FSX Full Screen, cant get back in..?

**Lionheart** · January 25th, 2009, 16:06

Hey guys,

Crazy question. How do you get back into FSX if you had to leave it for a moment?

On my last rigs, it was easy. I am running XP now again (thank the Lord) and having issues getting back into the sim when having to leave for a moment.

I have tried using the escape key several times, tried working the toolbar (nothing shows, but tried accessing menus like Aircraft Selection window but no go).

With vista (cough cough) I could hit escape twice and I was back in...

Any suggestions? (Dont say its because its an iMac

)...

Bill

**djscoo** · January 25th, 2009, 16:07

Originally Posted by Lionheart

Hey guys,

With vista (cough cough) I could hit escape twice and I was back in...

Any suggestions? (Dont say its because its an iMac

)...

Bill

Delete XP and reinstall Vista, then hit escape twice...

harleyman · January 25th, 2009, 16:31

Originally Posted by djscoo

Delete XP and reinstall Vista, then hit escape twice...

Now thats funny there...........

**Lionheart** · January 25th, 2009, 17:38

Originally Posted by djscoo

Delete XP and reinstall Vista, then hit escape twice...

LOLOLOL.....

LMAO...

:ernae:

**MenendezDiego** · January 25th, 2009, 16:08

Well on my PC, if I were to say hit alt+tab to go from flying in FSX to windows (xp), I just double click FSX on my bottom tool bar really fast and it usually pops back up

**RCAF_Gunner** · January 25th, 2009, 16:33

Originally Posted by MenendezDiego

Well on my PC, if I were to say hit alt+tab to go from flying in FSX to windows (xp), I just double click FSX on my bottom tool bar really fast and it usually pops back up

I do that too but sometimes FS doesn't come back up when I just click the task bar. In that case, I use Alt-Tab again to _slowly_ cycle between what ever is running then I release it again on FS. Usually then it'll pop back up after a few seconds.

**Marlin** · January 26th, 2009, 00:48

Alt Enter
Will do the trick for ya. :ernae:

**Nick C** · January 26th, 2009, 01:09

I can confirm what Marlin says, I have to drop out all the time and it can be a nightmare gettng back in, often ending with a black screen, but usually ALT + ENTER works, although you may have to use the key combination a few times.

It's also worth noting, if FSX keeps popping back when you have dropped out, try bringing up the task manager and leave it running in the background while you are working outside of FSX, that can sometimes deter FSX from popping back up of it's own accord, which is most, most frustrating.

**Bjoern** · January 26th, 2009, 02:41

CTRL+ALT+DEL

Tab "Tasks" -> Highlight "Flight Simulator X" -> Click "Change to..." (or so) at the bottom -> Wait -> If FSX is fullscreen'ed again, hit ALT+Enter -> Wait for FSX to window -> Select the still open Task Manager window -> Close Task Manager -> Select the FSX window -> ALT+Enter -> Continue flying

From then on:
Before you minimize FSX, go to windowed mode, which won't cause any trouble with minimzing/maximizing.

hinch · January 26th, 2009, 03:42

I just rapidly click the toolbar icon and it pops back =)

**SirBenn21** · January 26th, 2009, 03:59

Right click Task Bar -> Click Task manager -> Highlight FSX then click Switch too.

Easy.

Ben

By the way, why have you switched back to XP?

**IanP** · January 26th, 2009, 05:12

If you are running FSX full screen and, after alt-tabbing using the windows key to get out to another application, all you need to do to get back into FS (full screen again) is:

alt-tab to FSX.

If it stays at desktop or your 2d application, press enter again (just enter, not alt-enter or anything).

FSX will now be the active application again. That always works for me.

**Lionheart** · January 26th, 2009, 09:33

Originally Posted by IanP

If you are running FSX full screen and, after alt-tabbing using the windows key to get out to another application, all you need to do to get back into FS (full screen again) is:

alt-tab to FSX.

If it stays at desktop or your 2d application, press enter again (just enter, not alt-enter or anything).

FSX will now be the active application again. That always works for me.

Well Ian, I have tried everything.

I have found that with WinXP, running FSX, if I Alt-Tab out, I cannot get back in. (Tried all suggestions, several times, does not work).

But I did find that if I 'Alt-Enter' (out) of FSX, (taking it into windows mode), then I can Alt-Enter it back to full screen mode. But if the screen goes black, I cannot get back in. So I'll have to learn not to Alt-Tab with FSX anymore.. arrghh..

I never seemed to have this issue.. I wonder if its an update?.

Bill

**Snuffy** · January 26th, 2009, 09:44

Put a mac in front of him for a week and he goes brain dead on windows ...
tsk tsk.

:help:

**Marlin** · January 26th, 2009, 10:15

Bill, I remember from way back when FSX came out somebody (Phil?) said to never Alt Tab as it might freeze up on ya.

I stopped doing that when, as suggested it would freeze up, it froze up.

The first time you Alt Enter from the fullscreen, fsx will be in a 'very' small screen, at least for me. No big deal.

As far as not getting back in, I have not a clue what you are talking about. The thing that drives me nuts is when something in the background starts up then it freezes the sim in fullscreen. Then I can't get out of it except to hit the computer reset button. Grrrr.
ctrl alt delete ? nope. Esc, nothing. Alt tab, naaa. Backhand the tower? Screen flickers a bit, then nothing. Reset button? Now that works.

**Paul Anderson** · January 26th, 2009, 17:01

Had same problem and others on my old rig that died a couple months ago. Would lock up solid if disturbed (FSX, not me

) if I hit Cntrl by mistake instead of Alt, or antivirus update window clicked in., etc. At first suspected XP Pro, then memory problem (again, not me

). Tweaked the heck out of it, same problem. New rig is fine, and on XP home, so think it's hardware or graphics setting related. Can still get aircraft not showing in selection in NHancer combinations, so guessing its a hardware issue.

**IanP** · January 26th, 2009, 23:39

To be fair (and I still seriously dislike Vista), most of the serious problems with it were ironed out with SP1. Turn off Aero, turn off UAC and most things will work fine.

I still find it a gross resource hog, but I am prepared to use it now, which I certainly wasn't pre-SP1.

**SirBenn21** · January 27th, 2009, 02:13

Originally Posted by IanP

To be fair (and I still seriously dislike Vista), most of the serious problems with it were ironed out with SP1. Turn off Aero, turn off UAC and most things will work fine.

I still find it a gross resource hog, but I am prepared to use it now, which I certainly wasn't pre-SP1.

Is there places or even software that can optimise VISTA? I know there are heaps for XP. I also remember a heavly modified (hacked) XP going around call XP Lite or something. Never saw it though, just heard.

Ben

**IanP** · January 27th, 2009, 02:23

There are plenty of sites out there that provide you with information to slim down Vista, but even with everything turned off, it's still a resource hog. I'm sure Ted, or one of the other "system tweaker" types, will be able to give you specific links.

Although I now have Vista64 installed on my main system, I'm also keeping my pre-existing XP32 install on there as well, even though it doesn't recognise or use all my RAM... There's too much that I have which doesn't work, or doesn't work properly, on Vista for me to change completely.

**Lionheart** · January 27th, 2009, 15:35

Well drats.. Going to windows mode (Alt - Enter) and temporarily doing an adjustment just makes the small screen version turn black as well, lol..

This must be a update issue. Its never happened before..

Bill

**Marlin** · January 27th, 2009, 17:45

Speaking of updates, I just got a notification for a Framework 3.5 update of 248MB.

Did you already download this?
Do you think that that might be the problem?

harleyman · January 27th, 2009, 18:47

I always had that problem with Vista...It always froze or would never open back up properly....So I learned to trick it with task Manager like Bjoern said..It did not always work....

I always thought it was a vid driver issue with vista not agreeing somehow...

This is how I fixed it Bill....Pay attention here....LOL

I never dropped it till my flight was over or I was done..... It was a real pain for tweaking and testing too,having to reload the whole thing time and time again to have a quick look....

But I guess its a XP thang too now......:caked:

I wish I new more..I have seen nothing in any forums for Windows about fixing this with a tip or tweak....:faint:

**heywooood** · January 27th, 2009, 20:54

Windows Vista < Windows ME

poor M/S - killed itself and didn't even know it

**Bjoern** · January 28th, 2009, 03:27

Originally Posted by heywooood

poor M/S - killed itself and didn't even know it

On the other hand, Windows 7 could be the big bang that Windows 95 was (compared to 3.1).

**Lionheart** · January 28th, 2009, 09:33

Man, it was wierd yesterday with this issue. Mason, I too had it working now and then with the 'Task Manager/Switch To' button. It would work, and sometimes not.

If I paused the sim, then Alt-Tab out, I could sometimes Alt-Tab back in, but rarely.

If I 'Switched Too' about two to three times, I could get back in, but not every time.

A couple of times, it allowed me to Alt-Tab back in.

I did update my drivers on my vid card the other week, so perhaps this is an issue. Reason I say this, is even though I could Alt-Tab back in, when I Alt-Tab back out again, there would be a huge black area taking up 50% of my screen, and moving program windows around didnt bring the black area back, so I still had to turn off FSX in order to view/modify airplane configs and use Gmax, etc.

Man, I would sure love to tackle this beast that has krept in...

arrghh..

Bill