Ok, so I've been an ActualTools ActualWindowManager user for about a year. I chose that product over DisplayFusion at the time because of their Ignore Deactivation function. I have 5 monitors and while gaming I have the need to click on the other monitors (TeamSpeak, Hulu, NetFlix, logs, monitoring, etc), and Ignore Deactivation allows me to prevent my full screen games from minimizing.

This function is absolutely INVALUABLE to me. The problem I currently have is that the new Nvidia R300 series drivers do not play well wih AWM, causing program crashes anytime a window or program is closed. I have contacted their support and they don't even have the hardware to test against these new drivers yet.

I really like the fact that DisplayFusion seems to be actively worked on and there are regular updates. AWM, while active and we do get updates, have a much slower turn-around time.

What would it take to get "Ignore Deactivation" functionality into DisplayFusion ASAP? Is it something they specifically coded, or is it an extension of the OS that is just hidden from the normal user that you need to allow? I did contact DisplayFusion support a month or so ago and they said they don't have anything planned for this yet.

If this would be useful to you PLEASE LET THEM KNOW! As multi-monitor gaming becomes more common, this is an absolute must.

I'm desperate here. I need something stable!

Thanks!

I generally get around this by running my games windowed mode. Either Windowed (No Border) or Windowed (Maximized) options will still let the game take up the whole screen without window controls, and if the game doesn't have this by default, regular windowed mode at the same resolution as my monitor plus an AutoHotKey script works most of the time. (Ctrl+Alt+F or Ctrl+Alt+G with the script to remove the borders, etc.)

Time frame? Next month, later this year, next year? What would it take to get it put to the top of the list? =)

...and FYI, windows mode will NOT work for what I am wanting to do, in any capacity.

Honestly, I could live with a system-wide setting, but I do like/appreciate the ability to do it per game. Honestly though, I end up creating a setting for literally EVERY game I play simply because I always need that functionality.

My only worry would be game(s) that would not play well with it, so maybe enable it system wide with the ability to exclude certain games via executable. Otherwise you may find that some users have issues with it.

Thanks!!!

Just wanted to say that as a long time user myself, this additional feature will be more than welcome and that system wide is just fine.

Thank you SOOOO much! Really looking forward to it!

Good enough for me!

Thanks for the update!

What's this from the b5 upcoming list?
Change: Added a new advanced setting called "Prevent Window Deactivation" for forcing games to remain activated when they lose focus

Thanks!!! I'll give it a try!

Tried it out. Doesn't seem to work. Tried several different key combinations with no success. Would be nice to have something show on screen so I know it's being enabled or disabled. At least then I would know if it's supposed to work or if I have a bad key combo.

Thanks!

Could I ask how this is realized? Catching WM_ACTIVATE messages and setting the wParam always to WA_ACTIVE??

rFactor 1. Will be trying rFactor 2. I have no indication of whether or no anything was activate or not. Is there any way to change a status indicator on the Setting UI? I could have that open on the other screen so I could see if my hotkey did in fact enable this.

Tried rFactor2, same issue. Doesn't work. Those are the only 2 games I run.

Any update?

Any update on this? Would REALLY like to see this working sometime soon. I will literally do just about anything to help developers figure out what is needed. I can setup remote sessions for looking at logs, etc, WHATEVER is needed to troubleshoot.

ActualTools has failed miserably at trying to get their product working at all with the new R300 series drivers and I need this working yesterday. Make this work and you have a new customer! I'm not buying until I know it's working though.

Thanks!

Yes, even in AWM, hotkeys do not work. I have those games set to launch with that function activated automatically so that won't be hard to deal with. For what I do, I don't ever want or need it off in a game. As long as this works, I'll be golden!

Seems like this is an issue with WinAmp, too, which someone resolved by using a keyboard hook instead of relying on RegisterHotKey.

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=280594

Ok, got to test this tonight.

It does work, but not exactly as stated.

First, I had to make sure I set Windows Location Mode to 'All Windows'. Second, it doesn't not initiate upon game launch. I had to hit the Ignore deactivation hotkey before it would work. So, I still could not use the hotkey without the location mode set, but it did not initiate it automatically. I had to hit the hotkey after game started to make it work.

That said, IT DOES WORK!! At least for rFactor. =)

Thanks!

***UPDATE***
It's not that Ignore Deactivation isn't working until I hit the hotkey. I've found that upon first launch of the game, the first time you click outside the game it minimizes, but after remaximizing the game, then the Ignore Deactivation function works without pressing any hotkey.

So, It works, but only on the 2nd attempt at clicking outside the window.

Getting there!

I'm trying to say I already did that. I have the windows location rule in place.

No problem. Thanks!

Maybe this will help!

Ok, so I notice that when I get in and out of games now I have this weird electronic 'woosh' sound. My guess is, that it makes that sound when Ignore Deactivation is turning on/off. Well, when I launch a game it makes that sound twice (on then off), when I ALT+TAB out and back in it makes another sound (on), and when I finally exit the game, makes the sound again (off).

Sounds to me like the Ignore Deactivation is triggering on and off again at game start instead of just once to stay on.

Any update on this?

Can I look forward to a fix in the next beta?

Not sure if you intended for the issue with it starting/stopping on first launch, to be fixed with the new release, but it is still not working.

Yes, still makes 2 sounds.

It's activation and then deactivation still. I'll try and get a log of it.

log sent

Installed new beta and, FYI...

I have successfully been able to make this work with another rFactor/ISI based racing sim called Game Stock Car 2012 by Reiza Studios out of Brazil. However, rFactor and rFactor 2 both are still not working properly. The interesting thing with rFactor 2, is that there is a pre-game menu launch where you choose between offline, online, or mod development. When that launches I hear 1 sound for activation, then when I choose the mode, I hear 2 more sounds and it fails to work properly in game. I also tested this with Race07 through Steam. Steam launch causes 1 sound, while the game causes 2 more and does not work either.

Any update?

Any more info yet?

Keith,

Sorry it took so long to get back. Finally got around to testing and sending logs in. I copied a link to this post into the comments of the support request.

FYI...the executable I was testing was 'rfactor.exe'.

Same result as before. I hear 2 activation sounds. First click on monitor outside full screen game results in shrink to desktop. Remaximize game and all clicks after that do not affect or minimize game.

Chris

Mine are same as yours. Screen capture of settings attached.

A pic of my setup is also attached, though I don't have the smaller 5th monitor hooked up right now.

This won't allow me to attach images. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

*Edit: Had to use Chrome. IE9 sucks!

I have tried to set specific paths and that doesn't seem to work. I'll try and add a delay and test tonight.

What's better, a shorter or longer delay? Assuming longer? Would it be worth trying different lengths for different games based on standard load time to get to screen?

for rFactor, changed D:\* to D:\*.* without a change. Tried pointing to D:\rfactor\rfactor.exe, no change.

Bumped time to 2, 3, 5, and now instead of 2 quick sounds at launch, only 1 sound once I hit the 'spinner'. Regardless of time up to 5 it happens right away at 'spinner'.

So, I bumped it to 10 and success! WINNING!

I've done some more testing and I have to set a path for each sim in order to get delay working properly as the launcher triggers IngoreDeactivation too soon. Some games, even from SSD, load pretty slow.

Need the following:
1) Would like to see that delay option allow up to 20-30 seconds or even more.
2) Allow duplication of Windows Location options (maybe through right-click menu,,, duplicate, edit, etc)

Wanted to let you know that I did confirm we definitely need more time delay. I have several of the sims I've done additional testing on and 10 seconds is not long enough of a delay.

I don't know if this is going to be fixes in the new beta, but I can't seem to make Battlefield 3 work with the prevent function. Idk if its because of the delay er else. It dose not make the sound when its applied. Could someone give a look?

The "competition" is also trying to figure it out...

http://www.actualtools.com/forum/read.php?FID=10&TID=1790&MID=7515&sphrase_id=74096#message7515

I don't want to hijack this thread with my own issues, but maybe you can help me. My entire reason for getting displayfusion was because of the "Ignore Deactivation" feature so I could multitask while playing full screen games.

My only problem is that the Ignore Deactivation feature doesn't work with the game I am currently playing, Just Cause 2. I tried some of the suggestions in here like using a timed delay, but nothing seems to work.

Any tips? or is it just a game that isn't compatible?

Do you hear the sound for it when starting the game or at any point after? If not, then it may not be getting triggered properly. I'd post a screenshot of your Window Location settings for that game/app. Also, might be good to make sure you set the Ignore Deactivation hotkey so that you can manually try and start it as well.

If I have a delay set I do not hear the sound, but if I don't have a delay i hear the sound but the game still loses focus when I click out of it.

I have also tried using the hotkey. I hear the sound when I press the keys, but when I go back into the game it will lose focus if I click on my second monitor.

After you click out and lose focus and then click back into the game, can you then click out and not lose focus?

Try both with and without the delay doing that. The problem I've always had is that it's always that first time I clicked out that it lost focus. Once I was back in the game, Ignore Deactivation did work after that. For me, the fix has been the longer (10sec) delay. Now I don't lose that focus for the apps that the 10sec delay is long enough to properly initialize that function.

Personally I don't quite understand how ActualTools can initiate their Ignore Deactivation function at software launch and has no problem losing focus. Figure it has to do with when that hook is being established but still makes no sense to me. ActualTools is a better product for my needs, but my problem with ActualTools is two fold right now, 1) they are in Russia and development is slow, and 2) with these new R300 series Nvidia drivers running in 2D surround, there are major issues with the product not hooking into the system properly and causing the PC to become unstable and need a reboot to fix. Ignore Deactivation doesn't work at all anymore. They are basically refusing to purchase the hardware to test and fix, which is why I brought this up here looking for another vendor to supplement at least the Ignore Deactivation function.

Nope this doesn't work either, I'm just assuming it is just an issue with the game