UNKNOWN PROGRAM/APP FROM WINDOWS/MICROSOFT
About a week ago I discovered a new app/program on my computer and have never seen it before (see picture). It was installed on 20.05.25 and it was the same day I reinstalled Windows 11 home. Everything was then completely deleted so that I had clean hard drives and cleaned them afterwards with Revo uninstaller. 20.05.25 and the next few days only Windows 11+upgrades to Windows were installed. This app/program was not there then and only appeared about a week ago, when I saw it for the first time. I think it was after one of the upgrades for Windows. The strange thing about this app/program is that it has no "size". It only says 3 dots there and therefore I can't find out where it is. It can't be uninstalled and it changes name every time I start the computer. Mostly Japanese letters/text. I have run Windows Defender both via Windows and at startup. Nothing is found. I have run Malwarebytes and Super antispyware in full scan. Can't find anything. From the date on the app/program, I see that it must be a Windows or Microsoft app. Only from those that were installed that day and the next few days. The computer is not used very often, as it is a work machine where I mainly just write articles and do genealogy research. So not much with programs on it. Mainly Office 365, upgraded drivers, Google Chrome, Legacy, which is a genealogy program, and some tools that came with the purchase of the computer. Everything is upgraded to the latest. Wondering if this could be a Windows program/app that Windows has removed and that was not completely uninstalled? I have another computer and a laptop. Neither of them have this. So wondering if anyone else has experienced this and possibly knows what causes it and how it can be removed?Map Network Drive : Issue(s)
We have 2 small PC based Windows 11 servers used for Business Files, Music, Photos etc. Running Win 11 25H2 managed via a Workgroup with shared folders - ( c drive) We have 2 Lenovo Thinkpad T490s machines running Windows 11 25H2 with successfully Mapped Network drives on the 2 PC/Servers, again in the same Workgroup and using the User Name & Password credentials of the individual PC/servers. These were Windows 10 builds upgraded to Win 11. The mapped drives would have been activated under Win 10. We have recently purchased 2 new Lenovo Thinkpad laptops also both running Windows 11 25H2 and these also have been added to the same Workgroup. These use MS Workgroup accounts with Pin login. We have attempted to Map Network drives from the new Laptops using the login credentials of the 2 PC/servers ( User Name & Password) and receive the following error: "The mapped network drive could not be created because the following error occurred: We can't sign you in with this credential because your domain isn't available. Make sure your device is connected to your organization's network and try again" Any thoughts on how to resolve. This is becoming a real frustration. Murray
Swapping disk drives
Hey all- I have two identical Dell 7310 laptops. Both have M2 SSDs. One developed a memory error and the RAM is not replaceable, it is soldered onto the motherboard. And of course it is the laptop with critical work being done. So question...can I simply take the drive from the bad one and swap it with the other laptop? Not sure what or if these drives/OS installs get married to the individual hardware or not. Anybody able to shed light on this? It is Windows 11 Pro. I'm just fearing a TPM issue, etc. GeorgeC
Start Menu and Current User
Have 3 accounts on Windows 11: 1) Mike Contreras (Admin) 2) Mike (User) 3) Mary (User) Signed in as Mike (User) but the Start Menu displays Mike Contreras (the Admin account) When I show other users (still signed in as Mike - User), the other accounts are correctly show Mary (User) and Mike Contreras (Admin) Signing in as Mary works fine Any suggestions as how to get my User account to display properly in the Start screen? Thanks! Mike Contreras Mike Mary
7 General suggestions to Windows and its Apps
During my experience on Windows I’ve been thinking about how it could improve, especially around Fluent Design. I wrote down seven ideas that I’d love to hear opinions on. I will be sharing them here: #1: Two branches for Windows and content updates; Trying to please everyone with a single version of Windows is difficult, so Microsoft could maintain two official branches of the system: a “Vintage Windows” (like Windows 10), for those who prefer the classic interface and a more traditional look, with extended support indefinitely and security updates. And a “Modern Windows” (Windows 11), consistent with Fluent Design, constantly updated, and focused on introducing new features. Both would use the same kernel and APIs for developer compatibility. This approach would offer users greater freedom of choice and demonstrate that a trillion-dollar company is dedicating teams to simultaneously deliver traditional features and modernity. I’ve seen many people complain about the lack of consistency and lack of content. Additionally, I miss feature updates for Windows and hope that Microsoft brings more flexibility, apps, and Fluent 2-style fixes in future updates. And, yes, this would increase the efforts and costs, but it's a cost that a trillion-dollar company could take. #2: Modern Flyouts and Windows' limitation with volume mixer; In Windows 11, the multimedia controls displayed by apps like Fluent Flyouts are very limited; they only allow you to pause or skip tracks, with no option to adjust the volume or use repeat or shuffle buttons. This makes the experience less convenient compared to Android, where users can control the app’s volume or the music’s volume separately, and the operating system allows third-party apps to do so. My suggestion is that Microsoft should be more flexible and give apps like Modern Flyout the ability to adjust the volume, so you could turn the music up or down without affecting the overall system volume. Honestly, it’s surprising that something as basic as this hasn’t been implemented yet in the most widely used operating system. #3: Lack of flexibility in the Windows 11 search bar; Windows 11 still limits users and developers to a rigid and impractical search bar. Apps like Fluent Search, Flow Search, and Everything Toolbar are much faster and more powerful, but they’re confined to taskbar icons or floating search bars, while the native search bar takes up space without offering the same efficiency. Microsoft needs to be more flexible and release an API that allows third-party apps to appear as a search bar directly on the taskbar. This isn’t a complex feature; it’s something simple and obvious that should already exist. If the official search bar itself isn’t improved, the least they could do is give other apps the freedom to offer a superior experience. It’s frustrating to see Windows remain limited in such basic aspects, while other systems offer more modern and practical solutions. Microsoft needs to listen to users and stop holding Windows back with an outdated model. #4: Windows Task Scheduler and other menus and tools need to be updated The native Windows Task Scheduler is completely outdated and inconsistent with the Fluent 2 style. Independent projects like the Fluent Task Scheduler show that it’s possible to have a modern, organized, and much more user-friendly interface. It’s frustrating that these apps have to coexist with outdated system tools, without being able to replace them or integrate with the system. Microsoft, as a trillion-dollar company, should invest in modernizing its own utilities or hire independent developers who have already proven capable of creating superior solutions, such as the Fluent Task Scheduler. The lack of visual and functional consistency in Windows is glaring and needs to be addressed #5: Lack of flexibility in naming user folders Compared to the Android system; Windows is very inflexible and lacks practicality in many ways. For example, if my folder is C:\Users\eagl, I cannot simply correct it to eagle without creating an entirely new user profile. This lack of flexibility is a major hurdle for personalization on what could be a basic and simple fix. On Android, I was already so used to the system’s practicality that when I switched to Windows—which was supposed to be a more robust and powerful system—I was surprised to find it lacks even such a basic feature. #6: Differences in user experience between home and business users, and inconsistencies in Fluent 2; Microsoft seems to be focusing more and more on businesses, consistently applying Fluent 2 to apps like Teams, Outlook, and Office, while everyday users are left with a Windows full of outdated and inconsistent menus. This contradicts the marketing that promotes Fluent 2 as the standard, yet is frequently violated by the official apps themselves. It’s frustrating to see that Microsoft can’t deliver on its promises. If it really wants to preserve old elements for the sake of businesses, then it should separate the systems, as in point #1: a legacy one for compatibility and a modern one for home users. Or, at the very least, adhere to the Fluent 2 style across all of Windows. I love Fluent 2 and really want to see significant progress in this area, but seeing that Microsoft itself hasn’t made much effort in this regard has been a disappointment. The trillion-dollar company that talks so much about innovation shouldn’t be delivering a fragmented and outdated system. #7: Digital Wellness and productivity; Microsoft should make a native app with fluent style to help users watch their screen/app time. In 2026 there hasn't been an app that's free, solid and that feels native in Windows 11, because there aren't any API for that. Apps like Activity Watch for some reason don't work in my PC and apps like SolidTime are paid and not really fluent. Naturally, something like this should be made by Microsoft itself. Android has it since the beginning, why Windows doesn't have it yet? I believe that these suggestions, even though difficult, could contribute for a more consistent user experience, improved productivity and easier accesibility.
My PC isn't eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade
I'm trying to figure out why a PC that I built for my parents a couple of years ago isn't compatible for Windows 11 upgrade. I have the specifications below: CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor Motherboard: Gigabyte B460 AORUS PRO AC ATX LGA1200 Motherboard Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 CL16 Memory Storage: Kingston A2000 250 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE Radeon R9 270 2 GB Video Card Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Mid Tower Case Power Supply: EVGA 600 BQ 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit I checked the requirements list for Windows 11 and it seems like all of the parts are compatible. What am I missing? Thank you
Windows Defender Notifications Not Working — Even After Clean Installs, BIOS Reset & Full Repairs
Hi everyone, I’m facing a strange and persistent issue with Windows Defender notifications, and I’m hoping someone here may have encountered something similar. During routine system maintenance, I noticed that Windows Defender has completely stopped showing notifications — no scan completion alerts, no threat‑found pop‑ups, nothing at all. Troubleshooting I’ve Already Done To rule out corruption, configuration issues, or hardware‑related causes, I’ve carried out extensive testing across multiple clean installations: Reinstalled Windows using the Media Creation Tool → still no Defender notifications Reinstalled Windows again using Rufus → same result Reset BIOS / cleared CMOS Installed an older Windows 11 build (offline, before updates) → still no notifications Deleted all partitions on every reinstall (full clean install) Verified all Windows Defender notification settings, including Enhanced Notifications Checked Windows notification settings to ensure Windows Security is allowed Ran SFC Performed DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth Confirmed no registry or Group Policy entries suppressing notifications Reinstalled Windows Defender components Scanned with third‑party tools and Microsoft MRT — no issues found Ensured Windows Push Notification System Service is running Despite all of this, Defender notifications never appear on any fresh installation. Microsoft Support I opened a support ticket with Microsoft. One engineer performed an in‑place repair install Another advised me to post the issue here for deeper investigation Ticket reference: 710148747 Additional Technical Findings 1. Notifications are not being suppressed No GPOs applied No Intune configuration profiles No registry entries modifying notification behaviour Local notification settings fully enabled Defender notifications fully enabled It’s not a profile corruption It’s not a user hive issue It’s not a local DB issue It’s OS‑level 2. Windows Notification Platform (WNP) appears to be the root cause Across multiple clean installs: ShellExperienceHost exists on disk. Focus Assist toggle produces no toast (not sure it does) other apps like mail, Logitech, steam can toast notification, i don't see defender toasting any scan notification. WNP is partially working Defender is partially registering The scan‑completion channel is failing specifically This behaviour is consistent and reproducible. 3. Defender functionality validated using EICAR I manually created the EICAR test file and ran a scan: Defender detects and removes the file correctly Detection appears in Protection History A threat notification appears Scan completion notifications do NOT appear This confirms: Defender itself is functioning The notification delivery layer (WNP) is not working question at MS QA- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5864084/windows-defender-notifications-not-working-even-afNot enough disk space and can't clear temp files?!
Hi, I am having problems with my acer aspire 5. I have very limited disk space and it says 700+gb are taken by temporary files: When I try to press on temporary files and clean it, it gives me like barely any files to clear: I have trawled this forum trying all the commands I can find but they're all making no difference! This is making my laptop unusable, any advice? TIA
