November 11, 2026

Windows 10 PowerShell Window Pops Up at Startup: Finding What Launches That Blue Box

Every time you sign in, a blue PowerShell window flashes open for a second and closes, or stays open showing lines of text you did not type. Sometimes it appears again at random times during the day. When a Windows 10 PowerShell window pops up at startup, it means something on the PC is running a script automatically.

Many legitimate programs use PowerShell scripts for updates, device setup, or company management. A printer utility, a graphics driver helper, or a work device management agent may run a quick script when you sign in.

Unfortunately, malware also uses PowerShell, because scripts can download files and change settings without obvious windows. A script that runs repeatedly, especially with long encoded text, deserves a slot88 careful look.

Finding the source tells you whether to remove it or simply leave it alone.

What Might Be Causing It

The window appears for these reasons:

• A start-up program or scheduled task runs a PowerShell script.
• A driver or utility performs a configuration check at sign-in.
• A work or school management tool runs scripts.
• Malware uses a scheduled task or registry entry to run hidden commands.

Windows itself rarely shows a visible PowerShell window during normal start-up.

First Steps to Try

Look at start-up entries.

1. Open Task Manager and select the Startup tab.
2. Look for unfamiliar entries, and right-click one, then choose Open file location to see where it lives.
3. Disable entries you do not recognise and restart to test.
4. Uninstall programs you added just before the window started appearing.
5. Run a Full scan in Windows Security.

Note the exact time the window appears and any words you can catch on screen. A name such as a printer brand or graphics vendor quickly points to the program responsible.

If the Problem Continues

Check scheduled tasks.

1. Press Windows + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter.
2. Select Task Scheduler Library and sort by Triggers to find tasks that run “At log on.”
3. Open each suspicious task and check the Actions tab for powershell.exe and its arguments.
4. Disable tasks pointing to unknown scripts or strange folders such as AppData or Temp.
5. Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan or a second-opinion scanner from a trusted vendor.

Long text after “-enc” or “-EncodedCommand” in a task is a strong sign of malicious activity.

Protect Your Data First

If you suspect malware, change important passwords from a different, clean device. Do not delete scheduled tasks you do not understand from company-managed PCs; report them to IT instead.

The Bottom Line

A PowerShell window at start-up means a script is being launched automatically. Check Startup items and Task Scheduler, keep legitimate tools, and remove anything unknown after a malware scan.