Dim (UAC-Like) screen with bright cursor after switching user and back

[jmclaren7]

Hi! Id consider myself very experienced in matters like this but i am so stuck its not even funny.

The issue is that my screen will go dim after switching users or switching users and switching back, its not a set pastern and doesn't happen every time. so i havnt been able to reproduce the issue, however i have had it happen to more then one of my computers and on more then one installation of windows 7 (and windows 2008R2 in one instance).

Ruling out basicly any hardware issue is that my cursor always remains bright and sometimes switching/logout/login will resolve the issue on one account or the other account (no patern)

Decreasing the chances of a driver issue is that i have had this problem on 2 systems with different brand graphics over the course of 2 and 3 windows installations respectively all with multiple driver updates and re installations.

Ruling out a connection to UAC is that i have UAC totaly disabled on both machines

Heres the rub, i might be doing this to myself... but i cant just except that. instead of having my screen lock after a certain time frame, i use a special screen saver that 'runs a program'. the program ive chosen is "tsdiscon.exe", the executable used to invoke a 'switch user'.

when theses 2 computers are left unattended i need the next user to see the user selection screen, ive had too many issues with people not knowing to hit the "switch user" button on the lock screen.

ive found all sorts of people having this issue (dim screen bright cursor), but many seem to be dead ends or fixes that only fix the symptoms like the one show here:

display - Why does my screen dim on a desktop installation of Windows 7? - Super User

In that case someone suggested forcing the graphics card to use its own color/brightness profile instead of the systems, i tried this and it does seem to work but i want to know why the system profile is screwed up.

I repair computers professionally and do a fair bit of programming but i dont think ive ever found a progressive issue like this that i couldn't figure out, so any advice is greatly appreciated

 

[Ztruker]

If you don't use tsdiscon, does the problem go away?

 

[jmclaren7]

After the problem has already occurred once, using the start menu to logout or switch users MIGHT result in seeing a properly lit screen at the login/switch user screen, but then logging back in to that user account i still see the issue.

I know ive had logging out and in temporarily correct it a few times but not nearly enough to understand why or when.

as for Using the switch user button before the problem occurs, i have no good information, i think ive seen it cause the problem but that would be only on one of the systems and only a couple times.


---Does anyone have any suggetions how to trouble shoot this problem in depth, like enabling logs for terminal services/fast user switching. i dont mind sorting over mind numbing logs

---Ive been curios about how UAC dim the screen, i guess its called "secure desktop". im wondering if secure desktop is part of the terminal server process and remains active despite my disabled UAC, and is somehow a part of the log on lout procedure.

Ive been suspecting more and more that i have a program that's causing conflicts. i run allot of a-typical software but the only one the could remotely be suspected is VMware workstation and the fact that im a regular user of RDP and TeamViewer

 

[Ztruker]

Didn't answer my question. What happens if you don't use tsdiscon?

 

[Britton30]

Odd occurances. I too would be prone to blame the tsdiscon.exe as the culprit. Perhaps it goes to Switch User in some way Windows doesn't accept.