Rainmeter not showing up?

[mjz]

I have a strange issue with Rainmeter on one of my laptops which is connected to my network.

After a windows update (routine monthly updates) and rainmeter update (routine), my rainmeter displays no longer show up. Rainmeter is running and the skins are pretty much default out of the "box". But when I use RDP from another computer to the laptop, Rainmeter displays just fine as it always did. From my desktop computer, my laptop via RDP (remote desktop) is identical to what the laptop use to show when I am in front of it.

I can't figure this out .... I use rainmeter on other computers I have and it all just works (windows 10).

Thanks for any insight to what may be happening.
(I even removed and re-installed rainmeter and it still doesn't work)