Arma 2 CO Minimizes and can't be restored

Hey folks. Anyone familiar with this problem? I bought Arma 2 and OA seperately, and used the trick from the BI forums to combine them. Anyhoo,every so often, particularly when the AI starts reacting to things that I'm doing to NPCs right in front of me, the game will minimize (or appear to) and I'll continue to hear the sounds of action and things blowing up and me getting shot and other such things, but the view is of my desktop with the Arma mouse cursor, and I can't interact with anything. I have to alt-escape to get my windows mouse cursor back and if I try to bring the Arma window up again, it goes back to the previously described state. Anyone familiar with this? I'm running ACE with it, and using "Arma 2 Launcher." Thanks in advance for help! My DXDiag follows.

-- John

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System Information
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Time of this report: 10/18/2011, 07:37:07
Machine name: M5
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 09/07/10 22:05:26 Ver: 08.00.15
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 955 Processor (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8190MB RAM
Page File: 3777MB used, 12601MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
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Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: NVxx
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_05EB&SUBSYS_12963842&REV_A1
Display Memory: 4069 MB
Dedicated Memory: 869 MB
Shared Memory: 3199 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: ASUS VW266H
Monitor Id: ACI26A4
Native Mode: 1920 x 1200(p) (59.950Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver File Version: 8.17.0012.7061 (English)
Driver Version: 8.17.12.7061
DDI Version: 10
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 4/7/2011 22:14:00, 12934248 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-46AB-11CF-6740-9A321FC2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x05EB
SubSys ID: 0x12963842
Revision ID: 0x00A1
Driver Strong Name: oem1.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1:Section005:8.17.12.7061:pci\ven_10de&dev_05eb
Rank Of Driver: 00E62001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeVC1_C ModeWMV9_C

-------------
Sound Devices
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Description: Speakers (SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_11D4&DEV_989B&SUBSYS_10438334&REV_1003
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: ADIHdAud.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.0002.6600 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 9/17/2009 15:38:22, 478208 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: AnalogDevices
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

Description: SPDIF Interface (SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_11D4&DEV_989B&SUBSYS_10438334&REV_1003
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: ADIHdAud.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.0002.6600 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 9/17/2009 15:38:22, 478208 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: AnalogDevices
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

Description: Digital Output (SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_11D4&DEV_989B&SUBSYS_10438334&REV_1003
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: ADIHdAud.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.0002.6600 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 9/17/2009 15:38:22, 478208 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: AnalogDevices
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

I've not had this problem.

Try trouble shooting by eliminating everything that didn't come in the box with ArmA2 and OA, and add things one by one until you find the problem.

So for example:

Can you run ArmA2 successfully by double clicking directly on it's .exe?
Same with OA?

If yes, then add one addon at a time, retesting each time. This should let you see when the problem starts to appear.

I would test the "ArmA 2 Launcher" at the very end, if you are able to verify everything working by starting the combined ArmA2/OA plus addons from a shortcut or batch file.

I've had a few games (though not Arma2) do this to me over the years, and it always seems to be the same apparent cause...the mouse cursor gets "outside" the game and you seem to click on the desktop, minimizing the game. It's like there's a thin line on one edge of the screen where the game isn't "full screen" (you can't see it, but the PC detects it) and if you click the mouse while the cursor (which you of course can't see unless you're in a game menu) is at that edge, it minimizes.


I never found a fix for those games that did it to me occasionally, unfortunately.



The Jedi Master

Try the FLUSH command: Left Shift + Numpad Minus, then type: F L U S H

This was the only sure 'solution' I've found (more of a work-around).
Searching around I found several with the same problem, but no clear solutions. It most likely the graphics driver crashing (possibly overheating). Check your temps, and to narrow it down you might try updating GPU drivers (or if you recently updated maybe roll-back); but if it's neither of those then you might be SOL for now

I've had this problem with my sticky CTRL or Alt key... just sayin. You hit tab a lot... that's at the most simple level.

I'll try the former, and I hope to god it's not the latter.

A friend has (or hopefully had) the same problem, but it works better since he disabled ATOC and set Video memory to "default" in the ingame options menu. The flush workaround at least hints to some problem with the VRAM, maybe testing lower settings for textures, AA and resolution helps postpone the crashes a bit?