{
  "id": 19291819,
  "title": "Logging I asked for was already running: 87,279 windows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/logging-i-asked-for-was-already-running-87-279-windows",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-10T05:59:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/cryptopunk_dz2_bd054446a6/logging-i-asked-for-was-already-running-87279-windows-121l"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 6, the user requested logging for flashing black windows on their hub. The logging had been running continuously since that date, totaling 87,279 entries. The instrument itself ceased functioning on September 12, and for 59 days, the issue went unnoticed. A persistent black terminal window would appear and disappear every few seconds, making it impossible to type normally. The user needed to identify the processes behind these windows, whether they were parasitic or junk background processes, and find a way to either dampen or eliminate them. The existing logging provided the necessary information, with 87,646 lines of window hiding data over 37 days. The logging showed that Windows Terminal accounted for 66.8% of hidden windows, while pseudo-console made up 32.3%. The primary source of the issue was identified as the coding agent itself, which opens a visible console window for every shell command on Windows, with no switch to prevent this behavior. Other potential culprits, such as HP security software and ChatGPT desktop app monitoring, had been ruled out. Two feasible solutions were proposed: changing a property of an object using an S4U flag, or installing a hider process that would need to be kept alive. The user concluded that the best approach was to run the existing audit on the hub, restore the hider's autostart, and conduct a freshness check on the logging log, as it contained the crucial information needed to resolve the problem.",
  "summary": "I asked for logging on the flashing black windows. The logging has been running since 6 August and holds 87,279 entries. The instrument itself died on 12 September, and for 59 days nobody noticed. A black terminal window appears and disappears on my hub every few seconds. It grabs focus, and typing normally is impossible. I need to work out what those windows are and which processes launch them.…",
  "key_points": [
    "User requested logging for flashing black windows on August 6",
    "Logging totaled 87,279 entries over 37 days",
    "Windows Terminal accounted for 66.8% of hidden windows"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}