Screen disappears and goes back to desktop screen

Anonymous
2011-10-05T17:10:43+00:00

Can anyone tell me why, in Windows 7, when typing or not typing, the screen automatically disappears from the task at hand and it reverts back to the "home screen"? This happens to me constantly on both my laptop and desk top and it really is getting aggravating. It does not matter what I am doing; I can be typing an email, a letter, or just reading something on my screen and whatever I am working on just disappears and I am back to my Home Screen. This idiosyncracy occurs on my 14 month old lap top and my one week old desk top and I need to know why. Thanks for any input

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2011-11-07T19:39:11+00:00

I found it! Thanks so much for getting me started and knowing I wasn't nuts.

Go to "Control Panel" then click on the words "Appearance and Personalization".  Next you will get a "Task Bar and Start Menu". Click on "Customize the Start Menu" and then "Taskbar". You will see the words "Preview desktop with AeroPeek". Simply unclick the box to use the Aero Peek.  Problem solved.

Why Microsoft would do this I will never know. It seems so useless to me. It almost drove me crazy until I solved the problem. Hope this helps others who have this problem

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Anonymous
2011-10-06T21:20:42+00:00

So the application window just disappears, but you don't have to click on the taskbar to get it back, rignt? You just wiggle the mouse and it comes back without clicking on the taskbar? If that's what's happening, I agree it's bizarre. Computers are dumb machines that unfortunately do bizarre things sometimes, although this is a new one on me. I see no one else has posted a reply here, so it must be a pretty rare thing.

It sounds like you have the antivirus and firewall areas covered. I agree it doesn't sound like a hardware problem, but the only other thing I can think of is possibly some utility that your computer manufacturer might've put on your machines. They like to do that. I've personally seen that on Dell, HP, and Toshiba PCs as well as other folks' PCs I've helped with from time to time. Apparently your desktop has been doing this since you got it since it's only a week old, but did your 14 month old laptop always do this or is it something that just happened recently? If it's the latter, you could probably use System Restore to go back to a date prior to the problem.

On the desktop I'd recommend what's called a clean boot where you run msconfig and disable everything in the startup tab except for your antivirus program to see if that will get around the problem. To run msconfig, click Start and type msconfig in the search box. Then click on msconfig where it shows it and click on the startup tab. Once there, uncheck everything there except your antivirus program. Then reboot and run that way for long enough to see if the problem's still with you. If it goes away, then you can slowly start adding things back until you find the culprit.

One other thing you could check would be your screen saver. If you have some custom screen saver, that could be doing it, so you could try changing it to something you know to be part of Windows.

If that doesn't do it, I'm afraid I'm out of ideas, so I wish you good luck!

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-03T12:22:49+00:00

    I tried doing his but it dosnt work.

    My problem is none of my games or folders or anything is on my desktop.

    I even tried creating link to the desktop from the download and desktop

    things from the control panel or the computer files. (at the bottom of task bar

    by the windows icon.) So can you please help me with this please.

    Email me at ******@gmail.com for your answer.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-17T20:57:25+00:00

    I have windows 10 and the same thing started happening with my Toshiba Satellite laptop several weeks ago and it is a total time waster!

    Why hasn't someone from MS or the community answered this since there have been many posts from WIN 10 users that can't apply the WIN 7 fix because the same links and check boxes are no longer accessible.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-23T10:42:44+00:00

    Well it just happened to me for the second time  now. So im looking for a permanent resolution! my hp notebook redline laptop is only 5 mths old & im stuck using the on screen keyboard cause the the laptop keyboard is messed up. When i contacted hp support they will sit there and want excess to your laptop acting like they are solving all your issues but only to tell you 1 hr later that they are gonna have to send you or transfer you to a hp service tech and if you like they will connect you but its not free & if u mention warranty they  will tell you its not warranty related & its because its corrupted & will insist that they can fix it. That tells me a lot about hp these days & i been a hp product owner for 35yrs but for some reason instead of them fixing a laptop that is only a few mths old, they would much ratherwaste ur time by acting like they are helping u by trying to find out why but not for u. They are just wanting to verify 1st before they transfer u & when they say only a $60 fee that when i told them m not paying for something that should be covered so  long story short, dont ever think hp support is there to help u. They are there just to confirm your issue instead of fixing your issue. I know as time goes by things change but to offer a warranty & not represent it, let the ppl know your little technics in solving issues. It will always end with there is nothing wrong with the laptop, its in the software cause they just looked. Well they will not have permission this time and i will receive a prepaid shipping label to send it 2 be fixed or have it fixed locally. I honestly think they planted a bug when they was in my laptop last time cause now its the keyboard and the full screen option. Next it will disappear when u was only minimizing & my gut feeling tells me they have full control and know whats going on but they want miore money to fix it. I will never buy another hp product again & i not only have a hp laptop, a  desktop as well and a hp printer also so they lost my business by showing me how supportive they really are to tell a hp laptop owner of only 5 mths that it is not covered under warranty  cause it is a software issue! i dont care  if it was because it was raining outside, someone needs to speak out since hp doesn't want to step up and represent the warranty that they really want to make everyone think that it will be all good dont worry they will give u hp support, yeah more like hp support for themselves so they can cover their own backside when you say that word warranty. they will try to make you believe the sky is purple. im done buying hp products that is for darn sure and that could only amount to just pennies to them but a few more pennies & a few more pennies then they might care! Well atleast make you think that they care just like you will have a warranty with your laptop purchase! Yeah right! I seen enough thats for sure!

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