microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

PowerToys startup always creates a transient console window (black flash), regardless of disabled modules

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#45,495 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
Area-Runner Issue-Bug Needs-Triage Product-General
Dominant language
C
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Description

### Microsoft PowerToys version

0.97.1 latest

### Installation method

GitHub

### Area(s) with issue?

General

### Steps to reproduce

On system startup, PowerToys consistently creates a transient console window (black window flashes briefly and disappears).

This happens regardless of which modules are enabled or disabled. Disabling one module only causes another PowerToys UI sub-process to flash instead.

PowerToys is configured to start with Windows using administrator privileges.

### ✔️ Expected Behavior

When PowerToys starts with Windows:

* No console window should be created or visible
* Disabled modules should not create UI processes at all
* WinUI3 sub-processes should be launched without a console

### ❌ Actual Behavior

At startup, one of the following processes is always created briefly, showing a black console window before exiting:

* `PowerToys.QuickAccess.exe`
* `PowerToys.ColorPickerUI.exe`
* other `PowerToys.*UI.exe` processes

If one module is disabled, another module’s UI process will flash instead.
**There is always at least one console window flash as long as PowerToys starts with Windows.**

Antivirus/EDR confirms the flashing window corresponds to the creation of these processes and their associated console host.

### Additional Information

_No response_

### Other Software

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reproducing the startup behavior with PowerToys configured to run with administrator privileges, then inspect creation of the named PowerToys.*UI.exe processes and their console hosts. Done means startup produces no visible console window, disabled modules do not create UI processes, and WinUI3 subprocesses launch without a console.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
40/100

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