[SOLVED] Application open in task manager, but no window

[Ethonodon]

Trying to run the program FrostyFix, which is a fix for Star Wars Battlefront II mods for Steam.
I used to run this program months ago, on a much older version, but fell out of BF2.

Now I'm trying to get back into it, but FrostFix won't open. Task Manager displays it as open, but no window pops up.

I have made several changes to my PC between now and the last time I used it, being:
-Upgraded from an RX580 to a 3070 Ti
-Upgraded from a G203 Prodigy to an Evga X20

Additionally, I can't delete the FrostyFix file, even after I've closed it in Task Manager, because "it's open in another program".

[Moderator Note: Moved thread from Windows 10 to PC Gaming.]

 

[Ralston18]

Try using Powershell/TaskKill to kill the process.

FYI:

https://www.pcwdld.com/powershell-kill-process-command

Explore first, and be sure about the target process.

Use Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) to identify/verify the suspect process.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

 

[Ethonodon]

Try using Powershell/TaskKill to kill the process.

FYI:

https://www.pcwdld.com/powershell-kill-process-command

Explore first, and be sure about the target process.

Use Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) to identify/verify the suspect process.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

So, the taskkill command DOES terminate the process- but trying to open it again does the same thing: shows in task manager, but no window appears.

 

[Ralston18]

What is the source of FrostyFix?

This website?

https://github.com/Dyvinia/FrostyFix

From the website:

Info
You must disable this whenever you play any other Frostbite game or if you encounter issues with other games.
You must run this program again every time you want to play another Frostbite game, so you can either disable mods or select the other game.

Review the instructions just to ensure that you have not forgotten some necessary step or action. (You did mention that you "fell out of BF2".)

For example (Step 5 of the instructions): "To disable Frosty Fix, click Disable Mods."

= = = =

If that does not work then look in Task Manager > Startup and Task Scheduler to determine if FrostyFix is getting launched again during boot up or shortly thereafter.

Just take your time looking through Task Scheduler and do not take any actions until you get a sense of how it all works. Look for some trigger involving Star Wars, etc..

Once the FrostyFix process is terminated do not try to open it again.

Instead, go to the source website, manually download FrostFix, reinstall/reconfigure.

The current install may be corrupted or buggy.

 

[Ethonodon]

What is the source of FrostyFix?

This website?

https://github.com/Dyvinia/FrostyFix

From the website:

Info
You must disable this whenever you play any other Frostbite game or if you encounter issues with other games.
You must run this program again every time you want to play another Frostbite game, so you can either disable mods or select the other game.

Review the instructions just to ensure that you have not forgotten some necessary step or action. (You did mention that you "fell out of BF2".)

For example (Step 5 of the instructions): "To disable Frosty Fix, click Disable Mods."

= = = =

If that does not work then look in Task Manager > Startup and Task Scheduler to determine if FrostyFix is getting launched again during boot up or shortly thereafter.

Just take your time looking through Task Scheduler and do not take any actions until you get a sense of how it all works. Look for some trigger involving Star Wars, etc..

Once the FrostyFix process is terminated do not try to open it again.

Instead, go to the source website, manually download FrostFix, reinstall/reconfigure.

The current install may be corrupted or buggy.

I am following the instructions, and I have tried redownloading and trying different releases of the program.

I also tried running vanilla BF2 from Steam, and BF2 does the same thing as FrostyFix: Opens in Task Manager, but gives no window.

Strangely enough, I've been having this same issue with a 3rd party program for a game called Mordhau, the program being LuteBot, which I also used to use long ago, but fell out of using.

So, I think this may be an issue beyond BF2 and FrostyFix. The problem is, I have no idea what it could be. I've tried allowing these programs through my firewall AND my antivirus, and I still can't get any of them to open.

 

[Ralston18]

Not sure what else to suggest.

Moving thread from Windows 10 to Gaming

 

[Ethonodon]

Not sure what else to suggest.

Moving thread from Windows 10 to Gaming

anything to try to narrow down the problem?

 

[Ralston18]

The following links have some additional suggestions and ideas.

Windows Club link

https://www.maketecheasier.com/solve-file-is-open-in-another-program-error-windows/

However, as always, do be sure that all important files are backed up at least 2 x and saved to other devices not connected to the current host.

Verify that saved files are recoverable and readable.

Premise being that the "it's open in another program" response is not really that informative.

Also: " I've been having this same issue with a 3rd party program for a game called Mordhau " - uninstall/delete.

 

[Ethonodon]

The following links have some additional suggestions and ideas.

Windows Club link

https://www.maketecheasier.com/solve-file-is-open-in-another-program-error-windows/

However, as always, do be sure that all important files are backed up at least 2 x and saved to other devices not connected to the current host.

Verify that saved files are recoverable and readable.

Premise being that the "it's open in another program" response is not really that informative.

Also: " I've been having this same issue with a 3rd party program for a game called Mordhau " - uninstall/delete.

The problem here isn't really the "open in another program", because out of the three instances where this problem pops up (FrostyFix, BF2, and LuteBot), only FrostyFix is "open in another program".

I was able to uninstall/reinstall LuteBot several times without error, and haven't tried it yet on BF2 due to it being a huge game, and since reinstalling LuteBot changed nothing- it still doesn't open a window.

The question troubling me is why these three programs are apparently opening at least partially, but not displaying any window?

FrostyFix and BF2 share BF2 in common, since FrostyFix is mod content for the game. However, LuteBot has nothing in common with the other two. It affects Mordhau, which shares Steam in common with BF2, but LuteBot opening doesn't require Steam at all. So, to my knowledge, is no common factor shared between all three.

That being said, I'm extremely puzzled by why these three different programs all share the same symptoms, and why no other program (that I know of) suffers the same problem.

 

[Ralston18]

My thought is to look for some common factor.

To do that I would use Process Explorer (Microsoft, free).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Simplify running tasks, apps, process, services, anything at all that you knowingly do not need to have running.

Boot up with no games/programs running. Use Process Explorer (run as admin) to get a sense of what all is actually going on.

Some effort will be involved:

Learn how to filter and sort the Process Explorer output to minimize the results being presented. It may take some trial and error to figure it all out. And you may need some customization to discover the issue anyway...

Then open affected programs but do so only one program at a time and very methodically. Allow time for the program to stabilize and/or otherwise get to some state where Process Explorer is not shifting about. And you may need to wait some time - could be that whatever is happening (or not happening) is being triggered after some amount of elapsed time. Task Scheduler may be involved.

If you do so and observe the programs in question, those affected and those not affected you may find some common process with respect to the shared symptoms. Bear in mind, that the process may a needed process that is absent from the affected programs.

= = = =

Lastly, if any of the mods you are using are cheats, considered cheats, or simply not truly compatible with any given game then the game developers could be discouraging such mods from their end.

Per your post #5: "So, I think this may be an issue beyond BF2 and FrostyFix ", perhaps so.

Consider also that originally you had no problems and that the problems appeared only after you had stopped playing for awhile.

In the meantime then, the gaming developers may have caught up.

Hopefully, there will be other ideas and suggestions offered. I have no problem with that.

 

[little_me]

It is quite unlikely that this would work since you have specified they show up in task manager but not in taskbar, which is pretty much what this would require.

Namely, that window exists but it is outside your desktop.
it application is in taskbar or you can "switch to" on task manager, this works.
switch to/click on app.
press ALT-SPACE
press M
Press any arrow key at least once, no more necessary
move mouse, since at this point, window moves along mouse cursor and can be dragged back to visible space.

Again, if this helps, I have no idea how/why said apps would remember their original on old screen/gpu positions that is not on new GPU/screen but... yeah. if this helps, good. If not... I tried.

 

[Ethonodon]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've gone a few days now without experiencing the issue, however I'm aware it could pop up again in the future, in which case I'll reference the guidance you have given me. I'm assuming it has something to do with my HDD, which I'm replacing soon, so hopefully I never see the issue again. Thanks for all the help.