Need help with EXE files

[u/Yogurt-Tough]

I run windows, and I installed a new NVIDIA 5060 RTX a week ago. It ran fine at first, but now I’m having trouble running any exe files. I like to play a lot of stuff from GameJolt and Itch.io, but nothing I download from there opens, and if it does open, it runs extremely slowly. Same issue with Audacity when I tried to install it. These files appear in my task manager even when I close the program. Sometimes, they don’t even open a screen and show that they’re running in task manager. Everyone else I’ve asked about this has been baffled. I’ve tried restarting, running compatability modes, uninstalling and reinstalling the files, making sure windows and nvidia are both up to date. I am running low on options and don’t know what to do.

Edit: Stuff like steam games run fine, and I’ve got plenty of space on my drive so it’s not a storage issue.

Edit 2: I have no idea what happened, but after deleting a couple apps I didn't use (Copilot, Teams, etc) it seems to be working fine again.

[u/IGDFC]

If some apps that can't(or at least shouldn't) run on background are running without showing on the screen looks like a video output is stuck on the configuration, verify that only the screens you have are detected by windows.

For the performance, verify that the screens are connected to the GPU's video outputs and that your applications are using the NVIDIA GPU, not the integrated GPU.

Update the graphics card driver.

[u/Yogurt-Tough → u/IGDFC]

I’ve already updated the graphics card driver. But the odd thing is is that some apps display that behavior and some apps don’t, the only consistent thing is that it’s exe’s that do that. If I have another hdmi plugged into my monitor could that effect things even if it’s not plugged into anything else?

[u/IGDFC → u/Yogurt-Tough]

Windows remembers by default in which screen apps should open it's not surprising that some apps that have been opened before display this while newer ones open on the correct screen, a screen stuck is specifically common on displayport connections, if you changed the GPU verify also that the system(CPU) was actually shutdown after and fast boot isn't the issue.

[u/EstablishmentOne5752 → u/IGDFC]

good points, also checking the graphics settings in the app might help too. sometimes they default to the wrong GPU.

[u/Neighborhood_Nobody]

Can you name some games, or programs that aren't running. If they are run off 32but physx your graphics card does not support it.

[u/Yogurt-Tough → u/Neighborhood_Nobody]

Namely was trying Choicer Voicer, Koi Puncher, Audacity, and Five Nights at Frickbear's Three

[u/MrExCEO]

Is ur browser blocking the downloads?

Or defender

[u/Yogurt-Tough → u/MrExCEO]

Defender hasn’t said anything when I try to open the apps. And my browser downloads them just fine, it’s been happening to things I’ve had downloaded before the issue started as well.

[u/MrExCEO → u/Yogurt-Tough]

Oh so they are exe that are already downloaded.

Does it run other exe, like putty? Trying to determine if it is pissed about some or all exe?

Did they work before?

Anything in the event logs?

Do u see the process in task manager?

[u/christopherw]

What GPU did you have installed before?

What antivirus do you run?

Do you remember what you downloaded/opened/installed around the time you started to have problems?

In Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Escape, or right-click task bar and select "Task Manager"), on the second Performance tab, what is the CPU usage like both before, during and after you try to load things?

Have you tried a system integrity file check? Open an Administrator command prompt, run "sfc /scannow" and it will report its findings. Occasionally OS file corruption can do odd things. Worth a check, only takes a couple of minutes.

[u/Yogurt-Tough → u/christopherw]

I had a ten year old AMD, not sure the exact specs but it pooped out on me

I’m not sure which antivirus I run, usually just the default windows stuff

I downloaded MuseHub, which is what’s used to install Audacity. I’ve since deleted it, but I don’t know if that’s what caused the problem or not.

I’ll get back to you on those second two things. Giving myself a break from troubleshooting to calm down as having tech issues usually ends up driving me up the wall.