game ex minumizing

[peterc_drs]

hi all

new poster here, long time user

been using game ex since ver 4 under win 2k with no problems, but had a cabinet crash, and moved the cab to an xp based cab, using an ipac if that helps

and since using win xp after a few joy stick movements or arrow key presses game ex will minumize to the task bar, never seen this problem under win 2k, any one else seen any thing like this..?

thanks in advance

pete

[bkenobi]

Minimizing is almost always an issue with another application stealing focus. It's possible that you have "sticky keys" enabled in Windows (it's on by default). If so, it will open a popup dialog that asks you to enable sticky keys. It basically tries to help if you're keyboard is...well...sticky. You have an ipac which sends key strokes. If you hold down a button, it will continually send the same key and Windows is probably interpreting it as such.

[peterc_drs]

Minimizing is almost always an issue with another application stealing focus. It's possible that you have "sticky keys" enabled in Windows (it's on by default). If so, it will open a popup dialog that asks you to enable sticky keys. It basically tries to help if you're keyboard is...well...sticky. You have an ipac which sends key strokes. If you hold down a button, it will continually send the same key and Windows is probably interpreting it as such.

Thanks for the suggestion i'll take a look at that when back home later, though the arrow keys alone surely wouldn't minumize the game ex app...?

For further info, i'm administering the cabinet via remote desktop on another machine, and both the cab and remote machine will minumize the the game ex app which did not happen under win 2k, though i will look into your good lead regarding the sticky keys, never heard of that so sounds interesting

Thanks again

Pete

[bkenobi]

Yeah, sticky keys is really a pain for cab users. Once you get it turned off, you should be good to go though!

[peterc_drs]

Yeah, sticky keys is really a pain for cab users. Once you get it turned off, you should be good to go though!

just got home and checked the cab, no sticky keys enabled under accessibility options

any other thoughts gratefully weclomed, dont really fancy another re-install back to win 2k if i can help it...

thanks in advance

pete

[Tempest]

[Alt] [TAB] might do it, is it possible that you have those keys mapped?

[peterc_drs]

[Alt] [TAB] might do it, is it possible that you have those keys mapped?

thanks for the suggestion, but i am only pressing the up or down arrow keys on a remotely connected machine when game ex minumizes

edit: also this problem wasn't evident on win 2k, so i wouldn't haev thought it was the ipac doing some thing odd with alt and tab being mapped in an odd way...

[bkenobi]

Well, GameEx will minimize if something else takes focus. It can either be a dialog, a program, alt-tab (or another hot key combination like alt-space, alt-escape, alt-enter, etc...), or any number of other things. The thing to figure out is what's stealing focus.

If it's not sticky keys, then you could try killing all non-necessary processes with the task manager. It shouldn't still do it if it's another program. If it does, it must be a key combo. Try hitting different combinations until you narrow it down. Then, figure out what the button is sending.

I don't know the Ipac since I don't have one, but you could upload your .ipc file to let people who do know it check it out.

[peterc_drs]

Well, GameEx will minimize if something else takes focus. It can either be a dialog, a program, alt-tab (or another hot key combination like alt-space, alt-escape, alt-enter, etc...), or any number of other things. The thing to figure out is what's stealing focus.

If it's not sticky keys, then you could try killing all non-necessary processes with the task manager. It shouldn't still do it if it's another program. If it does, it must be a key combo. Try hitting different combinations until you narrow it down. Then, figure out what the button is sending.

I don't know the Ipac since I don't have one, but you could upload your .ipc file to let people who do know it check it out.

thanks for the process killing tip, will try to isolate it that way and report back

[peterc_drs]

thanks for the process killing tip, will try to isolate it that way and report back

just to report back,

tried killing all processes that weren't needed, and even some that where, such as sound card tray app's and game ex still minumizes

[bkenobi]

Any chance you are running video snaps?

[peterc_drs]

Any chance you are running video snaps?

yes i am, you think they effect win xp...?

i never had any bother with them under win 2k so put them on the xp machine they seem to work ok previewing while moving up and down, but eventually game ex will minumize

i can disable the snaps under advance menu if you think thats some thing that should be tried..?

[bkenobi]

You didn't mention it before, so I didn't think to suggest it. One common reason people have strange minimizing problems is that some versions of the official Divx codec have a system tray icon that pops up and steals focus. If you disable video snaps, do you still have a problem? If not, try using the FFD Show codec on the main GameEx page.

[peterc_drs]

You didn't mention it before, so I didn't think to suggest it. One common reason people have strange minimizing problems is that some versions of the official Divx codec have a system tray icon that pops up and steals focus. If you disable video snaps, do you still have a problem? If not, try using the FFD Show codec on the main GameEx page.

ah ok thanks for the suggestion again, i'm not running the officla divx codec package but running the klite codec pack, but stoping video snaps running seems to have stopped the minumizing in the same time frame it had been before, so i'll uninstall kilite and try ffdshow and see if that helps

any thing else thats a common reason you know of for game ex minumizing...?

also thanks again for your continued help

[Palmore]

Eww yeah Klite Codec back is horrible!

Again, use either FFDSHOW or my new fave CCCP (Core Community Codec Pack) it also includes party of the FFDSHOW libraries (and can handle mkv files)

[bkenobi]

I'm currently using CCCP as well, but there are a few others that people have mentioned. HK recommends Vista????pack as I recall because it give you 64-bit support. But, if you just use the one on the main site, you should be golden for anything GameEx needs.

[peterc_drs]

I'm currently using CCCP as well, but there are a few others that people have mentioned. HK recommends Vista????pack as I recall because it give you 64-bit support. But, if you just use the one on the main site, you should be golden for anything GameEx needs.

thanks both of you guys i'll have aplay with a few different codec packs and see what runs best for me

why the strong reaction to klite? seems to have served me well in the past, or you mean just with game ex compatibility..?

[bkenobi]

I've used it in the past. Actually, that was the first major set I installed way back when (that and Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative). It worked fine back in the day, but it seems to have issues with GameEx and it doesn't include all the codecs that are typically used. CCCP is a more complete set AFAIK and works fine with GameEx.

[peterc_drs]

I've used it in the past. Actually, that was the first major set I installed way back when (that and Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative). It worked fine back in the day, but it seems to have issues with GameEx and it doesn't include all the codecs that are typically used. CCCP is a more complete set AFAIK and works fine with GameEx.

ah i see well thanks again for the pointers, klite seem ok with game ex and win 2 k, but i guess things have changed with both

i had limited sucess last night with the new codec packs, they worked under explorer but under game ex my start up videos showed just a blank screen, so i think i'll have to remove the start up stuff and work my way in to game ex that way, i'll report back when i get some results

thanks again to all that have helped

[bkenobi]

Blank video probably means the codec for that file is not set up correctly or not installed at all. Make sure you can view the video outside of GameEx prior to trying to incorporate it in the FE. You will end up with more hair on your head if you do it that way!

[peterc_drs]

Blank video probably means the codec for that file is not set up correctly or not installed at all. Make sure you can view the video outside of GameEx prior to trying to incorporate it in the FE. You will end up with more hair on your head if you do it that way!

yup all works fine after a few days of testing, it was the codec pack, klite bad cccp good, thanks again!