Odd minimizes of games and applications.

[Maximum]

Alrighty, this is kind of odd to me. I figured it was probably spyware, adware or something along those lines that keeps minimizing my games and applications. So i run the usual spybot, adaware, and virus scan. Clean everything up, do a defrag, all that good stuff. It is still occuring and I cant figure out why. Anyone have some suggestions for my predicament? It gets annoying to be in the middle of a gun fight to only be thrown to my desktop. Thanks. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Dave-ros]

Just a really weird random thought, but could it be you're pressing Windows-M or Alt-Tab by mistake, or that your keyboard keeps sending that signal to the computer (e.g. due to a short)? Otherwise, it must be some program that keeps capturing Windows' focus, if you see what I mean. Might not register as spyware or a virus, but might still be there - check Task Manager. It sounds like how occasionally Windows minimises a game to say "This program is trying to access the Internet but Windows Firewall is blocking it, do you want it to continue?", so it might be a virus checker or network monitor, or something like that. Just my uneducated guess, though http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Maximum]

I already made sure i was never pressing the windows button or Alt-tabbing out http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I doubt my computers keyboard would have a short, havnt had liquids near it or anything that has actually been inside the keyboard. And I made sure the buttons worked fine earlier by doing the Alt-tab out and Windows-m and they responded fine. I tried shutting down all the programs in task manager under "Owner" and the Firewall permission window has never come up. Might it still minimize the game without actually putting up a Window?

[Laplacian]

I have Symmantec anti-virus and when I disable it, sometimes it pops up a message informing me that it is disabled. Extremely annoying, especially when I'm playing a game because sometimes it locks up, other times it just crashes to desktop. Do you have anything like that on your machine?

Aside: does anyone know how to disable the annoying pop-up from symmantec/norton anti-virus reminding you that it is turned off?

[Cerberus_e]

it happens rarely, but sometimes games also minimize.
for no reason at all, it's not ALT+tab, or spyware.

[Oasiz]

or did you press the "sticky keys" ? (shift 5 times in a row) it pops up a message about it. Absolutely useless. you can disable it in the accessbility options.

[Cerberus_e]

not useless, if you break your arm http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Dave-ros]

If you break your arm, you won't be able to play games either http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif That horrifies me just to think of it...

Maximum, have you tried a different keyboard just to make absolutely sure? I reckon it probably isn't a keyboard short or anything, but at least we can eliminate that line of enquiry.

It also can't be the screensaver deploying unless you play all your games on a joypad and seldom touch the keyboard or mouse... it used to happen to me when I played Duke 3D on a P100 with Win98, using a joypad (I always use a mouse for JonoF's port http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) - except, rather than going back to the desktop, the entire computer would latch up http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

And Laplacian, I've just turned off Norton AutoProtect, inspired by your determination to have it off (no pun intended), so if I get the same pop-ups, I'll let you know how I deal with them - I've had it switched off before and never got nagged, weird! (Norton 2003 BTW http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif)

[Maximum]

Now ive tried a different keyboard, same problem. This is pretty annoying. About to just go for a total reformat if it pisses me off more.