Full screen mode do not work anymore since 2 days ago

[Miporin.3529]

Hello, today when i log-in full screen mode was replaced with window mode, i noticed it since the screen was full of tearing and if i use alt-tab the game go in background like it is in a window, something maybe changed server side the last night, when i launch the game it will go in windowd mode no matter what option i chose, even if in the options  full screen mode is selected.

 

The only way to temporary fix the issue is to delete the local.dat into my guild wars 2 folder and replace it with a my old version that i back-up two weeks ago. But once i log out, the next time i log-in the local.dat is overwritten and so the issue back. I need to replace the file everytime before i log-in.

 

Need to go to support to report this bug?

Anyone else have the same issue with full screen mode?

 

Tried on different pc, same issue,  so is not an hardware or software issue, is something they changed server side overnight that mess up the full screen mode.

 

os: windows 7 x64 sp1

vsync: is of course enabled

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[Miporin.3529]

Update:
Using the option "Enable directx9 rendering (deprecated)" in the options fix the issue, so the bug appear in directx 11 mode only.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[Miporin.3529]

Reply from support:

Quote

 

Hello,
 
Thank you for updating us.
 
At this time, we are currently aware of this issue and our development team is looking into it.
 
Future updates regarding this will be posted in our official forums.
 
Please do not hesitate to let us know should you have any additional questions or concerns.

Regards,

Fury
Guild Wars 2 Support Team

 

We have to wait for a fix.

[Jukhy.2431]

They said that there's no plans for "exclusive full-screen" setting with Dx11 unless something has changed. The reason given was that in Windows 10 there's no discernable performance difference between exclusive full-screen and windowed full-screen.

Here's the post: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/114805-regarding-directx-11—minor-graphics-options-differences/


Also note that Microsoft ended security updates and technical support for Windows 7 over three years ago, so I'd recommend upgrading to Windows 10.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Jukhy.2431

[Miporin.3529]

4 hours ago, Jukhy.2431 said:

They said that there's no plans for "exclusive full-screen" setting with Dx11 unless something has changed. The reason given was that in Windows 10 there's no discernable performance difference between exclusive full-screen and windowed full-screen.

Here's the post: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/114805-regarding-directx-11—minor-graphics-options-differences/


Also note that Microsoft ended security updates and technical support for Windows 7 over three years ago, so I'd recommend upgrading to Windows 10.

 

Odd, the support told me today that they are aware of the issue and they will fix it in the coming patches, anyway it was an issue that i have since this morning, yesterday was playing in full screen under dx11 without any issues, always for years. They have messed up something overnight and they will eventually fix it.

Do not care if Win 7 is not supported, will never install win10 or 11, is pure garbage,  an abortion between a smartphone and a console made for stupid kids. GW2 was created under Win 7, even XP work with it, no need any upgrade since if fully supported.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[Cynder.2509]

Been having this since the DX11 beta. It's not a true fullscreen anymore since then and instead a fake one that still makes the game visible on the task bar when tabbed out. 

[Healix.5819]

11 hours ago, Miporin.3529 said:

Odd, the support told me today that they are aware of the issue and they will fix it in the coming patches, anyway it was an issue that i have since this morning, yesterday was playing in full screen under dx11 without any issues, always for years. They have messed up something overnight and they will eventually fix it.

Full screen under DX11 is the equivalent of windowed full screen - if you were to press the Windows key, the start menu would appear in front of GW2. Full screen under DX9 was exclusive full screen - if you press the Windows key, GW2 is minimized when focus is lost. This is not a bug, and although they could implement exclusive full screen for DX11, it's obsolete and no longer offered in DX12.

They've been randomly enabling DX11 on accounts in preparation of DX9 being removed in April. If you haven't experienced this style of full screen before, you were using DX9 up until this point.

Screen tearing is caused by not using vsync. Support's response likely meant they know there's an issue with vsync. You can alternatively try to force vsync under your GPU's software.

[Miporin.3529]

12 hours ago, Healix.5819 said:

Full screen under DX11 is the equivalent of windowed full screen - if you were to press the Windows key, the start menu would appear in front of GW2. Full screen under DX9 was exclusive full screen - if you press the Windows key, GW2 is minimized when focus is lost. This is not a bug, and although they could implement exclusive full screen for DX11, it's obsolete and no longer offered in DX12.

They've been randomly enabling DX11 on accounts in preparation of DX9 being removed in April. If you haven't experienced this style of full screen before, you were using DX9 up until this point.

Screen tearing is caused by not using vsync. Support's response likely meant they know there's an issue with vsync. You can alternatively try to force vsync under your GPU's software.

 

Nope, i was using a true full screen mode till yesterday since usign alt tab completely change the screen and i never see any tab in the bottom, completely borderless, and i was under DX11 (DX9 box wasn't checked), but something happened yesterday and now to have full screen i have to enable DX9, but is ok, in the end i can't notice any real difference between the two modes, my pc is a bit old.

Just want to point out this, developers who reply to my ticket said that they are working on a fix since they are aware of this issue (see above).

Edited March 1, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[KevinEvo.7061]

I don't know how you could have been using DX11 with this game for years, because it entered a beta only over 1 year ago. Windows 7 and DX9 are old and depricated for years. I suggest like many others have already, you stop using them. I believe Anet already said once DX11 is fully implemented in April, DX9 will be gone. There is no advantage to staying on these other than stubbornness.

 

You can use Windows 10 for free, with a few minor inconveniences.

[KevinEvo.7061]

It's not ideal, but I mitigated some of the issue of having to pick the mouse up all the time by increasing the mouse sensitivity. Now I don't have to move the mouse as far off center, but this has it's own drawbacks. I'll see how long I can tolerate this before I move on to some other game. Maybe increasing the sensivitiy in your mouse software will help other people.

 

[Miporin.3529]

8 hours ago, KevinEvo.7061 said:

I don't know how you could have been using DX11 with this game for years, because it entered a beta only over 1 year ago. Windows 7 and DX9 are old and depricated for years. I suggest like many others have already, you stop using them. I believe Anet already said once DX11 is fully implemented in April, DX9 will be gone. There is no advantage to staying on these other than stubbornness.

 

You can use Windows 10 for free, with a few minor inconveniences.

 

Yes, i used DX11 till now, but in the last patch something broke it, waiting for a fix from devs.

ps: Please stop with this worthless win10 debate, i do not care and i will never install this abortion on my pc, the game was made under win 7 originally (worked even on win XP), and since i have the option to use it i'm using it.

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[Jukhy.2431]

8 hours ago, Miporin.3529 said:

ps: Please stop with this worthless win10 debate, i do not care and i will never install this abortion on my pc, the game was made under win 7 originally (worked even on win XP), and since i have the option to use it i'm using it.

Ofc that's up to you, but I have to ask why? You said Dx11 is performing better, but still won't upgrade to OS that has better overall optimization for gaming and uses less memory for the same or even higher frame rates?
If it's only the new look you don't like then you can customize it to look like Windows 7, it's quite easy to find guides for this online. My Windows 10 screen doesn't look anything like what they advertised it as. I've disabled the animations and other "useless stuff" adjusting it for the best performance instead.

Also note that it's not only the end of support from Microsoft. AMD Radeon won't get any new driver updates and Nvidia will only do critical security updates (ending next year). Google Chrome also ended their support, and Firefox will most likely do the same later this year when they move to a new build.

[Chaba.5410]

I wonder if this is related to the issue I have where the game starts first in a Windowed Fullscreen mode before switching to a borderless window rendering canvas.  Nvidia Shadowplay then initializes to record the game in a not-fullscreen resolution with the width and height of the game adjusted downward due to the borders.

I was using DX11 since it first beta'd and something about one of the hot patches after the big asset changes back at the end of November caused the issue.  I've been starting the game minimized as a workaround.

They are definitely making some changes with the rollout of DX11 to how the game initializes it's graphics settings (i.e. It starts advertising a resolution to Shadowplay before it's fully initialized itself maybe).  There was some earlier bug for Windows 7 specifically too.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Chaba.5410

[Miporin.3529]

5 hours ago, Jukhy.2431 said:

Ofc that's up to you, but I have to ask why? You said Dx11 is performing better, but still won't upgrade to OS that has better overall optimization for gaming and uses less memory for the same or even higher frame rates?
If it's only the new look you don't like then you can customize it to look like Windows 7, it's quite easy to find guides for this online. My Windows 10 screen doesn't look anything like what they advertised it as. I've disabled the animations and other "useless stuff" adjusting it for the best performance instead.

Also note that it's not only the end of support from Microsoft. AMD Radeon won't get any new driver updates and Nvidia will only do critical security updates (ending next year). Google Chrome also ended their support, and Firefox will most likely do the same later this year when they move to a new build.

 

Why you care what os i use? Doesn't matter, the game work under all windows and Linux listed in the requirement page so i use whatever i want, i have the choice to do thias, and the game should work in all the os under all the modes. This win 10 debate is worthless and derail the topic.

[Miporin.3529]

4 hours ago, Chaba.5410 said:

There was some earlier bug for Windows 7 specifically too.

Yes, but is very recent, at least for me, about 3-4 days ago, before i was using DX11 in full screen mode without any issue, now i have to check DX9 to make it working, is not a big deal, the difference is re3al thin, but they changed something server side since it affect the file local.dat. Infact if you replace local.dat with a more old one the game work in full screen until you log-out. Next time you log-in the file is overwritten with the new version and so the bug re-appear. This is something that only the devs can fix on their side, they mess something that apparently affect windows 7 users.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Miporin.3529

[Healix.5819]

8 minutes ago, Miporin.3529 said:

Infact if you replace local.dat with a more old one the game work in full screen until you log-out. Next time you log-in the file is overwritten with the new version and so the bug re-appear. This is something that only the devs can fix on their side, they mess something that apparently affect windows 7 users.

That happens because your old Local.dat file is set to use DX9, so your first login is still using DX9. You've been randomly selected to use DX11, so once you login, the option to use DX9 is reset and you'll be using DX11 on your next launch.

You can "fix" this by simply adding -dx9 to the target of the shortcut you use to launch GW2.

[Miporin.3529]

18 hours ago, Healix.5819 said:

That happens because your old Local.dat file is set to use DX9, so your first login is still using DX9. You've been randomly selected to use DX11, so once you login, the option to use DX9 is reset and you'll be using DX11 on your next launch.

You can "fix" this by simply adding -dx9 to the target of the shortcut you use to launch GW2.

Nope, seems you guys do not read what i wrote, i was always under DX11, i never check DX9 in the settings, i do it now to avoid the bug that came 4 days ago and devs already recognized it.

Anyway, even under DX9 the game is still playable, i just need to decrease a bit the character model limit. Not a big deal, what's really matter is that they continue to support other os like Linux and Win 7 since i use both.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Miporin.3529