Windows 7 64bit Aero problem. Screen flashing sometimes

[JimiJamesMR]

I have posted this as a Feedback issue of Orbiter 2010 but I think I really messed up as those forums are not for generic support but for reporting bugs and generic things. I've tried to delete but didn't find any option to it. Sorry.

I've read on some forums that the people have no trouble with Orbiter on win7 64 but I have a little problem.

That people said (I don't remember the forum, I reached to that posts from google) that when they enter Orbiter 3D world (not the orbiter launcher) their computers deactivate automatically aero very quickly. That happens to me but only sometimes. Often windows try to deactivate aero off when the loading screen of orbiter finishes, it appear to not be able and orbiter minimises. So I have to tell the Orbiter launcher to deactivate aero on its icon compatibility tab.

Is there any way to make orbiter work always without telling deactivate aero on the icon compatibility tab? (you know, not a big problem to do that, but is a bit ugly to have the desktop with aero off when I am changing orbiter setup options, selecting scenario, etc)

The other problem is that sometimes on Orbiter 3D world, the screen flashes. That is extremely disturbing to me. Is there any way to avoid that to happen? I have a nvidia GTX 260 just in case that matters.

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[Hielor]

As for the flash--I know one solution was to have another window (such as the ctrl-space or F4 windows) open, that seemed to stop the flashing. Not sure about other solutions, but search around the forum, there have been several threads on the subject.

 

[dbeachy1]

If you run the external D3D7Client it won't disable aero. You can download it here.

 

[martins]

I am afraid I can't help with issue 1. Orbiter's DX7 engine long predates Win7, so I doubt that there is any provision in the DX7 API itself that would address this specific problem. I don't know what criteria Win7 is applying when it decides that an application is conflicting with its own renderer, and I don't have access to a Vista or Win7 machine to debug this.

Regarding issue 2: did you try disabling hardware page flipping on the Launchpad video tab?

 

[n122vu]

You can try killing the explorer.exe process after you start the launchpad. Closing the Explorer.exe process has helped some with running some older games that have a color glitch under Windows 7 (Age of Empires II for example).

See this page for details on how to do it cleanly:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/h...erexe-process-cleanly-in-windows-7-and-vista/

If this works, you can create a batch script that simply closes explorer.exe, then launches Orbiter, and restarts explorer.exe when Orbiter closes. Let me know if you would like more details (or if it even helps).

 

[Hielor]

You can try killing the explorer.exe process after you start the launchpad. Closing the Explorer.exe process has helped some with running some older games that have a color glitch under Windows 7 (Age of Empires II for example).

See this page for details on how to do it cleanly:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/h...erexe-process-cleanly-in-windows-7-and-vista/

If this works, you can create a batch script that simply closes explorer.exe, then launches Orbiter, and restarts explorer.exe when Orbiter closes. Let me know if you would like more details (or if it even helps).

This is completely unnecessary for Orbiter. It's solving an entirely different problem.

 

[JimiJamesMR]

Thanks to all for the help

Disabling pageflip has killed that disturbing flashing, much better now.

If you run the external D3D7Client it won't disable aero. You can download it here.

I have installed D3D7Client and it doesn't work. I have to deactivate aero too :-( Don't know what I am doing bad

EDIT: Ok, D3D7Client deactivate aero on fullscreen mode but works as a charm on windowed mode (orbiter in-built engine didn't) Thanks again for the support!

 

[dbeachy1]

Are you sure you're running Orbiter_ng.exe rather than Orbiter.exe? [You will need to enable the D3D7Client module in the launchpad as well.] I'm running Windows 7 x64 with an ATI 5970 and aero stays enabled for me. :tiphat:

 

[n122vu]

This is completely unnecessary for Orbiter. It's solving an entirely different problem.

I realize this. I simply offered this as a solution for getting around the issue described here:

Often windows try to deactivate aero off when the loading screen of orbiter finishes, it appear to not be able and orbiter minimises. So I have to tell the Orbiter launcher to deactivate aero on its icon compatibility tab.

which sounded to me at the time like getting a CTD when Windows was failing to switch to the Basic desktop theme. Killing the explorer process would keep the switch from happening and remove this CTD.

Doesn't matter anyway since D3D7 client seems to have solved it.

:hail:

 

[JimiJamesMR]

Are you sure you're running Orbiter_ng.exe rather than Orbiter.exe? [You will need to enable the D3D7Client module in the launchpad as well.] I'm running Windows 7 x64 with an ATI 5970 and aero stays enabled for me. :tiphat:

Yes, running orbiter_ng.exe with D3D7Client module enabled. I have Win 7 x64 with a nvidia Geforce GTX 260.

Not working fullscreen and aero on, it does on windowed and aero on.

Now I would like to activate antialiasing. I don't see any option on orbiter launcher and I have activated it on a created orbited profile nvidia CP. (On full screen AA was enabled but not more than 4x, I think even though I have set it to 16x) (On windowed mode it looks like there's no AA at all)

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:40 PM ----------

I realize this. I simply offered this as a solution for getting around the issue described here:

which sounded to me at the time like getting a CTD when Windows was failing to switch to the Basic desktop theme. Killing the explorer process would keep the switch from happening and remove this CTD.

Doesn't matter anyway since D3D7 client seems to have solved it.

:hail:

Thanks for the try, though, I would try your solution in case the D3D7Client hadn't work

 

[Hielor]

I realize this. I simply offered this as a solution for getting around the issue described here:

which sounded to me at the time like getting a CTD when Windows was failing to switch to the Basic desktop theme. Killing the explorer process would keep the switch from happening and remove this CTD.

He said that it "minimises," not "crashes." Killing the explorer process should be reserved for a last resort option when nothing else works, and in this case he had already arrived at a workaround (using the application compatibility tab on the properties of orbiter.exe to disable aero when it starts) which was far less extreme.