Windows 11 Background Apps Issue

Dear LewisTyson,

Thank you for sharing detailed information about the issue you're experiencing with background apps in Windows 11.

I understand how inconvenient it must be to deal with app unloading and delays while multitasking.

I'd like to suggest a few troubleshooting steps that might help resolve this problem.

1. Disable Game Mode. Windows 11's Game Mode can prioritize gaming performance, but it might cause background applications to behave unexpectedly. Try disabling it:

• Open Settings.

• Go to Gaming > Game Mode.

• Toggle off Game Mode.

2. Disable Hardware Acceleration. Hardware acceleration can sometimes cause issues with video rendering, especially in apps like Chrome and Discord. Here's how to turn it off:

In Google Chrome:

• Open Chrome, click the three dots (menu) in the upper-right corner, and go to Settings.

• Scroll down and click Advanced.

• Under System, toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available.

• Restart Chrome.

In Discord:

• Open Discord and click the User Settings gear icon in the bottom-left corner.

• Scroll down to Advanced.

• Toggle off Hardware Acceleration.

3. Configure Multitasking Settings: Adjusting Windows 11’s multitasking settings can also help prevent background apps from being unloaded. Open Settings > System > Multitasking. Under Desktop, review the settings to ensure they meet your multitasking needs and don’t limit background tasks.

4. Cleanly Install Graphics Card Driver Using DDU: It’s great that your drivers are up to date, but sometimes a clean installation can resolve lingering issues. I recommend using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to fully remove your graphics card driver and then reinstall the latest version. Here's how:

• Download DDU from a trusted source.

• Boot your system into Safe Mode.

• Use DDU to remove your current graphics driver.

• Once the process is complete, reinstall the latest drivers from the official NVIDIA website.

The following link is a step-by-step guide to using DDU with an Intel graphics card as an example:

How to Use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to Uninstall an... (intel.com)

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites, or any support related to technology.

If the issue persists after following these steps, feel free to share more details or any additional behavior you’ve noticed.

Best Regards,

Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Thanks for your reply!

I have already disabled Game Mode in windows settings and the issue is still occurring.

I tried disabling one and both hardware acceleration features in Google Chrome and Discord and it did not resolve it.

I'm not sure what settings to change in the Multitasking settings of windows so here is my current settings

And I have just used DDU to uninstall my NVIDIA drivers and reinstalled them from the official NVIDIA website. This also did not fix the issue, and before i uninstalled the graphics drivers I tested to see if the issue was still occurring and before installing them it was still there. I was on Chrome going to install the drivers and checked in the alt + tab menu to see if i could see the camera and it was still greyed out/black.

Thank you for your response and help, but do you know if anything else could be causing it?

I unfortunately have also encountered this exact same issue and the provided solutions haven't worked. Is there any update on how to fix this issue?