Program starts up, doesn't appear

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

Smart tech people of AW!

For work and writing, I purchased super useful -- some might say essential -- software a while ago.

Today, when I tried to start it up, the program didn't appear on my task bar, or on my screen. I looked it up in the task manager, and it was in there. I rebooted. Same deal. I de-installed and re-installed the program. Same problem. Running virus and malware scans hasn't turned up anything. My OS is Windows 7.

So, basically, when I click on the program, the process starts, but the program doesn't appear on my screen. Is this ghosts? Has SkyNet become aware?

And more importantly, do you guys have any idea what I can do to fix this?

alleycat · Nov 30, 2014

You can right-click and pin a program to your taskbar (Start > All Programs). You can also create a shortcut to put on your desktop.

As for why it doesn't appear when you're running it--are you sure it's not minimized and hiding somewhere?

Jamesaritchie · Nov 30, 2014

It would help to know which program it is, along with which version.

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

alleycat said:
You can right-click and pin a program to your taskbar (Start > All Programs). You can also create a shortcut to put on your desktop.

I have a shortcut to it on my desktop. As for the pin, it doesn't appear when I create it.

alleycat said:
As for why it doesn't appear when you're running it--are you sure it's not minimized and hiding somewhere?

Yes, I'm sure. That's the problem.

Jamesaritchie said:
It would help to know which program it is, along with which version.

Van Dale EW 2011. I know that's not actually helpful, that's why I left it out of the original post.

alleycat · Nov 30, 2014

Have you looked at Toolbar > Customize (Show hidden icons)? It should be a small up arrow over to the side. Also, right-click on the toolbar and look at the Properties.

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

alleycat said:
Have you looked at Toolbar > Customize (Show hidden icons)? It should be a small up arrow over to the side. Also, right-click on the toolbar and look at the Properties.

There's nothing wrong with the task bar. Dragging the program icon to it to pin it did pin the program to the task bar, but caused the same thing to happen (program started up, but didn't appear).

I have tried several ways of starting the program (desktop shortcut, folder, dock, start menu). The problem is that it does start up (as evidenced by its presence in the task manager), but the program doesn't appear, so I can't use it. It's not minimized, it doesn't appear in the Alt-Tab windows, it's basically nowhere.

Imagine that you double-click on your MS Word icon to start up MS Word, and you wait, and wait, and wait, but it doesn't show up anywhere, except in the task manager, and only there. You see that the program is running, but there is no program window. That's the problem.

dpaterso · Nov 30, 2014

Just to clarify... other programs are running okay, it's just this one program that's decided to behave oddly? And you've been using it for a good while, this is the first time it's done this? There have been no recent changes or installs or updates to Windows?

-Derek

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

dpaterso said:
Just to clarify... other programs are running okay, it's just this one program that's decided to behave oddly? And you've been using it for a good while, this is the first time it's done this? There have been no recent changes or installs or updates to Windows?

-Derek

All other programs are running fine, yes. I've been using it for years without incident, just an upgrade whenever necessary. I haven't installed any other programs in months, and Windows hasn't updated in a week.

I'm pretty sure that girl from The Ring will be crawling out of my laptop soon.

robjvargas · Nov 30, 2014

WAY WAY back, in Windows 3.x days, I had a few programs do that. Windows 3.x identified the last "place" a program ran by a two-number coordinate the defined the upper left corner of the window. Every once in a while, Windows decided that corner was last in a coordinate that translated to some spot 3 feet to the right of me.

Being a keyboard junkie, I was able to use two different methods to solve it. If you press ALT+SPACE, then press M, your keyboard arrows will move the window. Problem is, you have to know where you're starting from. And it can take a LONG time to move the window into view.

Second option, ALT+SPACE again, then press X. This maximizes the window. Unless you have virtual desktops, that should bring it into your screen filling up the screen. If it was maximized last you saw it, use ALT+SPACE and R to "restore" it to a reduced view. If it doesn't show up, then do the maximize.

I'm not even sure that this is what's happening. I just know that I've seen it before. If it shows in the task manager *and* if you get the appropriate button in the taskbar, this would be my guess.

Another thought: Some thread that the program uses is getting hung. *Sometimes* it'll unhang if you give it long enough. You could try starting it up right before you leave for lunch or something like that. See if it appears when you return.

Does the program have a "repair" option if you run the installation?

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

robjvargas said:
WAY WAY back, in Windows 3.x days, I had a few programs do that. Windows 3.x identified the last "place" a program ran by a two-number coordinate the defined the upper left corner of the window. Every once in a while, Windows decided that corner was last in a coordinate that translated to some spot 3 feet to the right of me.

Being a keyboard junkie, I was able to use two different methods to solve it. If you press ALT+SPACE, then press M, your keyboard arrows will move the window. Problem is, you have to know where you're starting from. And it can take a LONG time to move the window into view.

Second option, ALT+SPACE again, then press X. This maximizes the window. Unless you have virtual desktops, that should bring it into your screen filling up the screen. If it was maximized last you saw it, use ALT+SPACE and R to "restore" it to a reduced view. If it doesn't show up, then do the maximize.

I'm not even sure that this is what's happening. I just know that I've seen it before. If it shows in the task manager *and* if you get the appropriate button in the taskbar, this would be my guess.

Another thought: Some thread that the program uses is getting hung. *Sometimes* it'll unhang if you give it long enough. You could try starting it up right before you leave for lunch or something like that. See if it appears when you return.

Does the program have a "repair" option if you run the installation?

Thanks! The button doesn't appear in the task bar when I start the program (it does pin when I drag it there to pin it, but when I click it, nothing).

I'll try starting it up before I make dinner. I think I haven't given it more than a minute, maybe two, tops.

It does have a repair option. Is that still useful after de-installing, rebooting and installing again?

robjvargas · Nov 30, 2014

10trackers said:
Thanks! The button doesn't appear in the task bar when I start the program (it does pin when I drag it there to pin it, but when I click it, nothing).

I'll try starting it up before I make dinner. I think I haven't given it more than a minute, maybe two, tops.

It does have a repair option. Is that still useful after de-installing, rebooting and installing again?

Well... phooey. The repair option probably won't do anything. Make sure that you have all your work saved, though. Sometimes, uninstalling and reinstalling, even with an intervening reboot, doesn't clear old settings (preferences, etc). The uninstaller might presume you're going to reinstall, so let's keep those settings. Just in case. GRRR. A repair install might clear those settings so that they can be rebuilt.

It's not hopeless, but not likely, either.

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

*falls to knees, wailing to heavens*

Nothing worked thus far. Am open to other suggestions. What kind of sacrifices do Elder Gods like, anyway?

cmhbob · Nov 30, 2014

Building on what Rob said, try right-clicking the desktop icon. Select Properties at the bottom of the list that pops up. On the Shortcut tab, at the bottom, look for "Run:" That should be set to Normal Window or Maximized. If it's not, change it to one of those options. Normal should work fine. If it doesn't, switch to Maximized.

10trackers · Nov 30, 2014

cmhbob said:
Building on what Rob said, try right-clicking the desktop icon. Select Properties at the bottom of the list that pops up. On the Shortcut tab, at the bottom, look for "Run:" That should be set to Normal Window or Maximized. If it's not, change it to one of those options. Normal should work fine. If it doesn't, switch to Maximized.

Thanks, but it's set to normal. Setting it to maximized doesn't change anything.

alleycat · Nov 30, 2014

When you go to Task Manager does it list the program in Applications?

You made have already said somewhere and I missed it.

amergina · Nov 30, 2014

I've had this happen on my work (windows) laptop, but only when I've been docking and undocking it from its two monitor display. Sometimes the apps I've opened in the second monitor want to open there even when there is only one screen.

But I suspect that this isn't the issue...

Still, worth checking that you have only one desktop going? (Can windows do virtual desktops?)

dpaterso · Nov 30, 2014

Just saying, as a general Windows FYI, even though this didn't work (dammit).

I use Windows 8.1 not Windows 7

I started MS Word just as a test. In Task Manager, under the Processes tab, I right-clicked on Word, and an Expand option listed at the top of the pop-up menu. The blank Word doc I'd opened appeared as a sub-item. When I right-clicked on the blank doc, "Switch to" was at the top of the pop-up options. When I clicked on this, the doc window came to the fore.

Alas Windows 7 task manager doesn't seem to have Expand among its pop-up options, 'cause that would maybe have given a workaround. What's needed is something to bring the process (program) that is running but not visible on the desktop, to the fore.

My fingers curl into claws of frustration. Microsoooooooft!!!

-Derek

10trackers · Dec 1, 2014

Tech support solved the issue. From what I gathered, the program had created an extra folder from which to work which created the problem. Neither the tech dude nor I had any idea why.

cmhbob · Dec 1, 2014

Interesting. Thanks for the update.

robjvargas · Dec 1, 2014

10trackers said:
Tech support solved the issue. From what I gathered, the program had created an extra folder from which to work which created the problem. Neither the tech dude nor I had any idea why.

That is a reasonable explanation for the program behavior. How was it fixed? Deleting something?

Matera the Mad · Dec 1, 2014

I love disappearing window mysteries. Even Linux does 'em.

Using a third-party complete uninstaller that destroys all traces of a program, every configuration file/folder and whatever is in the Windows Registry, can fix a lot of odd behavior problems caused by leftovers. Might be less interesting, but it's less work.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 2, 2014

I'm late, and the problem is solved, but the reason I wanted to know which program it was is because the only times I've had this happen, the solution was to go into program files, find the folder, and open it from there, creating new icons while I was at it.

Program starts up, doesn't appear

10trackers

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