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.
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.
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.
