Windows 7 Blank/Flashing Windows User Interface

[Henri Augusto]

Hi, how are you?

I have a very strange problem with my windows interface. Basically, at random moments, it starts to flash or to be blank. I've attached an .gif showing it.

In this .gif i'm using Reaper (audio software) because it was when i was able to capture this issue, but it happens with a lot of softwares. About anything that uses the windows interface, like the SpeedCrunch calculator, setup executables and actually any open file/choose folder dialog (as you can also see on the gif).

I'm out of ideas. I need help on this one!

Thanks for your attention.

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[GuilhermeReis]

Bro, I had the same problem ! Only after a lot of searching I found the solution: Go to Control Panel > Display and change the Scaling of elements in your screen (Mine was 100%, I just changed it to 150% and the blank and flashing stuff stopped !)

Once you click Apply, it will ask you to log off. When you log back on, if your pc screen is black just press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, then close explorer.exe, and then File > Run and type in "explorer.exe" and restart the process. You should be good then. At least it worked for me !

 

[Henri Augusto]

Hi! How are you? Thanks a lot for your reply!

UPDATE: It didn't worked for me

You might have changed a lot of configurations and maybe it was something else that solved the problem. Did your windows update automatically?

I've already tried switching to a non-aero theme but it didn't prevent the problem.

Also, whie having the problem in reaper i've tried some stuff to see if would work "in real time". Tried changing themes, resolution, disabling clear text and windows transparency. Didn't worked in real time.

By the way i'm running on a Gigabyte GTX 750 with the latest drivers.

Any ideas?

 

[bochane]

It lookes likes a performance problem.

The first thing I would check is the virtual memory. Go to Advanced System Settings, tab Advanced and check whether the adviced size of the virtual memory is in relation with the current size, if not force the size, say, between adviced and two times adviced.

You did not tell us the installed memory bit it is essential that it is large!

I hope something show up

 

[Henri Augusto]

Hi, bochane. Thanks for your answer!

Yeah, it's better if i post my specs
Win 7 Ultimate x64
8GB DDR3 Kingstone Fury HyperX
Intel i3 4150
NVidea GTX750
Asus H81M-A
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
600W Supply

It's a reasonably capable computer. Might not be the best on US but here it was considerably expensive. But it's modest enough to run Fallout 4, Farcry 4 so it should handle reaper and those other simple softwares (like Speedcrunch calculator) pretty easy.

Now, about the virtual memory:

Here there is a checkbox marked as true for a configuration that automatically manages the memory.
The currently allocated is 8063, and the recommended is 12094.

(When trying to change it, it asks for minimum and maximum size. What should i do?)

Oh, almost forgot: I have 546GB of free disk space.

 

[bochane]

Clear that checkbox and set the minimum to the recommended size and the max to about 2 or 3 times the minimum.
I expect that this will help in someway. We will see.

 

[Henri Augusto]

Done, set to 2,5 the maximum. Let's see now how it goes

But i'm suspicious this might not be the problem. I recall I've worked on an old dell notebook that we're under a lot more stress and it never happened. Also this problem can happen with only one program running (plus, bkg stuff).

I might not have been using the correct words on google, because i'm thinking it a little strange that i almost can't find anyone with similar problems.

 

[bochane]

...But i'm suspicious this might not be the problem. I recall I've worked on an old dell notebook that we're under a lot more stress and it never happened. Also this problem can happen with only one program running (plus, bkg stuff).

I might not have been using the correct words on google, because i'm thinking it a little strange that i almost can't find anyone with similar problems.

You may well be right. Let's wait for results

 

[Henri Augusto]

Hi bochane! Thanks again for your attention. I've just experienced this issue again after changing the memory settings

This time it happened with RSSOwl. But Curiously enough i've opened ShareX to make a gif and when i've passed the mouse through the controls they've gone back normal again . Well, i'm glad i didn't had to reboot, but this is getting weirder haha

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[bochane]

There may be more information on what is going on in the task manager (Ctrl - Alt - Del > Task Manager); look into the resources (More details > Performance). Does it show 100% for CPU or Memory or Disk or Network? Right click in the CPU graph and select "Show kernel times"; is this high on those moments?

Hope we get to something

Henk
(I am on a non English version of Windows - that should not be a surprise for you when you read what I think is English - but what I want to say is the names of option may be different on your system; Sorry)

 

[Henri Augusto]

I actually had taken the screenshot, but forgot to attach ahah Link Removed

Ah, i see you're from the Netherlands! My sis have been in Amsterdam last year and loved it. I've been enchanted by what they've told and the photographs! Also i've got a friend that was invited to the Conservatorium van Amsterdam to study Jazz Saxophone. From what i've seen in google images Leiderdorp seens a very nice place to live.

Also, don't worry, i figure my way around the menus

Well, i'm also using Win in another language so let me translate it to you in case you need it

Physical Memory (MB)
Total 8063
Cache 2630
Available 2997
Free 488

Memory used by the Kernel
Page 373 *not sure how to translate these
No-Page 115 *

System
Identifiers 56274
Threads 1904
Processes 158
Activity Time 0:04:35:01
Confirm (GB) 9/19 *not sure about this one too

Well, as you can see from the screen shot, i have an Obssesive-compulsive disorder for opening browser tabs haha yet physical memory usage says only 62% hmm i'm can't figure out much about this problem

 

[bochane]

Hi Henri,

Nice job, you are close to the point where it becomes interesting.
In the left bottom of the task manager there is a knob "Monitor de recursos.." click on it and you get a new screen, select tab "Survey". In the right column of the next screen you will see graphs of the usage of CPU, disk, network and memory.
If you can look on that screen on the moments you get those blank/flashing screens we may find out which resource is short.

You can also see whether opening and closing the browser with all those tabs make any difference.

=======================
Leiderdorp
Yes there I live, a village just outside a small city of Leiden. It is the place to be when you like a real Dutch scenery with rivers, mills and lakes and Leiden with its old university has so much history.

If you are not interested in history stop reading here, but I really must tell it:
Leiden the birthplace of Rembrant, later he moved to Amsterdam; Jan Steen another old Dutch master lived and worked here.
Prof Lorentz lived and worked here, his work was an inspiration for Einstein, he got a Nobel prize for his work.
Prof Kamerlingh Onnes was the first who was able to make liquid helium, close to 0 Kelvin, those days it was the coldest place on earth, with it he discovered superconducting, he also got a Nobel price.
Paul Eherenfest lived and worked here, quantum mechanics, friend of Einsten who often stayed with him in Leiden.
Prof De Sitter also from Leiden, had the famous debate with Einstein about the cosmological constant in the general relativity theory, De Sitter was right, the universe is expanding.
(There goes a story that Einstein once applied for a position at the university in Leiden, he never got an answer, they were looking for a researcher not a theoretician.....)

There is a great collection in Museum Boerhaave of those remarkable scientists: Overzicht - English Museum Boerhaave.
Boerhaave itself was a famous doctor, one of his students “Van Swieten" was the doctor who cured Maria Theresia of Austria of childlessness.

To much history, I behave like a child in a candy shop, but where do you live?
Henk

 

[Henri Augusto]

Hey, Henk!

It happened some more times. I've created an zip file with some screen shots (and one gif). The problem did happen with Audacity (light-weight audio editor), BGB, an also very light-weight gameboy emulator and SciTE4, an editor for Auto HotKey scripts. Link Removed.

I'm not really sure how to interpret those readings. Do you think they're too high or something?
While using GGB i only had Chrome opened. But it's worth saying that i use Link Removed on chrome, to minimize resource use. (I forgot to say that sooner, sorry). It's just an extension that "closes" some tabs while making them still appear in the tabs space.

Do you know what controls those UI components that are causing trouble?


================

Hah, don't worry, i love History! It's fascinating to think about how big our planet is. And to think we've reached 8 billion people alive, at once. How everything makes this insanely complex dynamic system.

Oh, i never knew Rembrant was born there! A lot of 17th century Dutch painters are very well-know for they exceptional craft.

Once i heard about Lorentz. About his Lorentz transform, actually. But i gave up understanding it as soon as i reached it's wikipedia page haha

Now i've never heard about Kamerlingh Onnes, Eherenfest and De Sitter or Overzicth. I once was a science student (before deciding for music) so i'm very intereset in history of science. I will remember to visit Museum Boerhaave if i ever have the chance

I live in São Paulo, Brazil. Well, we never had an nobel, but recently we've got an Fields medal for Artur Avila. Also when we go to the beach we stay at Guarujá, where Santos Drummon lived. On 23 Oct 1906 he made the first manned flight with an heavier-than-air aircraft (here we just simply say it made the first working aircraft ).

But i live in the capital, so it's pretty much concrete everywhere haha as you would expect from any other big city like New york or Amsterdam. Except we don't have as much green as one would think.

I always wanted to live in a place like those we see in the movies. Where i could lay down and hear the birds sing without any car/factory noise polution. But let stop before i get sentimentla hahah

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Ah, i forgot to mention about Link Removed. They did also mention resource use and talked about GDI objects but i still don't understand them fully.

 

[bochane]

When I see those screen shots I don't think of an overloaded computer, it are just just normal loads.

You may try closing Chrome with all those tabs, start Audacity and see if that makes a difference.

Let's first see if it makes a difference, but do you really need those tabs? Can't you use Favourites?

==========
São Paolo, what difference, compare it with the Netherlands with about 18 million inhabitants, our biggest city less than 1 million, but São Paolo more than 11 million; here whatever direction you drive within 3 hours you are out of the country. We are so small.....

Santos Drummon, shame on me, either I did not remember him or I took no notice when I was told. But it is a very interesting story, I will start reading....