Video Frame May Hide System-Modal Dialog Box

ID: Q192809

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

While playing video media such as a DVD title, video clip (.avi file), or movie clip (.mpeg file), the computer may seem to stop responding to mouse and keyboard input, and the video media may stop playing and seem to freeze or hang.


CAUSE

This behavior may occur under the following conditions:

  • Your video adapter uses hardware acceleration to play video media through the use of a video overlay. This is typically the case with DVD decoder hardware.


  • Windows is displaying a system-modal dialog (message) box. When a system-modal dialog box is displayed, clicking any other window does not produce any response until the system-modal dialog box is closed.

    The following actions may cause a system-modal dialog box to be displayed:

    - Pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the Close Program dialog box.

    - Pressing the Eject button on the DVD or CD-ROM drive while you are playing a DVD title or other files from the DVD or CD-ROM disc, if the DVD or CD-ROM drive supports Media Event Status Notification (MESN).


Under these conditions, video overlay produced by the video hardware is displayed on top of the system-modal dialog box. If the video frame covers the center portion of the screen (where a system-modal dialog box is typically displayed), it may completely cover the dialog box so that the dialog box cannot be seen.

Even though the system-modal dialog box is not visible on the screen in this case, it still accepts keyboard and mouse input, if the correct keys are pressed or if the mouse is clicked in the correct areas of the screen.


RESOLUTION

You may be able to work around this issue by using one of the following methods:

  • You may be able to cause the system-modal dialog box to appear on the screen so you can read the message and respond appropriately, by pressing ALT+SPACEBAR. This may open the System menu on the dialog box, and cause the dialog box to become visible. You may then be able to read the message, and click the appropriate button.


  • You may be able to close the dialog box by pressing ALT+F4.


  • You may be able to close the dialog box by pressing the ESC key, which is typically assigned to a Cancel button on the dialog box.


  • You may be able to close the dialog box by pressing ENTER, which activates the default button (typically the OK button) on the dialog box.


  • You may be able to close the dialog box by pressing SPACEBAR, which activates the button that is currently selected (typically the OK button) on the dialog box.


You may be able to prevent this problem from occurring by adjusting the Hardware Acceleration settings for the graphics hardware. For information about doing so, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q127139
TITLE : Troubleshooting Video Problems in Windows 95


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98.


MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the behavior of streaming video media implemented through the use of a video overlay, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q188088
TITLE : Cannot Capture DVD Video Image By Pressing PRINT SCREEN Key

Keywords : kbdisplay kbenv win95 win98
Version : WINDOWS:95
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: January 28, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.