My PC has been acting strange for a while and I’m at a loss

Title: Troubleshooting Unusual PC Behavior: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you experiencing unexplained issues with your computer that leave you feeling perplexed? Common symptoms such as unresponsive right-click menus, an unresponsive taskbar, apps closing unexpectedly, and internet connectivity problems can be both frustrating and disruptive to your workflow. Additionally, difficulties with sleep mode and monitor shutdown can add to the mystery.

In this article, we will explore potential causes for these symptoms and outline effective troubleshooting steps to help you diagnose and resolve these issues.

Understanding Common Symptoms

Inability to right-click or access context menus
The taskbar or explorer bar disappearing shortly after startup
Applications closing automatically shortly after launching
Web browsers, like Google Chrome, failing to load webpages
The system not entering sleep mode or powering off monitor automatically
The system remaining awake continuously, requiring manual shutdown

Possible Causes

These symptoms could be due to a variety of underlying problems, including:

System file corruption or malware infections
Driver conflicts or outdated device drivers
Issues with Windows Explorer or shell processes
Hardware failures or overheating
Background processes consuming excessive resources
Problems with power management settings

Troubleshooting Steps

Run a Full System Scan
Use reputable antivirus and antimalware tools to check for infections that may cause unpredictable behavior.
Check for Windows Updates
Ensure your operating system is up to date, as updates often include important bug fixes and patches.
Update Device Drivers
Visit the manufacturer’s website or use Windows Device Manager to update your graphics, chipset, and peripheral drivers.
Perform a System File Check
Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run sfc /scannow to detect and repair corrupted system files.
Inspect Power Settings
Navigate to Power & Sleep settings to verify configurations for sleep mode and display timeout.
Reset power plan settings to default if necessary.
Monitor System Resources
Use Task Manager to identify any processes consuming abnormal CPU or memory resources.
Terminate any suspicious or unresponsive processes.
Boot into Safe Mode
Restart your PC in Safe Mode to see if issues persist in a minimal environment.
If problems resolve, consider disabling third-party applications or services that start with Windows.
Review Event Viewer Logs
Check Windows Event Viewer for error messages related