Win10 on new laptop has several strange behaviors

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  1. Posts : 138
    Windows 10 Pro
       #1

    Win10 on new laptop has several strange behaviors


    I installed Win10 on my old laptop about 1.5-2 years ago. I understood how everything worked and all seemed OK.

    I just bought a refurbed HP Spectre x360 15" laptop, and it has several really strange glitches:
    * Windows often move or resize on their own. I'll leave the office to do something for a while, and when I return one or more windows aren't where I left them. Sometimes they'll be up in the corner of the screen, sized so small that there's almost no display area. Sometimes they're in the same place but they're shorter/wider than I left them.
    * The Windows key sometimes quits working. I hit Winkey and no WIndows menu -- all I see is that the app I was using loses focus. If I click on the Winkey icon, the key starts working again.
    * Network seems flaky. I keep a Remote Desktop session open, and it frequently loses connection for a while.
    * The laptop display is 3840x2160 (4k). I have a 24" external monitor that is 1920x1080. That resulted in several weird behaviors, like dropdown menus on the 1080p monitor showing in an enormous font. I set the laptop display to 1920x1080 (because 4k on a 15" display is just a ridiculous waste of battery anyway) and that seems to have resolved most of the issues.

    There are others, but they happen sporadically enough that I haven't really characterized them.

    I realize these are all strange and seemingly unrelated issues, but does anybody have any ideas what might be going on? I'm seriously tempted to throw away all the customization I've been doing, wipe the system clean, and install a bare Win10 without all the HP "improvements."
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 41,412
    windows 10 professional version 1607 build 14393.969 64 bit
       #2

    1) Please update the specs in the "My Computer" section:
    System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums:
    System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums Site Use Tutorials
    In the left corner below in your post you find 'My System Specs'.
    After clicking it you can find a link a little below that says 'Update your System Spec', click on this link to get to the page where you can fill in your system specs.
    System Info - See Your System Specs - Windows 7 Help Forums

    2) Open the HP website > software and drivers > enter the computer's product or serial number > select the operating system > view the drivers and bios downloads > post a URL or hyperlink into the thread:
    HP Software and Driver Downloads for HP Printers, Laptops, Desktops and More | HP® Customer Support

    3) Find a flash drive that you can format (> or = 8 GB)
    4) Create a bootable windows 10 iso:
    Download Windows 10
    5) Insert the windows 10 iso flash drive into any USB port
    6) power on the computer and open file explorer
    7) in file explorer click this PC > locate the windows 10 iso > click on setup or setup.exe to launch the iso
    8) perform an in place upgrade repair:
    Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade Installation Upgrade Tutorials
    9) If this fixes the operating system problems and problematic behavior the troubleshooting is complete
    10) If this is insufficient to fix the problems then back up all files and make a back up image using Macrium:
    Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free
    11) Save the backup image to another drive or to the cloud
    12) Perform a clean install:
    Clean Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 138
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Just tried to set IrfanView as the default image viewer. I've gotten popups saying "An app default was reset. An app caused a problem with the default app setting for (.gif, .jpg, .png) files, so it was reset to Photos." This issue apparently appeared in February of last year but I don't see any resolution that actually works. Microsoft says it's the fault of the 3rd-party app changing the default, but I didn't have this problem in my previous W10 install. Though I was running IrfanView 32 then, 64 now. So I uninstalled the 64-bit version and installed the 32. Now it doesn't pop up any notices, but it still resets the default. See e.g. An App Default Was Reset

    I tried setting the default through the Windows mechanism, instead of through IrfanView, and now it appears to work. So maybe it IS caused by the 3rd-party app. But it didn't do this on my previous laptop.

    IrfanView suddenly became unable to write files. Said "You do not have permission to save in this location." Other apps had no problems. 32-bit IrfanView works.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #4

    all the customization I've been doing
    Best start with comparing a clean system; you could try a clean boot, or you could create a disk image of what you have should you wish to reinstate it(eg. Macrium reflect (free) - we strongly recommend the routine use of disk imaging) , and try a clean install for comparison.

    Some people have major problems after an upgrade with their graphics driver, for example. Some find they need to use an older version.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 138
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #5

    zbook said:
    1) Please update the specs in the "My Computer" section:
    Done.

    2) Open the HP website > software and drivers > enter the computer's product or serial number > select the operating system > view the drivers and bios downloads > post a URL or hyperlink into the thread:
    I had already updated all drivers using the HP Support Assistant.

    Is this the link you wanted?
    HP Software and Driver Downloads for HP Printers, Laptops, Desktops and More | HP® Customer Support

    3) Find a flash drive that you can format (> or = 8 GB)
    4) Create a bootable windows 10 iso:
    I don't have an 8GB drive I can wipe at the moment. I'll work on it.

    dalchina said:
    Some people have major problems after an upgrade with their graphics driver, for example. Some find they need to use an older version.
    I don't doubt that, but it seems unlikely that a graphics driver would cause problems like resetting defaults or broken Windows key... ?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 31,466
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #6

    garyfritz said:
    Just tried to set IrfanView as the default image viewer. I've gotten popups saying "An app default was reset.
    This is a known problem with older versions of IrfanView. That was the problem here...
    Setting up Windows 10 Pro
    ...and cured by installing the latest version.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 138
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Bree said:
    This is a known problem with older versions of IfranView. That was the problem here...
    Setting up Windows 10 Pro
    ...cured by installing the latest version.
    Well this was a freshly-downloaded IrfanView on a new laptop with freshly-updated OS & drivers...
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #8

    I don't doubt that, but it seems unlikely that a graphics driver would cause problems like resetting defaults or broken Windows key... ?
    - My comment naturally applies to display peculiarities, albeit graphics driver issues have caused unexpected things for a few like the start menu not launching.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 138
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I have realized that the window-resizing issue is probably connected to the multi-monitor setup. I mentioned that often windows on my external monitor (usually my Chrome browser but not always) will resize to be shorter & wider. I just noticed the "shorter/wider" size fits almost perfectly on the laptop's native screen minus taskbar -- but slightly smaller (1896 x 1016). Which was a bit confusing because both monitors are set to 1920x1080, and the window only fills part of the screen on the external monitor. Then I realized I'd set the "scale and layout" on the built-in display to the recommended 125%. The window is only 1517 x 813 on the external monitor, but it actually gets resized to 1896x1016 when I move it to the laptop display. This handling of different screen sizes seems very flaky and I think it's the source of some of my issues.

    I'm also noticing a LOT of performance issues. Frequently applications will just not respond for 10-20-30 seconds, or more. I just installed Snagit and it locked up (with "Not Responding" message) while I was setting it up. I started Task Manager to see how much CPU Snagit was eating, and **IT** locked up for about 30 seconds. Snagit / Snagit Editor kept chewing up 55-60% of my CPU for probably 4-5 minutes before finally settling down. It locked up several times, for a few minutes at a time, in the next half hour. Snagit often doesn't respond to clicks for 3-5 seconds.

    Overall the performance and behavior is significantly worse than my 6-yr-old laptop with a 2-yr-old W10 install. This is NOT the kind of performance I expect from a brand new laptop with a pristine new W10 install.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #10

    I'm also noticing a LOT of performance issues. Frequently applications will just not respond for 10-20-30 seconds,
    - nor should you be experiencing that.

    Note: I have the same Nvidia graphics, driver version 23.21.13.8792, but Intel HD 530

    How is it in Safe Mode?
      My Computers


 

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