Windows 8 - constantly swapping to App screen and resizing text size etc.

[tAKticool]

Hi all-

Got me a brand new laptop computer ... about 36 hours old now Acer Aspire V5-552PG-X469 (which apparently is identical to the V5-552PG-X809).

Anyway I am new to Windows 8 ... and I am having this big problem where the screen keeps constantly switching to the Windows 8 "Apps" screen where there are all the built-in program boxes. At first I Googled it and someone said to disable switching when you swipe in from the left edge. I did that and it still didn't help. So then I disabled App switching to recent apps, still keeps happening.

Then I googled some more, someone said it was App notifications, each time the sports or weather or news box got something it was switching back to that screen? Well who knows if that is true, I disabled notifications for apps, still keeps happening.

So I am now not sure at all, while I am using Google Chrome (often I am using Chrome for my various activities) it keeps switching to the Windows screen so I have to be doing something I do not realize or am activating something/have some sort of setting wrong... Please help if possible!

Thanks much!

 

[The_Prophecy]

By Apps screen, are you talking about the main Windows 8 Start Screen? Or is it going somewhere else? Could you get a screenshot of what you are seeing? The more confusion we can avoid, the better

 

[tAKticool]

Sorry I should have been more clear, believe it or not I am not a total st00pit n00b but I am in fact a Windows 8 n00b, I believe the Windows 8 Start Screen is the correct term.

I can't help but think it has something to do with a gesture I am making OR some sort of notification because it happens randomly as I am typing or moving on the mouse trackpad. But whenever it flashes back to the Start screen , the little boxes always instantly update with a new News headline, Sports headline, (the stocks and weather are usually a little more consistent, the weather doesn't change as quickly etc.).

But I feel like I purposely disabled the Notifications and Swipe-in-from-left thing, I am stumped.

 

[The_Prophecy]

You may be hitting the Windows key on your keyboard by mistake? Check where your wrists are resting on your keyboard.

 

[tAKticool]

Ok I waited all day to respond because I wanted to be sure... it's definitely not me hitting a KEY, it has something to do with the mouse trackpad. It is a gesture I am obviously making but am unable to repeat it to figure it out.

I determined to stop immediately the "next time" it happened and a few times I was sure, my right hand was moving the mouse cursor via my finger on the mouse trackpad. I BELIEVE it has happened either as i am swiping or right clicking on the right side of the pad, i cannot figure it out. i disabled the switching, i looked over the Synaptics Poiting Device gestures, i can't figure it out.


I just wanted to update and say thanks, I guess I am on my own on this one lol.

 

[tAKticool]

Well I came back to this to post "my own" answer/solution if you will , because I thought maybe anyone might be interested or it might help someone down the road.

I have spent the past week seriously trying to figure this out. The past 48 hours or so I spent with serious attention focused on why some sort of gesture of mine was *constantly* bringing up the Start menu. I am right handed, I am positive it was a right-fingered (either single finger, index finger, or possibly thumb, but more and more it was happening with my single index finger on the Track pad) and a simple touch and then movement would bring up the Start menu.

I got into the Synaptics settings many times, going over them with a methodical precision, and could not find anything about gesturing and Start menu or anything similar. It was frustrating. Especially because every Google search seemed to say , "Oh you need to disable those settings in your Synaptics settings profile ". I tried to update the driver a few times and it always said I had the latest driver, even though some other people had features on their screenshot of the Synaptics program I did not have in mine.


Anyway it was very frustrating. Last night I was about to put my laptop away for the night (and I usually use my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 in bed right before bed, much more portable/comfortable when lying down etc.)... I checked out Windows Update to see if I needed to Update and Restart (before bed.) There were no important updates but two Optional updates.

One was an update to Windows x86 or whatever, looked important. The other was an updated something-or-other letter combination driver for Synaptics pointing device!!

Well wouldn't you know I installed this like 65 mb file of a driver, now I cannot *SEE* any difference, i.e. there are no settings extra than was before, but (and hopefully not jinxing it now) i have not had the Start screen pop up on me once since it restarted after update/install. So that had to be it, I had some sort of driver error/problem etc.



I AM JUST Posting this because someone else might have a problem, now or down the road, maybe someone gets a new Acer Aspire or some other computer with the Synaptics program, and has the problem I have.... And as I said, believe it or not I am not a st00pit n00b but this really was making me feel like one....well looks like it's been cured. Hope this helps someone down the road, thank you for all the help and understanding in listening to my problems and trying to solve it with me.

 

[The_Prophecy]

Glad you got it sorted. Thanks for posting back and letting us know.

 

[MsBee]

I am having the exact same problem Takticool described. I have a new ASUS laptop. I just still don't understand what to do about it. Unlike Takticool, I am seriously "st00pit" when it comes to computer. Help?! please.

 

[johnbl]

if your system was getting a error from the driver, it might make a error report to microsoft and put the solution to be accessed by the windows update service.
normally, you would click on the windows action center icon in the system tray, open the action center, select for maintenance, view reliability, sleect view all problem reports or check for solutions. Some people turn off reporting problems to microsoft so they end up with a large queue of unreported problems.
(that causes other problems) often if you report the problem to microsoft, they in turn report it to the vendor and may give microsoft the fix to push out to anyone that has the same problem reported.