📎 AI Summary:
The forum thread discusses a recurring, brief black postcard-sized message appearing unexpectedly on a Windows computer, with users exploring methods to capture or eliminate it. The original poster, John, reports that system restore temporarily resolved the issue, but the message's origin remains uncertain. Contributors suggest various troubleshooting approaches, including system restore, system file checks, examining running processes, and considering malware, aiming to identify and resolve the mysterious popup.
The forum thread discusses a recurring, brief black postcard-sized message appearing unexpectedly on a Windows computer, with users exploring methods to capture or eliminate it. The original poster, John, reports that system restore temporarily resolved the issue, but the message's origin remains uncertain. Contributors suggest various troubleshooting approaches, including system restore, system file checks, examining running processes, and considering malware, aiming to identify and resolve the mysterious popup.
Solution
davidhk129
Essential Member
Have you done a command prompt (cmd) before?
If yes, did that black postcard faintly resemble the cmd window flashing by ?
How long ago has this been happening?
Is it too late to do a system restore?
If possible, do a system restore. Pick a date when you did not have this problem as your restore point.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/
davidhk129
Essential Member
Perhaps, you might consider doing a system file check. It is to look for corrupt files. It will try to do repair if any found.
Start > search box, type cmd > top left, right click at cmd.exe > select Run As Administrator > at the flashing prompt, copy and paste this command......
sfc /scannow
press Enter.
Sit back and wait.
It will give you a summarized report. It will say one of the followings : ( paraphrasing )
1. No integrity violation found.
2. Found some corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Found corrupt files but unable to repair.
Start > search box, type cmd > top left, right click at cmd.exe > select Run As Administrator > at the flashing prompt, copy and paste this command......
sfc /scannow
press Enter.
Sit back and wait.
It will give you a summarized report. It will say one of the followings : ( paraphrasing )
1. No integrity violation found.
2. Found some corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
3. Found corrupt files but unable to repair.
It is so fast, I could not 'screen print'. I did try the restore, a week back, NO better. I restored to about a month ago, and it seems to work now. Sorry, David, I tried what you stated. it went to a black, post card sized message. I could not go beyond that. With the restore it has been OK for about 12 hours, wish me luck.
Thank you everyone......................john
Thank you everyone......................john
davidhk129
Essential Member
OK So you did a system restore and rolled back to a month ago.
Now, do the system file check anyway to make sure you do not have corrupt files.
If all goes well, create a new restore point. This will be you most up-to-date NEW restore point. You won't need to roll back one month back anymore.
Adding.......... have the habit of creating a new restore point in regular basis whenever your computer is running smoothly. That way, you won't have to go back too far if system restore is required.
Last edited:
davidhk129
Essential Member
TheHeretiC
New Member
The first question is:
* When and how often does the message prompt come up?
* Is it when u are doing something special like working in a program, browsing sites, or when u have other programs running?
* Can u recreate the showing of this message?
* Do u have any antivirus or firewall software that generally show ads?
* If u check task manager, what programs and processes do u have running when this message occurs?
* Have u checked the system logs in Event Viewer under Administration Tools in the Control Panel to see if theres a message about this there?
That "black post card" could be anything from a driver loading or a backround process like defragmentation to a spyware.
It sounds like there´s a CMD window.
But if u could answer these questions we could narrow it down to figure out what it is.
* When and how often does the message prompt come up?
* Is it when u are doing something special like working in a program, browsing sites, or when u have other programs running?
* Can u recreate the showing of this message?
* Do u have any antivirus or firewall software that generally show ads?
* If u check task manager, what programs and processes do u have running when this message occurs?
* Have u checked the system logs in Event Viewer under Administration Tools in the Control Panel to see if theres a message about this there?
That "black post card" could be anything from a driver loading or a backround process like defragmentation to a spyware.
It sounds like there´s a CMD window.
But if u could answer these questions we could narrow it down to figure out what it is.
