Spinning circle shows every two seconds

Rebooting had no effect. Also odd is that my wallpaper went black for a few seconds several times today. I opened Task Manager and took a photo with my phone. Any idea what is causing this? Thanks.

Things to try:

SFC/DISM

Make sure you have no corrupt system files that is causing this problem. Open a command prompt as administrator and type sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair. If it found corruption it could not fix followup with this command (note the spaces)
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Restart computer
(Note-you can follow up with another sfc /scannow command to make sure that dism repaired the files)

CLEAN BOOT

Perform a clean boot to eliminate software conflict causing the issue. If it doesn't happen in a clean boot, you have some software conflicting with Windows. Brink's procedure will help you weed out which one. Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts Tutorial

SAFE BOOT
If a problem doesn't reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings, basic device drivers, and services as possible causes. If it doesn't happen in safe boot, it's more than likely a 3rd party driver.

Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer might give you a clue as well but I'd try the other stuff before I jumped off into event viewer.

My guess ... something is executing (probably too often) in the background, and mouse pointer is set to "show" this activity ... root cause is perhaps best found with TaskMgr or similar tools. In the meantime, consider ...

"Here's a solution I've found to at least stop the blue circle:

1. Start with the Microsoft suggestion of going to the mouse properties.
2. Click on the "Pointers" tab.
3. Select the "Working In Background" pointer and click on "Browse"
4. Select the first mouse arrow option (the one that looks like a normal mouse arrow)

This doesn't get rid of whatever is causing the system to have to keep working in the background, but it will at least make the blue circle stop popping up."

source: answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/spinning-blue-circle-next-to-mouse-pointer/ad08de02-29a0-4bf5-bdcd-fbb1370d5a0d

Hope this helps ...

glasskuter said:

Things to try:

SFC/DISM

Make sure you have no corrupt system files that is causing this problem. Open a command prompt as administrator and type sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair. If it found corruption it could not fix followup with this command (note the spaces)
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Restart computer
(Note-you can follow up with another sfc /scannow command to make sure that dism repaired the files)

CLEAN BOOT

Perform a clean boot to eliminate software conflict causing the issue. If it doesn't happen in a clean boot, you have some software conflicting with Windows. Brink's procedure will help you weed out which one. Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts Tutorial

SAFE BOOT

Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to boot Windows 11 into normal mode, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default...

www.elevenforum.com

If a problem doesn't reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings, basic device drivers, and services as possible causes. If it doesn't happen in safe boot, it's more than likely a 3rd party driver.

Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer might give you a clue as well but I'd try the other stuff before I jumped off into event viewer.

Click to expand...

One problem I did not mention before: I had completed a pdf form for my bank and when I tried to view the saved file Adobe Acrobat reader closed because it detected a conflicting program. I uninstall Acrobat and attempted to open the Microsoft Store to download it and the store window flashed open for a millisecond and then closed. I did a shoulder shrug and got the download online. Reinstalling Acrobat did not fix that problem. The "background" loading issue had been present throughout this time and, as I mentioned, attempts at clearing via reboot had not helped. Now, for the results from the troubleshooting steps:

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Image Version: 10.0.22631.4317
[==========================100.0%==========================]
Error: 0x800f081f
The source files could not be found.
Use the "Source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more information on specifying a source location, see Configure a Windows Repair Source.
The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log
PS C:\Users\nBLUE>

When I booted in Safe Mode the background loading circle was gone but I still could not open the Microsoft Store app. This error message appeared:
Explorer.exe - System Error The system detected an overrun of a stack-based buffer in this application. This overrun could potentially allow a malicious user to gain control of this application.

Just a quick question. Do you use a static wallpaper, a slide show, or an animated wallpaper background for Windows?

allan said:

Just a quick question. Do you use a static wallpaper, a slide show, or an animated wallpaper background for Windows?

Click to expand...

Static

OK. I had a thought, but if your background is static I was off target.

allan said:

OK. I had a thought, but if your background is static I was off target.

Click to expand...

glasskuter said:

Things to try:

SFC/DISM

Make sure you have no corrupt system files that is causing this problem. Open a command prompt as administrator and type sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair. If it found corruption it could not fix followup with this command (note the spaces)
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Restart computer
(Note-you can follow up with another sfc /scannow command to make sure that dism repaired the files)

CLEAN BOOT

Perform a clean boot to eliminate software conflict causing the issue. If it doesn't happen in a clean boot, you have some software conflicting with Windows. Brink's procedure will help you weed out which one. Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts Tutorial

SAFE BOOT

Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to boot Windows 11 into normal mode, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default...

www.elevenforum.com

If a problem doesn't reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings, basic device drivers, and services as possible causes. If it doesn't happen in safe boot, it's more than likely a 3rd party driver.

Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer might give you a clue as well but I'd try the other stuff before I jumped off into event viewer.

Click to expand...

Well, it got a lot worse before it got better. While in the process of doing the clean boot I opened Settings and set off rapid beeping. I thought somehow there was something depressing a key on my keyboard or that a key was stuck, but no, and I was eventually able (no idea how) to get beyond the freeze of everything that was taking place and boot into safe mode. A few minutes ago I decided to retrace the steps that had led to the beeping as twice since then, for no reason that I could see, I had gotten the beeps alarms. The second I opened settings, the beeping went crazy. I even made a video of it that shows movement of the mouse or cursor as the trigger. FINALLY, though again I don't know how or why, I escaped the freeze and was able to close Settings. That is when I remembered that you had said I could run "scannow". This time the message was good news:
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at
windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline
repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag.

The good news is that there is nothing working in the background (no circle popping up), and I can open setting without setting off alarms.
The puzzle is that I am still unable to open the MS Store app, not that I really need to. I was just expecting that it would now work since the other problem was resolved.

Did you run another SFC to make sure all files were fixed with dism?
If dism wasn't able to fix the corrupt files, Your next step is either a repair install or a clean install. Be sure to back up your data first. I suggest a repair install. But this brings up a decision for you to make. If you are currently running 23h2 (the build you posted indicates you are) and want to remain on 23h2, to do a repair install requires a 23h2 iso. The Win11 iso links from MS (or the media creation tool) will download 24h2. While you can attempt to do a upgrade with the 24h2 iso (which upgrades you to 24h2) do so at your own risk as there are a number of issues that are affecting a lot of people. Whether you would be one of them, I can not say. I was one of 24h2's victims and had to do a clean install to get 24h2.
.


get 23h2 from UUPDump first one for amd64. Use Rufus to create install usb drive if clean install is necessary..

glasskuter said:

Did you run another SFC to make sure all files were fixed with dism?
If dism wasn't able to fix the corrupt files, Your next step is either a repair install or a clean install. Be sure to back up your data first. I suggest a repair install. But this brings up a decision for you to make. If you are currently running 23h2 (the build you posted indicates you are) and want to remain on 23h2, to do a repair install requires a 23h2 iso. The Win11 iso links from MS (or the media creation tool) will download 24h2. While you can attempt to do a upgrade with the 24h2 iso (which upgrades you to 24h2) do so at your own risk as there are a number of issues that are affecting a lot of people. Whether you would be one of them, I can not say. I was one of 24h2's victims and had to do a clean install to get 24h2.
.

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...

www.elevenforum.com

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 is a client operating system and includes features that users and organizations should know...

www.elevenforum.com

get 23h2 from UUPDump first one for amd64. Use Rufus to create install usb drive if clean install is necessary..

category:w11-23h2 - Browse known builds

category:w11-23h2 - Browse known builds on UUP dump. UUP dump lets you download Unified Update Platform files, like Windows Insider updates, directly from Windows Update.

uupdump.net

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

Rufus: Create bootable USB drives the easy way

rufus.ie

Click to expand...

Don't know if you saw my previous reply (I had clicked on a post by @allan by accident and tried to exit that, but perhaps the reply to you went to @allan, instead). Great news because sfc /scannow did ultimately fix the problem!!! I'm thrilled. I did just run it again just in case I was supposed to and it found zero problems! Still puzzled about what triggered the glitch The only thing "new" I had done was complete a pdf form online and save & print it, then tried viewing it via Adobe Acrobat. The "background" circle was already happening, I believe. At any rate, rebooting is my default when I encounter odd software or OS behavior and rebooting didn't fix either problem. The MS Store app crashing is still puzzling but I only discovered that during my Adobe troubleshooting efforts. As for Acrobat, I'm still getting the "invalid plugin" error message for that, too, and since these problems all SEEMED to appear at the same time, I thought that fixing the one would fix them all. There are always red herrings. Thanks so much for your help and I'm truly grateful to NOT have to have to reinstall Win11!