Weird screen-freezing bug.

I just bought a new computer.

Due to my old computer, I'm used to very long load times, so my habit is to tab out of the game and open another window to occupy my time with, then going back to the game 30 secs - 1 min later.

Well on this new computer, the game "freezes" each time I do that. Well, the graphics do, at least. It's not a freeze in any sense I've seen before - I can still type and hear myself moving, but the screen doesn't refresh. Any idea what the problem is?

Edit: okay, I talked to a friend who says that it's a Windows 7 issue. I went to Properties of the game and Compatibility, and put it on Service Pack 2. Then I restarted, and that seems to have fixed the problem.

I'm still wondering why it does that on Service Pack 3, and what I am losing by switching to Service Pack 2. So any input is valued. Thanks.

It is a windows 7 problem having to do with the look and feel of the system. The way things are semi transparent and the other little things like open tab preview and such. It essentially works like windowblinds and reskins the programs. Windows recognizes this and does try to avoid it by returning its color scheme to basic when CoH loads. However if you tab out and cycle back to the game you get a frozen screen.

There are multiple ways to deal with this. I never tried the service pack 2 compatibility solution so I'll have to store that information away. The second way to deal with it is to go to your game directory and open up properties on each of the .exe files. Then choose the compatibility tab and check the two boxes "disable visual themes" and "disable desktop composition". The third way to deal with it which doesn't involve changing any settings is this. When you switch back to the game don't do so by mouse clicking on it. Use the alt-tab and cycle past the game once then stop on it the next time. For some reason cycling past it the first time keeps the freeze from happening.

Is this a known issue since Windows 7 released?

Do you have a suggestion on which work-a-round (the final suggestion seems to be the least desireable) actually changes the least? I'm worried not using Service Pack 3 for other aspects isn't preferable.

I've noticed the color scheme error message, so you're definitely right about that. Are there any drawbacks to the second (your first) suggestion?

This is a known Win 7 problem - been that way since 7 came out (technically, since Win7 was available to the public in Beta, but I had hoped it would be fixed before it went RTM). Both my 7 machines do this.

What I'm wanting to know - what service packs are you guys talking about??? Service pack 1 hasn't been released for 7, yet you're talking about SP 2 and 3?

That's what it says in Compatibility. If it wasn't actually something, I don't know how dropping to SP 2 would have solved anything for me.

Ah, you're using compatibility mode and switching it back to XP compatibility. Gotcha now. I was thinking you were doing something with 7 specifically. Blond moment is all.

post a CoHHelper report please. we can help you from there.

Windows 7 and City of Heroes get along just fine without needing to put City in XP compatibility mode. I know; I'm running Windows 7 64 bit professional and in City of Heroes right now.

Jeremy - It seems that my situation was just a temporary fix - It's defaulted back to whatever has it freezing whenever you tab out.

Er, Starcloud, I know that it runs it just find, but I mention a specific issue there... You're saying you don't have it?

Sharker:

---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.2.0.2---

DxDiag gathered at September 1, 2010 19:50 (-05:00)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.100618-1621)
System Manufacturer: Gateway
System Model: DX4840
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Central Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU 650 @ 3.20GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 8192MB
.Net Memory Report: 5266MB out of 8183MB available
Page File: 12487MB (3876MB currently in use)
C Drive: (WDC WD10EARS-22Y5B1) 678113MB out of 931238MB (72%) free
D Drive: (HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH41N) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\Windows
DirectX: DirectX 11
DirectX Diag version: 6.01.7600.16385 (64-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.

No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor:
Monitor's Max Resolution: (blank)
Video Device Name: NVIDIA GeForce GT 320
Manufacturer / Chip: NVIDIA / GeForce GT 320
Video Memory: 4057 MB
Driver Version: 8.17.11.9666
Driver Date: 2/16/2010 6:13:00 PM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Driver File: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6045
Driver Date: 2/9/2010 10:28:22 AM

Sound Device Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Driver File: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6045
Driver Date: 2/9/2010 10:28:22 AM


WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: Gateway
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: DX4840
Motherboard Version:
BIOS Manufacturer: American Megatrends Inc.
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
BIOS Version: ACRSYS - 20100319
BIOS Release: 20100319000000.000000+000


Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 10240x7684
3D Resolution: 10240x7684 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: No
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: No


Physics Quality: Unknown (21)
Maximum Particles: 500000
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No


Anti-aliasing: Unknown (2147483647)
Anisotropic Filtering: Unknown (2147483647)
Texture LOD Bias: Unknown (20)
Water Effects: Unknown (2147483647)
Bloom: Unknown (turned off)
Depth of Field Enabled: No
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: No
Shader Detail: Unknown (30)


World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Unknown (2147483647)
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: Unknown
Shadows Enabled: No
Shadow Mode: Unknown (2147483647)
Shadow Map Shader: Unknown (2147483647)
Environmental Reflections: Unknonwn (2147483647)
Advanced Occlusion Settings: No
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Occlusion Strength: Unknonwn (2147483647)
Blur: Unknonwn (2147483647)
Ambient Resolution: Unknonwn (2147483647)


Gamma Correction: Unknown
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: No
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: No
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: Unknown
Music Sound Volume: Unknown

Show Advanced Graphics Options: No
Overall Graphics Quality: Unknown
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: 100611 bytes/second
Current Game Version: 1850.201007290124.24T2
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
.\texture_library\MAPS\city has 1 file
.\texture_library\MAPS\Midnight_Squad has 1 file
.\texture_library\MAPS\Safeguard has 9 files
.\texture_library\MAPS\sewers has 44 files
.\texture_library\MAPS\static has 32 files
.\texture_library\V_MAPS\Outdoor_Missions has 9 files
.\texture_library\V_MAPS\Static has 16 files

I don't know what any of that means!

update your video drivers, they aren't to horribly out of date but it may help. also try a disc clean up and defrag.

Going to your game directory and right changing the visual theme and desktop composition is the easiest and least system changing way to deal with it. It's the same as telling windowblinds not to reskin a program.

It's just two simple check boxes.