How to Stop the Command Prompt from Popping Up Randomly?

If the command prompt keeps popping up randomly and disappearing within a millisecond, it is likely due to a third-party program triggering a scheduled task automatically. This can happen when the background process of applications is often linked to software updates or other startup scripts run through the task scheduler. This can be very frustrating for users, especially if you play games.

The command prompt may appear at certain intervals, such as every 10 minutes, 1 hour, or similar periods. Apart from scheduled tasks, you may also encounter this issue due to malware or corrupted system files.

With the causes in mind, let’s move to the solutions that can help identify the culprit resulting in this issue.

1. Disable the Culprit Program from the Task Scheduler

Since the command prompt pops up at regular intervals, we can identify the culprit program that is causing the issue by using the Windows Task Scheduler. We can simply disable the scheduled tasks that trigger the command prompt once we identify the culprit.

To identify the culprit program, you need to either note down the time when the command prompt pops up, or you can identify it by using the task description, which contains the intervals at which the program is triggering the command prompt.

Common tasks that often cause the command prompt to pop up are GoogleUpdateDaily and OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration. If you cannot find the culprit program by following the steps below, you can look for these tasks and disable them to fix the issue.

Note: Only disable tasks if you are confident they are non-essential or directly related to the unwanted command prompt activity. If unsure, research the task online to understand its purpose. Some processes, such as system and software updates, might use command prompts and should not be disabled without thorough consideration.

1. Open the Start Menu and search for Task Scheduler.
   
2. Press Enter to open it and select Task Scheduler Library from the left pane.
3. If you have noted down the time when you encountered the last command prompt pop-up, you can easily identify which program triggered the pop-up by checking the Last Run Result. If you are not sure, wait for the command prompt to pop up again and then check the Task Scheduler.
4. Once you are completely sure, right-click the task and select Disable.
   
5. If you don’t want to disable it, double-click the task to open its Properties.
6. Then, go to Properties and click Triggers from the top.
7. Select the trigger and click Delete. Repeat this step with all triggers.
   
8. Once done, you should no longer encounter the command prompt pop-ups.

2. Run a Full System Scan

If the issue still persists, the chances of malware executing background tasks via the command prompt are very high. Therefore, you should run a full system scan to remove any malware threats and infected files that could be causing this issue.

To run a full system scan, you can also use reliable third-party antivirus software if you prefer. However, we recommend using the built-in Windows Defender to scan the system by following these steps.

1. Click the Start Menu and type Windows Security.
   
2. Open it and navigate to Virus & Threat Protection.
   
3. Click Scan Options and then select Full Scan.
   
4. Finally, click Scan Now to run a full system scan.
   
5. Once done, verify if the issue is resolved.

3. Disable Startup Programs

Having too many startup programs enabled can cause the command prompt to pop up without user consent. Disabling unnecessary startup programs can help you determine whether they are causing the issue.

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager to open it.
2. Go to Startup Apps from the left pane.
3. Right-click the unnecessary programs one by one and select Disable.
   
4. Once you have disabled all the unnecessary programs, verify if the issue is fixed.
5. If the issue is fixed, it means one of the startup programs is causing the issue. You can re-enable the startup programs one by one until you encounter the issue again. Once you have identified the program, you can now re-enable other programs and uninstall or disable the culprit one.