+M.  That apparently undoes clicking on the Show Desktop/Preview Desktop button too.  Who knew?   However, so does clicking again on the Show Desktop button.   The only way that I have been able to reproduce your symptom so far is to first click on the Show Desktop button and then press Win+M.   Then I cannot use either Win+Shift+M or click again on Show Desktop as a toggle.  Any other combination seems to be reversible with Win+Shift+M or Show Desktop.

SEVEN minutes after logging in for the first time today and all windows dropped - with the notable exception of Report Builder 3.0, which is a badly behaved app anyway - it won't allow a hidden task-bar to "rise", neither does it like being minimized and has be repeatedly clicked on the minimized taskbar icon to get it to restore, but "it's Microsoft, so I'm used to it.".

Win+Shift+M had absolutely ZERO effect.

BUG!

Do hope Microsoft can get with some of us "sufferers" and diagnose and fix this perennial problem.

Actually Robert, you might be on to something.

Since this problem's fairly easy to reproduce I gave it a shot - restarted my computer, opened up a few windows on each monitor, then sat back and waited. Sure enough, after 5 to 10 minutes, everything was minimized. Came over, typed Win+Shift+M, and they all came back.

Hopefully that's helpful in determining what's causing the issue.

• Edited by alainbryden Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:58 PM

Actually Robert, you might be on to something.

Since this problem's fairly easy to reproduce I gave it a shot - restarted my computer, opened up a few windows on each monitor, then sat back and waited. Sure enough, after 5 to 10 minutes, everything was minimized. Came over, typed Win+Shift+M, and they all came back.

Hopefully that's helpful in determining what's causing the issue.

• Edited by alainbryden Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:58 PM

Actually Robert, you might be on to something.

Since this problem's fairly easy to reproduce I gave it a shot - restarted my computer, opened up a few windows on each monitor, then sat back and waited. Sure enough, after 5 to 10 minutes, everything was minimized. Came over, typed Win+Shift+M, and they all came back.

Hopefully that's helpful in determining what's causing the issue.

• Edited by alainbryden Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:58 PM

Actually Robert, you might be on to something.

Since this problem's fairly easy to reproduce I gave it a shot - restarted my computer, opened up a few windows on each monitor, then sat back and waited. Sure enough, after 5 to 10 minutes, everything was minimized. Came over, typed Win+Shift+M, and they all came back.

Hopefully that's helpful in determining what's causing the issue.

• Edited by alainbryden Wednesday, February 05, 2014 4:58 PM

Another user here with this problem.  I only seem to have it on my work machine (Dell Optiplex 780) and not my home machine (DYI).  Both has dual monitors, both have fully patched 8.1.

I'll try the Win+Shift+M next time and report if it seems to work.

Another quick note for those testing Win+Shift+M.  It only unminimizes what was last minimized (even if that was zero).  So, if you have a few windows open and use Win+M, then Win+Shift+M, it minimizes and then unminimizes.

BUT, if you hit Win+M twice (so the second one is when no windows are up anyhow), the Win+Shift+M will do nothing (as it's simply restoring the desktop to the state it was on the second Win+M).  So, if whatever this is happens twice quickly, then Win+Shift+M won't appear to work.

I'm having the random minimising of windows too for months I've been bearing with it hoping itd get patched or thinking ill have to reimage my machine to get rid of it! and happened upon this article whilst checking google to see if anybody else was having the same issues. it will only happen to me once on start up and happens usually after 1 minute as my pc has a fast ssd (samsung 840 pro) fast processor i5 4670k and ram 8gb ddr3 1600 it seems to accelerate the whole process of it randomly minimising as other users have stated it can be 5 minutes.

is it possibly related to the setting on windows 8.1 pro x64 which i am using where by it boots you directly to desktop ? is everybody else using that too? i noticed the wording of it seemed very peculiar today when i checked it. it states

"When i sign in or close all applications on a screen, go to the desktop instead of start" this was the advertised way of setting up windows 8.1 to boot to desktop  when it first came out but i don't remember it reading this way when i first checked that box and forgot about it .... but reading it doesn't make any sense to me i wonder if its process is simply misbehaving? 

alternatively i'm just very tired  and at my wits end with it all:'(

ill await your MSFT guru guidance

Matt

It happens to me randomly, during the day.  No relation to reboots.  It only happens a few times a week, though.  I can live with it, but it's irritating.

I do hope we can find out what it is.

I wonder if there's a messaging scanner type thing that can watch all system messages running around and catch whatever it is that causes it.

Since I tend to work in the desktop and missed the start menu, I had installed ioBit's Start Menu.  It includes an option to buypass the Metro screen and go straight to the desktop.

I have disabled that.  Start Menu is still running, but the buypass is disabled.  When I reboot, it goes into the Metro screen.  I click on the desktop and work as normal.

Since I did that a week ago, the problem has not recurred.

Any thoughts?

Since I tend to work in the desktop and missed the start menu, I had installed ioBit's Start Menu.  It includes an option to buypass the Metro screen and go straight to the desktop.

I have disabled that.  Start Menu is still running, but the buypass is disabled.  When I reboot, it goes into the Metro screen.  I click on the desktop and work as normal.

Since I did that a week ago, the problem has not recurred.

Any thoughts?

• Proposed as answer by Robert Aldwinckle on forumsMVP Sunday, April 20, 2014 4:59 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:13 PM

Since I tend to work in the desktop and missed the start menu, I had installed ioBit's Start Menu.  It includes an option to buypass the Metro screen and go straight to the desktop.

I have disabled that.  Start Menu is still running, but the buypass is disabled.  When I reboot, it goes into the Metro screen.  I click on the desktop and work as normal.

Since I did that a week ago, the problem has not recurred.

Any thoughts?

• Proposed as answer by Robert Aldwinckle on forumsMVP Sunday, April 20, 2014 4:59 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:13 PM

My sister-in-law's lenovo laptop has also developed this problem. Will minimize when no keys are being touched and mouse is unused. All windows minimize at random intervals.

She also has the Metro bypass set up and boots directly to desktop as she (along with me) hates the windows 8 interface.

I have no idea what this iobit menu is that people are referring to, but as I set her laptop up I'm pretty sure she has no such thing installed.

This is a real issue Microsoft, please sort it out.

This is a real issue Microsoft, please sort it out.

Please try to diagnose your symptom more.  I already explained how spurious hardware interrupts associated with a particular area of the screen could produce this symptom.   So, for example, try changing the presence or the position of the screen element which could cause that.

This is a real issue Microsoft, please sort it out.

Please try to diagnose your symptom more.  I already explained how spurious hardware interrupts associated with a particular area of the screen could produce this symptom.   So, for example, try changing the presence or the position of the screen element which could cause that.

I fail to see how multiple different hardware platforms can simultaneously start to manifest the same problem independently.

I am not assuming that your symptom cause is the same as mine or the same as anyone else's.  That's why I think you need to diagnose.  Having a hypothesis to test often makes diagnosis easier and faster.

I've yet to see it do it when I'm browsing, but when I play WoW, Skyrim, or any other game, it does minimize by itself.

So, compare where you put your pointer in those two cases.  And move your Taskbar and compare your differences after that.

Note that if you have a multi-monitor configuration you could additionally test running your game without having a Taskbar at all on a screen.

I am getting the same thing - I have no viruses and I have removed all services. In fact this behavior started for me right after install and no mater what I do it will not go away.

Will someone at Microsoft fix this in the next update!!!

Hahaha...fat chance! For me, it's just comedy at this point. I login every few weeks to see more of his denial of facts. Here's on thing you'll never hear Robert say: "Hmmmm....maybe Microsoft IS at fault for this SOFTWARE issue".

In fact, I would like to see a MS representative login, post about how they have a solution, and then see what he has to say. Now THAT would be funny!

Almost a couple of weeks since I disabled ioBit's boot to the Desktop, and the problem hasn't happened again. I'm booting into Metro then changing to the desktop. Since others are now saying that they get the problem without the ioBit software installed, could it - somehow - be related to any means of booting straight to the desktop? Anyway, this is obviously not a hardware issue.

How do i go about installing this ioBit?  

That would be to install it so you could see the problems symptom with and then uninstall it in hopes that the problem symptom would then go away?

I would love a temp solution until MS fixes this

Do you have a second monitor?  So far I haven't seen any results from the test I suggested which would avoid having any Taskbar at all on the problem monitor.   Or have you at least tried moving the location of your Taskbar to see if doing that changes the frequency of the symptom?

SOFTWARE issue.

Hello all. So did anybody figure out why Windows seems to do this? I ran into this thread because I'm having same/similar issues. I have a "fresh" install of Windows 8.1 in a newly built computer. Windows boots pretty fast on my machine (Samsung SSD). I have just enough time to open a browser or document and start working when everything minimizes within about 30 seconds. Happens every time I startup.

If I just wait to do anything until I think the minimizing "happens", then there's no issues after that. Having said that, what good is fast boot if I have to sit and wait for Windows to sort out it's "minimizing" before I try to open anything? 

-Brian

Just for reference, it doesn't do this on every system.

It's a bug or malware.

It happens on my desktop but not my laptop. Strange.

Both are the same versions of Windows (8.1x fully patched). Both booting to desktop rather than the Metro interface.

What's even stranger is that it does it on my Dell even when I terminate every non-MS programs using the Task Manager and System Configuration utility.

I've used the same keyboard and mouse (Logitech) with Windows 8.0x and Windows 8.1x and it started happening only with the installation of Windows 8.1x.

By the way, this also seems to be only on full-screen apps. I haven't fully tested it with Windowed apps.

Hopefully we'll get a response sometime.

• Edited by ssurjap Sunday, July 06, 2014 5:13 PM

It happens on my desktop but not my laptop. Strange.

Both are the same versions of Windows (8.1x fully patched). Both booting to desktop rather than the Metro interface.

What's even stranger is that it does it on my Dell even when I terminate every non-MS programs using the Task Manager and System Configuration utility.

I've used the same keyboard and mouse (Logitech) with Windows 8.0x and Windows 8.1x and it started happening only with the installation of Windows 8.1x.

By the way, this also seems to be only on full-screen apps. I haven't fully tested it with Windowed apps.

Hopefully we'll get a response sometime.

• Edited by ssurjap Sunday, July 06, 2014 5:13 PM

bought a VERY expensive game card and can't enjoy games full screen thanks to Microsoft ...

any way to go back to windows 8?

WINDOWS 8.1 RANDOMLY MINIMIZES GAMES !

• Edited by sem277 Tuesday, July 08, 2014 8:54 PM

bought a VERY expensive game card and can't enjoy games full screen thanks to Microsoft ...

any way to go back to windows 8?

WINDOWS 8.1 RANDOMLY MINIMIZES GAMES !

• Edited by sem277 Tuesday, July 08, 2014 8:54 PM

My situation ALWAYS happens when i am dragging a window frame around and part of the window goes offscreen.  It doesn't happen ALL the time when i drag the window, but the problem ALWAYS occurs when i happen to be doing that.  So i would say it happens like 20% of the time.  SUPER FREAKIN ANNOYING!!!

Sometimes i can get all the windows to come back when I keep dragging the window i was dragging originally offscreen again.  Sometimes they will all come back, sometimes i get so frustrated that it takes so long, that i start bringing them all back one and a time manually.  Feel like punching a hole in the wall whenever it happens.

• Edited by Squidlyboy Tuesday, August 05, 2014 4:54 PM

My situation ALWAYS happens when i am dragging a window frame around and part of the window goes offscreen.  It doesn't happen ALL the time when i drag the window, but the problem ALWAYS occurs when i happen to be doing that.  So i would say it happens like 20% of the time.  SUPER FREAKIN ANNOYING!!!

Sometimes i can get all the windows to come back when I keep dragging the window i was dragging originally offscreen again.  Sometimes they will all come back, sometimes i get so frustrated that it takes so long, that i start bringing them all back one and a time manually.  Feel like punching a hole in the wall whenever it happens.

• Edited by Squidlyboy Tuesday, August 05, 2014 4:54 PM

That could be a clue...  Try to see if disabling the "Aero Snap" feature might help:

• Open the Ease of Access Center
   
• Click Make it Easier to Focus on Tasks (you may have to make the window larger and/or scroll down).
   
• Check [  ] Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen.
   

Another possibility, along these same lines, is that Aero Peek might be doing it.  You can try disabling that too...

• Open the Performance Options panel.
   
• Uncheck [  ] Enable Peek.
   

found windows SUPERFETCH is the culprit of games minimizing on windows 8.1

if you disable it , the problem goes away

windows+r

type

services.msc

locate superfetch and then disable it

but the system is slower !!

Please don't try this using the Charms - use Control Panel.  MS, for whatever reason, neutered the Charms version of Ease of Access, so you won't find any of what Noel is recommending there.

I added the GodMode folder and searched it for "snap", which also gets you to the option to turn off edge-snap.

Please don't try this using the Charms - use Control Panel.  MS, for whatever reason, neutered the Charms version of Ease of Access, so you won't find any of what Noel is recommending there.

I added the GodMode folder and searched it for "snap", which also gets you to the option to turn off edge-snap.

disabling aero snap solves nothing, disabling superfetch does

but system becomes slower

• Edited by Johnny1985548 Friday, August 29, 2014 11:19 PM

• Edited by Johnny1985548 Friday, August 29, 2014 11:19 PM

found that the only solution is to set superfetch to value "2"

Old post but try this. http://www.groovypost.com/howto/disable-windows-8-aero-shake/

If I could vote DOWN your post, I would, because you appear to have disregarded prior and later posts that cite this "solution".

Really hope you're not trying to up your reputation by needless posts!  If you are, please quit that.

I get "Cannot edit EnableSuperfetch:  Error writing the value's new contents."

So have my grandma go into her registry and have her create values?

Also the instructions provided here do not work, the first doesn't solve the issue only shuts off auto maximize when windows are dragged to top..the other suggestion asks you to create a value within a registry location that doesn't exist in Win8.

Scour the system for malware, Billy.

Or ask Grandma not to accidentally use Alt-Tab to show the desktop.

• Proposed as answer by Leonardo Borsten Friday, December 12, 2014 2:46 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:06 AM

• Proposed as answer by Leonardo Borsten Friday, December 12, 2014 2:46 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:06 AM

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:14 PM

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:14 PM

I also have a system (my son's Toshiba laptop) running Constant Guard (now Fast Connect).  I actually have a video of this system, minimizing, then restoring the open window (funny part is, it's Windows Update) every 30 seconds like clock work. After the initial 36 seconds of the recording, you can time it to the second, or just listen for the tick-tock of the cookoo clock behind me.

System is almost fully patched (4 updates in process).  I'll finish the updates and, assuming it doesn't stop, I'll uninstall Fast Connect.  I did notice Fast Connect is using 1-3% CPU at all times and it seems to spike up over 3 just before it minimizes the window....need to open perfmon to graph it.

I'll report back when I'm done.

• Edited by Riffrat Thursday, December 11, 2014 2:07 AM type-o
• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:12 PM

I also have a system (my son's Toshiba laptop) running Constant Guard (now Fast Connect).  I actually have a video of this system, minimizing, then restoring the open window (funny part is, it's Windows Update) every 30 seconds like clock work. After the initial 36 seconds of the recording, you can time it to the second, or just listen for the tick-tock of the cookoo clock behind me.

System is almost fully patched (4 updates in process).  I'll finish the updates and, assuming it doesn't stop, I'll uninstall Fast Connect.  I did notice Fast Connect is using 1-3% CPU at all times and it seems to spike up over 3 just before it minimizes the window....need to open perfmon to graph it.

I'll report back when I'm done.

• Edited by Riffrat Thursday, December 11, 2014 2:07 AM type-o
• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:12 PM

Thank you for those who identified Comcast's Fast Connect Protection Suite as the problem for the continual minimizing. After reading these posts, I was able to find information about correcting the problem re a Comcast Help and Support forum. 

"The screen minimization issue has been resolved. Comcast saw issues with the automation sticking - and that was causing the minimizing - enlarge - minimize, etc. Customers who have the issue, simply need to go to their Programs/Features control panel, click to uninstall the FC software, SAVE the secure password file if they have saved, or stored secure passwords, and then just reinstall from either the Whitesky website or from the support page at ringo.idvaultservices.com/support-fcps/.  You will find that your accounts remain intact as did your Master PIN. These are stored on your computer, and nowhere else."

The solution was right on for me! I uninstalled, checked yes when asked if I wanted to save the passwords, and reinstalled.  Problem solved! I would have never guessed it was the Fast Connect...sorry I couldn't provide the links since I hadn't been verified.

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:12 PM
• Proposed as answer by Leonardo Borsten Friday, December 12, 2014 2:45 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:06 AM

Thank you for those who identified Comcast's Fast Connect Protection Suite as the problem for the continual minimizing. After reading these posts, I was able to find information about correcting the problem re a Comcast Help and Support forum. 

"The screen minimization issue has been resolved. Comcast saw issues with the automation sticking - and that was causing the minimizing - enlarge - minimize, etc. Customers who have the issue, simply need to go to their Programs/Features control panel, click to uninstall the FC software, SAVE the secure password file if they have saved, or stored secure passwords, and then just reinstall from either the Whitesky website or from the support page at ringo.idvaultservices.com/support-fcps/.  You will find that your accounts remain intact as did your Master PIN. These are stored on your computer, and nowhere else."

The solution was right on for me! I uninstalled, checked yes when asked if I wanted to save the passwords, and reinstalled.  Problem solved! I would have never guessed it was the Fast Connect...sorry I couldn't provide the links since I hadn't been verified.

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:18 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:12 PM
• Proposed as answer by Leonardo Borsten Friday, December 12, 2014 2:45 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:06 AM

I greatly appreciate this forum and spend several hours absorbing all of the info/solutions presented (I am NOT a techie and have to look up terminology).  In short, my Alienware laptop began randomly (and maddeningly) began minimizing screens such that multi-tasking was impossible and single app use was very frustrating.  This began only in the last week.  I had upgraded to Windows 8 and 8.1 almost 2 months ago and never had a problem.

The problems presented in this forum sounded VERY CLOSE to my experience if they were software related but I could not identify any hardware related cause, but my dilemna was that I had made NO software changes to my knowledge that would have been a catalyst for this behavior.  As a result, I suspected malware and spent many hours researching down that rabbit hole!

With the most recent posts, notably from "ellen1sl" and "Carolyn St" and discovered that Comcast, in their Norton software initiative they were transitioning from Constant Guard to a Norton suite solution, had announced that the Constant Guard software would be changing (changed to Fast Connect) and my Constant Guard software (which I chose to stay with) had upgraded (by itself I can only surmise...I probably authorized automatic upgrades....???) to Fast Connect within the last several days!  

I just finished following Comcast support guidance quoted by "ellen1sl" for reinstalling the software and MAGIC; the problem has disappeared.  I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders and I can get back to work!

THANKS SO MUCH for you ellen1sl and others who helped identify and provide effective solutions for this problem!

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:17 PM
• Unproposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:17 PM
• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:21 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:10 PM
• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:08 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

I greatly appreciate this forum and spend several hours absorbing all of the info/solutions presented (I am NOT a techie and have to look up terminology).  In short, my Alienware laptop began randomly (and maddeningly) began minimizing screens such that multi-tasking was impossible and single app use was very frustrating.  This began only in the last week.  I had upgraded to Windows 8 and 8.1 almost 2 months ago and never had a problem.

The problems presented in this forum sounded VERY CLOSE to my experience if they were software related but I could not identify any hardware related cause, but my dilemna was that I had made NO software changes to my knowledge that would have been a catalyst for this behavior.  As a result, I suspected malware and spent many hours researching down that rabbit hole!

With the most recent posts, notably from "ellen1sl" and "Carolyn St" and discovered that Comcast, in their Norton software initiative they were transitioning from Constant Guard to a Norton suite solution, had announced that the Constant Guard software would be changing (changed to Fast Connect) and my Constant Guard software (which I chose to stay with) had upgraded (by itself I can only surmise...I probably authorized automatic upgrades....???) to Fast Connect within the last several days!  

I just finished following Comcast support guidance quoted by "ellen1sl" for reinstalling the software and MAGIC; the problem has disappeared.  I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders and I can get back to work!

THANKS SO MUCH for you ellen1sl and others who helped identify and provide effective solutions for this problem!

• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:17 PM
• Unproposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:17 PM
• Proposed as answer by drwuli Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:21 PM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Thursday, December 11, 2014 8:10 PM
• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:08 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:09 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:09 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

As the ORIGINATOR of this thread, and having ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY COMCAST PRODUCT WHATSOEVER, this is NOT an answer to those of us experiencing the issue sans Comcast.

When a REAL solution for the rest of us is determined, I'll gladly propose and approve THE answer.

Thanks for your understanding.

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:11 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:11 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:11 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

• Proposed as answer by Velocity2k Friday, January 02, 2015 2:11 AM
• Unproposed as answer by SAinCA Friday, January 02, 2015 3:07 AM

I think you are correct....This just started happening to me, and in my case it was a program from Xfinity called Constant Guard or Fast connect. this does not play well with 8.1 once I deleted that program it fixed the random minimization of apps and programs. hope this helps.

I have had this problem since updating to 8.1 maybe six months ago and have none of the above software installed. I just have vanilla 8.1 that I updated from 8.0 on my Asus G10AC desktop i7 PC that is seven months old.  The only software I have added is Avast, drivers for my Corsair kb and mouse and sound software for Soundblaster. Hardware is a single monitor, Soundblaster sound card, Corsair kb/mouse. I don't have Comcast or iObit software installed.

 My problem is the same as above only while gaming, the game (world of tanks) will minimize about once a hour. I notice the mouse pointer is "working" when this happens like the PC is checking for a update or another program in the back ground. I tried disabling updated on anti-virus, drivers, and window updated but no luck. I don't consider myself a advanced tech but I'm retired IT support in mobile computers in industrial settings and build over ten of my own home PC's. I really want this problem to go away or a fix.

I will also try getting rid of fast connect. Week I would love a week. this is happening to me like every 20 seconds. this window has dropped twice already :)

Ok, I have to jump on and help a customer, I couldn't read this whole thread because it kept closing, and I did not catch who caught on to that fast connect. who ever it was THANK YOU, I was going to have to work off my laptop and a card table.  You are very smart and should run for president. Thanks again

Tiver43809

I have had this problem since updating to 8.1 maybe six months ago and have none of the above software installed. I just have vanilla 8.1 that I updated from 8.0 on my Asus G10AC desktop i7 PC that is seven months old.  The only software I have added is Avast, drivers for my Corsair kb and mouse and sound software for Soundblaster. Hardware is a single monitor, Soundblaster sound card, Corsair kb/mouse. I don't have Comcast or iObit software installed.

 My problem is the same as above only while gaming, the game (world of tanks) will minimize about once a hour. I notice the mouse pointer is "working" when this happens like the PC is checking for a update or another program in the back ground. I tried disabling updated on anti-virus, drivers, and window updated but no luck. I don't consider myself a advanced tech but I'm retired IT support in mobile computers in industrial settings and build over ten of my own home PC's. I really want this problem to go away or a fix.

 

  This is such an annoyance that I'm considering wiping the HD and getting windows 7. Windows 8.1 has been a total bad joke for me and I persuaded my brother into buying the same PC a week after I got mine and we both upgraded to 8.1 had have the same problem, only the games are different.  

I have had this problem since updating to 8.1 maybe six months ago and have none of the above software installed. I just have vanilla 8.1 that I updated from 8.0 on my Asus G10AC desktop i7 PC that is seven months old.  The only software I have added is Avast, drivers for my Corsair kb and mouse and sound software for Soundblaster. Hardware is a single monitor, Soundblaster sound card, Corsair kb/mouse. I don't have Comcast or iObit software installed.

 My problem is the same as above only while gaming, the game (world of tanks) will minimize about once a hour. I notice the mouse pointer is "working" when this happens like the PC is checking for a update or another program in the back ground. I tried disabling updated on anti-virus, drivers, and window updated but no luck. I don't consider myself a advanced tech but I'm retired IT support in mobile computers in industrial settings and build over ten of my own home PC's. I really want this problem to go away or a fix.

 

  This is such an annoyance that I'm considering wiping the HD and getting windows 7. Windows 8.1 has been a total bad joke for me and I persuaded my brother into buying the same PC a week after I got mine and we both upgraded to 8.1 had have the same problem, only the games are different.  

• Edited by Rick1958 Saturday, December 20, 2014 4:22 PM

I have had this problem since updating to 8.1 maybe six months ago and have none of the above software installed. I just have vanilla 8.1 that I updated from 8.0 on my Asus G10AC desktop i7 PC that is seven months old.  The only software I have added is Avast, drivers for my Corsair kb and mouse and sound software for Soundblaster. Hardware is a single monitor, Soundblaster sound card, Corsair kb/mouse. I don't have Comcast or iObit software installed.

 My problem is the same as above only while gaming, the game (world of tanks) will minimize about once a hour. I notice the mouse pointer is "working" when this happens like the PC is checking for a update or another program in the back ground. I tried disabling updated on anti-virus, drivers, and window updated but no luck. I don't consider myself a advanced tech but I'm retired IT support in mobile computers in industrial settings and build over ten of my own home PC's. I really want this problem to go away or a fix.

 

  This is such an annoyance that I'm considering wiping the HD and getting windows 7. Windows 8.1 has been a total bad joke for me and I persuaded my brother into buying the same PC a week after I got mine and we both upgraded to 8.1 had have the same problem, only the games are different.  

• Edited by Rick1958 Saturday, December 20, 2014 4:22 PM

Through process of elimination and watching the task manager process list like a hawk, I too found Constant Guard / Fast Connect to be the culprit. It was running as a service, auto-start. Prior to removing that, this client's laptop was doing the auto-minimize about every 15-20 seconds.  That doesn't sound like the symptoms of the original thread starter, whose frequency was much lower.  But I'd encourage him and others to explore deeper into the possibility of a third party program (be it malware or not), much as this might appear to be a Windows bug.

I haven't read every single post in this thread, but if it hasn't already been suggested, try booting into safe mode and see if the symptom is still there.  Or try disabling third-party startup items one at a time to see if one of them is responsible.  That's what it was in my case, perhaps it will help some here too.

For those who haven't done that kind of thing before, the "clean boot" process might be a good place to start:

https://support.microsoft.com/KB/929135?wa=wsignin1.0

• Edited by Rick1958 Monday, December 29, 2014 3:39 PM

• Edited by Rick1958 Monday, December 29, 2014 3:39 PM

This curse off my PC. I've been plagued for the past 7 months with my PC with Windows 8.1 all windows or games minimize randomly. I posted and tried everything suggested. This program showed what was the cause, it occurred at the same time when it happen ( 11 minutes past the hour) so I was pretty sure it was a updater but couldn't fine it. It showed that Seiko - Epson was trying to run a process at this exact time in the log. My wife uses her Epson printer wifi but I don't and had it disabled from pop up messaged since I never used a printer on this PC and it being on my home network wanted software on my PC as well as the others. I deleted the Epson drivers and programs and registry entry's as well. So far its run over 24 hours with no minimize. I believe its correct!

Added: over 24 hours and no minimize of games or programs. I used Process monitor from sysinternals to find the Epson printer driver that caused the problem.

I am having the same problem and it just started about two weeks ago.  1-16-15

I've tried some of the suggestions on this site but nothing is working.

IObit's Start Menu 8 is free software that brings the old Windows 7 start menu back to Windows 8.0 and 8.1. I just uninstalled it yesterday and the minimizing problem has yet to occur. For all the people who have this problem that swear you have no extra software installed: did anyone else use the computer before you noticed the minimizing? Maybe they downloaded and installed a free classic start menu add-on program while you were away?

There are a ton of websites out there that offer ways to make windows 8 better and they all recommend installing a start menu add-on since the all apps screen in win8 sucks. Just go into your control panel --> uninstall programs and look down the list for anything that has "start menu" in the program title. Uninstall it and your minimizing issues are gone.

The only difference between my new machine and the old one, which I migrated settings/docs, et al, to, was that I didn't install IOBit's Start Menu 8.

ABSOLUTELY NO RECURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE WHATSOEVER, so I'm marking THIS as the answer to MY problems, fully acknowledging all the other posts citing successful fixes involving other software.

Finally!!!

• Marked as answer by SAinCA 5 hours 38 minutes ago

The only difference between my new machine and the old one, which I migrated settings/docs, et al, to, was that I didn't install IOBit's Start Menu 8.

ABSOLUTELY NO RECURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE WHATSOEVER, so I'm marking THIS as the answer to MY problems, fully acknowledging all the other posts citing successful fixes involving other software.

Finally!!!

• Marked as answer by SAinCA Tuesday, September 01, 2015 1:44 AM