Minimizing Counter-Strike Messes Up the Game Graphics

If I minimize Counter-Strike to do something else (respond to an AIM message, look up something on the internet, etc), and then I maximize the game again to continue playing, the picture is always screwed up. I don't know exactly how to explain what shows up, because it is always different. The colors get all messed up, and most of the time it is mostly black. I can see my gun and I can kind of make out what is going on, but I have to close the game and reopen it to restore normal graphics. I figure there is some easy answer to this, but I don't know what it is.

I'm running CS 1.6 through Steam.
I'm using Windows XP.
AMD Athlon XP-A 1914MHz
736MB RAM
My video is whatever it came with: VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP (32MB).

I don't know what other specs might be necessary. I hope someone knows the answer to this. It's not life or death, but it sure is inconvenient. Maybe it is something to do with my settings on Counter-Strike. I dunno.

Thanks.

 

It might be because your ping is way too high. Try just closing all the other connections such as the web browsers and aim, it will help a lot. And don't minimize it that much. If you can, try to get this problem to occur again, and then go into the game and hold tab and tell me what your ping is.

 

I used to have the same trouble w/my 9800; your best bet is to install xfire and have your buddies that you "need to talk to" on it; since it allows you to communicate from in the game instead of minimizing.

 

My ping stays the same (at most of the servers I play, my ping sits around 50-80). The game plays the same. It's just that I can't see where I am going. I can see my gun and some outlines of objects.

I don't know what xfire is. I don't really need to use AIM. The reason I posted this problem is because sometimes my CS will automatically minimize itself and switch to some program that does some little action in the background. Then, I can't return to my game. I have to close it down and restart it.

Any other ideas?? Anything I can do with game settings. My video settings are just on OpenGL on medium quality colors.

??

Thanks

 

What might that program be? I suggest shuting down any programs that don't need to be running before launching the game. whenever I start a game, I shut down all non-essential programs.

 

How does XFire do that? I've heard of it but never used it.