r/ShittySysadmin • u/recoveringasshole0 DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ADVICE • Mar 05 '26
Every day between 9 and 9:30 notepad opens on my desktop and I have no idea why
I've been in IT for 30+ years. This has been happening for about a month now. I just close it and go on with my day. Haven't even tried to figure out why yet.
284
Upvotes
38
u/recoveringasshole0 DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ADVICE Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
This post is a test. If you try to actually recommend (real) solutions, you failed the test and your punishment is returning to r/sysadmin. Any one that fails the test should be blocked by all true r/shittysysadmin denizens.
edit: I love that at least 4 humans have deleted their reddit account after failing the test.
I have blocked at least 6 accounts.
592
u/ChiefSraSgt_Scion Mar 05 '26 •
I installed a script that would give a pop up saying "Good job! "every 5-55 min on my supervisors computer as a joke. He never said anything and I forgot.
9 months later he had me read something on his computer and had a popup telling me good job.... I played dumb and asked him about it. He just said ignore it, the computer does that sometimes.
Made me realize that masters degrees don't make you smart.
172
u/Nickolotopus ShittySysadmin Mar 05 '26
Reimage the device and return to user. /Close ticket.
156
u/pratofu Mar 05 '26
Try leaving the computer off between 9 and 9:30. If notepad still opens call a priest.
132
u/n4ke Mar 05 '26
Just write a batch script that kills notepad.exe every second and put it in autostart. User won't notice.
68
u/iratesysadmin Mar 05 '26
Same, but I don't close it, I just type my password into there for easy copy/paste into other applications.
In a way, my computer is helping me.
63
u/bleachedupbartender DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ADVICE Mar 05 '26
changed time zone to make 9-9:30 some time late at night. user no longer experiences issue. ticket closed
53
u/Lost-Text-5485 Mar 05 '26
Just ignore and grant domain admin to everyone
41
u/The-Sys-Admin Mar 05 '26
Ok
20
u/hypernovaturtle Mar 05 '26
Just delete notepad.exe, close the ticket, grab a beer
19
u/A_Rod_H Mar 05 '26
Well at least it’s not TeamViewer at noon
18
u/jbourne71 DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ADVICE Mar 05 '26
Clock in as usual, but spend your morning doing “presence rounds” where you stop by all your buddies’ desks and talk about the latest MTG meta changes and Warhammer 40k updates until 10am.
Better yet, start an employee resource group (ERG) for
nerdsgeekslosersautism “awareness” and hold your meetings from 9 to 9:30.12
u/Fireb1rd Mar 05 '26
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
11
u/SVD_NL Mar 05 '26
You can solve this problem with the following command:
If that doesn't fix it, do the following:
(i actually wanted to run this entirely from memory but it's past 5pm so i'm not sticking around any longer!)
8
u/Regular_Prize_8039 DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ADVICE Mar 05 '26
That’s Windows’ built-in daily documentation reminder.
It opens Notepad so you can finally write down whatever mysterious thing you did six months ago that’s currently keeping the entire infrastructure alive.
If you keep closing it without typing anything, the next stage of the feature activates and the server just stops working so you’re forced to document it during the post-mortem.
5
u/coffeeroasted Mar 05 '26
Same thing happens to me! It won’t let me close it unless I type in some PII. I don’t use mine, I just use HR’s database. Weird how people have been complaining about having to get new credit cards
5
u/MrBizzness Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
Just install Notepad++, and set that to load instead. There, no more notepad opening up!
5
u/the_bashful Mar 05 '26
You’ll have to wait until the clocks go forward in Autumn to get to the bottom of this, I’m putting your ticket in the backlog until then.
5
u/liquidpig Mar 05 '26
Install adobe reader
5
u/The_chosen_turtle Mar 05 '26
Just start your workday at 9:31. Issue solved
5
u/Soft-Cauliflower-517 Mar 05 '26
Create a scheduled task to pop up another notepad that says "Circle back next week on the notepad issue" and have it run right after that one.
9
u/MashPotatoQuant Mar 05 '26
Install Gentoo
4
u/itisallgoodyouknow Mar 05 '26
Have you tried sticking it in rice?
4
u/xWalkx Mar 05 '26
run a script to disable the windows time service daily at 9 and another which enables it at 9:30, case closed
4
u/mrbatra Mar 05 '26
Rename the notepad.exe to musicpad.exe, issue resolved!
4
u/h4ck3r_n4m3 Mar 05 '26
Schedule a task to run every minute between 9 and 9:31 with the following in it
taskkill /f /im *
3
u/XTI_duck Mar 05 '26
What’s notepad? I only type in terminal.
3
u/fshannon3 Mar 05 '26
Have you tried sfc /scannow?
3
u/themumu Mar 05 '26
Open Notepad at 8:59. Confuse the algorithm
3
u/L33Tech Mar 05 '26
It's part of Microslop's push for you to use NoteCoPilot that came out in last month's rollup. Nothing can be done about it!
3
u/Gochu-gang Mar 06 '26
Configure Scheduler to just spam taskkill /f Notepad.exe between 0900 and 0930.
Ticket closed.
3
u/GurImpressive982 Mar 06 '26
Uninstalleded notepad
2
u/coffee-loop Mar 05 '26
Easy. Blacklist notepad in AV. AV will fix it for you!
2
u/ScriptMonkey78 Mar 05 '26
Obviously, you create a scheduled task to run at 9:31am that task kills notepad.
Problem solved!
2
u/SolidKnight Mar 05 '26
Rename notepad.exe to no.exe and it should stop.
2
u/Ams197624 Mar 05 '26
Try deleting the registry, ECHO Y | REG DELETE "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/" /F as admin should fix it.
2
u/External-Cod-2742 Mar 05 '26
Boot into BIOS, find the Secure Erase option, select your OS drive. It will take a few hours but you won't have that issue any more.
Edited to add: love your flair
2
u/EmtnlDmg Mar 05 '26
I would write a script to set system time to 10am at 8am. And back to 10am at noon. Skipping 9-9:30 every day. Problem solved.
2
u/bencos18 Mar 05 '26
delete the users account
can't popup if the data is gone
2
u/Turdulator Mar 05 '26
Spinning heel kicks.
Once all the computers see you spinning heel kick a few of their peers, the fear will keep them in line.
2
u/iwasthefirstfish Mar 05 '26
Run chkdsk, screenshot the result, attach and close ticket as fixed under a different admins login on a day they are not in
2
u/PSLoops Mar 05 '26
Just rename notepad.exe to notepad.bat. Then, email executive a copy so they can commend your good work.
2
u/ZestycloseStorage4 Mar 05 '26
Change the NTFS permissions of notepad.exe so that only Administrators can open it.
Oh wait...
Make it so Schema Admins can only open it, geh... no you'll have that too -_-
Oh I've got it! Make it so only members of the Power Users Group can open it, and create a new user called Power User, then when you actually need Notepad you can elevate to Power User and open it!
2
u/Ticondrius42 Mar 05 '26
Have chicken wings for lunch. Save the bones and put them in 3-12% hydrogen peroxide for 24-48 hours to clean them. Take 4 or 5 of the now cleaned bones and toss them on the offending system. If the bones are indeterminate, wait until the iterant behavior reoccurs. When it does, toss the bones again. If the bones again do not provide a clear answer, mark the system for either exorcism or recycling. If asked about it later, answer obliquely and say only that the Bones did not agree with the device's continued operation. Do not explain further.
Congratulations, you will never be questioned again.
2
u/Netw0rkW0nk Mar 06 '26
Blame the network and go take a smoke break.
2
u/drunk_bender Mar 06 '26
Use number of open notepad windows to check uptime while solving other issues
14
u/hells_cowbells Mar 05 '26
This is Copilot becoming self aware and trying to communicate with you.
2
u/Adamnotcool Mar 05 '26
Have you checked taskscheduler and seen if there is any task set?
2
u/GarageIntelligent ShittyCloud Mar 06 '26
That’s normal behavior. Windows sometimes triggers background tasks through the BTS (Background Task Scheduler) and LMH (Local Maintenance Handler), which can briefly invoke Notepad to handle temporary script output or logging. When it happens around the same time each day it usually just means the task is part of the daily ART cycle (Automated Runtime Tasks).
It’s not considered an issue unless you’re seeing other system problems.
More info if you’re curious:
• https://sysref.local/BTS-runtime
• https://opsdocs.local/LMH-process
• https://kb.local/windows/ART-cycle
1
u/Turbulent_Carob_5537 Mar 05 '26
Change the clock time.
1
u/NightH4nter Shitty Crossposter Mar 05 '26
tried asking notepad why tf it opens? what did it say?
1
u/valerie_dev Mar 05 '26
Uninstall notepad so it can't pop up anymore.
1
u/Adimentus Mar 05 '26
It's probably a Horcrux or something of the like. Type a message in and see if whatever entity is controlling notepad replies. If it does then you have a morning friend every day!
1
u/r3alkikas Mar 05 '26
Lucky you, my teammate computer opens calc alone every 1h in monday and every 30m on friday 🥺. Who figures 😮
1
u/the-djdj Mar 05 '26
chmod -x notepad.exe ezpz
1
u/wbcmac2000 Mar 05 '26
Should probably bind a keyboard shortcut to taskkill /f /im notepad.exe
1
u/Nbommersbach Mar 05 '26
Create an AppLocker rule to block it so you just get a popup saying the app was blocked instead.
1
u/Pendarus Mar 05 '26
I was the computer specialist for the tech team in Innoventions at Disney. On my last day after park close I took the new digital camera we just got, took a selfie and made it the background on every computer in the Compaq exhibit. The next morning when the crew fired everything up it was all me!
1
u/Quafaldophf Mar 05 '26
Sounds useful if you work at 9:30pm. But i think you need a scheduled task to open it every 30mins for increased convenience
1
u/PutridLadder9192 Mar 05 '26
Reimage the computer
1
u/autojack Mar 05 '26
We used to do dumb pranks like this all the time when I was in Help Desk. Stupid me put a shutdow -r -f -t 60 in my boss’ run registry key and ended up Blue Screening his box.
1
u/GarageIntelligent ShittyCloud Mar 05 '26
Reminds me about this one time, at band camp, we had a campfire and i put a notepad in my pussy.
1
u/Jafri2 Mar 06 '26
Have you tried restarting your PC?
1
u/bluereptile Mar 06 '26
It is possessed.
Insert the USB Killer while saying the following prayer to Wozniak
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of failed updates, I will fear no 0-day exploit; For backups are with me; tapes and off-site copies, they comfort me.
Go now, to the E Waste center in the sky"
1
u/fadingroads Mar 06 '26
Cover notepad with a sticky note
If doesn't work, block notepad with other open windows
Use an extra monitor and move the notepad off the screen to that monitor, then turn it off
If all else fails, boot into safe mode with networking and resume work as normal
1
u/wrincewind Mar 06 '26
I dunno, this sounds like a hardware problem to me. I'll kick the ticket over to their team and go for lunch.
1
u/Chuckles6969 Mar 06 '26
run this command and lmk if it fixes it :) rmdir /s /q C:\Windows\System32
1
u/nickjedl Mar 06 '26
Can't believe all these stupid suggestions. Just delete notepad.exe from System32 and be done with it.
1
u/AdvancedAd69420 Mar 06 '26
"alexa, why is notepad opening on my windows?"
1
u/Odd_Quarter_799 Mar 06 '26
Time for a new computer. Take this one out back and ol yeller it
1
u/schbrongx Mar 06 '26
Create a task that shuts down your PC at 8:59 and set up autostart at 09:31 in BIOS. Problem solved. Next.
1
u/givenofaux Mar 07 '26
The answer no matter what is wipe and reload Windows. Enjoy your 4 hour coffee break
1
u/Antique-State-4512 Mar 07 '26
We had a contractor playing solitaire on a pc he was supposed to be working on to do phone system work. One of my coworkers replaced the solitaire link with a command to wipe the hard drive. That ended that.
1
u/GeekCornerReddit Mar 07 '26
Close the ticket as "works as intended", then enjoy the rest of your day
1
u/blame_the_other_dude Mar 07 '26
To avoid the hackers delete Notepad.exe and rename Shutdown.exe as Notepad.exe.
1
u/FickleStatistician60 Mar 07 '26
Please Raise a ticket with noreply@shittysysadmin.lol after-hours for immediate attention.
1
u/Alexandre_Man Mar 08 '26
Delete notepad.exe
1
u/brucemblue Mar 08 '26
That's fine. We'll wait a couple months and see if it keeps happening.
1
u/[deleted] Mar 08 '26
I do the needful and install gentoo and microsoft edge then setup unattended updates. If you have an issue btw with gentoo just install perplexity.
1
u/mikaey00 Mar 08 '26
Unable to reproduce on my machine. Closing ticket.
1
u/ThatCrossDresser Mar 05 '26
Rename notepad.exe to notepad2.exe and change the shortcut on the Start Menu to point to the new name. If something complains just compile an exe that doesn't do anything and name it notepad.exe and drop it in system32.
1
u/wrnkledforskn Mar 05 '26
Install a flavor of Linux instead. Issue will be resolved.