XP Minimizing Problem

I'm a fan of PC Games..but I can't seem to get anywhere in the game when every 5 mins the game minimizes to the system tray for no apparent reason. I can still click on it and return to the game...but it gets SO annoying. I've tried exiting out of all the "extra" processes and programs...didnt seem to make a difference. Any ideas about this one?

If your hitting the windows hot key by accident then the current program gets minimized and you go to the desktop (I don't know what it's technical name is, the key between ALT + CRTL) Other than that the program shouldn't minimize during play.

no...im not a complete idiot. I have read that other people have the same problem...but no fixes. It just minimizes for no reason...im not pressing anything for it to happen...i think it may happen from pop ups or something.

well do you see pop up ads when it does minimize?

no i don't...I was just saying thats what it seemed to be. It will just minimize out of the blue...cant figure it out.

Does this happen exactly 5 minutes into the game? or does that vary? Also have you noticed any other patterns for when it happens besides the time?

also if you hit Alternative + Tab it will minimize...

Ok..thanks for the replies...I'm really not an idiot with computers..i built my own. No im now hitting alt+Tab...im pretty sure its popups doing it. I have a popup blocker so it blocks any popups..but u still get the "window change" effect...if u know what i mean by that. I even tried turning the internet off..but it still happend..what could it be...i dont think it happens in a timed interval..sometimes it does it 2 times in a row..sometimes 1 time every 5 mins...sometimes it goes for 15...so im guessing its popups. With that being said...what program can i get to block popups before they reach my desktop..that would prevent the window from changing. thanks.

you may have a parasite...

Yeah it sounds like you have spyware on the system. I would download a spyware checker or go through your add/remove programs and remove the spyware if you can find it. I know much spyware will automatically throw up popups, and it does not matter or not if you are connected to the internet. Usually if you aren't connected the popup will still take place, but it just won't load the stuff in the popup. Highly annoying. Anyway to me it sounds like that might be your problem.

yep thats the same thing that was happening on my computer. Now I have about 600 (approx.) quartentined (i cant spell) viruses. I real need to get that spyware thingy for the pops though..

try Spybot's Search and Destroy -- great app

you can find it here for free - http://www.cnet.com

ahh thankyou thank you

Ah yes....others have this problem too. And it is frustrating being told either to update your drivers or stop hitting buttons on your keyboard. I have 2 XP pc's networked at home. One does just this....paly for anuthing between two and five minutes, and the game minimizes to the tray, and goes to desktop. Occassionally it exits altogehter. This game is being plyed using mouse only, not keyboard, and the pc does it with everything from Empire earth, to older kiddys games. Once before, I updated the nvid graphics driver, and it seemed ok for ages. Then, when it started doing it again, I did a clean instal., and was ok for a while. No wonder I don't paly games. There is no spyware (spybot checked), and no viruses. Nothing appeard to be interfering and nothing in the administrative tools to indicate a prob. It appears from checking out various sites others have this problem, but no fix or real reason? ANY ideas?

Check your Windows updates. From what I have been lightly reading, the problem may be related to games that use Active X. I've been doing a lot of Windows updates around work and I know I recall seeing a couple Active X updates.

This search at Google provided about 35,000 results :
xp + minimize + games

Many seem to have exactly the same problem. I'm guessing with a little reading, you'll probably find a solution in the first dozen or so pages. Other answers are the same as you've been getting already re: spyware and such.

Hope that helps.