Steam Exits after close game

[BringABucket]

Every time I close a game a Command Box opens saying something like "TASKKILL"
The Command Box is only there for a split second so I haven't been able to read it but it seems to only have 1 line saying its complete then it closes. After the Command Box says complete Steam closes and I have to restart it.

How do I stop this, Windows scans don't show a virus so idk what to do

EDIT:
Command Box is Titled "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\taskkill.exe" and says "SUCCESS: The process "steam.exe" with PID (5 digit number that I don't know is sensitive or not) has been terminated."

[Tristin]

Scan with different anti-virus software and reinstall Steam? But still, there is no guarantee that malware will completely be wiped off. I'd reformat the OS, just to be on the safe side if there's any doubt. You might want to review how you browse, check network firewalls, etc to secure your system.

[BringABucket]

Originally posted by Tristin:

Scan with different anti-virus software and reinstall Steam? But still, there is no guarantee that malware will completely be wiped off. I'd reformat the OS, just to be on the safe side if there's any doubt. You might want to review how you browse, check network firewalls, etc to secure your system.

I don't think its a virus, my computer hasn't ran any slower and I hadn't installed anything new when it started happening, I also just finished a Full Scan & Offline Scan and nothing came up (Still Windows but more in depth than a quick scan). Nothing has changed except steam closing so I think I'm just going to reinstall steam

[BringABucket]

Originally posted by BringABucket:

Originally posted by Tristin:

Scan with different anti-virus software and reinstall Steam? But still, there is no guarantee that malware will completely be wiped off. I'd reformat the OS, just to be on the safe side if there's any doubt. You might want to review how you browse, check network firewalls, etc to secure your system.

I don't think its a virus, my computer hasn't ran any slower and I hadn't installed anything new when it started happening, I also just finished a Full Scan & Offline Scan and nothing came up (Still Windows but more in depth than a quick scan). Nothing has changed except steam closing so I think I'm just going to reinstall steam

So I was able to catch the CMD, this is the title and what it says:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\taskkill.exe
SUCCESS: The process "steam.exe" with PID (5 digit number that I don't know is sensitive or not) has been terminated.

Do I delete "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\taskkill.exe"?

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by BringABucket:

Do I delete "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\taskkill.exe"?

DO NOT DO THAT! "Hey, someone's constantly running around my place with a kitchen knife, we should get rid of our knives!" No, you should not, you should tell that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to stop running around your place with your knives. Get rid of that idiot abusing your tools, not of the tools. Even more so with that tool being a part of the system and messing with the system should be thoroughly thought through before followed through.
Instead, find out who's calling taskkill. Something on your computer, which either you or someone else installed, is calling taskkill on Steam.exe after a Steam game is closed. Steam doesn't do that, that one's obvious. Windows doesn't do that either.

SOMETHING's on your system that does it. How are you starting Steam games? Directly from Steam, or from some external launcher, script, anything?

[AmsterdamHeavy]

Jomel_Santos
Microsoft Agent | Moderator
Replied on May 9, 2017
Report abuse
Hi Evan,

Taskkill.exe is a type of an executable file developed by Microsoft for Windows Operating System. This has the function to end one or more task or processes and you shouldn't be worried about it. For further details, about Taskkill, kindly refer to this link.

Hope this helps and if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/is-taskkillexe-a-virus/03e39f0c-f6e3-4730-9240-6e3cebd7f974

[BringABucket]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by BringABucket:

Do I delete "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\taskkill.exe"?

DO NOT DO THAT! "Hey, someone's constantly running around my place with a kitchen knife, we should get rid of our knives!" No, you should not, you should tell that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to stop running around your place with your knives. Get rid of that idiot abusing your tools, not of the tools. Even more so with that tool being a part of the system and messing with the system should be thoroughly thought through before followed through.
Instead, find out who's calling taskkill. Something on your computer, which either you or someone else installed, is calling taskkill on Steam.exe after a Steam game is closed. Steam doesn't do that, that one's obvious. Windows doesn't do that either.

SOMETHING's on your system that does it. How are you starting Steam games? Directly from Steam, or from some external launcher, script, anything?

Im running it straight through Steam

[ReBoot]

How are you running Steam?

[BringABucket]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

How are you running Steam?

installed steam from steams official website months ago when i got my computer its been working completely fine and normal, it only started doing this a week or 2 ago. I download and run every steam game through steam, as far as I'm concerned nothing i have done has changed since it started happening.
how would i find out what is calling taskkill to open?

[ReBoot]

The best way to find out is to remember what you installed or to ask around what people using your computer installed. Following the thread from the beginning is way easier, than following it from the end. Steam doesn't this, Windows doesn't this, it's stomething you (or someone else) installed. If y'all don't remember a thing, you will have to follow the thread from the end.

First and foremost, I suggest a thorough cleaning of your system. If there's one piece of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ you don't know of and you really don't want, ♥♥♥♥ knows if there's other bad or downright malicious software running. Microsoft got a support article on clean-booting Windows, that would be a good start to get your system clean from crap.

There's also Process Monitor/Process Explorer. The former is a, well, monitoring & logging tool which can, among other things, log process starts (i.e. starting a process named "taskkill.exe"), the latter is a process browser. You can use both to see what exactly it is that's starting the process.

[BringABucket]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

The best way to find out is to remember what you installed or to ask around what people using your computer installed. Following the thread from the beginning is way easier, than following it from the end. Steam doesn't this, Windows doesn't this, it's stomething you (or someone else) installed. If y'all don't remember a thing, you will have to follow the thread from the end.

First and foremost, I suggest a thorough cleaning of your system. If there's one piece of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ you don't know of and you really don't want, ♥♥♥♥ knows if there's other bad or downright malicious software running. Microsoft got a support article on clean-booting Windows, that would be a good start to get your system clean from crap.

There's also Process Monitor/Process Explorer. The former is a, well, monitoring & logging tool which can, among other things, log process starts (i.e. starting a process named "taskkill.exe"), the latter is a process browser. You can use both to see what exactly it is that's starting the process.

what do i do once ive found taskkill on Process Monitor

[ReBoot]

You see what started it.

[BringABucket]

Ok so I'm pretty certain that the program doing this is Razer Cortex that i got when i got a new keyboard and mouse.

I closed cortex, played a game, closed it, steam stayed up.
opened cortex, played a game, closed it, steam closed.

I have no clue why it would do this.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by BringABucket:

Ok so I'm pretty certain that the program doing this is Razer Cortex that i got when i got a new keyboard and mouse.

I closed cortex, played a game, closed it, steam stayed up.
opened cortex, played a game, closed it, steam closed.

I have no clue why it would do this.

Well, now you've learned to install less programs :p This particular one is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ anyway, it's "Game Booster" function is sounds good in principle but is deeply flawed in practice. And killing Steam on your behalf is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ software design anyway. Even if you wanted Steam closed, they should've waited for cloud uploads to finish.

[aligherio]

It was Razer Cortex which did it for me. It's a neat option, but I've since disabled it.

Here's guidance:

https://insider.razer.com/razer-cortex-39/cortex-closes-steam-53804#:~:text=My%20name%20is%20Michelle%2C%20and%20I%E2%80%99m%20part%20of,on%20the%20Steam%20icon%20to%20turn%20it%20off.

[codaah]

thank you so much this has been bugging me so much