Duplicate Cant switch screens or go to desktop

Yes!

Category: Other [Can Repro]
Date/Time: Wed Feb 28 09:06:36 2024

Character: Level 51 Monk (Main)
Zone: The Plane of Tranquility
Location: -1645.89, 1814.63, -758.01, 377.79

Description: alt + tab puts screen into window mode from full screen. inventory windows block all context windows that would share the space. for example moving a locked inventory slot container using the context window (ie lock/unlock) would be under the inventory window if it overlapped.

I used to be able to Alt-Tab to another window when the EQ client was in windowed mode. Now that doesn't work anymore when I am zoning. Attempting to select another application with Alt-Tab does not work.

Also checking the box to allow overlay of taskbar does nothing.

I am running Windows 11 Pro version 22631 and have the latest video drivers installed.

Any idea when this will be fixed. Its annoying to the point that I'm thinking of cancelling my membership

My method for fixing this, be sure to follow every step for extra spicy party times

Go into your eqclient.ini file in notepad and search "AlwaysOnTop". Change it from 1 to 0. Log into game, notice it still didn't fix anything, go back to the eqclient.ini file and notice that EQ has helpfully reset the setting for you back to 1. Change it back to 0 and log back in. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Once you become frustrated enough, change it back to 0 one last time, then mark the whole bloody eqclient.ini file as readonly in Windows so EQ can't F up its own config file anymore.

Presto, solved! Keep in mind you can now no longer change any EQ options in-game without them resetting when you log out, but you can sure alt-tab fine again. Daybreak giveth and Daybreak taketh away. Perhaps if we're all extra good this year, Santa will bring us a game where you can both change its options and escape from its prison window at the same time!

Could be a windows 11 issue and I avoid it like a plague (my dad uses it on his new laptop so I sometimes have to help him if he has issues but I hate it but have never tried running EQ on it) I have no issues running 6 instances of EQ at one time on windows 10 and tabbing between others apps and all 6 instances of EQ works fine.

I know there is some different config things that work to fix some issues I have seen in the past like the previous post but not sure if that works on windows 11 or just windows 10. I would try that first since if it is setting the zoning EQ window to always on top even if you tab to another window it will be behind the always on top EQ window (pretty sure that is the same fix I used when I had issues onetime with tabbing).

Maybe try 7+ Taskbar Tweaker and see if there is any settings in that app to help fix issues with tabbing. I use it to reorder my EQ windows if one crashes and I have to log it in at a different order than normal. It allows you to unlock the moving taskbar items as a group. I know it has alot of other settings you can adjust but not sure if any will help the tabbing issue. It is something you could try though.

Make sure you only have only one line in your eqclient.ini file for this variable. If you find more than one, delete them (you can delete them all in fact and the default value is 0).

[Defaults]
AlwaysOnTop=0

OR

1. In game open, Options > Display window
2. Uncheck Overlap Windows Taskbar
3. ALT+ENTER twice, to update eqclient.ini

I don't know where to put this but this thread seems to be the most plausible.

• While in game alt + tab switches to windowed mode from full screen mode, not to another application, requiring 2 presses of alt + enter to go back to fullscreen mode. These screens go off the visible viewing area. There should only need to be one, fullscreen>windows and back.
• If I am camping to character screen to switch character and the membership browser window opens up the game hangs. By hangs I mean a non-interactive window with an screen from earlier gameplay with a toolbar that I would say is from the old apple OS, that is not my current theme no any theme I've ever used. Only way I've found to get working again is to shift+alt_delete and switch users back to the same one and the screen/client loads properly and I can play again.
• I've noticed that when I've had to copy an overlay due to some being corrupted by the Alt+tab/enter fiasco there is a new option of a character layout for 1680x1050 screen. I've never had a display that big.
• On the loading screens from the launcher the window switches from a full sized window to a slightly offset smaller window then back prior to the server select screen. From the server selection to character selection it changes only once. These are all from the client being started in window mode and not fullscreen.
• I checked the eqclient.ini and AlwaysOnTop=0 is there. Overlap Windows Taskbar is unchecked.

If there is a thread more suitable can you move it and leave a breadcrumb to it? Thanks.

I have Windows10 and it does the same thing.. EXTREMELY frustrating..
The game isn't enjoyable anymore after that.
All we can do is post about the bird-nest and hope they fix it.. Oh... and stop paying for full access untill they do. Half my guild stopped paying and I'm sure others have too...but we'll see how serious they take the playability of the game. One would think somebody would ask why a lot of players aren't paying anymore..... FIX the Tab to desktop problem please.

7+ Tweaker is not Win 11 friendly, however the dev has a specific app for Windows 11, but is is not as feature rich. This is one of the reasons I so not move, I use 7+ to have each EQ instance its own icon on the task bar when I box.

Frustrating and not enjoyable, thought they were working on it in a positive way... full screen to full screen between tabs and to desktop in general....

How can something so rudimentary as tabbing give them so much problems and why can't they fix it?

This has really killed the game for me, I hope a fix is coming soon as playing has become painful and there's a finite amount of patience here. It's been months.

Please visit the Test server next week after the scheduled update!

I love you

After reading this, I made a toon and logged on...first attempt, alt tabbed to desk top and the game froze I had to use task manager to get out .and that was just with one primary toon, imagine the mess if I tried with 5 other toons boxing... This never happened using a full group....prior to. the DX meddling.
Windows 10 and DX12.1 what do I need to do to report this

Well the fix isn't on Test until next week, so you will be wasting your time. Try on Wednesday after they have patched test on Tuesday.