Last night I left my computer on trying to download 3 games from GOG. I went to bed at 4 am and by 7:45 am was on my second bathroom trip. (Sorry if this is TMI, just trying to get the info down right.) The first time I got up I saw that the installation for Jack Keane had failed and the second (Jack Keane) game was downloading. The second time I got up the download had stopped, saying there was no connection. My internet looked connected so I tried to start the download again. (I don't use GOG that often so am not sure what happens with it when I loose my connection but with Steam I have to exit out of Steam and open it again for the connection to come back; it will not just connect again when the internet comes back.) GOG would not connect again so I thought it might be like Steam and decided just to shut down the computer. Usually I wait to make sure my computer starts up and shuts down properly but, of course, I didn't. I clicked shut down and went back to bed. While laying there I thought about getting up just to make sure but then I didn't. Can we guess where this is going?

Four hours later when I did get up, my computer was still on and it did not look right! I wish I had written down some info but was a little panicked. One thing was the desktop picture and there was a question on there asking "do you like this picture" (or something like that) and it said it was something or other in Italy. You could answer yes or no and if no, it would change the picture (apparently - I didn't try it out). I believe there was weather information showing on the bottom left to middle of the screen. The Start button was on the right and there might have been something else there. Oh, and it was at a "sign in" screen. I can't remember if that was in the actual desktop picture or didn't appear until after I clicked the Start button so I could "shut down". It said that I and any other users might not be able to access certain information. I got worried and didn't click "shut down". I tried "restart" and it said the same thing but then I realized it always says that if you forget to close some window before shutting down (my wording isn't quite right but you may have seen it yourself and know what I mean). Anyway, I restarted and it came up looking fine and I ran a quick Malwarebytes and Norton.

The desktop screen looked like something I think I saw in some Windows 12 video and at first I thought somehow my computer had upgraded itself but it is not even capable of upgrading to Windows 11....

Thoughts on this please???

Nothing sensible springs to mind after having read all of this. If and when something does, I will get back to you.

That sounds exactly like the most recent update to Windows 11. My laptop is Windows 11 and that's the same screen. But the Start button is never on the right... On Windows 11, it's in the middle. Try going to your updates and see what it says there.

Oldbroad is running Windows 10. I will be interested to hear what this turns out to be.

Yes, I know she is running Windows 10 which is what makes this very curious and puzzling!

Updates doesn't seem to show anything unusual. (Checked this morning - up to date.) There's an optional quality update available. Last feature update 10/30/22. Last quality update 3/11/25.

Still shows I'm running Windows 10 Home Version 22H2

The start button was definitely in the right lower corner.

That is so strange! Not in any version of Windows is the Start button on the lower right corner!

I have nary a hint about what happened, but the screen you described sounds exactly like the splash screen I have on my Windows 11 laptop. I swipe it up or click on it to enter my password.

Well, leave it to me to have the weird stuff!

Normally I would have just used my power button to turn the computer off if something like this showed up on my screen but it actually just looked more mysterious than dangerous. I did panic when I couldn't find the way to shut down at first. And once I hit that start button I could not go back to the desktop; could only shut down, restart, (something else like maybe sleep) or sign in, I believe it meant in to my Microsoft account. I don't really know but I wasn't about to try to find out.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Just reading about all that is enough to give me a headache …. let alone experiencing any of it !!
I hope all goes well for you, oldbroad

Thanks, Mad!

Oh, Drac, I may have mis-stated what I meant when I said the "start" button. I think It was actually just a "power" button, no programs and whatnot like when you click your "start" button.

OK. Yeah, there is that one on the lower right with shutdown and maybe switch user and sleep? Don't remember for sure.

Can be annoying. But look at it from the bright side. See it as a puzzle you need to solve to access to the next level.