Windows 8 locks up in game, Task Manager no help?

lakedude

Platinum Member
Mar 14, 2009
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This has happened enough to see the pattern.

Playing Far Cry 2. AVG antivirus wants to do a scan and pops up a window except you can't see the window. I hit ctl-alt-del to call up Task Manager. Task Manager starts but it is invisible or maybe behind the game window. AVG is also invisible or behind the game window. These programs are visible in the Task-Bar on the bottom.

Attempts to cancel AVG or the game from the Task-Bar fail. Attempts to make Task Manager visible or bring it to the front also fail.

I guess I could disable AVG while playing the game but is there a better way?
 

Mem

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
21,476
13
81
Sounds like AVG could be causing an issue in gaming?....Have you tried uninstalling it and just running Windows Defender and Windows firewall?
Have a look in Reliability History (in action centre)and see what the chart shows(little circle with x,click on that).


I've only tested Win8 with its default Microsoft AV/firewall and Panda AV/firewall later (had no issues gaming wise) .
Basically a lot of good AVs have silent or gaming mode for gaming ie Avast,Panda and few others have that feature,not sure if AVG has that feature but have a look.
 
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lakedude

Platinum Member
Mar 14, 2009
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529
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So another piece of the puzzle is solved (hopefully)...

Sure I could cut AVG off and solve the problem but the real issue was Task Manager pushing itself to the rear.

I think that is now fixed (it was too easy). On every other version of Windows Task Manager puts itself on top but evidently not in W8. Fortunately there is a simple check box for "always on top" that is now checked.

This is curious, on my W7 machine "always on top" is not checked yet the Task Manager still manages to put itself on top anyhow?? I don't know. Time will tell if this "always on top" fixes the problem...