A different Alt+Tab issue...

TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
edited December 2009 in Support Desk
I have been playing this game over an year without this issue cropping up, but dunno why, it started behaving weirdly since last night.

I am sure it may not be reproduce-able on most other machines; I am just trying to connect to other gamers and see if there have been others who've had the same issue as I am having now, and know what they did to fix/workaround it.

This is my current machine specs. Nothing has changed on this machine since I've installed this game on OB launch. [Please do not suggest to upgrade the hardware, as I strongly believe this issue has nothing at all to do with hardware.b:quiet]

Specifications:

Processor: AMD Athlon X2 4800+ 2.41Ghz
Mobo : ASUS M2N MX-SE
RAM : 2 gigs (max supported on mobo)
OS : Windows XP SP3
DirectX : DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Grafix Card : nVidia 8500 GT 512mb
nVidia GeForce Drivers Version : 190.62
nVidia Grafix Driver version: 6.14.0011.9062 (English)


Note: I play the game in 1024x768 resolution in Fullscreen mode all the time. It has been so since the day I installed the game over an year ago.

I am able to recreate the said issue the following way:


1. Launch the game through the patcher after successful version check.
2. Login into the game, open the character panel, select my character, enter Perfect World.
3. Press Alt+Tab to do anything else (for e.g. launch Internet Explorer/Google Chrome to view Forums, etc.)
4. Press Alt+Tab OR click on the game window on my taskbar to try get back into the game.

Now this is when something weird happens...
The screen blinks, my gamma on my desktop goes up for a second, then the game opens up in full screen again, albeit with a small differences:

* The mouse cursor doesn't change! Instead of the usual PW pointer, my mouse still shows the Windows cursor =_=
* If I try to click anywhere on the screen, the game minimizes itself and the click goes through to the desktop
* Killing process from the Task Manager and relaunching the game results in this same issue repeated

The game works fine, until I Alt+Tab out. Given that I usually read the forums, or work on my personal projects at leisure while WQ flying, this is becoming seriously annoying. I've been able to reproduce it with 1. regular startup (w/ all my startup anti-virus, other proggies loaded) and 2. clean startup (w/ no anti-virus TSRs, major services shut down, no other memory proggies).

If anyone has encountered this same issue: desktop cursor staying and mouse-clicks going through to desktop while automatically minimizing the game after alt+tabbing out & in to the game and if there is a fix and/or a workaround and you post it here, I'd very much appreciate your taking time to help me resolve this too :)

Thanks in advance. Hoping for some positive/productive posts below. :)

Edit:
I failed to mention a couple things earlier:
1. Keyboard input goes through to the game properly. No issue while chatting to anyone in-game. Mouse behavior is my issue.
2. OS installed on this machine: Windows XP SP3 [added to the list above]
3. No re-installation/re-formatting of HDD has been done ever since OB. The windows setup and game setup are untouched. [except for PWI Patches ofcourse].
Post edited by TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear on

Comments

  • Miugre - Heavens Tear
    Miugre - Heavens Tear Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Common consensus would say that you're missing the east asian language packs. This is what I found when searching for a similar issue a month or so ago.

    I can't tell you much more than that. You may need to install them from your Windows CD, if you have one, depending on your specific OS. And I can't guarantee you it'll fix this problem. But it's worth trying I guess, if we can get some other people to agree with this method anyway. (I never installed it because the OS on my offending machine was 2k, and I didn't have the CD on me... but then my Vista laptop was restored to working order and all was well again)
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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  • TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Installing the East Asian Language packs was the first thing that I did after having the language issue long back when OB started.

    Regardless, I've just re-downloaded and re-installed the said East Asian Language packs according to the Technical Support FAQ answer, and still continue to have the same issue. :(

    One thing to note, is that the language pack installation I did just now did not even take a second to tell me that Installation is complete. I am sure it is safe to assume that the pack was already properly installed before my re-installation today.

    Nevertheless, I thank you for your prompt reply with your suggestion. :)

    Still seeking more help/suggestions/workaround/fix for this issue.
  • TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Rummaging through my game installation folders, I found a folder by the name 'logs'. If the folder contents are of any use to get to the root of this issue, I will post a link to an uploaded zip file of the folder if requested.

    I saw that a couple of the files are showing failure notices while loading some model files. I wonder if that may be a different issue altogether.
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Try changing the graphic settings on the launcher some to be lower and run the game in Windowed mode and see if that helps.
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
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  • TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    I've always have all details turned down, so therez nothing much to change there.

    Tried playing in windowed mode, and it helps yes. Only issue with playing windowed is that the gamma level under the system settings ingame, doesn't work while in windowed. I've been used to playing it in higher gamma levels cuz my monitor being an old one, the game appears quite dark with default gamma.

    Is there any possible way to avoid this issue while playing fullscreen as well?
  • aryannamage
    aryannamage Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Are your drivers up to date and have you tried a verify from the launcher?
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  • Abide - Harshlands
    Abide - Harshlands Posts: 92 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Wow, i just got done fixing this but i cant remember how i did it. I'll try and make it happen again then keep trying to fix it. it should be long give me a couple of hours. Please hold on. If i cannot make this problem occur again then im sorry, for wasting your time. I'll keep trying until yours is fixed then i'll make a guide to fix this problem when i do find it. I thought it was only me being after everytime i De-frag my comp codes/files go everywhere else but the game itself.

    If anything i would say System restore your computer to and earlier time when it was working perfect. Or Backup whatever is the Option that makes you do that. I didn't do this but theres probably more then one way to fix it. So try it. Also try De-fragging your that might help to just try it cant be much harm.
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    This is the life line i will live.

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  • TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    aryannamage wrote: »
    Are your drivers up to date and have you tried a verify from the launcher?

    I wonder how a graphic driver version problem would crop up 2 days after maintenance time, when the game content shouldn't have changed, and cause this issue. Verifying game content through launcher now...will update below once it's done.

    Game Verification Process: Version verification interrupt

    I clicked on Verify on the launcher to verify my files, it showed 'Updating listed files". I could notice there was some download activity caused by the patcher itself. After about 5 minutes, the network activity stopped. A few seconds later, the patcher status showed "Version verification interrupt". I did nothing but to stare at the patcher stats and my network monitor window all that time.

    Retrying the same without my antivirus/firewall after a clean startup resulted in the same status: Version verification interrupt. Same flurry of network download activity after clicking Verify, same delay, same result. Any idea?

    It piques my curiosity as to how the patcher verifies the files at all. Does it do a file-by-file size comparison with patch server stated file sizes? It doesn't seem to (nor is feasible to) do a full file-content comparison of client/server files, because there isn't any network upload activity visible on my end. So the first option seems to be the case: a file size comparison. Is there anything in the patcher's content verification process algorithm to interrupt itself after a condition?
    Client Connection timeout? - I've had continuous unbroken connection throughout the times I've tried to verify the files. 3 attempts, same result.
    Server Connection timeout? - I have no idea what to do if that's the cause
    Version conflict? - Patcher itself indicates game version at 207. [I believe its the latest version after late Tuesday night's maintenance. I have been using manual patching all this time, because the patcher seems to update at a terribly slow rate in comparison to a multi-threaded HTTP downloader app.]

    Abide - Harshlands wrote: »
    Wow, i just got done fixing this but i cant remember how i did it. I'll try and make it happen again then keep trying to fix it. it should be long give me a couple of hours. Please hold on. If i cannot make this problem occur again then im sorry, for wasting your time. I'll keep trying until yours is fixed then i'll make a guide to fix this problem when i do find it. I thought it was only me being after everytime i De-frag my comp codes/files go everywhere else but the game itself.

    Thanks a lot! I really appreciate your effort, mate. b:thanks
    Abide - Harshlands wrote: »
    If anything i would say System restore your computer to and earlier time when it was working perfect. Or Backup whatever is the Option that makes you do that. I didn't do this but theres probably more then one way to fix it. So try it. Also try De-fragging your that might help to just try it cant be much harm.

    Am still waiting for the game verification to complete. Once thats done successfully, and if I'm still getting the same issue, I'll try restoring to a previous backup. I must say I really don't remember when I made a last restore point myself. I don't think I had made a restore point after I had to manually clean a malware 2 weeks back. I hope I do not get that malware-ridden system again after restoring b:surrender [Note: I believe that malware did nothing to PWI, since the game ran perfectly fine before, during and after the manual trojan cleaning process until 2 days ago.]
  • MagicHamsta - Lost City
    MagicHamsta - Lost City Posts: 10,466 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    me wondering but whats your client version?
    207?
    if it not them mayhaps something went weird while you were downloading the patch update. (>.<)'
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  • TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    TaurenTusk - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Patcher itself indicates game version at 207.

    Patcher updates successfully every time and shows game version at 207. No less.

    Am still at a loss. Q_Q
  • Miggie - Heavens Tear
    Miggie - Heavens Tear Posts: 19 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    Hi b:flower
    i have this exact same issue. i havn't been able to find anything to fix it.. all my drivers are up to date and i have the east asian lang. installed.

    i also like to play in full screen mode for same reasons especially in fb69 its very dark in there for me on default setting. So now if i want to browse i put client on 600x800 window mode.. do my browsing... then change setting back to full screen.
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    I'm going to need some more information from you about your computer.

    Find out what the model number for your PC is. Check the documentation that came with your PC, or look on the back or bottom of your PC for the model Number.

    Please tell us the manufacturer's name of your system too! (Like HP, Dell, Toshiba, etc.)

    Next, go to Start, click on Run (or Search if using Vista/7), and type in dxdiag and press enter.

    Click on the Display tab, and then post here everything in the Device and Drivers boxes:
    dxdiag.jpg

    Thanks!
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
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  • martiangle
    martiangle Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited November 2009
    i too am having exactly the same issue, whenver i tab out to windows and then go back into game i lose my pw cursor and if i clickthe mouse it goes non stop back to windows, the game works fine untill i need to tab out to my desktop very annoying indeed i hope a fix can be found.
  • martiangle
    martiangle Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited December 2009
    fixed mine at last was a fairly simple procedure, i am however concerned at the lack of responses these forums get alot of people it seems need hlp but there is little to no assistance from both forum members and GMs. to resolve my issue i downloaded and installed IE8 it has all the new built in language packs and enables me now to alt tab and reenter game with no problems, i use firefox by default but just installing IE8 fixed it a treat.
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