partial loss of screen control

[Disco Duck]

I doubt it is a program issue but it is driving me crazy. I have done most of the usual things. Powering it off and on again, Checking everything with anti-virus....
It does't always happen. some times it is just a little white bar some where on the screen. other times it is like the screen shot below.

[BBfanboy]

I think the properties settings for the desktop can include a check box for "Always on Top".

Try using ALT+TAB to navigate to the game and see if it makes the Desktop go away.

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I think the properties settings for the desktop can include a check box for "Always on Top".

Try using ALT+TAB to navigate to the game and see if it makes the Desktop go away.

It makes the game go away, I can alt-tab again to get back to the game, but it still has something on the screen that shouldn't be there.

Preferences is set to always on top.

[Lokasenna]

Are your graphics drivers up to date?

[Bullwinkle58]

Can you post your switches?

I used to have a more minor version of this happen to me, but one of the switches solved it. One of the tech regulars described why long ago; something with DirectX code or something.

Might have been the dd_sw switch that fixed it for me, but that's an old recall.

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Can you post your switches?

I used to have a more minor version of this happen to me, but one of the switches solved it. One of the tech regulars described why long ago; something with DirectX code or something.

Might have been the dd_sw switch that fixed it for me, but that's an old recall.

-SingleCpuOrders -Cpu2 -Multiaudio -dd_sw -deepColor

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Are your graphics drivers up to date?

I have the computer set to autoupdate. One of my co-workers thinks it might be a bad update. Unfortunately I won't have time until next week to hunt down the drivers and try a re-install

[Disco Duck]

Something I should have said before. I have been running this for more than a year without a problem. I can't point to a action that occurred right before it started acting up.

[Bullwinkle58]

Your switches don't have an x,y resolution switch set. Can't really tell from the game portion you show, but it looks like your desktop and the game are running at different resolutions. And the game looks like it's higher than the native resolution, which shouldn't happen without a -px -py switch.

You might experiment with adding a -px -py switch and see what happens. Also play with -w and -f.

But I'd suspect video drivers first, as has been suggested. A bad update can involve those.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Your switches don't have an x,y resolution switch set. Can't really tell from the game portion you show, but it looks like your desktop and the game are running at different resolutions. And the game looks like it's higher than the native resolution, which shouldn't happen without a -px -py switch.

You might experiment with adding a -px -py switch and see what happens. Also play with -w and -f.

But I'd suspect video drivers first, as has been suggested. A bad update can involve those.

If he's playing in full screen, which he is since he doesn't have -w in there, then he doesn't need the -px/-py switches. The game will default to his default resolution.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Your switches don't have an x,y resolution switch set. Can't really tell from the game portion you show, but it looks like your desktop and the game are running at different resolutions. And the game looks like it's higher than the native resolution, which shouldn't happen without a -px -py switch.

You might experiment with adding a -px -py switch and see what happens. Also play with -w and -f.

But I'd suspect video drivers first, as has been suggested. A bad update can involve those.

If he's playing in full screen, which he is since he doesn't have -w in there, then he doesn't need the -px/-py switches. The game will default to his default resolution.

OK, but the desktop and the game are at different resolutions. The game is higher. The game also looks higher than native, but it's been so long since I haven't had a -px -py I don't recall.

It almost looks like the desktop is running at the game's native rez, and the game is running where most modern PCs would have the desktop. IOW, reversed. I don't know how that could happen.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Your switches don't have an x,y resolution switch set. Can't really tell from the game portion you show, but it looks like your desktop and the game are running at different resolutions. And the game looks like it's higher than the native resolution, which shouldn't happen without a -px -py switch.

You might experiment with adding a -px -py switch and see what happens. Also play with -w and -f.

But I'd suspect video drivers first, as has been suggested. A bad update can involve those.

If he's playing in full screen, which he is since he doesn't have -w in there, then he doesn't need the -px/-py switches. The game will default to his default resolution.

OK, but the desktop and the game are at different resolutions. The game is higher. The game also looks higher than native, but it's been so long since I haven't had a -px -py I don't recall.

It almost looks like the desktop is running at the game's native rez, and the game is running where most modern PCs would have the desktop. IOW, reversed. I don't know how that could happen.

It looks, size-wise, fine to me. What I'm seeing is the game is failing to render certain portions of the screen and is instead showing the desktop, which is weird.

[Bullwinkle58]

The desktop icons look huge to me versus the game screen native rez graphics. Maybe it's just my eyes.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

The desktop icons look huge to me versus the game screen native rez graphics. Maybe it's just my eyes.

They are huge! But that's a setting. If they were pixelated then it would be a native resolution hint. Just another little something you pick up on troubleshooting for years and years and years [;)].

This still strikes me as a graphics driver/Windows issue.

I'm wondering if switching to window mode fixes this for the OP. Add a -w to your switches. You can set the -py size to your native resolution (which looks to be 1024x768?). So add this to your command line:

-w -px1024 -py768

You will then need to set it so that it is "always on top", so that it appears above the taskbar/Start menu area and you don't lose screen space on the bottom. I think witpqs can help with that...

[Alfred]

Most AE graphical glitches are the result of insufficient memory.
 
As a first step to limiting the possible causes, try running AE with absolutely nothing running in the background.
 
Alfred

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

Most AE graphical glitches are the result of insufficient memory.

As a first step to limiting the possible causes, try running AE with absolutely nothing running in the background.

Alfred

Since I am looking for something that has changed I ran a memory test and that looks ok. I have even tried turning off my anti-virus with no change. I am not really a windows person but I can't think of anything else that could be running in the background.

[Theages]

For test purposes remove the dd_sw switch.
If the bleedthrough of the desktop vanishes, software Directdraw (dd_sw) is the culprit.

If you are forced to use it to avoid the screen movement lag, then you are out of luck. You can only alleviate the problem by not running any other program along WitPAE. But even the clock update in the Windows taskbar will push to the foreground.

Modern OS (Windows 8.1 and up) and the GPU drivers for them are laking in good implementations of hardware directdraw support.
When using software emulated Directdraw (dd_sw) every display update on the desktop results in a bleedthrough to the game.

Does the desktop disappear when you move the mouse to the screen edges?

WitPAE is not constantly refreshing the display. When the program "thinks" nothing has changed, it won't refresh the display.

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Theages

For test purposes remove the dd_sw switch.
If the bleedthrough of the desktop vanishes, software Directdraw (dd_sw) is the culprit.

If you are forced to use it to avoid the screen movement lag, then you are out of luck. You can only alleviate the problem by not running any other program along WitPAE. But even the clock update in the Windows taskbar will push to the foreground.

Modern OS (Windows 8.1 and up) and the GPU drivers for them are laking in good implementations of hardware directdraw support.
When using software emulated Directdraw (dd_sw) every display update on the desktop results in a bleedthrough to the game.

Does the desktop disappear when you move the mouse to the screen edges?

WitPAE is not constantly refreshing the display. When the program "thinks" nothing has changed, it won't refresh the display.

Thank you that did it. [&o] Luckily it doesn't affect my screen movement. I just can't figure out what changed, I have used that setting for the better part of a year if not longer.