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Windows Desktop Screen Appears Many Times


Guest Elder

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I'm running XCOM II - Terror From The Deep (CE) over Windows XP and the Windows desktop screen appears many times during my game session, minimizing my game window. Ever I click on the game application window, on the windows bar, I come back to my game again. I don't have any saved game. The problem occurs also on a new game session. I have disabled all concurrent software, as antivirus, and already start the Windows in a Secure Mode to check if the problem disapear, but I didn't have sucess.

 

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hmmm... usually the game only minimizes when something in windows pops up. have u got a screensaver or any IM application (eg. msn, icq, trilian, etc.) active when u play the game?

look for anything that may be popping up while you play x-com and close it before u play. other than that i can't think of anything else.

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  • 10 months later...

I'm experiencing the same problem. Game minimizes to desktop frequently, making it unplayable. No other program gains focus when it minimizes. I'm not running any IM apps or an antivirus program. My computer is a Presario R3000 laptop, ati radeon 9000IGP, windows XP.

 

Any suggestions?

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X-COM does not change to the desktop. Something else is butting in, so you'll have to look for that program and stop it. If you have any virus or warez scanners, use them. If you get a clean bill of health, then close your programs one by one until you find the troublemaker.

 

If you don't have any scanners, here's some links to a few free ones:

AVG virus scanner: http://www.grisoft.com/

Spybot, S&D (Warez killer): http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Lavasoft's Adaware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

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After a bit of experimentation, I gathered the following:

Using fodder's starter (as I originally did), the game seems to minimize incessantly. Replacing the game executable with that in the June patch (http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4425) fixes the minimization problem, but the game randomly crashes to desktop, especially at some points in various missions (e.g. when shooting at a particular alien). Finally, disabling DirectDraw and running the game using the original CE executable seems to fix both the minimization and the desktop crashing problem for me, although the game does run too fast using this method, requiring the use of Turbo.

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  • 5 months later...
After a bit of experimentation, I gathered the following:

Using fodder's starter (as I originally did), the game seems to minimize incessantly.  Replacing the game executable with that in the June patch (http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4425) fixes the minimization problem, but the game randomly crashes to desktop, especially at some points in various missions (e.g. when shooting at a particular alien).  Finally, disabling DirectDraw and running the game using the original CE executable seems to fix both the minimization and the desktop crashing problem for me, although the game does run too fast using this method, requiring the use of Turbo.

 

 

I (might have) found the source of this problem. When you use Fodder's loader it also makes X-Com use some program called SynCore.exe. This program _constantly_ steals focus, even when you have tweaked XP to not allow focus stealing (WTF?). SynCor is called for audio, it seems, and restarts even if you force quit it... I find that every time X-Com minimizes on its own on me that it's this program suddenly available in my alt-tab options because it's not running peacefully as a background program like it should.

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I (might have) found the source of this problem.  When you use Fodder's loader it also makes X-Com use some program called SynCore.exe.  This program _constantly_ steals focus, even when you have tweaked XP to not allow focus stealing (WTF?).  SynCor is called for audio, it seems, and restarts even if you force quit it...  I find that every time X-Com minimizes on its own on me that it's this program suddenly available in my alt-tab options because it's not running peacefully as a background program like it should.

 

If you get bored with the collector edition, you might want to try dosbox and the dos version of TFTD. And don't ask for it here, just google "terror deep".

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If you get bored with the collector edition, you might want to try dosbox and the dos version of TFTD. And don't ask for it here, just google "terror deep".

 

 

 

Correction: I figured out how to make this go away. The answer, for me, was to change the Synth program Windows uses by default from SoundMax Wavetable Synth to Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth. No more stupid constant minimizing.

 

Start

Control Panel

Sounds and Audio Devices

Audio

Third dropbox down, change it.

 

Anyone else with this problem find this works/doesn't work for them?

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Strato

Eru, if you read this, then I want to say you are an absolute champ!

 

The fix you suggested about changing the audio problems has worked, and so now, no more minimisation to desktop.

 

Many thanks - it feels good to play X-Com 2 again (though I still prefer the original :D )

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  • 1 year later...
Correction: I figured out how to make this go away. The answer, for me, was to change the Synth program Windows uses by default from SoundMax Wavetable Synth to Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth. No more stupid constant minimizing.

 

Start

Control Panel

Sounds and Audio Devices

Audio

Third dropbox down, change it.

 

Anyone else with this problem find this works/doesn't work for them?

 

Thanks for this hint. It works for me. :-)

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  • 2 years later...

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