[SOLVED] Thrown to desktop when system clock reaches 0 AM

[sajtoslecso]

Hello!

Im getting thrown to desktop while gaming, or using an app, exactly as the clock reaches 0 AM. It is not crashing or anything, just acts like i alt-tabbed out of everything automatically.
My old PCs used to do this all the time for as long as i can remember, this one's running fresh since february however, on Win 10 with Avast installed, thing started happening 3 days ago tho, if i remember well, it went through its first power outage just before it.
I would like to know its likely a virus or something or might be related to the power outage?

 

[Lutfij]

this one's running fresh since february however, on Win 10 with Avast installed, thing started happening 3 days ago tho, if i remember well, it went through its first power outage just before it.
Where did you source the installer for your OS? If you're not visiting shady/questionable sites, you don't need the aid of antiviruses outside of what's bundled with Windows, i.e, Windows Defender. Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery on your motherboard?

On second thoughts, please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:

 

[sajtoslecso]

Ive got retail windows from shop. Havent fiddled with the battery. I had to off defender bc it was too invasive/ generally was going [Moderator edit to remove profanity] crazy at work, so i thought i save myseld from headaches at home. I dont like defender, but i used it on older systems. They got the 0 am thing as well tho. I think i always had it for the past 20+ years on every build, havent heard the same thing happening from friends tho.


CPU: ryzen 3800x
Motherboard: asus 570x pro
Ram: kingston hyperx fury beast ddr4 2600
SSD/HDD: samsung qvo 970, 870x2, silico power
GPU: RTX 3060 gigabyte 12gb
PSU: corsair AX 850
Chassis: enthoo phanteks 719
OS: windows 10
Monitor: lg ips panel led monitor-tv

 

[Ralston18]

This:

"Im getting thrown to desktop while gaming, or using an app, exactly as the clock reaches 0 AM. "

and

"I had to off defender bc it was too invasive/ generally was going [Moderator edit to remove profanity] crazy at work "

Work.

Are you gaming and/or doing other online things while at work?

If so, then your work may be 1) blocking such activities and 2) watching your behavior and actions (did you get work approval to remove Defender?).

Regarding 1: Forum rules prohibit assistance with working around, hacking, or otherwise circumventing security measures and so forth.

Regarding 2: If you are being watched then the consequences may not end well for you.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[sajtoslecso]

This:

"Im getting thrown to desktop while gaming, or using an app, exactly as the clock reaches 0 AM. "

and

"I had to off defender bc it was too invasive/ generally was going [Moderator edit to remove profanity] crazy at work "

Work.

Are you gaming and/or doing other online things while at work?

If so, then your work may be 1) blocking such activities and 2) watching your behavior and actions (did you get work approval to remove Defender?).

Regarding 1: Forum rules prohibit assistance with working around, hacking, or otherwise circumventing security measures and so forth.

Regarding 2: If you are being watched then the consequences may not end well for you.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Uhh...we're getting so far away from my question now. My fault cause i assume everyone is a mind reader.

First things first, my boss asked me to off defender from the work computers, because it kept interfering with software, kept deleting important files without notice, and literally destroyed a printer head. It was just easier to off it, and install a relatively calm antivirus software that we have known for long, that takes over win defender, and asks for permission about things before it does something foul.

So when i got my new PC build with Windows 10 for the first time (in february) i just offed defender from the get go, so i would not lose decades of memories/content/games that i copied over.
Everything was fine until 3-4 days ago, when it suddenly started to alt-tab me to desktop whenever system clock reached 0:00.
Can this actually be a virus, is it something inherent, or such thing can happen after power outage? (we have those frequently)

All of my Personal computers that i ever had, done this little annoying thing after a while, for decades, some from the very first day.
So its nothing critical, literally just alt-tabs me to show me that the system clock turned to a new day, then i can alt-tab back and continue on doing as i did. It just bugs me after experiencing it for decades and no one ever heard of such thing around me.


EDIT: Holy s, i was not aware that i have to censor myself on Toms Hardware too now.

 

[Ralston18]

Just for the record: what "relatively calm antivirus" software did you install?

I would not consider Windows Defender as being a culprit. There have been past flaws but I have not seen or heard of such problems for quite awhile.

(The exception being that the Windows OS you are running is counterfeit or indeed infected in some manner. Make it look like Defender is the cause and people will, as you did, start removing Defender. And things get worse thereafter.)

Especially destroying a print head ?

But I found a reference to that:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/alt-tab-broken-windows-10-update-how-to-fix/

From the link:

"An update released on August 10 (KB5005033) should have solved the issue, but it didn’t. This update is of particular concern because it’s mandatory, unlike the optional July update. The second update includes security updates to Microsoft’s ongoing issues with the PrintNightmare vulnerability, so you should install it regardless of it breaks Alt + Tab or not.

View your update history for missing or problem updates.

However I still do not understand how that vulnerability could physically destroy a print head.....

= = = =

This:

"All of my Personal computers that i ever had, done this little annoying thing after a while, for decades, some from the very first day. "

Another thought is that you are running some tool or app that is the source of the problem. That is the only constant that I can see. Something you immediately do on each computer. Maybe install a favorite tool, utility, game, or other app.

For whatever reason that software generates or otherwise sends out Alt-tab. May be the result of reprogrammed/reassigned key functions - perhaps in a game.

What you can do:

Look in Reliability History and Event Viewer for error codes, warnings, or even informational events that are captured just before or at 0:00 time.

Look in Task Manager for any unexpected or unidentified software being launched at startup and running in the background.

Look in Task Scheduler for any tasks being triggered at 0:00.

Let Windows do some cleaning up on its own via "sfc /scannow" and "dism".

References:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-dism-command-line-utility-repair-windows-10-image

And that it happens at 0:00 makes me think about the system time. Where does the computer gets its' time and does the computer do some synchronization(s) or other taskings at 0:00?

 

[sajtoslecso]

And that it happens at 0:00 makes me think about the system time. Where does the computer gets its' time and does the computer do some synchronization(s) or other taskings at 0:00?

From the internet....and yes it does. I should test it offline right? Would that make any difference?

Look in Task Scheduler for any tasks being triggered at 0:00.

Okay imma do that .

Look in Reliability History and Event Viewer for error codes, warnings, or even informational events that are captured just before or at 0:00 time.

Done that but nothing, except for windows updates

Another thought is that you are running some tool or app that is the source of the problem. That is the only constant that I can see. Something you immediately do on each computer. Maybe install a favorite tool, utility, game, or other app.

Thought about that, but then that has to be a virus / i would find something like this on the internet most likely, but nothing seems to come up.

"An update released on August 10 (KB5005033) should have solved the issue, but it didn’t. This update is of particular concern because it’s mandatory, unlike the optional July update. The second update includes security updates to Microsoft’s ongoing issues with the PrintNightmare vulnerability, so you should install it regardless of it breaks Alt + Tab or not.

View your update history for missing or problem updates.

However I still do not understand how that vulnerability could physically destroy a print head.....

Quite a long story, nobody at work, nor my friends at their work like windows 10, because defender / updates generally bring problems that halts progress, so they use 8.1 instead if they can on a few occasions, except if the software they work with requires win 10 as a must (for ex. ASP, my colleague swears and sweats at least a month bc a windows update that make this software go nuts). The software is OEM, legal with its own key
This one time Boss put a few millions in our currency (that be ~12000$) into a project, DTF printers and the other machinery to start printing custom designs onto our own products. The software it uses (AcroRip) needs a dongle key. Win defender doesnt like it, so it keeps messing with it, to the point where the hardware goes nuts and among other things, blows paint everywhere, literally killing the most expensive part in the printer, the head. By the time we recognized its Defender that messes with it (because it leaves absolutely no trace, no notice about what its doing), the damage was already done. Other times full on wiping the entire directory of stored prints and the software itself without notice. Othertimes blocking our NAS completely and removing required scripts and software, deleting the entire config of hikvision CCTV without any trace, etc. In my line of work, nobody likes windows defender, and ive seen and experienced enough shtshow at work to know i dont want this headache at home. I just dont want a super invasive defender software cause it kinda defeats the purpose in my humble opinion.
So we kill off defender and let AVAST take charge, its been the cleanest so far like this.

We use AVAST, for a decade or so, may not be the best, but its been greatly working for us so far. Also for home use. Catches the odd threats, but lets me live, and asks before it does something retarded so i can stop it.

 

[Ralston18]

Lots of thoughts:

What make and model printer are you using?

AcroRip: This product?

https://acrorip.com/

My first suggestion is that you contact AcroRip support -ask if they have had other similar reports with respect to Defender or any other hardware/software that you have in your environment.

Have you tried whitelisting Acrorip?

https://jackboxgames.happyfox.com/k...e-issues-in-antivirus-software-and-firewalls/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mi...rosoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide

https://winbuzzer.com/2021/07/21/how-to-exclude-a-file-or-folder-from-windows-defender-scans-xcxwbt/

You can easily find other similar links.

= = = =

My second suggestion is to set up clean install Windows 10 test system with just AcroRip and no other unnecessary software.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/windows-10-clean-install-tutorial.3170366

Minimal configuration - just the basics for your environment.

Allow the computer to keep its own time and date.

Disable Windows updates. Disable Defender. Do not install Avast.

Determine via the test system if the described problems continue. Continue checking Reliability History and Event Viewer for errors, etc..

If not then enable Defender again on the test system. And again determine if the problems occur. Continue checking for errors.

Then allow Windows to update again.

The key is to be methodical and change only one thing at a time. Run each test(s) the same way. Be consistent.

Objective being to identify some specific difference between"problems" and "no problems". Be that difference Defender, some Windows update, or something else.

Going to take some time and effort.

 

[sajtoslecso]

Lots of thoughts:

What make and model printer are you using?

AcroRip: This product?

https://acrorip.com/

My first suggestion is that you contact AcroRip support -ask if they have had other similar reports with respect to Defender or any other hardware/software that you have in your environment.

Have you tried whitelisting Acrorip?

https://jackboxgames.happyfox.com/k...e-issues-in-antivirus-software-and-firewalls/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mi...rosoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide

https://winbuzzer.com/2021/07/21/how-to-exclude-a-file-or-folder-from-windows-defender-scans-xcxwbt/

You can easily find other similar links.

= = = =

My second suggestion is to set up clean install Windows 10 test system with just AcroRip and no other unnecessary software.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/windows-10-clean-install-tutorial.3170366

Minimal configuration - just the basics for your environment.

Allow the computer to keep its own time and date.

Disable Windows updates. Disable Defender. Do not install Avast.

Determine via the test system if the described problems continue. Continue checking Reliability History and Event Viewer for errors, etc..

If not then enable Defender again on the test system. And again determine if the problems occur. Continue checking for errors.

Then allow Windows to update again.

The key is to be methodical and change only one thing at a time. Run each test(s) the same way. Be consistent.

Objective being to identify some specific difference between"problems" and "no problems". Be that difference Defender, some Windows update, or something else.

Going to take some time and effort.

AcroRip: This product?

https://acrorip.com/

My first suggestion is that you contact AcroRip support -ask if they have had other similar reports with respect to Defender or any other hardware/software that you have in your environment.

Yes this is it, and yeah i have contacted support, they just said i should whitelist the software and have the installer ready in case a windows update does something to it.
Sadly though simply whitelisting it in defender is not fully solving the problem, as it still tried to meddle with it. The PC that is for the printing machines contanied nothing more than clean windows, photoshop and acrorip from the start.

Disable Windows updates. Disable Defender. Do not install Avast. - Yeah tried this and it was not enough

As for the alt+tabbing with the system clock thing.
I tried to pull the ethernet cable before 0:00 and the tabbing didnt happen for two days from then.

Then random alt+tabbing started to happen at different times, other than it happening only at 0:00. Now i noticed it is probably tied to how "windows news feed" is changing. I also noticed a bunch of news in my edge browser history, none of which i actually opened or watched. Im going to try and disable the windows news feed if there is even an option to do so, and see if the alt+tabbing vanishes completely.

Thanks for the information and being helpful

 

[Ralston18]

Yes: Disable News Feed. Keep notes about what you did, what you changed, and where you made the change. Just in case you need to undo the change.

Also - if you make a change then change only one thing at a time and allow time between changes.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...oft-news/5fe3405e-aab2-4caf-a928-81e39729185d

Also take another look in Task Manager and Task Scheduler.

There could be something launching via Task Manager > Startup that is involved. There may be something that you did not notice before. For example, if you find some unknown or unexpected app being launched at start up then investigate further.

Likewise look in Task Scheduler for something set up to launch or happen at 0:00. Again, before changing, deleting, etc.. find out (if possible) what it is.

Where "time" is involved I always wonder about where/how a computer is getting its' clock set or synchronized.

Another tool to use is Process Explorer (Microsoft, free).

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

Use the tool to discover what all is running and determine if some process is unknown or unexpected.

 

[sajtoslecso]

Was ultimately unable to find the cause. I was checking what tasks popped up, or if any of my resource usage spiked. Was watching it for a while, but nothing suspicious ever appeared. Didnt get to turn off news feed, but it didnt happen since then. Imma resolve this thread, since one of your suggestions must have stopped it from happening, if it starts all over again and i find the culprit, im just gonna update my reply. I kinda suspect my graphics card's RGB app (RGB Fusion), since that was the last thing i tampered with, but only time will tell. I just set it to update the RGB while windows is booting ¯\(ツ)/¯ Wouldnt explain why was it around on all my older PC's though