SE:V -- Problems after Alt-Tab

BudgetMessiah · #1 September 5th, 2007, 04:33 PM

I've been having some problems with Space Empires V after I alt-tab the game to do something else. When I come back to the game, it doesn't appear to be truly in the foreground. I don't really know any other way to describe it. I can see certain desktop elements showing through (such as the upstream/downstream bars from my Zone Alarm taskbar icon), and when I click on the lower part of the screen, I end up getting dropped back to the desktop, because Windows thinks I am clicking on a desktop item.

I am running Windows XP. Does anyone have any experience with this? The game is playable if I save the game, quit, reload and don't ever alt-tab out, but obviously this isn't an optimal situation.

EaX · #2 September 5th, 2007, 04:42 PM

Installed the latest patch? have you tried safe mode? on the video configuration of SE5?, try downloading the latest drivers for your graphics card also check directx version to be the latest

BudgetMessiah · #3 September 5th, 2007, 04:49 PM

All my drivers are the latest, Direct X is the latest, and the patch is 1.44. I do a lot of gaming, and this system itself is no more than a couple of months old, and I've updated drivers more than once...so it's definitely not any of that.

What did you have in mind with respect to video configuration?

EaX · #4 September 5th, 2007, 05:06 PM

on the Setup button look for the option "Video Memory Usage" it has two options "Auto" or "Safe" make sure its on "Safe", thats all i can think at the moment.

Fyron · #5 September 5th, 2007, 05:32 PM

What if you set the task bar to not be "always on top?"

Raapys · #6 September 5th, 2007, 06:15 PM

Do you happen to have a card with two display drivers or some such?

BudgetMessiah · #7 September 5th, 2007, 06:51 PM

Thanks for all the feedback.

I think I figured it out. After reading EaX's suggestion for video setup, I played around with some of the settings. It seems that if I run SEV in a resolution higher than my native desktop mode (I keep my desktop @ 1152x8-whatever, and was running my usual 1280x1024 for games) this problem will happen. I had some idea this might be the problem because the problem was presenting itself when I was clicking anywhere on the lower 10% or so of the screen, which seems to correspond to my toolbar given the difference in resolution.

If I run the game in 11x8, there's no problem, and there doesn't seem to be any problem in 1024x768 either.

I guess for completeness in reporting this as a potential bug, I am running XP Service Pack 2, with the 6.14.11.6218 Nvidia drivers set on a GeForce GTS 8800, and the August '07 revision of DirectX.

If there's any more information that would be needed, or there's a place I should post this information on this bug, I'd appreciate knowing about it so I can give a proper report.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Wardad · #8 September 7th, 2007, 04:17 PM

It always done this for me too. Only I don't have the semi-transparent symptom. If I go off to read the PDF and come back to the game... well, clicking on a ship or planet box takes me back to the desktop. Save and restart the game and it is OK.
Really now, I can't believe this didnt show up in beta testing. Didn't any check out the PDF manual during game play?

XP service Pack 2, Geforce drivers, 7600

Fyron · #9 September 7th, 2007, 04:27 PM

There were more pressing concerns with alt-tab behavior for much of the beta.

Wardad · #10 September 8th, 2007, 01:12 AM

angry??? so what, I didn't get picked for the beta.