CMBB slows down dramatically after dropping to Windows and returning

[jiggles]

OK, goes like this, I start a game and play for a bit. I then hit the Windows key to drop back to the desktop.

When I return to full-screen CMBB the screen goes black for a few seconds (mouse pointer still visible), then once the normal picture returns the frame rate is awful.

This typically seems worse with larger maps. It's almost like the game, or the drivers, are trying to load all the textures again without unloading them when minimising. Or something.

Any ideas?

[Athlon 2000+XP, 1GB RAM, GeForce 3 with NV 30.82 drivers, nForce motherboard].

Oh yes, I don't have any other large applications running when this happens. The usual background applications, but nothing that upsets any other games.

[ October 14, 2002, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: jiggles ]

[Harv]

Same problem here. Sometimes if I have Outlook or Trillian running and close or minimze them the frame rates will return, but sometimes not.

Very rarely I'll have no problems at all switching in and out, no matter how many other programs are running at the same time though.

Very strange stuff, and I'm having trouble narrowing it down to one thing that might be affecting it. Video drivers, sound accel, FSAA, video accel etc don't seem to matter either.

One other troubling thing that also happens occasionally is the mouse pointer will stop moving, I'll hear the XP hardware removed chime, then the new hardware inserted chime sound will play, and the mouse will start moving normally again. This happens with a usb mouse, a trackpoint and a touchpad, no matter which ones are enabled or disabled (standard cursors).

Anyone else seeing these things?

Dell Inspiron 8000, GF4 Go 28.35, Win XP