When TS20XX suddenly Minimises to the desktop Stealing Focus

[peterfhayes]

When TS20XX suddenly Minimises to the desktop – Stealing Focus - part of a series of inconsequential tweaks for TS20XX.

I used to run TS20XX using a nVidia graphics card in FULL SCREEN mode. But with the latest couple of Windows 10 upgrades I found that for no reason or when pressing any random key or using any mouse click, TS20XX would suddenly and often unexpectedly minimise to the desktop!

Pressing the TS key in the task bar refreshed TS20XX and it resumed as if nothing had happened. (I even left it minimised overnight and it resumed the next day as if nothing had ever happened.) It is not a serious fault just annoying.

This is probably caused by the mysterious windows gremlin, "stealing focus"! Fortunately, it can be fixed in 2 ways.

Number One:
In TS20XX use windowed or borderless mode, and set in the nvidia control panel if that option exists

Number Two is a Registry Tweak:
Note: Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method.
These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system, or worse!
Caveat Emptor: Modify the registry at your own risk.

Here's How:
1. Click on Start and then Run. (CTRL +r/R)
2. In the text box in the Run window, type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor program.
3. Locate the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder under My Computer and click on the (+) sign next the folder name to expand the folder.
4. Continue to expand folders until you reach the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel registry key.
5. Select the Desktop key under Control Panel.
6. On the right-hand side of the screen, locate and double-click on the ForegroundLockTimeout DWORD.
7. In the Edit DWORD Value window that appears, set the Value data: field to 30d40.
Note: Make sure the Base option is set to Hexadecimal when entering the DWORD value.
8. Click OK and then close Registry Editor.
9. Reboot your PC for the changes you made to take effect.
** Note an alternative more conservative value to Hex 3d40 would be 1f40 (8000 decimal)

With either of the above TS should no longer minimise to the desktop, when running.

pH

[Alicatt]

My recent problems have been sort of opposite to that, Win 10 pro RTX2080 super with 442.19 drivers and 1920x1080 full screen, TS2020 crashes and then I cannot close the program, not even ctl+alt+del and starting task manager allows me to get control back, the screen keeps going back to the frozen TS2020, alt+tab won't allow the swapping to another program and I just have to reboot to get control back.

I have now gone to borderless in TS2020 and not had any crashes … so far

It has never minimised to the taskbar and oh boy sometimes I wish I could get it to do that!

[markpullinger]

Try the windows key to minimise.

[749006]

My recent problems have been sort of opposite to that, Win 10 pro RTX2080 super with 442.19 drivers and 1920x1080 full screen, TS2020 crashes and then I cannot close the program,

Same here.

Just trying TSW and a simple timetabled freight run.
Stood at a signal waiting a road so I went outside to look at the other trains and it Freezes

Ctrl-Alt-Del brings up the menu and select Task Manager
Tabbing give me the choice of three screens TSW, another showing TSW has Crashed and I should hit the close button and Task Manager
But the Computer will not let me go to either of the other screens and the only way out is Ctrl-Alt-Del and pic the Shutdown button and let it close things.

Did some people tell me how wonderful Windows 10 is and how much better than windows 7 it is?

Peter

[gptech]

How do you know the scenario's simple Peter?
Have you checked it to ensure it's correctly written?

[749006]

How do you know the scenario's simple Peter?
Have you checked it to ensure it's correctly written?

I do not know Gary
I'm not sure how to check a default TSW Scenario?

[gptech]

TSW?........nothing to do with the issue under discussion here then.

[749006]

TSW?........nothing to do with the issue under discussion here then.

Alicatt was talking about the problem where he was unable to exit TS2020 after it crashed.
I replied saying I had the same problem with TSW playing a simple timetabled run - to point out the problem was not just with TS2020

And you asked me

How do you know the scenario's simple Peter?
Have you checked it to ensure it's correctly written?

Peter

[jstange]

Windows 10 is a disaster, it's why I keep Win 7 on my gaming machines while using linux for work. I know I'll have to deal with it one day and I fear that day when it comes.

Win10's issues are mostly related to the update system in my opinion. They constantly keep pushing major updates in while most of them are like a brand new Windows version with bugs and various application incompatibilities. There was a developer from nvidia complaining on their forum that they were supporting the highest number of OSes ever - all this because Win10 means virtually multiple OSes and they have to keep them all as people upgrade only gradually. Some of the Win10 updates substantially altered how the graphics subsystem worked which resulted in major nvidia driver code rewrites he said...