Boot up time

[Krakerman]

Why is it that the most rescent versions of GameEx when you boot it up for the first time it takes almost 20 seconds before running my intro video before entering GameEx main menu?

If I exit GameEx and the try to launch it again it will only take about 5 secs to launch.

Any ideas (This is the registered version btw)

[Tom Speirs]

Not sure. Log?

[bkenobi]

I've noticed this too. Normally when I boot up, it takes a while before the video starts, but this evening when I killed GameEx and restarted it, it only took a few seconds to play the intro video. I'll get a couple log files here in a second.

log__normal_.txt

log__second_start_.txt

[Krakerman]

Yeah when you kill GameEx then restart it it boots real fast, but when you restart your computer and load GameEx it takes awhile like 20 secs. Again I looked at the log and I didn't see anything different, but will post when I get a sec.

[Tempest]

I'll throw my problem into the hat. I have Gameex set to not hide the desktop, and to run in a window. It hides the desktop (Runs HideOS.exe), and runs fullscreen. Vista, and XP64.

GameEx_ini.txt

log.txt

[Tom Speirs]

I'll throw my problem into the hat. I have Gameex set to not hide the desktop, and to run in a window. It hides the desktop (Runs HideOS.exe), and runs fullscreen. Vista, and XP64.

GameEx_ini.txt

log.txt

If your display is below 640x480 or if using arcade mode then GamEx wont run windowed.

Hide Desktop does not stop HideOs.exe from launching. It hides the icons and set the wallpaper to black.

[T. Goodchild]

Fourth here on the boot up time. I've noticed it getting longer since around the 9.1x releases. In the early ones it would take 2-3 seconds now its upwards of 20-30. I've also eliminated most of the extraneous features but it still takes a long time. I know its not the system, I have updated drivers .net 3.5 quadcore and raptors. Here's a log file:

log.txt

[bkenobi]

I've noticed this too. Normally when I boot up, it takes a while before the video starts, but this evening when I killed GameEx and restarted it, it only took a few seconds to play the intro video. I'll get a couple log files here in a second.

I just wanted to note that my first start takes 1:49 and the second start only takes 0:28. My system isn't super fast by today's standards, but I don't understand the discrepancy between the two starts.

Here's the things that take significant time and the times they take:

1. CPWizard 8.8/0.0 <-----already running for the second launch
   
2. Opening Database Connection 3.9/0.1
   
3. Using Device: Radeon X1300/X1550 Series 8.3/0.0
   
4. Creating Surfaces Backgrounds 26.5/0.4
   
5. Creating Game Font 1.3/0.5
   
6. Restoring Title Font From Cache 11.8/0.2
   
7. Creating Menu Font 2.3/0.1
   
8. Attempting to load game list 6.2/0.3
   
9. Initialising Bass Audio Library 2.6/0.2
   
10. Loading Start Page 1.2/0.5
    
11. Loading Sound Files 1.0/0.2
    
12. Restoring Cached ICONS from File 10.9/1.1
    
13. Initializing MCE Remote 10.6/19.9 <------Don't have one, can this be turned off?
    

Hope this helps...

[Tom Speirs]

The fact that it starts up quicker the second time is actually perfectly normal, as windows caches the application.

However Ive just trimmed off some fat and released an optimized version. Let me know if its any better.

It also fixes an issue with the mame list update not going to completion and not creating custom mame folders and other things with recent versions of MAME. Im not sure when this was introduced.

[fRequEnCy]

The fact that it starts up quicker the second time is actually perfectly normal, as windows caches the application.

However Ive just trimmed off some fat and released an optimized version. Let me know if its any better.

It also fixes an issue with the mame list update not going to completion and not creating custom mame folders and other things with recent versions of MAME. Im not sure when this was introduced.

Starts much faster IMO.

[Tempest]

If your display is below 640x480 or if using arcade mode then GamEx wont run windowed.

Hide Desktop does not stop HideOs.exe from launching. It hides the icons and set the wallpaper to black.

Hmm... My desktop resolution is 1280x800 (no arcade mode), and I have GameEx set to not change the resolution. Is there something else I need to do?

If you don't mind, What does HideOs do then? Is there a way to turn it off? Any harm in me turning it off with a script? I've been having problems with getting a couple of emulators to regain focus, and If I shut down HideOS in the Task Manager, the emulators return to focus. This isn't a GameEx issue per se, I am running a script, which steals focus, and am having trouble getting it back. Even Alt-Tab doesn't do it...

[Mangledmon]

Hmm... My desktop resolution is 1280x800 (no arcade mode), and I have GameEx set to not change the resolution. Is there something else I need to do?

If you don't mind, What does HideOs do then? Is there a way to turn it off? Any harm in me turning it off with a script? I've been having problems with getting a couple of emulators to regain focus, and If I shut down HideOS in the Task Manager, the emulators return to focus. This isn't a GameEx issue per se, I am running a script, which steals focus, and am having trouble getting it back. Even Alt-Tab doesn't do it...

I've noticed that when I want to run arcade games via Zinc that I have to kill HideOS to get it to display anything on the screen - is my problem related to this, or have I just done something incorrect on my setup?

[bkenobi]

Is Zinc set up as an emulator or are you using the built-in Zinc support? When I run Zinc via the MAME_Loader script or with the built-in support, it works fine.

[fRequEnCy]

I've noticed that when I want to run arcade games via Zinc that I have to kill HideOS to get it to display anything on the screen - is my problem related to this, or have I just done something incorrect on my setup?

Is Zinc set up as an emulator or are you using the built-in Zinc support? When I run Zinc via the MAME_Loader script or with the built-in support, it works fine.

Works fine for me as well and I have ZiNc setup integrated and as an emulator. Maybe give some details so we can see where your problem lies.

[Krakerman]

Well I guess it wasn't just me imagining it then. The newer version boots about 5-8 secs faster than before .... a little better

Thanks for looking into this issue Tom

[T. Goodchild]

However Ive just trimmed off some fat and released an optimized version. Let me know if its any better.

I was also wondering along with the boot times and with this optimized version if you could release a very very lite version of gameex with only the minimal capabilities such as launching games and changing themes.

I see the lite version during setup but I was wondering if you could tell us the bare minimum of features that are required for gameex to still run and what is safe to eliminate. I'm asking because it is fine on my desktop to be fully loaded where I have power to spare, but I also have gameex installed on my netbook and it really needs all the processing power it can use.

It is only 1.7 ghz and it cant quite run my dreamcast emulators as well as I can on their own outside of gameex, so I was wondering if you can have make a tiny gameex build for netbooks or low powered laptops along with these improvements on boot times.

Just a suggestion thanks!

[Tom Speirs]

I've noticed that when I want to run arcade games via Zinc that I have to kill HideOS to get it to display anything on the screen - is my problem related to this, or have I just done something incorrect on my setup?

I think its mentioend in the FAQ, but you need to use the DirectX renderer and run Zinc full screen.

Im not sure what that has to do with Boot time though

[Tempest]

Don't blame Mangledmon, some other user hi-jacked this thread... The latest post from that user was this:

Hmm... My desktop resolution is 1280x800 (no arcade mode), and I have GameEx set to not change the resolution. Is there something else I need to do?

If you don't mind, What does HideOs do then? Is there a way to turn it off? Any harm in me turning it off with a script? I've been having problems with getting a couple of emulators to regain focus, and If I shut down HideOS in the Task Manager, the emulators return to focus. This isn't a GameEx issue per se, I am running a script, which steals focus, and am having trouble getting it back. Even Alt-Tab doesn't do it...