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Game alt-tabbing or flashing desktop [merged]


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@killermanjaro.5670 said:

@"Rayti.6531" said:
suggestion from "eragon03" on reddit fixed it for me.
  • In case you enabled it when asked for it after the last Win 10 update:
    DIS
    able the option that prevents notifications from showing while you play fullscreen games (clicking the notification symbol in the lower right corner of your screen while having a game open should give you the option directly)
  • Go to the folder containing your GW2 executable, right-click the GW2 EXE file (presumably the 64-bit one for most people), go to properties -> compatibility, and check "disable fullscreen optimization"

I hope this helps some of you getting rid of the flashing to desktop (or at least improve it)...

Thanks for posting this here, Rayti! I missed that Reddit post, so I'll see if this works for the folks I'm working with in support tickets. :)

Anyhow, I had the Windows 10 update a couple of days ago and I'm having the same issue as everyone else here. Since the update the game takes about 10-15 seconds longer to launch to the title screen, and between every loading screen it's flashing back to the desktop, although still showing the GW2 cursor & playing the music, which is making loading screens a lot longer than before the update. Have updated Nvidia drivers and tried rolling back to older drivers but to no effect. I've tried turning off the "Focused" notification thing, which has helped reduce the time that the loading screen flashes to the desktop, but it hasn't got rid of it from happening. Will submit a ticket through the support site as suggested in an earlier post.

Same thing here: started after the latest windows 10 update.
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UPDATE 05/25/2018: Updated Nvidia drivers to latest v397.93 on my GTX 970 FTW. No change...still get flash to desktop. Just more info on isolation of issue...and, yes, I also updated my ticket with this. Hopefully they'll be able to identify and fix this.

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Well this (guild wars 2 minimizing on loading screens) is definitely a Microsoft Windows 10 April 2018 update created issue! It is unfortunate to say the least as it definitely detracts from the immersion of being in the world of Tyria. I have tried scratch installs of Nvidia drivers, turning off the Focus Assistant, turning off Game mode, checking for a new update, using Nvidia boarderless window mode. Thus far the only "fix" or work around is to run gw2 in a window mode. That at least gets it to stop the minimizing during loading screens. While that (in my opinion) sucks it's, Microsoft's fault. There have been very numerous request for them (Microsoft) to fix it but yeah, get them to do something!? You're better off reinstalling and not doing updates! :s If ANet can or does implement something to fix this when it is not their fault or responsibility it would show, yet again, how they think of their customers more so than other software vendors! I wonder if the MAC client has this problem? Lets all switch to Linux <3 (wait, was that my outside voice or?) Okay so that wont happen. Only one thing left to do............pray to the Developer Gods! <3 <3 <3

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I've been having this problem lately. The game switches to desktop every time I switch characters, every time I waypoint. And when I try to open the game again, it takes a long time. I noticed when I try to open the game, a Windows 95 looking thing appears in the upper left. Picture attached.

4MiiWYg.png

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@Holie.3081 said:

@"EnderzShadow.2506" said:I don't have it randomly happening, it happens with every load screengoing into the gamegoing from pvp area to pvp MapGoing OUT from pvp map to pvp area

I'm also having this same issue, please fix it Anet.

"If you go to settings>system>focus assist and turn it all off, it does it much quicker now instead of sitting there for 10 seconds or so on the desktop. "

So it won't fix it completely, but its much quicker. btw, if you go into system and you dont see 'focus assist' you can just type 'focus assist' in the search box and that will bring it up. Just turn all that stuff off.

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@"Seth Moonshadow.2710" said:I wonder if the MAC client has this problem?

Mac doesn't have the same problem, it has different problems.

Side note- It seems like people who like to run Linux and the myriad of distros, enjoy the tinkering and understanding.Every time I run into a distro savant, they want to explain how simple it all is by burying my mind in termsand concepts that I am unfamiliar with."simple? Rrrrrright..... Like Rocket science, brain surgery and particle physics, right?"

It's ok, everyone 'nerds out' on something.

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Alright, so I've discovered how to severely decrease the time it flashes your desktop before popping back into the game.

  1. Open up your Notification Menu located on your task bar on the bottom right side.
  2. Press the All Settings button.
  3. Select System
  4. Select Focus Assist on the left hand tab
  5. Turn off the 'When I'm playing a game' option

This should decrease the minimize time from about 5 seconds to around 1 second.

To take this a step further, another thing that will help, especially if you're running on an older PC.

Repeat Previous Steps 1 & 2, then do the following:

  1. In the All Settings menu select Gaming.
  2. Turn off Game Bar.

It appears that Focus Assist and the Game Bar are the primary culprits behind this whole thing. As far as why it still minimizes for a second... That appears to be a fix on Arenanet's end as it seems like a compatibility issue.

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I've also just started getting this problem. I know it was caused by the "Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803" Windows update, because I was playing the game with no problem, updated (restarted) while making some food, then came back to play again a few minutes later and the problem started then and has continued since.

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@EnderzShadow.2506 said:

@"Seth Moonshadow.2710" said:I wonder if the MAC client has this problem?

Mac doesn't have the same problem, it has different problems.

Side note- It seems like people who like to run Linux and the myriad of distros, enjoy the tinkering and understanding.Every time I run into a distro savant, they want to explain how simple it all is by burying my mind in termsand concepts that I am unfamiliar with."simple? Rrrrrright..... Like Rocket science, brain surgery and particle physics, right?"

It's ok, everyone 'nerds out' on something.

Yeah, sorry. I know it's not a MAC or even a Linux+WineHQ problem. I was just wishing that I was running my Linux+WineHQ system now is all :( Not to mention it would prove that it is NOT an Arenanet issues since guild wars 2 would be and probably is operating normally, while the rest of us wine (hehe ;) ) about the issue.

It's a Windows problem caused by April 2018 patch creating an issue with games of many types. It's the new focus assistant creating issues. Even when turned off, with game mode turned off, with updated video drivers and the new KB4100403 (minimizing games not addressed) the game will minimize when you load into a new map (both gw1 & gw2). As I've said before the only way I've found to stop this from happening is to play guild wars 2 in a a windowed mode (using ALT+Enter key combo). If you play in this mode then there is no disruption of the game. It's just not as fun as full-screen.

yeah sorry, I'm a bit salty on this one. I only use windows for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, soooo yeah kinda like "WHAT THE SVANIR!" or "OOOoooo can't you deploy a feature w/o breaking fun!?!? flooommaaaddoooo" or "EVERYONE COME!...oh wait never mind go...just go...it's broke" maybe "Every developer has the right to a typo..." "By the Alchemy! Did you just figure a a flux capacitor would power a golem? You must have studied under Synergetics" and "You call THAT a hunt? Bear be blessed cub!"

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@Seth Moonshadow.2710 said:

@Seth Moonshadow.2710 said:I wonder if the MAC client has this problem?

Mac doesn't have the same problem, it has different problems.

Side note- It seems like people who like to run Linux and the myriad of distros, enjoy the tinkering and understanding.Every time I run into a distro savant, they want to explain how simple it all is by burying my mind in termsand concepts that I am unfamiliar with."simple? Rrrrrright..... Like Rocket science, brain surgery and particle physics, right?"

It's ok, everyone 'nerds out' on something.

Yeah, sorry. I know it's not a MAC or even a Linux+WineHQ problem. I was just wishing that I was running my Linux+WineHQ system now is all :( Not to mention it would prove that it is NOT an Arenanet issues since guild wars 2 would be and probably is operating normally, while the rest of us wine (hehe ;) ) about the issue.

It's a Windows problem caused by April 2018 patch creating an issue with games of many types. It's the new focus assistant creating issues. Even when turned off, with game mode turned off, with updated video drivers and the new KB4100403 (minimizing games not addressed) the game will minimize when you load into a new map (both gw1 & gw2). As I've said before the only way I've found to stop this from happening is to play guild wars 2 in a a windowed mode (
using ALT+Enter key combo
). If you play in this mode then there is no disruption of the game. It's just not as fun as full-screen.

yeah sorry, I'm a bit salty on this one. I only use windows for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, soooo yeah kinda like "WHAT THE SVANIR!" or "OOOoooo can't you deploy a feature w/o breaking fun!?!? flooommaaaddoooo" or "EVERYONE COME!...oh wait never mind go...just go...it's broke" maybe "Every developer has the right to a typo..."

its alright, you're not too salty for me. Personally I'm not too excited about a forced update from Microsoft. Usually there is some 'not too technical' work around I can find online.I know whats causing this one, but also another irritation, --Microsoft just forces these updates, then forces them in an "on mode', without some kind of "Hey would you like to try this?" For example, right now, I am looking at my screen that is Dimmed because of some night time mode (similar to F.Lux). I didn't enable that. I never said YES to that option. Why should I go digging through they myriad of options to find what is causing this? Microsoft... leave my proverbial $@#$ alone!

Least its a brief flicker.I don't like windowed mode...even full screen windowed mode.

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Possible solution "work-around" for those still having issues...

I tried the "focus assist" and "disable full screen notification" suggestions and they helped some but I was still seeing the desktop between maps so I tried dozens of other things and here's what worked for me:

  • Hardware acceleration: disable it in any/all apps that you may have running in the background including: chrome, discord, spotify etc. TIP: to find out what apps are currently using your GPU go into your NVIDIA control panel and in the "Desktop" menu tick "Display GPU activity Icon in the notification area" then click on the icon in the notifcation area
  • Compatibility Mode: right click Gw2-64.exe -> properties -> Compatibility -> "Change settings for all users" -> Run this program in compatibility mode for "Windows 7"
  • Run As Administrator: on the same "Compatibility for all users" dialog, check "Run this program as an administrator" apply and save
  • CoherentUI_Host.exe: make the same changes to this as you did to Gw2-64.exe (above). It's in the bin64 folder of the GW2. NOTE: this step might only be required if you're also using GeForce Experience or another game overlay
  • GeForce Experience (or any other overlays you use with GW2): I made the same changes here as well and GeForce Experience is working perfectly for me with GW2 for the first time ever. I can bring up the overlay, enable/disable instant replay and close the overlay without everything locking up.

Video proof of the fix on my system recorded with GeForce Experience:

That's about it. Everything seems to be working (dare I say) better than ever for me at the moment. Hopefully this info will help someone else.

Good luck!

g5MqzqB.pnge2X2iXk.pngrNmkKje.png

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@EnderzShadow.2506 said:

its alright, you're not too salty for me. Personally I'm not too excited about a forced update from Microsoft. Usually there is some 'not too technical' work around I can find online.True, but I've not found one that is working so far :("Hey would you like to try this?" I never said YES to that option. Why should I go digging through they myriad of options to find what is causing this? Microsoft... leave my proverbial $@#$ alone!Supper Agree!Least its a brief flicker.I don't like windowed mode...even full screen windowed mode.Agreed!

@"Dravis.7681" said:
Possible solution for those still having issues...

I tried the "focus assist" and "disable full screen notification" suggestions and they helped some but I was still seeing the desktop between maps so I tried dozens of other things and here's what worked for me:

That's about it. Everything seems to be working (dare I say) better than ever for me at the moment. Hopefully this info will help someone else.

Good luck!

I tried your idea. While I'm not a fan of downgrading it does work in that it stops minimizing when zoning. Trouble with that for me is that it runs like crap and takes more time to load than when minimizing. Once loaded in it's like I do't have a GPU anymore watching the floor load in, then plants then enemies who were already attacking me :/ I think I'll stick with Native mode Windowed Mode until a real fix comes out.

That's not to say that your solution might not work for some others, so if you like it great job :) and use Compatibility mode. There is at least two options for players to use until a fix from some one, be it ANet or Microsoft, comes out. Because really all these are a "work-around" and not real solutions to the problem.

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@"Seth Moonshadow.2710" said:

I tried your idea. While I'm not a fan of downgrading it does work in that it stops minimizing when zoning. Trouble with that for me is that it runs like crap and takes more time to load than when minimizing. Once loaded in it's like I do't have a GPU anymore watching the floor load in, then plants then enemies who were already attacking me :/ I think I'll stick with Native mode Windowed Mode until a real fix comes out.

That's not to say that your solution might not work for some others, so if you like it great job :) and use Compatibility mode. There is at least two options for players to use until a fix from some one, be it ANet or Microsoft, comes out. Because really all these are a "work-around" and not real solutions to the problem.

Ahh... that's unfortunate... My system is pretty beast mode so I didn't notice any slow down on map and/or objects loading and it lets me use instant replay in GeForce Experience so well it worth it for me. Not sure if calling it a "downgrade" is 100% accurate though... Considering all the software in question (GW2, GeForce, CoherentUI) was originally developed before Windows 10 was a thing. I do agree that "work-around" is probably more accurate than "solution" though so I updated my first post.

The problem with a "real fix" is I suspect all this has something to do with that CoherentUI_Host.exe which is a 3rd party app no longer supported by the developer (Coherent Labs). Based on the 10 or so minutes of research I did on it, it makes use of "hardware acceleration" which is why I started messing with the settings of other apps running on the GPU. So unless Anet decides to rip that out and implement Coherent-GT (CoherentUI's successor) then we're basically at the mercy of Microsoft coming up with a fix...

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Same problem here :(

I've got 2 PC's both running the same version of windows with the same gfx card and NVidia driver version. My new PC is a fresh Windows build (1803) and has had the problem since installation on the 18th May. The other is my partner PC which has been periodically patched to the latest version after having a fresh Windows 10 install about a year ago.

In order to get my new PC not to go back to the desktop at every load screen I had to do the following:1) Turn off the Focus assist and its gaming automatic rule (this got rid of the long delay and gave a quick flick back to the desktop)2) Under the gw2-64.exe properties - Compatibility options, Disable full screen optimisations (this reduced it to just a quick black flicker)3) Put gw2-64.exe into Windows 7 compatibility mode (this got rid of the remain black flickering)

After playing about a bit I found that I didn't need step two and once i was in Windows 7 compatibility mode, selecting Disable full screen optimisations didn’t change the behaviour back to seeing the desktop. Also Windows 8 compatibility mode still showed the flickering.

Strangely the other PC was working perfectly fine with focus assist turned on and no compatibility settings selected. We also have another 3 devices running Windows 10 (mix of version 1703 and 1803) in the house and they don’t have this problem either.

I'm hoping that running in Window 7 compatibility mode won’t have any performance implications. If I note any over the next day or so I will comment.

I won’t deny that I am beginning to dislike the supposedly helpful features that keep cropping up in Windows.

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