I've had this bug many times now, but never really knew how to describe it. Still don't know really, but I'm gonna give it a try as it's getting annoying now

I don't really have a manual for reproducing it, but it happens quite often. I think the timing of the events is vital for this bug to occur. Here's what happens:

Often when I launch LFS I start another program at the same time (e.g. Profiler), causing the LFS window to loose focus while starting up. If LFS then jumps to full screen, it starts flickering like mad and I can see my desktop background through the LFS window and I can't do anything in LFS. I cant click the menu buttons, nor can I close LFS. Just alt-tabbing doesnt work and alt-f4 only closes the other programs I'm running.

Only when I continuously alt-tab really fast for a couple of seconds I can get back to my desktop. Another alt-tab pops back the LFS window and then it's just fine.

Just posting this here to see if anyone else has this problem...? I run Windows XP Pro and have an ATI X1600XT graphics card. If you need other information, let me know

What processor and memory?

Is what you ar trying to describe like when you are in full screen mode and you press the "Windows key" and your desktop flickers in and out while your screen is trying to change resolution?

Quote from Thorvertonian :

What processor and memory?

Intel P4 3.2Ghz and 2Gb RAM (dunno the brand of that tbh)

Quote from CSU1 :

Is what you ar trying to describe like when you are in full screen mode and you press the "Windows key" and your desktop flickers in and out while your screen is trying to change resolution?

Nah it's definitely not that This flickering won't stop until I do the alt-tab trick.

What programs are you running in the background? if you close these programs, does it stop this from happening?

Quote from Thorvertonian :

What programs are you running in the background? if you close these programs, does it stop this from happening?

I don't think it has anything to do with a specific program. It can be any program. For example when I just booted Windows, start LFS and at the same time the Logitech Profiler, this problem will occur (if the timing is right - or rather; wrong).

When crap starts like this I would go all out assault
c:/msconfig remove all unwanted startup programs and applications, this should give you an idea of what is causing the conflict?

Have you got hyperthreading on your P4 turned on? ifso, try turning it off

Quote from CSU1 :

When crap starts like this I would go all out assault
c:/msconfig remove all unwanted startup programs and applications, this should give you an idea of what is causing the conflict?

I can assure you my pc is as clean as can be I hardly have anything starting up automatically with Windows.

Quote from Thorvertonian :

Have you got hyperthreading on your P4 turned on? ifso, try turning it off

No idea hehe, where can I see and where can I turn it off?

Right click task bar, Task Manager (Or Ctrl+Alt+Del)...

Then click performance tab, if you have to seperate graphs for CPU Usage History, then it is turned on

To turn it off, I think you have to do that in the BIOS

Quote from Thorvertonian :

Right click task bar, Task Manager (Or Ctrl+Alt+Del)...

Then click performance tab, if you have to seperate graphs for CPU Usage History, then it is turned on

To turn it off, I think you have to do that in the BIOS

If I remember correctly I have only one graph there. Will check that tonight (at work now )

Well, if it's off, try turning it on!!!

Quote from Thorvertonian :

Well, if it's off, try turning it on!!!

Ok I know we are trying to help you here, and it's all well and good to try to turn on and off major system compenents like HT, but really if you are looking for the best gaming experiance it's not really good practice to as he said "I'm always doing about 10 things at a time on my pc and often when I launch LFS I start another program at the same time, causing the LFS window to loose focus while starting up"
Many applications running at the same time is bound to cause conflicts, so as I do try to close everything to leave all sys resorces open to LFS.
I can't see why people leave so many things running in the background, my guess is that it will kill your CPU and or PSU that bit earlyer.
EDit: Do you have a screensaver running???

Quote from CSU1 :

I can't see why people leave so many things running in the background, my guess is that it will kill your CPU and or PSU that bit earlyer.

I didnt say I was actually gonna play LFS with all those programs open. It happens very often that I just need a screenshot or to login to one of our race servers to change some settings. So when I'm talking about running multiple programs at a time, I don't mean background programs, I mean for example Paint Shop Pro and a website browser and an FTP program.

I don't race with background programs, because I know that degrades fps/playability (although I do think my pc is capable of running quite a few programs at a time).

Also, please note this quote:

Quote from traxxion :

For example when I just booted Windows, start LFS and at the same time the Logitech Profiler, this problem will occur (if the timing is right - or rather; wrong).

This really makes me think it is an LFS bug.

Quote from CSU1 :

EDit: Do you have a screensaver running???

Nope.



Edit: changed some things in the first post to make it clearer (I hope)

I've managed this many times, there's no relation to hardware, it's as simple as ...

Quote from traxxion :

causing the LFS window to loose focus while starting up

I usually alt-tab twice and hit shift-f4 hoping for LFS to go into windowed mode, if it doesn't, repeat. It's not really an LFS bug, although it would be really nice if two sanity checks related to this could be added:

• If LFS does not receive any input for x amount of time while being at the entry screen just after launch, go to windowed mode.
  
• If LFS at launch detects another instance running (Warning - another instance of LFS is running .. ), go to windowed mode.
  

I've actually managed to start a second instance of LFS with the first one being in fullscreen, this loosing-focus annoyance occured and getting things back to normal became twice as tricky.

Quote from filur :

I've managed this many times, there's no relation to hardware, it's as simple as ...

Phew, I knew it!!
Thanks for that filur

Quote from filur :

I've actually managed to start a second instance of LFS with the first one being in fullscreen, this loosing-focus annoyance occured and getting things back to normal became twice as tricky.

Hehehe

Quote from filur :

it would be really nice if two sanity checks related to this could be added

Good suggestions I think... it would indeed be really nice if this could be implemented.

i know the problem it also uccurs in a similar fasion when you alt tab out of lfs while its still loading or while another track is loading (for me it usually happens cause my mouse creates double clicks out of thin air so when i start lfs i often click 3 times to focus back on the explorer window)

the solution is to wait until lfs is fully loaded and then alt tab a single time which should focus the lfs window and you can proceed normally