Funny WindowBlinds Expand/Contract behavior

November 2, 2003 8:52 PM from

While running WindowBlinds (XP, various versions of Nvidia drivers, it doesn't seem to matter, GeForce3, but it did it on a pre-GeForce Nvidia card too, I think), windows will occasionally redraw their borders a little bigger than normal, leaving a white border around the window contents, then seem to freeze up for a second or two, then "snap back" redrawing the borders at their correct sizes, except for the those occasions when, instead of the border snapping back, the contents expand into the new space, causing the window to grow slowly. Visual Studio .Net 2003 does this and so does Galciv when running windowed (the space fills up with black). I don't know if the pause is WindowBlinds or just something that Windows or the programs in question are doing and WB is just responding, but that's part of the problem, not knowing.

Is anyone seeing this? Is this a known problem? By the way, this has been happening through many versions and updates of WB. Not running FX.

Thanks,

-Robert

1,117 views 9 replies

Reply #1 November 2, 2003 9:34 PM from

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I'm not trying to be a smart alec but maybe you should try a ATI card and see if it happens with that card as well. Could just be the nvidia card.

Reply #2 November 2, 2003 10:55 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Not a bad idea but I don't happen to have one handy.

But surely if it is the Nvidia card, someone else has seen it. I am just trying to determine if it is a known Nvidia hardware or software problem or a known problem with WindowBlinds that is likely to be fixed or something I can fix by changing settings somewhere.

-Robert

Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles

Reply #3 November 2, 2003 11:09 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

It sounds like the refresh rate problem in nVidia drivers (excluding 52.16). You could try http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1547.html and see if that fixes your problem.

Reply #4 November 3, 2003 5:05 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanks for the link, but actually "refresh rate" refers to an aspect of the physical video signal between the card and the monitor and doesn't have anything to do with software or the GUI.

FYI, it has to do with how "solid" your display looks. If it seems video-y or shakes and shimmeys when you move your head or chew while you look at the screen, the refresh rate is too low (probably 60MHz). Raising your monitor's refresh rate to it's maximum will give your monitor a more "solid" look and can reduce eyestrain significantly, which is what the author of the driver note on the referenced site is talking about when he says it "makes you very blind after a while of gaming."

-Robert

Reply #5 November 3, 2003 1:53 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanks for the education. I'm not talking about it staying at 60mhz....I'm talking about when it changes refresh rate during certain apps (like running a game windowed) and returns to your pre-set rate and the windows do not snap back to original position as you describe in your post and thus have a white edge to them. If you're running nView settings in default, it's going to play havoc with you screen.

We can guess at this forever, but won't get anywhere until we see it. Upload your desktop (when it's in that state) to your profile so we can see what it's doing.

Reply #6 November 3, 2003 2:42 PM from

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Buy a book on Upgrading and Trouble Shooting PC's

best suggestion I can think of for you....

Reply #7 November 3, 2003 3:26 PM from

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Hey John....how you been?

Glad you dropped in .....was having trouble coming to grips with this thread

Your suggestion is probably the best, but it appears he's already read too many

Reply #8 November 3, 2003 4:21 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

HiYa Gary

Verizon really screwed up our account but thats ok got a couple of free months and natioanl dial up account for it

could have knocked me over with a feather when they mentioned it too

yeah maybe they fixed it? I started to answer it a few different times but always ended up back at the begining. I don't have their computer in front of me and it could be so many different things they need to start from 0 and work their way to the solution and typing all of that out step by step isn't in me right now

I m still miffed about all my email for the last 6 weeks being dinked with my old account.
I have a bad habit of ignoring email for a bit and then downloading it all at one time and answering all then... guess that wil change, though I am running everything through my mail server now and not verizons..

Reply #9 November 3, 2003 6:56 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Yrag, point taken, I should have read up on that issue in a little more depth. It may in fact be related, so I am re-installing 52.16 (Windows recently reloaded all the drivers when I had to move some cards around) to make sure I've got it and we'll see if it continues to re-occur.

I'll try to grab a screen-capture of it happening. I want to reiterate however that this behavior only occurs when WindowBlinds is loaded, so I am assuming it is in some way WindowBlinds-related and not just a general PC or Nvidia problem.

-Robert

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