Question How can I track what app is causing a random pop-up window?

[Minaz]

Since a couple of days ago, I have been getting what seems to be at total random a small pop-up window on my computer screen with the title "Error" followed by "Method Invoke Failed." in the body of the window. I cannot find any indication of what app or process might be causing this random pop-up but it is very annoying. It does not seem to have any effect on the system operation other than being annoying and disruptive. Is there any way to trace what is causing this window to appear, so that I can attempt disable/delete/fix the app in question?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Try malwarebytes.

Maybe - show screenshot of error message.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

 

[KingLoki]

You can also try Process Explorer which is part of SysInternals Suite from microsoft store that includes many advanced utilities and tools to monitor, troubleshoot and display detailed system info.
Process explorer can tell you what process or program is causing the popup window by live monitoring. Hope it helps. Cheers.
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p7knl5rwt25?hl=en-us&gl=US

 

[KingLoki]

You could also try typing in 'msconfig' into windows search box and then go to 'Selective Startup' and untick 'Load Startup Items' then apply and reboot to see if its a program or gremlin that loads on startup. Because the window appears randomly and if its not that often then it might take extra time. Autoruns from the same company...Sysinternals...shows every process, updaters, dll's, browsers and software items that run on startup. Just make sure you save a backup before possibly unchecking an item, as its a very powerful system tool.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

 

[Minaz]

Try malwarebytes.

https://imgur.com/a/DfwiUJa

View: https://imgur.com/a/DfwiUJa


Maybe - show screenshot of error message.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

I have installed Malwarebytes and run a scan. It picked up two suspected bitcoin miners and I had them quarantined then deleted. However, this did not solve the problem.

Here is a link to the IMGUR screen capture of the error window:
Error window

 

[KingLoki]

Try MSConfig, then Process Explorer then as I explained in above posts

 

[Minaz]

Try MSConfig, then Process Explorer then as I explained in other posts

Okay, I now have Process Explorer installed. When the small window popped up, I launched Process Explorer and saw that there were a lot of processes, which I then looked over. There did not seem to be anything that jumped out at me as being a malicious software (although I suppose they won't title their app "Virus 3.4"), so what should I be looking out for? If this is either a malicious or badly behaving (broken) software, how will Process Explorer flag this?

 

[lantis3]

See if you can find what process launched the popup dialog by looking at its properties?

 

[Minaz]

See if you can find what process launched the popup dialog by looking at its properties?

Hi do you mean the properties of the popup window (I haven't found any way to do this!) or the properties of the process in Process Explorer? In Process Explorer, there are the following fields:

Process (the name) / CPU / Private Bytes / Working Set / PID / Description / Company Name

Do you mean the description field, what would it say? I am sorry if I am coming across as quite a noob here but I am out of my depth.

 

[lantis3]

Haven't done programming for years.

However, every window is a process and should have a process id.

You need to find the process id first for the popup window.

See if this help

https://medium.com/@rihanmujahid46/exploring-windows-process-tree-genealogy-df107b59b018

 

[lantis3]

There is also Winspy / Winspy++ tools (originally from MS )

https://github.com/strobejb/winspy/releases/tag/v1.8.4

example

 

[Minaz]

There is also Winspy / Winspy++ tools (originally from MS )

https://github.com/strobejb/winspy/releases/tag/v1.8.4

example

Thank you! I think I have now found the culprit. The offending software is Zoner, which is actually a photo editing software I use. Specifically, it is their "updater.exe" which I assume keeps the app up-to-date. However, this app does not appear in the list of startup apps in Task Manager. How is it still launching if it is not a startup app? And can I stop it from launching again?

P. S. I actually have a few other software that pop up annoying update windows just like this most notably Razer Cortex, a gaming hub. I use it to change my PC LED lights, but the software will occasionally open the full application interface to do updates, very annoying. I want the application installed, but not popping up whenever it feels like it. Is there a generalized way to stop apps from doing this without completely uninstalling?

 

[Minaz]

Try MSConfig, then Process Explorer then as I explained in above posts

Okay, ignore my previous reply, I now believe that the culprit is Zoner's update.exe process, which I assume keeps Zoner (a photo editing suite) updated. Zoner is not on the list of startup apps in task manager, so is there a way to prevent it from starting up with my PC (I don't care if it doesn't auto update, I can do it manually)?

 

[lantis3]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-115a420a-0bff-4a6f-90e0-1934c844e473

Right click an app (updater.exe in your case) and then disable

 

[SkyNetRising]

Zoner is not on the list of startup apps in task manager, so is there a way to prevent it from starting up with my PC

Probably a service then.
Find it in services and set startup type to manual or disabled.

Could be also a scheduled task. Then find it in Task Scheduler and disable.

 

[KingLoki]

You can download and use Autoruns that shows all the systems startup and processes, which you can untick and stop it starting on boot. It is one of the best programs to use to view and change settings, especially one's that are not in Task Manager or Startup apps. My sytem has an adobe update process that is not showing in task manager startup items, so I can see it in Autoruns and untick to disable the daily update it tries to do. It covers many areas of the overall system so be very careful what you disable! Make sure you do a backup of current settings inside of Autoruns before proceeding. It is an immediate launch utility with no need to actually install it. From memory, after unzipping its the autoruns_64 i think. Just run it and take a look. Well worth it!
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns