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View Full Version : issue alt-tabbing in & out of FM2005

FrogMan
10-28-2005, 10:25 PM
okay, this has happened to me a few times now and I'm wondering if anybody else has had it too.

While playing FM2005, I usually leave IrfanView open in the background to do screendumps of information for later use when I'll do my reporting on my dynasty. Simple way I do it is hit the print screen key on the keyboard, alt-tab to IrfanView, paste it, crop, save it. Then I alt-tab back to FM2005 and I keep on playing.

Here's the situation that happens sometimes, the game won't alt-tab back to FM2005, even though the process is still very much alive. Click th thumbnail below to see a picture of my desktop, with the game still running at the bottom:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/QcFrogMan/Hattrick/th_desktop.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/QcFrogMan/Hattrick/desktop.jpg)

Even if I click on the Fotball Manager process, nothing happens. The screen blacks out for half a second and then it comes back to the desktop. The game is still running though.

Click the following thumbnail to see the active tasks as you'll see that Football Manager 2005 is still in there but when I click the "switch to" button, it agains blacks out and comes back to desktop.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/QcFrogMan/Hattrick/th_desktop2.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/QcFrogMan/Hattrick/desktop2.jpg)

I don't have it here, but even in the processes, it shows fm2005.exe as running. I tried increasing its priority, but to no avail...

It did that to me tonight and I had not saved my game after playing two games with my Q.P.R. team. I'm sort of a slow player as I write down a lot of stuff, so 2 games is about 90 minutes of playing and, well it sucks to have lost these two games...

Anybody has ever had this happened to them? And if so, what did you do?

I ended up killing the process, but would appreciate any ideas and suggestion for when it will happen again...

FM
FBPro
10-28-2005, 10:40 PM
Have you tried using the "windows key"?
FrogMan
10-28-2005, 10:41 PM
windows key bring the start menu, but how could it help me?

FM
FBPro
10-28-2005, 10:42 PM
That is what I use to go in and out of FM when I need to.
FrogMan
10-28-2005, 10:44 PM
That is what I use to go in and out of FM when I need to.
yeah, when in the game, if I hit the windows key, the start menu comes and I'm out of FM, but now, even if I click on the "Football Manager 2005" at the bottom, it is not allowing me back in the game...

FM
FBPro
10-28-2005, 10:57 PM
Does this happen all the time? Have you tried rebooting or shutting down some other programs which maybe running in the background?
FrogMan
10-28-2005, 11:08 PM
Does this happen all the time? Have you tried rebooting or shutting down some other programs which maybe running in the background?
nope doesn't happen all the time, in fact it happens pretty rarely, but when it happens, it starts making me nervous about when it'll happen again.

Nothing else is running in the background other than usual windows processes.

FM
Passacaglia
10-28-2005, 11:15 PM
Try running it in windowed mode?
Eaglesfan27
10-28-2005, 11:21 PM
FM, I've had this happen, but it eventually came back up if I waited 5 or so minutes. I always use the windows button to switch screens as well.
FrogMan
10-29-2005, 07:16 AM
FM, I've had this happen, but it eventually came back up if I waited 5 or so minutes. I always use the windows button to switch screens as well.
oh, really? So it could be like it sort of hangs up then wakes up? I'll try waiting the next time it happens...

FM
FrogMan
10-29-2005, 07:17 AM
Try running it in windowed mode?
isn't really an option, as I don't run my disply in a high enough resolution to allow this, at least I don't think so...

FM
scooter
10-29-2005, 01:35 PM
I thought there was supposed to be a way to "force" windowed mode - something added to an .ini file or something. A search over at the SI boards should find you answer.

As far as having to wait for a few minutes, that seems to be the way to fix most things with CM/FM. It's a complicated program that utilizes a lot of resources. I try to keep everything else turned off when I'm running FM2005. Let it sit for a few minutes, if it's still just a black screen, then you may have a problem.
Passacaglia
10-29-2005, 02:43 PM
isn't really an option, as I don't run my disply in a high enough resolution to allow this, at least I don't think so...

FM

I don't either, but Marc showed us a "hidden" way to do it anyway. Go to "Run.." then type the path for FM2005.exe (or whatever it's called) then type " -small_screen" after it. For example: "c:\Games\FootballManager\fm2005.exe -small_screen"

I think that it didn't like me having a space in the directory name for some reason, so I had to rename the directory from "Football Manager" to "FootballManager".
Rizon
10-29-2005, 02:51 PM
This happens to me sometimes with other games. If I wait it out it eventually starts saying "Program Not Responding". I think the game is hung, the computer just doesn't realize it yet. But if there is a way to get out of this without losing the data, that would be great.
finkenst
10-29-2005, 07:34 PM
I don't either, but Marc showed us a "hidden" way to do it anyway. Go to "Run.." then type the path for FM2005.exe (or whatever it's called) then type " -small_screen" after it. For example: "c:\Games\FootballManager\fm2005.exe -small_screen"

I think that it didn't like me having a space in the directory name for some reason, so I had to rename the directory from "Football Manager" to "FootballManager".
wait..
what is this?

is this the fix for the widescreen laptop that runs in 1280x800 or something and so can't run fm2k5 in windowed mode?
RPI-Fan
10-29-2005, 08:49 PM
wait..
what is this?

is this the fix for the widescreen laptop that runs in 1280x800 or something and so can't run fm2k5 in windowed mode?

Yes.