TBH: Taskbar Hero Guide: Fixing The Black Background Bug
Booting up a background idle game is completely pointless if it blacks out your entire desktop.
I love letting Taskbar Hero run while I work, but the game has a very annoying display quirk. Sometimes it launches in its usual windowed state, but it turns the rest of your screen pitch black. Before you start frantically uninstalling programs or updating graphics drivers, stop. I figured out exactly what causes this, and you can fix it in about thirty seconds.
The Root Cause
The issue stems from how Windows tries to handle the game client. Microsoft loves to force specific rendering optimizations onto apps, and Taskbar Hero does not play nicely with them (a shocker, I know).
Applying The Fix
You don't need to download any sketchy third-party patches to resolve this. You just need to dive into the Steam installation folder and flip one specific toggle.
Finding The Executable
Open up your Steam Library and locate Taskbar Hero. Right-click the game title, hover over the Manage option, and click on Browse local files. This opens the actual folder on your hard drive where the game lives.
Tweaking The Properties
Look for the main application file ending in .exe (it usually has the game logo right next to it, so you really can't miss it). Right-click that executable and hit Properties.
Disabling The Optimizations
A new window will pop up. Click over to the Compatibility tab at the very top. Look down near the bottom of this menu for a checkbox labeled "Disable fullscreen optimizations". Windows leaves this unchecked by default. Check that box, hit the Apply button in the bottom corner, and close the window.
Getting Back To The Grind
Go ahead and launch the game through Steam again. That annoying black void should be completely gone, letting you get back to actually seeing your desktop while your party farms.
