11 replies to this topic

[Brer Frog]

I installed Windows 7 on a new HDD along with VP using the all-in-one installer & everything was OK. Then installed the Windows updates & had some micro stutter. See this thread for more details.
http://www.vpforums....showtopic=36817

I re-installed VP & got a message asking if I wanted to repair NET Framework or to uninstall Net Framework 4. I chose the repair but when done there was still micro stutter on Funhouse.

I restored Windows back to before the updates & Funhouse then seemed OK. Then re-installed several regular Windows security updates but only the early NET Framework updates from 2011 & 2012. Everything still seemed OK. I figured I’d install the other NET Framework updates in small steps.

So last night I installed 4 NET Framework security updates from 2013. VP seemed OK until I played some VPX DT tables that have not been played since put on the new HDD.

It started with a flipper stuck in the up position on Cactus Canyon. Clicking on it got it moving. Then the other flipper was stuck or not responsive in the down position & clicking on it a few times got it going. I Quit to Editor but not sure if I exited VP all the way. Anyway I tried CC again & everything seemed OK. Then I tried Dirty Harry & had the same problem.

Today I tried Junk Yard, Bugs Bunny Birthday Ball & Dr Dude, all with the same problem. Bugs Bunny Birthday Ball & Dr Dude also had random scrambled digital readouts until Quitting & playing again.

Before playing Dr Dude I exited VPX & re-launched it figuring this would clear out any old stuff that might be left behind from the Bug Bunny table. When Dr Dude loaded the digital readouts were corrupted & looked like Klingon words. After I used the flippers a few times they stuck. Sometimes up & sometimes down. I Quit to Editor and played again (did not close out of VPX) & everything seemed OK.

Any ideas on what is happening?
What’s the best way to get a clean working copy of NET Framework?
Uninstall NET Framework 4 or repair it?
Uninstall NET Framework & re-install VP & let it install NET Framework?

I can restore Windows back to yesterday but at some point when I update NET Framework I'll probably have the same problem.
 

[xenonph]

Try this Offline Installer. You don't need to be online to install. This is the newest version of .NET Framework 4.5.2.

This version of the .NET Framework runs side-by-side with the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and earlier versions, but performs an in-place update for the .NET Framework 4, .NET Framework 4.5 and .NET Framework 4.5.1.

https://www.microsof...s.aspx?id=42642

 

Here the DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK for .NET Framework 4.5.2..https://www.microsof...n.aspx?id=42642

 

And here is the minimum .NET Framework 4 Offline Installer for older Operating systems. (Before Windows7)

DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK HERE..http://www.microsoft...n.aspx?id=17718

 

There are no extra things trying to install like on the web installer.

Nothing but the program.

 

You can save these on disc or USB Stick so you will never have to download again.(Unless they update)

 

I restore my computer to factory weekly, so these offline installers come in handy.

 

Also I thought I would share a link that I use,

I use the Portable GIMP and Audacity from this site.

It comes in a .paf exe file. All you do is download file you want, go to the file you just downloaded, double click it like you are starting to install, it will just ask which folder to extract contents to.

 

IT DOESN'T INSTALL IN PROGRAM FILES!!

 

When you want to UNINSTALL program, simply delete the folder that it made.

 

I don't use the auto installer or the All-In-One Bundle. I just download the ones I like.

 

Hope this helps people who didn't know about these portable apps

 

OVER 300 APPS!!

 

THESE ARE ALL FREEWARE!!

 

You may need to right click on the file and click compatibility and click run as administrator for it to extract properly.

http://portableapps.com/apps

 

Hope this helps you.

Edited by xenonph, 23 January 2017 - 03:21 AM.

[Brer Frog]

I did a bunch of Googling (before I saw your message) & found NET Framework 4.6.2 & downloaded the offline installer but have not used it yet.

https://msdn.microso...(v=vs.110).aspx

 

Both 4.5 & 4.6 call it an in-place update for NET Framework 4 but I'm not sure what they mean by "in-place". They don't indicate that you need vers 4 on the PC as a prerequisite but some people said you do. So I'm not sure if I should uninstall 4 just in case it's corrupted.

 

When I look at either my installed updates or Programs & Feature in the control panel they show both NET Framework 4 Client File and NET Framework Extended as being installed. I have no idea why there are both because my other PC does not mention "Client File" or "Extended". I wonder if this is causing a problem. I'll have to look into why both of these are listed.

[Brer Frog]

I restored back to before the last NET Framework updates. Tried Bugs Bunny & Dirty Harry and both had stuck flippers. I did not try a second time after closing out of VPX.

 

I repaired NET Framework 4 Extended & NET Framework 4 Client Profile.

Then installed NET Framework 4.6.2.

 

Played Dr Dude & had corrupted readouts & random stuck flippers. Quit to Editor & also exited VPX. Played again & it seems OK.

 

Played Junk Yard & had stuck flippers. Quit to Editor & also exited VPX. Played again & had same problem.

Played again & this time I Quit to Editor but did not exit VPX. Clicked on Play and the table seemed OK.

 

I repeated the 2 different ways of closing out of Junk Yard & got the same results. It seems with this table that exiting VPX resets the problem. This is different than the other tables that I mentioned above. At this point BB & DH seem OK. But JY gets messed up every time when starting from a fresh VPX launch.

 

I started looking at NET Framework because I got a repair message twice when installing VPX 10.2 via the all-in-one installer. And I did the reinstall because of micro stutter problem after doing some NET Framework updates. Maybe I was led down the wrong path, I don't know. But why does JY still have a problem? And why do other tables have an initial problem after being played on a fresh install of Windows 7 & VPX?

Edited by Brer Frog, 23 January 2017 - 11:56 AM.

[Brer Frog]

More info -

 

I reinstalled VPX again using the 10.2 all-in-one installer. It acknowledged there was a newer version of NET Framework on the PC than what it it wanted to install which was vers 4.

 

Played Junk Yard and it was OK. I thought problem solved. Played again & flippers stuck. Played again & was OK. I played many times & noticed a pattern. I'm playing VPX DT and sometimes the table did not appear & I had to click on a blank area of the screen which then brought up the table. When this scenario occurred is when the flippers stuck. If the playfield appeared automatically like it supposed to then the game played OK.

 

I tried a couple newly installed tables, ones that were installed after the initial VPX 10.2 update, and there was no problem. IOW they never were played with VPX 10.0 or 10.1.

 

This makes me wonder. If a table was initially played with 10.1 could something be set in nvram or cfg that needs to be changed when playing with 10.2? IOW the first time it's played with 10.2 there's a glitch until something gets reset? That doesn't explain why Junk Yard keeps having a problem, but maybe it's related. Just a thought.

[xenonph]

Make sure you don't have 2 sets of scripts.

You only need them in the scripts folder.

If you have them in scripts folder, and tables folder at same time, it can cause a conflict.

Not sure if this will help you.

[Brer Frog]

I have only 1 set of scripts & they are in a Scripts folder.

 

I just deleted the nvram & cfg files for Junk Yard but it made no difference. If I have to click on a blank area of the screen to get the playfield to display then I'll get the random stuck flippers.

[gtxjoe]

It seems some other application is stealing Windows focus.  When that happens, you flippers can get stuck, and this also explains why sometimes you have to click on the playfield to give it back focus.

 

Now the question is, what app is trying to steal focus

[Brer Frog]

I looked at Task Manager before running VPX and the Performance > CPU Usage was varying between 1% and 5%.

I Opened & Played Junk Yard and South Park & was watching Task Manager > Processes. Before the tables played Processes showed B2SBackglass with 25% CPU usage. Then a B2S Backglass Server message appeared saying “Object reference not set to an instance of an object”. When the message appeared the Processes > B2SBackglass dropped down to 0% CPU usage. The message closed & the table proceeded to load. This happened with both of these tables.

I opened & played the tables a few more times & the Processes > B2SBackglass was 25% CPU usage but the game opened normally & I did not get that B2S Backglass Server message. I did not try actually playing. When I Quit to Editor the Processes > B2SBackglass still showed 25%.

When I installed VPX 10.2 using the all-in-one installer I seem to recall it said something about registering the B2S Backglass Server or words to that affect.

I have played a few VPX tables using 2 monitors but Junk Yard and South Park are not set up for a backglass & were only played in DT and there were no problems. IIRC that was when I was still using VPX 10.0 and/or 10.1.

Is something different in VPX 10.2 that may be causing this problem? IOW if during the install I indicated I was using a backglass (because sometimes I do) but currently am only using DT tables?
 

Edited by Brer Frog, 23 January 2017 - 08:10 PM.

[gtxjoe]

Nice work investigating.  Try going into VPX Preferences-> Keys, Nudging and DOF and in the bottom right side, check mark "Disable B2S"

[Brer Frog]

gtxjoe - Thank you very much!

 

That worked. I played several tables many times & all played normally.

 

I don't recall having to Disable B2S when using VPX 10.0 or 10.1. Is this "behavior" something new with VPX10.2?

 

I presume B2S will have to be enabled when I play FS with 2 monitors. Will having the directb2s file in the Table folder prevent the same problem from happening then?

[Captain Charisma]

Thank you so much!

I was having the same problem with Dr. Dude, as well as Taxi.

Disabling B2S helped me as well.