Windows 8.1 - Sidebar keeps popping up

[StrandedonEarth]

I play KSP on my Envy dv6 laptop (core i7, 8GB RAM, GeForce GT630m,) using the touchpad, running Windows 8.1 64bit

Version build id = 00705

NOT steam.

Playing in fullscreen

I finally got around to posting about this:

Windows 8.1 has this feature where swiping in from the right side on the touchpad brings up the right-side sidebar full of what Windows calls 'charms': Search, settings, etc. Prior to 0.90, this has not been a problem. Since installing .90 (fresh download/unzip, not an update), if I accidentally swipe (wanting to move the cursor) too close to the right edge of my touchpad the sidebar comes up and minimizes KSP. Fortunately, this rarely happens during critical times like when about to land. The game is still running and I can bring it back up and continue playing, but it gets annoying when it starts happening often. Of course, this also happens in windowed mode and KSP doesn't minimize then, but I don't like windowed mode (can't see the edges of the window).

This happens in my usual lightly modded install. Prior to posting I downloaded and installed, er, unzipped a fresh unmodded version, but still had this problem.

Is there any way to stop this from happening? It didn't happen at all in previous versions. I searched and browsed this forum but didn't find any reference to this.

Edited January 18, 2015 by StrandedonEarth
Solved once and for all!

[vexx32]

No way to outright prevent it, as far as I can tell; this is likely to be the result of a Unity glitch that was introduced in the Unity build KSP is currently on -- simply put, fullscreen mode doesn't properly behave as fullscreen ought to.

You may want to try using the fake full-screen option -- in the KSP Launcher, go to the settings (cog icon) and look for the Advanced Settings tab. This option should prevent KSP from minimising when this happens, but I don't think I know of a way to stop the sidebar appearing entirely.

[StrandedonEarth]

Hey thx, that's better. Hardly miss a beat that way, and can't really tell that's it's fake fullscreen

edit: Changed to solved, but perhaps a 'bypassed' or 'worked around' tag would fit better

Edited January 12, 2015 by StrandedonEarth

[D3voreur]

in the same way when playing to much with shift in short lapse of time the box about key being repeatedly press appear... really annoying ^^'

[vexx32]

You can disable those popups in your Control Panel, D3, under Accessibility Settings -- just disable the 'shortcuts' for the various accessibility options.

EDIT: There's now also a [Workaround] tag, thanks to Sal!

Edited January 12, 2015 by vexx32

[StrandedonEarth]

Ok, so fake fullscreen works for me, but one other problem with this: That setting is found in the launcher settings, but it doesn't seem to stick. I just run the game straight from the ksp.exe, which runs it in windowed mode, and then I alt-enter into fullscreen and have the same old problem. I checked the setting file and only found the fullscreen true/false line. Where can I find (or what do I look for) the line I change so it always runs in fake-full-screen when I just run the ksp.exe?

Edited January 17, 2015 by StrandedonEarth
oh, and thanks Sal!

[vexx32]

You'll have to make a shortcut to the KSP.exe. Then, right-click the shortcut and go into its Properties. In the Target field, add the flag -popupwindow. The target field should look like something like this:

"C:\Path\To\KSP\Folder\KSP.exe" -popupwindow

[StrandedonEarth]

That's great, thanks again Vexx! Hey, could you suggest to Sal making another thread tag in the Fan Works forum for Coubs?

[vexx32]

You'd probably be better off making your case to him directly, because I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. xD

The word rings a faint bell, but I really don't recall, ehehe.

[pxi]

I outright disabled the touchpad swipe feature, which is the root cause of the OP's problem.

For my laptop it was under Control Panel > Mouse > Device Settings Tab > Settings Button > Untick Enable Edge Swipes

That's for a Synaptics Touchpad, btw.

Braindead feature is braindead.

Edited January 18, 2015 by pxi

[StrandedonEarth]

Oh fer.... Thanks pxi!

Vexx: Coubs are those 10 second looping videos; I only heard of them when KSP had a Create-a-Coub contest. I have some in my sig.

Edited January 18, 2015 by StrandedonEarth

[pxi]

Not a problem! If you still want to access the charms bar, just move the mouse to the top-right corner of the desktop.