SOLVED! Games Minimizing To Desktop Windows 10 2018

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Compared to its predecessors, Windows 10 is by all accounts superior when it comes to gaming support. Needless to say, a lot of PC gamers nowadays decide to run Windows 10 on their computers to take advantage of its ease of use, compatibility, customization, etc. Nonetheless, it’s worth pointing out that gaming on Windows 10 still leaves something to be desired. Currently, PC gamers complain about games minimizing to desktop Windows 10 2018 from time to time.

The Usual Suspects

  • One of the top suspects is viruses. Viruses can hide in your system and launch other applications over your game out of the blue. As the new process takes priority, your games will be minimized. Hence, once it comes to games minimizing to desktop Windows 10 2018, you should give viruses some thought.
  • In the case that your PC is a touchscreen model, take tablet mode into account. As the name suggests, tablet mode turns your PC into a tablet. However, when you enable tablet mode, all apps running in fullscreen mode would be minimized. Since apps include games, they cannot escape the minimization. 
  • While it comes in handy at times, game mode might cause your PC to minimize games all of a sudden. On the bright side, if game mode is responsible for games minimizing to desktop Windows 10 2018, there is no need to do much. 
  • All in all, GPU is the backbone of gaming computers so if your GPU experiences issues,  game minimization is one of the consequences. For instance, the drivers of GPU could be incompatible with games that you play. If you play games that your GPU drivers won’t support, problems ensue. 
  • Graphics cards have their limit and forcing them to work beyond it will lead to malfunction. If the GPU can’t process the game’s graphics, it’s natural for games to minimize in the middle of gaming sessions. 

What You Could Do

There are numerous causes for this issue, so you might have to use trial and error to solve it. If you know your PC well enough, you could be able to pinpoint the solution. Let us look at some of the best ways to fix this problem;

Change The Game Settings 

  • Step 1: Launch the game as an administrator.
  • Step 2: Go to the game’s Windows settings and find the Functions tab or your game’s equivalent.
  • Step 3: In the Window management tab, select “Prevent Window Deactivation.”
  • Step 4: Most games require a key combination for window deactivation. Create a combination and save the changes. This will prevent the computer from transferring automatically between windows. If you press the combination, it will minimize the window.

Install An Antivirus Program

Most computers will minimize programs to the taskbar if you run other processes. Some viruses will open apps in the background and cause your PC to minimize games. Thus, you should get an antivirus program and use it to scan your PC. Avast and AVG are two examples of solid antivirus programs on the market. Use the antivirus programs to eliminate viruses. Furthermore, as a precaution, always scan items before downloading them to your computer. 

Upgrade GPUs And GPU Drivers

Graphics are a crucial part of a gaming PC since games are mostly graphics. That means issues with GPU can mess up the operations of games. Updating the GPU drivers might be enough to bring things back to normal. 

Recent GPUs should be good enough for most games but their drivers could be outdated. Go to the GPUs driver settings and check for updates. If there are new updates, download and install them to optimize gaming experience.If you have an old GPU, new games could be too demanding. Hence, if possible, you should invest in a modern GPU so your PC can render games seamlessly. Keep the drivers of even built-in  GPUs up to date to avoid problems. 

Turning Off the Minimize and Maximize Animations Setting

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type Advanced System Settings and press Enter.
  • Step 2: Hit Settings under Performance.
  • Step 3: Uncheck the checkbox next Animate Windows When maximizing or minimizing.
  • Step 4: Select Apply, choose OK and close everything

Disable Game Mode on Your PC

Game mode can be advantageous for other PCs but it could mess yours up. Go through the steps down below to disable Game Mode.

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type Game Mode and press Enter.
  • Step 2: In Game Mode settings, toggle the switch to “disabled”
  • Step 3: Restart your PC.

How Can I Keep My Computer Games From Minimizing While I Play?

Close all apps in the background and prevent them from starting by default so they don’t launch over your game.

Should I Enable Game Mode On My Computer?

Gaming mode offers a great platform to run most games, but it could bring up issues with some games. The final choice depends on the titles.

Why Does My Game Keep Exiting Full Screen?

This is mostly because of your graphics card or game settings and you can fix it by matching the settings for compatibility.

Recommendations

  • Keep all your computer drivers up-to-date for optimal operation.
  • Disable automatic startup for apps and error reporting services on your PC.
  • Run scans regularly to ensure that your PC is free of malicious software.

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