https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/RSS/?TopicID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40 DisplayFusion RSS: Ghost "Paint" window appears on Virtual Desktops in Task View (Win+Tab) with DisplayFusion enabled Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:21:00 GMT en hourly 1 https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/RSS/?TopicID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40 https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/View/ghost-paint-window-appears-on-virtual-desktops-in-task-view-wintab-with-displayfusion-enabled/?ID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40#2 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 03:48:18 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/View/ghost-paint-window-appears-on-virtual-desktops-in-task-view-wintab-with-displayfusion-enabled/?ID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40#2 DisplayFusion Resolved.
The cause was that images in “AppData\Local\DisplayFusion\Web Images” were not previewed in Explorer.
Disabling “Always show icons, never thumbnails” in Explorer settings resolves this. ]]> https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/View/ghost-paint-window-appears-on-virtual-desktops-in-task-view-wintab-with-displayfusion-enabled/?ID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 03:05:00 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.displayfusion.com/Discussions/View/ghost-paint-window-appears-on-virtual-desktops-in-task-view-wintab-with-displayfusion-enabled/?ID=019b1ff7-ebbc-760b-9bcb-bc52d0909d40 DisplayFusion Hello,

I am experiencing a persistent issue where a "ghost" window (displaying a large MS Paint icon) appears on every new Virtual Desktop in the Windows 11 Task View (Win + Tab).

Here are the details of the behavior:
1. When I create a new Virtual Desktop, a window displaying the Paint app icon appears in the Task View thumbnail.
2. This "window" cannot be interacted with normally and appears to be a visual artifact or a background process that DisplayFusion is holding onto.
3. Initially, this was the "Microsoft Photos" app icon. After I uninstalled the Photos app to troubleshoot, the artifact immediately switched to the "MS Paint" app icon.

**Troubleshooting attempted:**
I have confirmed that **DisplayFusion is the cause**. If I exit DisplayFusion, the issue disappears immediately. However, I cannot pinpoint the specific setting causing this, as I use the exact same DisplayFusion settings on another PC without any issues.

I have already tried the following steps, but the issue persists:
* Disabled "Apply transition effects when changing wallpaper".
* Disabled "Automatically fix wallpaper images...".
* Cleared the Wallpaper Source list and re-added local images.
* Manually deleted the cache in `%LocalAppData%\DisplayFusion\Wallpaper_Cache`.
* Reset/Removed Wallpaper Profiles.

It seems like DisplayFusion is creating a background window for wallpaper rendering that Windows 11 incorrectly identifies as an active app window (Photos/Paint) on Virtual Desktops.

**System Information:**
* OS: Windows 11
* DisplayFusion Version: Pro 11.1.1 (Steam)

I have attached screenshots of the Task View showing the ghost windows and my current wallpaper settings.

Could you please advise on how to fix this?

Thank you. ]]>