Windows 7: Programs don't install until I open Task Manager

Windows 7 64 bit on a Dell Inspiron.



Not a major problem -- more of a minor irritation and an "I wonder if anyone else has struck this...?"

Whenever installing a program lately (can't remember how long -- I've been ignoring it for a while), Windows doesn't respond when I click the .exe installer file.
But as soon as I hit Ctrl - Alt - Del and open the Task Manager, Windows suddenly wakes up and installs the program without a hitch. I don't have to do anything in Task Manager; simply opening it is enough. Also, the computer hasn't crashed in this state. If I want to open another already-installed program and use it, I can without any problems. It's just that it completely ignores my command to run the .exe file until I threaten it with Task Manager.

The first couple of times, before I thought of opening Task Manager, I'd double click the .exe file several thousand times, as you do, wondering why it wasn't doing anything. Then, when I opened the Task Manager, it'd try to install the program several thousand times.
Now I know to simply double click the .exe file, then hit Ctrl - Alt - Del, and voila, the program is installed.

What I want to know is, why doesn't Windows install the program in the first place?

FYI, the programs I was having trouble with were (from memory) Dropbox, Skype, memoQ (translation memory software) and a few others I can't remember. I doubt that the programs were the problem though. I'm pretty sure this is a Windows problem.

Check your computer to see if there are any Trojan viruses around, that might be the main problem. It was for me when I had that problem. Try it out and reply to this post to tell me if that helped.

Nope, a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials turned up nothing.
Thanks for the suggestion though, BlackSparrow...

OK, than I'm am completely flushed out of ideas...
It's fine, and please just call me Ryan...

Dowload, update, and run a full scan with Malwarebytes Antimalware. MSE is a good program, but it isn't perfect (no antivirus is). Malwarebytes is a great on-demand scanner and will help confirm that you computer is virus free.

Just to gain some more information, if Malwarebytes won't isntall at first, open task manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. This will open task manager directly, rather than taking you to the Windows security screen. I just want to confirm that it really is task manager, not the security screen, that gets programs to install.

Try this option as well, SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker

Have you changed/checked your UAC status?

Try system restoring to a time before this started happening: System Restore