# Windows 10 won’t let me close/open



## Smikes77 (May 19, 2021)

Hi

windows 10 won’t let me open, or close (if I can open) any apps, including task manager, and won’t let me minimise, or activate anything at all. Google, Cubase, etc, and then suddenly it will be ok. This only started happening today when I noticed it automatically closed a YouTube window. It may ‘freeze’ anywhere between 30 seconds and a few minutes. I can still move the mouse, but cannot select anything. It also happens when I only have Cubase open, and also when I only have google open. Or indeed any folder. This sucks as I have 3 upcoming films to do and the deadline is going to be tight. It always is. I really need this sorted. 

Any gurus that can help?


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## José Herring (May 19, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> Hi
> 
> windows 10 won’t let me open, or close (if I can open) any apps, including task manager, and won’t let me minimise, or activate anything at all. Google, Cubase, etc, and then suddenly it will be ok. This only started happening today when I noticed it automatically closed a YouTube window. It may ‘freeze’ anywhere between 30 seconds and a few minutes. I can still move the mouse, but cannot select anything. It also happens when I only have Cubase open, and also when I only have google open. Or indeed any folder. This sucks as I have 3 upcoming films to do and the deadline is going to be tight. It always is. I really need this sorted.
> 
> Any gurus that can help?


Usually this crap is a sign of an upcoming drive failure or corrupted drive. You can try a restore type software that restores the drive structure and the registry. 

The only other possible problem could be corrupted ram but that usually leads to full on crashes.


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## José Herring (May 19, 2021)

Also found this. 









Cannot open programs - Windows 10 *SOLVED*


So I had turned on my computer to it needing a Windows update yesterday (3/20), afterwards I was not able to open most of my programs, Google Chrome only opens up as a blank page, and programs like



answers.microsoft.com


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## Smikes77 (May 19, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Also found this.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks! Yes I found another bloke saying the same thing. It’s god to see that the solution seems to have been repeated. If this doesn’t work, do you think reinstalling windows might work?


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## José Herring (May 19, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> Thanks! Yes I found another bloke saying the same thing. It’s god to see that the solution seems to have been repeated. If this doesn’t work, do you think reinstalling windows might work?


I think that's the last ditch solution. 

I'd first try the fix above. If that doesn't work then try updating Windows. A lot of errors get fixed when it updates because it also scans for errors and fixes those. That's what worked for me once. Took about 2 tries though.

The next if you're on the internet and this good to do any way is to bootup in safemode with networking and run a virus scan.

The next would be to scan your harddrive for errors, test your memory for errors, ect.

Last would be to reinstall Windows 10.

Dead last would be to do a clean install on a new disk.


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## Voider (May 19, 2021)

I had 3 crashes after the last windows update, so I've uninstalled it, since then it's all fine again.
For now you could try this and / or system recovery.

Or just backup all your files on an external drive and make a quick and clean new install if you're on a deadline and haven't a lot of time for troubleshooting if those solutions above doesn't work.


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## Smikes77 (May 19, 2021)

Voider said:


> I had 3 crashes after the last windows update, so I've uninstalled it, since then it's all fine again.
> For now you could try this and / or system recovery.
> 
> Or just backup all your files on an external drive and make a quick and clean new install if you're on a deadline and haven't a lot of time for troubleshooting if those solutions above doesn't work.


A new install of windows?


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## Smikes77 (May 19, 2021)

José Herring said:


> I think that's the last ditch solution.
> 
> I'd first try the fix above. If that doesn't work then try updating Windows. A lot of errors get fixed when it updates because it also scans for errors and fixes those. That's what worked for me once. Took about 2 tries though.
> 
> ...


Honestly, the biggest problems I’ve had in the past is when I’ve updated windows. I hate them.


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## labornvain (May 19, 2021)

Have you looked at the event viewer?


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## Voider (May 20, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> A new install of windows?


Not sure if you refer to my first or second paragraph,
so in the first I just meant uninstalling the newest update (that's possible).

In the second I've meant to make a new install of windows yes, and backup all your data and projects before. But that would just be an emergency solution if you'll not seem to be able to find the reason quickly enough and your deadlines coming closer.


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## Smikes77 (May 20, 2021)

labornvain said:


> Have you looked at the event viewer?


I don`t know how to use this


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## Smikes77 (May 20, 2021)

I uninstalled the latest update, but that didn`t do anything.

Oddly enough, my keyboard still works and can bring up apps this way. So, I plugged in my old mouse and so far works. Really weird. Not sure for how long though. I going to try the new account user next.


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## EgM (May 20, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> I don`t know how to use this



[WinKey] + X / Windows Logs / Application or System


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## PedroPH (May 20, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> I uninstalled the latest update, but that didn`t do anything.
> 
> Oddly enough, my keyboard still works and can bring up apps this way. So, I plugged in my old mouse and so far works. Really weird. Not sure for how long though. I going to try the new account user next.


But if everything's working with a different mouse, then probably the mouse was the problem. Or am I missing something?


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## Smikes77 (May 20, 2021)

PedroPH said:


> But if everything's working with a different mouse, then probably the mouse was the problem. Or am I missing something?


Yep. It`s still working fine. Normally when you hover the mouse arrow over an icon, the icon highlights but it wasn`t even doing that.

That mouse was only about 3 months old. Basilik X hyperspeed.


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## mscp (May 20, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> Hi
> 
> windows 10 won’t let me open, or close (if I can open) any apps, including task manager, and won’t let me minimise, or activate anything at all. Google, Cubase, etc, and then suddenly it will be ok. This only started happening today when I noticed it automatically closed a YouTube window. It may ‘freeze’ anywhere between 30 seconds and a few minutes. I can still move the mouse, but cannot select anything. It also happens when I only have Cubase open, and also when I only have google open. Or indeed any folder. This sucks as I have 3 upcoming films to do and the deadline is going to be tight. It always is. I really need this sorted.
> 
> Any gurus that can help?


Honestly, if I were you, I'd do either one of these things:

1 - Clean install
2 - Take the system drive out, plop an empty one in, and install windows.

The reason for number 2 is to check if it's a hardware issue. If all is fine, I'd then plop the system drive back in, and start diagnosing/searching for answers.

It'd be much easier/faster than to go through the myriad of possible issues...(in this particular case).


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## Smikes77 (May 21, 2021)

Phil81 said:


> Honestly, if I were you, I'd do either one of these things:
> 
> 1 - Clean install
> 2 - Take the system drive out, plop an empty one in, and install windows.
> ...


But it`s been working fine since I changed the mouse.


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## mscp (May 21, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> But it`s been working fine since I changed the mouse.


That’s why I’d take the second step, because it could be a hardware issue


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## EgM (May 21, 2021)

If you really wanna make sure it's the mouse, just try it on another Windows machine. If it still acts up on the other machine, then you'll have your verdict


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## PedroPH (May 21, 2021)

I wouldn't mess with the system if it works. Testing the mouse that was causing problems in another computer won't hurt, though.

EDIT: Put another way: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it".


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## mscp (May 21, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> Oddly enough, my keyboard still works and can bring up apps this way. So, I plugged in my old mouse and so far works. Really weird. Not sure for how long though. I going to try the new account user next.


oops- didn't read this one. Then it's safe to say it's a mouse issue if you plug it in another computer and it behaves erratically. 

Another thing I'd probably do is to go to Device Manager under Mouse and use it with the HID compliant driver instead of the dedicated one (if Windows has it installed).


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## kb123 (May 22, 2021)

Any time i have had this issue, i do a ctrl alt delete to bring up the logout screen, press cancel and then everything is fine again


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## Karljazz (May 23, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> But it`s been working fine since I changed the mouse.


have you tried to insert this mouse into another computer?


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## Smikes77 (May 23, 2021)

Karljazz said:


> have you tried to insert this mouse into another computer?


Not yet, I will do though.


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## Karljazz (May 23, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> Not yet, I will do though.


its very strange that the mouse leads to a such glitch, it will be interesting to know how it will behaves on another computer


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## Smikes77 (May 23, 2021)

I know right. Really Weird. What`s also weird, is that I replaced my old mouse because it was double clicking. And now I`m using that old one and it's not double clicking.

It`s like some weird mouse paranormal activity where one has sacrificed its soul for another.


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## Karljazz (May 23, 2021)

Smikes77 said:


> I know right. Really Weird. What`s also weird, is that I replaced my old mouse because it was double clicking. And now I`m using that old one and it's not double clicking.
> 
> It`s like some weird mouse paranormal activity where one has sacrificed its soul for another.


It`s like some weird mouse paranormal activity where one has sacrificed its soul for another.


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