BleepingComputer.com: Full Screen Applications Minimizing At Random

Hey everyone, first post so please be gentle, hehe.

I am running a gaming rig with Vista 64, and it was running flawlessly until yesterday (well, as flawlessly as can be expected). Suddenly, applications running in full screen are randomly minimizing to the taskbar. This phenomenon is occurring with both games and video, whether the video is streaming (Hulu) or being run through iTunes.

At first, I thought the AVG Resident Shield was the issue, since AVG was the only software that I had updated in recent memory (from version 8.0 to version 9.0), so I disabled it. When this didn't help, I disabled AVG entirely after closing my internet connection, and tried running video. The problem was still present. Today, after the minimizing occurred again, I updated my video driver to the latest version (nVidia) and it still minimized. Finally, I tried downloading and running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on the off chance that I had a malware infection, but after a full scan, only two items were found, and the problem is still occurring after their removal.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated at this point, and thank you in advance for your help.

Please run mbam again and if it finds the items again check items to get rid then do a system restart for mbam to do the job effectively also download
Superanti Spyware Free Version from this link http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispyware.html download it to somewhere you remember
When downloaded click on the .exe file and install it follow instructions so that it updates also make sure you uncheck the "Install Yahoo Toolbar" option when installing you don't need it

Then open SAS click on preferences tab then SAS control centre will open
When in control centre General Startup Tab
Make sure items checked in that only are :

Show SuperAntiSpyware icon in system tray
Use Windows Xp style menus
Intergrate with Vista Security Centre
Do not Scan when SuperAntiSpyware starts
Check for updates before scanning on startup

Then click on Scanning Control Tab and check everything except

Scan only known file types ( .exe, .com, .dll, etc. )
Scan for tracking cookies
Display scan option in Explorer context ( right click ) menu

When you have done that close it

Then right click on your Vista start button
Click Explore hit Alt button on keyboard
Click on tools>folder options>
Folder options opens click view tab
Check Show Hidden Files and Folders
Uncheck Hide Extensions for known file types
Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
Click Apply OK
If UAC says do you want to continue with this just click "yes"
Close the windows and then
Reboot in safe mode
Open up SAS in safe mode and run it !

Let me know how this goes Good Luck !!

Thanks for the quick reply, Doinmeedin- I appreciate it.

However, before I was able to take your advice, the problem went away. Apparently, AVG was missing a registry entry that was installed during the last update, and that took care of it.

But thanks again- I still have the SAS program, and will probably use it in the future.

OK oowatie just make sure you run it with the items checked in the order i said and also kepe it updated !

And... it looks like the problem is back, although it ran at full screen this morning for almost four hours without a hitch. I guess I'm trying your solution tonight, Doinmeedin. I'll post the results.

You have updated to AVG 9 you say, it seems like a lot of people are having the same problem from what i've read on quite a few sites, i'm wondering if it has something to do with AVG and if my solution don't get you sorted why not contact AVG direct.

Well, I ran scans with both Malwarebytes and Super Anti-Spyware, and both scans came up empty. I'll troll around the AVG forums a bit and see what I can find.

Thanks for all of your help, Doinmeedin, and please- if any of you other Bleeping Computer posters think of anything in the meantime, I'm definitely open to suggestion!

Apparently, this is an AVG issue with version 9.0. Looks like I'm going back to version 8.5 until a fix is in place. Thanks for your help, Doinmeedin.