Cannot alt-tab SMAC after Patch 4 and XP Update

[Kurj]

I can run SMAC just fine, but I can only minimize the SMAC window through my task manager - alt-tabbing does not work. Has anyone else had this problem?

I am running Windows XP Service Pack 2. I installed SMAC, installed Patch 4, and then installed the XP Update. I added DirectDraw=0 and ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1 to my ini file. Here is my ini file:

[Alpha Centauri]
DirectDraw=0
MainFontSize=16
InterludeFontSize=16
Prefs Format=12
Difficulty=3
Map Type=2
Top Menu=0
Faction=1
Preferences=10111011111000011101110110010110
More Preferences=1110100111000101101000
Semaphore=00000000
Announce=111100001110101001
Rules=101100000011111
Customize=2
Custom World=2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
Time Controls=1
Latest Save=
Latest Scenario=
Main Volume=127
Voice Volume=127
Music Volume=127
SFX Volume=127
WinsFileBox=0
Base Sort=2
ds3d=1
eax=1
FastUnitAnim=0
SmoothUnitAnim=0
DisableOpeningMovie=0
[PREFERENCES]
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1

Thanks in advance for any help, it is much appreciated.

 

[Petek]

Welcome to CFC!

First thing I'd suggest is to apply the SMAC Win 2000/XP Update. That will update SMAC to v.5 and fixes problems running the game under Win XP, as well as some undocumented improvements to game play. Let us know how that works.

Petek

 

[Kurj]

Thank you for the reply. I already installed the XP update.

 

[Petek]

Sorry, I somehow missed where you already installed the update. I never noticed this issue until now. When running the game under XP, I had a standard monitor and always ran other programs full screen, never noticing the SMACX didn't minimize. I noticed the issue when I switched to Windows 7 and a widescreen monitor.

This issue is almost certainly a result of DirectX. You might be able to work around it by finding a program that allows you to run full-screen programs in a window. I know that they exist, but I've never used one.

If I think of something else, I'll post again.

 

[Kurj]

I was able to fix it, by disabling the opening movie. Now, I can alt-tab from one program to the other.

 

[jake LL]

I have the same kind of problem... but I can alt-tab to other programs for the first several minutes of playing, but after a while, Alpha stays on top and I can not see the other applications... I do not have the opening movie enabled, if that helps.

Any suggestions?

 

[Petek]

I have the same kind of problem... but I can alt-tab to other programs for the first several minutes of playing, but after a while, Alpha stays on top and I can not see the other applications... I do not have the opening movie enabled, if that helps.

Any suggestions?

What is your OS? If it's Win 2k or later, have you applied the Win2K/XP Update? (It should also be applied to Vista/Windows 7.) If this suggestion doesn't help, please post your Alpha Centauri.ini file. Thanks.

Oh, and welcome to CFC and the Alpha Centauri forum

 

[jake LL]

Much thanks! the patch did not seem to help, I assume it would have told me if I had already installed it ages ago. I am running windows 7, and playing alpha centauri in windows xp compatability mode (also as an admin, so it saves files in the right place). here is the ini file too, should that be of any help!

 

[Petek]

Your ini file looks fine, except you don't need the video mode=1024 line; it's overridden by the directdraw=0 line. That shouldn't be causing a problem, but you might want to remove it, just in case it helps.

Are you running the game on a desktop or a laptop? What is your monitor's native resolution (the resolution at which Windows runs)? What happens if you press the Start button (AKA the Windows button) when the game is running? You should see the Taskbar and the Start menu. (Try this last test after the game fails to respond to Alt-tabbing.)

 

[jake LL]

I'm running it on my laptop, which is at 1600x900. The start button does not bring up the taskbar, everything is hidden behind alphax. Quitting out of Alpha and reopening fixes the problem, but only for a while.

 

[Petek]

Very unusual. I suspect the problem is being caused by something other than the game.

Are you running any utilities that change the way your keyboards works or that modify the Alt-Tab action?

When the problem occurs, what happens if you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete? Same question for Win+Tab.

If your keyboard has two Alt keys, what happens if you use the other key?

Can you login as a different user?

Check your keyboard settings in Control Panel.

Please post again and let us know what happens with these suggestions.