Windows 10 and 11 Users Report Mysterious White Window Bug—Chrome Background Task May Be Responsible

A growing number of Windows 10 and Windows 11 users are reporting a strange issue where a large blank white window appears in the corner of the screen after starting, unlocking, or restarting their PC. The problem has been observed on both AMD- and Intel-based systems, and early reports suggest it may be linked to a background task installed with Google Chrome.

Neither Microsoft nor Google has officially acknowledged the issue.

A White Window That Blocks the Desktop

Affected users describe a blank white window appearing shortly after logging into Windows. The window can cover a significant portion of the desktop, preventing interaction with icons, applications, or other on-screen elements.

The behavior varies between systems:

• The window may disappear after a few seconds.
• In some cases, it remains indefinitely until the PC is restarted or the underlying process is stopped.

The issue has been reported on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Chrome Background Task Appears to Be Involved

Investigations by users and technology publications point to a scheduled task called RunPlatformExperienceHelperOnUnlock.

The task is located under GoogleUserPEH in Windows Task Scheduler and appears to launch whenever a user unlocks or signs into Windows.

Although Google has not documented its exact purpose, it is believed to support Chrome background services, potentially including extension management, update processes, or other platform components.

Importantly, the problem does not appear to be caused by the Chrome browser itself, but rather by this auxiliary background task.

Disabling the Task Appears to Fix the Issue

Users who have disabled RunPlatformExperienceHelperOnUnlock report that the white window no longer appears.

So far, there have been no widespread reports of functionality being lost after disabling the task, although its precise role remains unclear.

How to Disable the Task

If you’re experiencing the issue, you can disable the scheduled task manually:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type taskschd.msc and press Enter to launch Task Scheduler.
3. Navigate to:
   • Task Scheduler (Local)
   • Task Scheduler Library
   • GoogleUserPEH
4. In the center pane, locate RunPlatformExperienceHelperOnUnlock.
5. Right-click the task and select Disable.

If the task is responsible for the bug on your system, the white window should no longer appear after your next sign-in or restart.

No Official Fix Yet

At the time of writing, neither Microsoft nor Google has confirmed the cause of the issue or announced an official fix.

Until one becomes available, disabling the scheduled task appears to be the most effective workaround for users affected by this unusual Windows bug.