NEW gameoptions Beta test

[jeffreywilens]

Playing full screen in Windows 7 with latest video drivers on an ATI 4870 card. When exiting, the windows task bar (at bottom) is gone and no apparently way to get it back except going to the task manager and doing a log/off and log/on. This seems to happen everytime I use full screen since downloading this full screen patch. Otherwise, it works fine.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by jeffreywilens

Playing full screen in Windows 7 with latest video drivers on an ATI 4870 card. When exiting, the windows task bar (at bottom) is gone and no apparently way to get it back except going to the task manager and doing a log/off and log/on. This seems to happen everytime I use full screen since downloading this full screen patch. Otherwise, it works fine.

CTRL+SHIFT+ESC -> task manager -> new task button -> "explorer.exe"

Do you get the problem if you run the CMD file from the game directory directly?.

Andy

[jeffreywilens]

I'm not sure what changed becasue I can't duplicate the problem today, but this is what I am noticing now:

1. When launch from the shortcut that takes you to the Game Options screen, you lose the task bar whether using full screen or windows.

a) Either way, you can control-alt tab to other programs and then back to to the game.

b) I used the "new" task button to recreate explorer.exe as suggested. That returned the task bar even while the game was still running.

c) However, if I did this while in full screen mode, the color palette was all messed up and could not be fixed.

d) If I do this while in Windowed mode, then the color palette is not destroyed.

2. When launch directly from Win7SPMBT.cmd, I get same results as above.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by jeffreywilens

I'm not sure what changed becasue I can't duplicate the problem today, but this is what I am noticing now:

1. When launch from the shortcut that takes you to the Game Options screen, you lose the task bar whether using full screen or windows.

a) Either way, you can control-alt tab to other programs and then back to to the game.

b) I used the "new" task button to recreate explorer.exe as suggested. That returned the task bar even while the game was still running.

c) However, if I did this while in full screen mode, the color palette was all messed up and could not be fixed.

d) If I do this while in Windowed mode, then the color palette is not destroyed.

2. When launch directly from Win7SPMBT.cmd, I get same results as above.

Only launch explorer after exiting the game batch session - since aero is nuked, deliberately, to avoid palette problems.

Do you have a non-English version of windows, or is the \windows folder installed elsewhere than C:\windows, or renamed?.

Are you running as a user with administrator privileges (the default for most folks who just use the one account), or as a lesser status user?.

Cheers
Andy

[jeffreywilens]

I have USA version of Windows 7 Professional (live in California) installed in the normal Windows folder. I am running in admin mode.

I was just testing to see what would happen if I restarted explorer.exe and have experienced the message "Windows is using basic color" or something like that proving Aero has been nuked.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by jeffreywilens

I have USA version of Windows 7 Professional (live in California) installed in the normal Windows folder. I am running in admin mode.

I was just testing to see what would happen if I restarted explorer.exe and have experienced the message "Windows is using basic color" or something like that proving Aero has been nuked.

The batch file had to be edited to include a change directory (CD) command to actually change to the windows directory before restarting explorer. Otherwise, Windows 7 would simply launch an explorer window, rather than restarting the desktop, if the CMD file was called from another programme (Game Options in this case).

The CD command line was not required if you started the CMD file directly from explorer since the current directory is changed to that by the navigation in Windows Exploder itself.

At the moment - 99% of Windows 7 users have no problems with loss of the desktop, post the batch file session completing.

You seem to be one of the the exceptions. I have absolutely no idea why your set-up does not do what the other 99% do.

Not unless you are trying to relaunch the windows desktop while the full screen game session is current. That is an absolute no-no of course!.

The full-screen game batch session must be the only application of any type that you are doing. The batch session might let you alt-tab to any applications that were open when you started the session (with palette problems for them perhaps) - but the results of that are indeterminate.


Cheers
Andy

[Panzerpionier]

I just tried this fix with Vista 32 and i still get the lag in full screen mode.

[jeffreywilens]

To clarify:

Are you saying 99% of Win7 users don't lose the taskbar once they start the game or just that the task bar automatically comes back for them once they exit the game session

If you are saying the former, I question that. But if you are saying the latter, I agree the reason mine does not automatically come back is due to the fact I control-alt switch so I can reference the game manual in PDF. But I agree usually when I exit out of the game, then my task bar comes back.

So I just make sure any program I may need while playing the game is already open. I have 6GB of RAM so memory is not an issue.

Originally Posted by Mobhack

The batch file had to be edited to include a change directory (CD) command to actually change to the windows directory before restarting explorer. Otherwise, Windows 7 would simply launch an explorer window, rather than restarting the desktop, if the CMD file was called from another programme (Game Options in this case).

The CD command line was not required if you started the CMD file directly from explorer since the current directory is changed to that by the navigation in Windows Exploder itself.

At the moment - 99% of Windows 7 users have no problems with loss of the desktop, post the batch file session completing.

You seem to be one of the the exceptions. I have absolutely no idea why your set-up does not do what the other 99% do.

Not unless you are trying to relaunch the windows desktop while the full screen game session is current. That is an absolute no-no of course!.

The full-screen game batch session must be the only application of any type that you are doing. The batch session might let you alt-tab to any applications that were open when you started the session (with palette problems for them perhaps) - but the results of that are indeterminate.


Cheers
Andy