Momentary black screen when program launches

[Guest]

Sorry for the cross post. Also in XP Help and Support but no response...

I'm using ZiLOG's Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to develop
embedded application software for my company's product. Recently upgraded
XP Pro to SP2. Now whenever I build my application my screen momentarily
goes
black then returns to the IDE window. If I use Explorer to launch the
compiler program (double click the .exe) I get the same result. If I'm quick
enough with Alt-Enter I can force the screen back to Windows and a DOS box
will be showing for the .exe that was launched.

If I launch ANY command line (DOS) program with Explorer I get the same
results. This tells me that the behavior has something to do with how
Windows handles
command line based programs. Since this is recent behavior I can only
presume it has something to do with SP2. I"m hoping it's a registry setting
or something that I can adjust.

Any help appreciated. Thanks,
Steve C.

 

[Ken Blake]

Sorry for the cross post. Also in XP Help and Support but no response...

Sorry, I know nothing about ZiLOG's Integrated Development Environment, and
can't help, but let me point out two things:

1. The Help and Support newsgroup is *terribly* named, and often causes
confusion. It's not for general help and support, but for help with the
"Help and Support" feature of Windows XP

2. You didn't crosspost, you multiposted. Please do not send the same
message separately to more than one newsgroup (called multiposting). Doing
so just fragments the thread, so someone who answers in one newsgroup
doesn't get to see answers from others in another newsgroup. And for those
who read all the newsgroups the message is multiposted to, they see the
message multiple times instead of onc (they would see it only once if you
crossposted instead).
If you must send the same message to more than one newsgroup, please do so
by crossposting (but only to a *few* related newsgroups).



See "What is the accepted way to share a message across multiple
newsgroups?" at <http://smjg.port5.com/faqs/usenet/xpost.html>

 

[Guest]

Sorry then for the "Multipost". Clearly from your explanation the reason I
posted to the incorrect group was due to the confusing name.

I understand the pitfalls of multiposting, hence the apology for doing so
when I would otherwise resist the temptation. However as I explained I felt
it necessary due to receiving no response. I received no response naturally
because the group I posted to was inappropriate for the topic, back to
which...

The issue has nothing to do with Zilog's IDE. Imagine an executable that
you attempt to launch by double clicking on the EXE in Window Explorer.
Doing so causes the screen to go black momentarily, a phenomenon that was not
happening with the previous version of XP. I can make the issue occur by
double clicking ANY executable that happens to be a command line program. If
the program attempts to open a DOS box the screen will go black for a moment.

Silicon Labs IDE does teh same thing for the same reasons as it attempts to
launch Keil compiler and tools (which are command line tools) from within
Windows. If I manually launch the same executables from Explorer I get same
results.

Not IDE related. Windows related. New phenomenon, after SP2 loaded. Means
Windows setting or behavioral change with respect to command line programs.

Thanks for your reply.
Steve C.

 

[Jone Doe]

Actually it probably was happening before, but going by so quickly you
missed it. For some reason your computer has slowed enough that you are
seeing the 'flash' of the program as it launches. Normal behavior, and
nothing to worry about really.

 

[Guest]

OK, then lets review one more detail. When using the Zilog IDE to compile a
program, lets say the compiler takes 5 seconds to compile my source. If I
use the Alt-Enter key combination (which flips between "full screen" and
"Window" for DOS programs) after the screen goes black BUT before the 5
seconds is up then I can get back to the Windows desktop and I will see an
open DOS window. The DOS box closes automatically after the 5 seconds is up
(compile ends).

This tells me that the "default" mode for DOS programs is full screen,
rather than Window. This is a property setting that can be set for any DOS
program shortcut. I'm guessing there is a similar global setting in the
registry (or somewhere) that affects launch behavior for DOS exe's that are
spawned by another program (IDE, Explorer, etc.)

Thanks,
Steve C.