AHII drops to minimized on task bar

[Hwkeye]

Hi,

About 2 weeks ago (about the time of the most recent skin updates) AHII started acting odd in that everything would sort of hang for a second then the whole game would minimize to the Task Bar in Windows. A couple of quick clicks of the mouse would restore it to full screen but it takes another 3 to 5 seconds for graphics to return.  It's real annoying and I mention of this on Rook Range Freq the other night and another player made mention that he and others had been experiencing the same thing. 

I could sure you some help with this one.  The last time it happened I was on short final to a carrier and you can pretty well guess how well that landing went! 

System:
Windows XP Pro SP3
AMD Phenom 9850 Quad Core oc'd to 3.0GHz (rock solid in Prime95 Torture Test)
Thermaltake Duo Orb Cooler
2 x 4580 in CrossFire (each oc'd to 680Mhz freq and 1050Mhz Mem Freq)
4 GB of RAM (not oc'd)
Realtek HD Audio
Antec 1200 Case
Corsair 1000watt PSU
Saitek X52 Pro Joy Stick
CH Pedals USB

[Rich46yo]

It sounds like you have some other prgram interupting. I'll bet its windows media, or some kind of updater. I'd run a good spyware and virus scan as well. Do you have manual load of skins activated? I once had this same problem when a windows media online program would keep popping up. Another possibility is isnt there some keyboard command that minimizes the game and brings you to desktop? Maybe you have key stick? Try deactivating that command. Or maybe you have the keys dual tasked in AH and Saitek software.

[Geary420]

Are you hitting the windows key when you try and hit "z" for zoom?

[Marshal]

I also had this happen to me when my antivirus software would update. As soon as it went to update AHII would minimize to the task bar just as you have stated. I quickly remedied the situation by uninstalling the antivirus software and changing to Avast Antivirus software (Home Edition is Free by the way)and have not had a problem since then.

[sunfan1121]

Something similar has been happening to me also. The windows start button has been popping up about every 3 seconds. I have to use ALT+Tab to get it to go away.

[dkff49]

I too had this a couple of weeks ago while I was playing, was not fun furballing with this going on every minute or so.

I found out it was the windows updater wanting to run an update and no matter how many times I clicked later it would just keep asking. Which meant that it would keep minimizing.

In other words when it is doing this make sure it is not some program that is set to run automatically or is loooking for permission to run.

[Hwkeye]

Well just got off of AHII and it happened again!  This time I found an Event Log.  SKUZZY what say you???

Event Type:   Error
Event Source:   Application Error
Event Category:   None
Event ID:   1000
Date:      8/22/2008
Time:      12:22:06 AM
User:      N/A
Computer:   HOMEOFFICE
Description:
Faulting application aceshigh.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module aceshigh.exe, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x000c60d0.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74   Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c   ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 61 63 65   ure  ace
0018: 73 68 69 67 68 2e 65 78   shigh.ex
0020: 65 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e   e 0.0.0.
0028: 30 20 69 6e 20 61 63 65   0 in ace
0030: 73 68 69 67 68 2e 65 78   shigh.ex
0038: 65 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e   e 0.0.0.
0040: 30 20 61 74 20 6f 66 66   0 at off
0048: 73 65 74 20 30 30 30 63   set 000c
0050: 36 30 64 30 0d 0a         60d0.. 

The next one says...

Event Type:   Error
Event Source:   Application Error
Event Category:   None
Event ID:   1001
Date:      8/22/2008
Time:      12:22:13 AM
User:      N/A
Computer:   HOMEOFFICE
Description:
Fault bucket 734258155.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 42 75 63 6b 65 74 3a 20   Bucket:
0008: 37 33 34 32 35 38 31 35   73425815
0010: 35 0d 0a                  5..    

[Hwkeye]

Finally for the first time my computer went to the task bar and it didn't come back.  It crashed instead (it's the first time that has happened) There is a DrWatson Information log and it's big.  It's too big for the BBS but I can email it to you if you need it Skuzzy.

The top portion reads (I cut the bottem info off to comply with max characters allowable:

Event Type:   Information
Event Source:   DrWatson
Event Category:   None
Event ID:   4097
Date:      8/22/2008
Time:      12:22:14 AM
User:      N/A
Computer:   HOMEOFFICE
Description:
The application, E:\HTC\Aces High II\aceshigh.exe, generated an application error The error occurred on 08/22/2008 @ 00:22:13.984 The exception generated was c0000005 at address 004C60D0 (aceshigh)

[Skuzzy]

The game does not minimize on its own.  This problem is a normal manifestation of spyware, malware, or virus infestation on your computer.

Basically, it is another program causing it where the other program is asserting itself as the primary application and Windows itself then minimizes all other programs.

[Hwkeye]

That was my first thought until I saw the error messages referencing AH Skuzzy.  I do know that about the same time AVG Anti-Virus did a bad update that caused their AVG Anti-Virus Free to not work the problems with AHII started so maybe there is some correlation there.  AVG Technologies has since fixed the issue but obviously my AHII problem remains.  I will start turning things off and if I figure out what is causing the issue I'll post my findings here.

[Waffle]

Itunes / Quicktime will minimize Aces High as well if it wants to update while you're playing

[Skuzzy]

Oh great.  Just what I need.  Another "look at me!!" application.

Have to get some more information on that process.

[squealer]

Itunes / Quicktime will minimize Aces High as well if it wants to update while you're playing

Yep quick time is a bugger. I had to delete the update file many moon's ago to stop that one.

[kilz]

That was my first thought until I saw the error messages referencing AH Skuzzy.  I do know that about the same time AVG Anti-Virus did a bad update that caused their AVG Anti-Virus Free to not work the problems with AHII started so maybe there is some correlation there.  AVG Technologies has since fixed the issue but obviously my AHII problem remains.  I will start turning things off and if I figure out what is causing the issue I'll post my findings here.

Hwkeye google FSautostart this program will shut all the background programs that you dont need while playing Aces High DOWN and if you shut a program down that you where not supposed to then it will fix it automaticly. try it out bro its a sweet program. any of you that are having issues with hitting the windows key instead of the z key try googling I hate this key. this program disables the windows key ONLY while in game. helpful program

[Hwkeye]

Hwkeye google FSautostart this program will shut all the background programs that you dont need while playing Aces High DOWN and if you shut a program down that you where not supposed to then it will fix it automaticly. try it out bro its a sweet program. any of you that are having issues with hitting the windows key instead of the z key try googling I hate this key. this program disables the windows key ONLY while in game. helpful program

I will download it now!  Thanks for the response Kilz  !