This problem started some weeks ago and is happening in two machines now.
When I try to start some portable programs I see the launch screen. After some seconds the lauch screen closes but the program interface does not appear.
If I look at "task manager" I can see the program process but no user interface. Also tried various compatibility modes and "run as administrator" without success.
Finally I tried to open these programs inside a sandbox (Sandboxie) and they worked perfectly.
Some programs showing this behavior:
PuttyPortable
uTorrentPortable
Notepad++ Portable
SnapTimerPortable
Is there something I can do about it?
All of those apps work without issue on Windows 7 and SnapTimer hasn't been updated in a very long time. So, the culprit is probably something on your PC itself that changed in the last few weeks that is causing the issue. Most likely, it's an antivirus issue. Sandboxie would make it so your antivirus can't scan it while it runs. Check your antivirus logs. Also check that your TEMP directory has proper permissions.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!