microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys
PowerToys startup always creates a transient console window (black flash), regardless of disabled modules
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 139k
- Forks
- 8.6k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
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
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