Windows 7 - window Flicker (Not screen) poor mouse response (Aero?)

Hello,

I am getting windows that flash transparent and back (not the screen), clicking on buttons flashes "Not Responding" for less than a second and it takes multiple (3 or more) clicks to get a program to start responding. Hitting escape lets me back onto the screen. (sometimes)

Sometimes the flashing is continual, until I click on another program or the desktop. It happens in Office, Firefox, and most programs. It happens more when I have multiple windows open. (memory?)

It is almost as if the system has to go and check another program before responding. I've looked in Process Explorer, but can't see what it is going to as it happens so quickly.

`I have read multiple boards/threads and tried the multiple fixes that haven't worked:
• Updated video drivers
• Changed refresh rates (it is the windows, not the whole screen)
• Updated PATH to include the correct directories (I hope)
• Cleaned out the Registry of dead lines etc
• Cleaned out temp files etc
• Turned Aero off and on (works sometimes, but I would rather keep Aero going if I can)
• I've tried, wired (usb), and cordless mice there is no PS/2 port for a mouse

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Here is my system info, in case it helps:

System Information:
Windows 7 Professional 64bit, Service Pack 1
Model Name Satellite P500
Part Number PSPGSA-0GW003
OS Version Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1
BIOS Version 2.90
CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 740 @ 1.73GHz
Physical Memory 4096MB RAM
Hard Disk Capacity 1,000,106,610,688 [Byte] 931.422 [GB]
Hard Disk Free Space Capacity 176,914,124,800 [Byte] 164.764 [GB]
Video
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M version=8.16.11.8875
Graphics memory 4095MB
Dedicated video memory: 1024MB Shared system memory 3071
Screen Resolution 1680 x 945 Pixels
Colour Quality True Colour (32 Bit)
Sound NVIDIA High Definition Audio version=1.0.0.59

 

Thanks Gloozit,

I disabled everything just to see if it was something in the startup programs, but it is still doing it.

Turning off the "Desktop Window Manager Session Manager" in Services is about the only thing that seems to stop it completely. But I can't get the taskbar to go as dark as I normally have it. I could probably live without Aero (well I sort of have to if that is the only fix) But I'd like the task bar dark if I can manage it. I've tried all the settings in Advanced settings in 'Window Color and Appearance', but the widow boarders and the task bar stay light blue. I had a dark task bar in XP, but had to install a theme. Can you do the same trick in Win 7 without Aero running?

 

Hi Gloozit,

No it seems to be all windows. Aero worked fine for months and then started playing up. As you said, there is enough grunt in the system to run it.

It seems to have started after a widows update, but I don't know which one, (there are six listed in system restore) and I don't want to try a restore as it will change my password etc and I won't be able to get onto the work network. <insert expletives here> I might try the Microsoft site and see if there are any issues with any of the updates.

 

I seemed to have found something that works other than turning off Windows Desktop Manager. I found a link to this post buried in one of the MicroSoft Answers threads here's the link to the post with the fix:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/fix-w...sponding-error/comment-page-1/#comment-902397

Here's what it says:

Windows 7 may occasionally display a symptom where the screen flashes after user optimises the computer shut down speed. The symptom happens whenever user selects a folder or browses to new web page, the desktop which supposed to be in the background will jump or bring to front – flash out for a while, and the “Not Responding” error message will display on the top left corner.

The problem is probably due to optimisation to increase PC shutdown speed and decrease time required to shut down the computer. The change can be used by Windows optimization utility or technical user who modifies the registry manually. When the setting is changed, Windows 7 may encounter lack of buffer time or other slowness.

To fix the screen flashing issue, follow steps below.
Run Registry Editor, and then delete the following registry keys


HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\HungAppTimeOut
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\WaitToKillAppTimeOut
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\HungAppTimeOut
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WaitToKillAppTimeOut
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WaitToKillServiceTimeOut

Restart the computer after deletion, and the screen flashing issue on Windows 7 should be fixed.[

Further down the page someone added a bit more:

Catherine
]January 25, 2011 at 2:50 pm
This solution worked for me too – after days and days of looking at other resources. I did not find HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktopHungAppTimeOut or HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelDesktopWaitToKillAppTimeOut but I did find the other two under HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop. The last one I found in two places under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMControlSet001Control and ControlSet002Control – I had to run a search to find them.

*** Note: the first time I tried this I didn't search the registry properly. You need to search on the last part of those lines to find the registry entries. Eg. search on "HungAppTimeOut" not "HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\HungAppTimeOut". Might seem obvious to most people but I've not touched REGEDIT very much.

Also check that you have the right part of the registry tree before you delete anything. Repeat the searches for the other strings and you should find them all.

So far so good, no flashing windows and no "not responding" messages.

Thanks to everyone who helped. My IT department wouldn't which was why I came here. So thanks again.