[Virtualacorn-list] Avast Free freezes VRPC

[Alan Adams]

In message <a85e16a156.barry.punchard at barry.btinternet.com>
          Barry Punchard <barry.punchard at btinternet.com> wrote:

> On 26 Nov          jn.ml.vac.83 at wingsandbeaks.org.uk wrote:

>> On 2017-11-26 13:19, Barry Punchard wrote:
>>> VRPC AdjustSA (v1.6) emulating Arm7500 freezes, then unfreezes up to 20
>>> secs later, when used under Win7 running Avast Free Anivirus software v.
> <SNIP>
>>> 
>>> Freezing can be eliminated or greatly reduced by turning off Avast's
>>> Behaviour Shield permanently, which I have been doing for many months.
> <SNIP>
>> 
>> Does the Avast Free thing have a facility to exclude certain programs or
>> folders from its attention, or to customise its treatment of programs, per
>> .exe?
>>   Or is that something you sacrifice by using a free product?
>> 
> You can exclude it from disc scans, but I can't find a similar option for the
> Behaviour Shield.
>> 
>>> If the Shield is turned off while VRPC is running it causes an 'Unable
>>> to Create Primary Surface' failure under VRPC.
> <snip>
>> 
>> Judging by googling, this is an authorisation issue for a program
>> requesting some sort of Direct3D (ie graphics) process.
>> 
>> There are threads on the VA forum about these errors, which might shed
>> some light.
>> See eg:
>> http://virtualacorn.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=463&st=0&sk=t&sd=
>> a&sid=4aaed4a2644f0ed236b66fc8fc8cd822&start=0
>> 
>> and threads mentioning DirectDraw.

> I'll check that.
>> 
>> Also is it happening at random moment, or on waking from hibernate, or
>> when you change from VRPC in full screen mode to window mode, or recovering
>> from  hibernate when previously in ful-screen mode?
>> 
> It's often related to coming out of hibernation, can't remember if
> that's when
> left in full screen, window or minimised. I'll have to check.

It will quite reliably produce the "primary surface" problem when 
coming out of hibernation. I discussed this with Aaron many years ago 
when I was still uasing WindowsXP, and her said it was expected, 
because effectively the state of the PC had changed without VRPC being 
notified. I always run full screen, which is when this occurs.

>> I used to find VRPC co-existed better with underlying Windows activity
>> if it was not running full-screen, but instead in a window that was very
>> nearly full-screen in size.

> I think that's what I see, too. I mainly work full screen

>> It meant for example that one could drag that window almost off-screen
>> to get at the underlying Windows stuff without having to force a mode
>> change.
>> IIRC I  used the thing (can't recall where it is) that allows one to
>> create a
>> virtual MDF to  define a window mode that was that almost-but-not-quite
>> maximum size, then during RO  boot (which started off in a smaller display)
>> issued the command to reset the in-use window  to my almost-but mode.

> Some things to experiment with, thanks.
> Barry

> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> https://www.avast.com/antivirus




-- 
Alan Adams, from Northamptonshire
alan at adamshome.org.uk
http://www.nckc.org.uk/