You may have experienced that when you run an application, it runs after you check it in the Task Manager, and you see nothing on the desktop screen. What would you do?
If you find an app running in Task Manager but not open on your screen, you cannot use the app. This issue can occur for several reasons, such as outdated video drivers, third-party software conflicts, corrupted app installation.
To resolve apps running but not visible, you can try the ways listed below one by one.
Other Interesting Articles
Causes of apps not displaying on the screen
There are several reasons the UI (User Interface) of the application is not displayed, including:
- The application is not running correctly: This may happen if the application is not run with administrator privileges or if the application is not installed correctly.
- Issues with graphics drivers: An issue with the graphics driver may cause the app to cannot display the UI properly. Try to update your graphics driver and try running the app again.
- Conflicts with other applications: Other applications installed on your computer may cause conflicts with the currently running application, and eventually cause the application UI to not display.
- Problems with screen resolution: Problems with the screen resolution may cause the app UI to not display properly. Make sure your screen resolution matches the app’s requirements and suits your preferences.
- Problems with app settings: Incorrect or corrupt app settings may cause the app UI to not display correctly. Try to uninstall and reinstall the app or try to reset the app settings.
- Problems with the operating system: Some issues with the Windows operating system can also cause the app UI to not display correctly. Try to update your operating system and try running the app again.
How to fix Apps running in Task Manager but not showing on Screen
Before you try some ways described in this article, the first step to fix the problem of applications running but not visible on the screen is to restart your Windows computer.
If an app is running but not visible in Windows, it’s probably running in the background or in “minimized” (compressed) mode. If this doesn’t help, here are some ways you can try to find and restore the invisible app:
- Try pressing the (ALT + TAB) keys to move the focus to another running app. The missing app may have been tucked in between the running apps.
- If the app does not appear when using the (ALT + TAB) keys, try using the Task Manager’s “Switch To” function. To do so, press the (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC) keys to open the Task Manager, then locate the missing app and click “Switch To” to open the app.
- Try checking the app icon in the Windows notification area (taskbar). The app may be running but hidden in the notification area. If you find the app icon, right-click and select “Maximize” or “Restore” to open the app.
- If the app continues to be invisible, try closing the app and reopening it from the beginning. If the app is a Windows built-in app, you may need to locate the .exe file of the app and run it manually.