Editor Hanging

[Baron]

Hello,
     I've been using the same AGS 2.6 editor for a year and a half on my laptop computer, but recently it has started to hang every time I try to test my game.  I discovered last week that if I didn't have a CD in my computer that it didn't hang, but now it happens no matter what I try.  When I go to the task manager I see that AGS is "Not Responding" so I end task, which consequently unhangs the game (so I can play it).  BUT, the editor is now closed so I have to open it up again and find my place to make modifications -a real pain.
    Now this isn't a massive crisis since I've got my old desktop computer out of storage and everything runs fine on it, but it is less than ideal for drawing sprites and constantly switching between the two computers is an unappealing solution.  If I had to make an uninformed guess (not being terribly familiar with the technical side of this oversized calculator), I'd say that something on my laptop is eating up too much computing power.  I've deleted everything that I've installed since the problem first occurred to no avail.  I've also defragged and checked memory availability (75% of hard drive free).  Norton seems to think everything is cool too.
    I've done some research on the Forums and it seems like this was an issue back in 2004, but I couldn't find any resolution.  I can still run the game from the .exe function in the game's folder, although it takes MUCH longer than usual to load, so it seems like it might be the same issue.  Does anyone know how this problem might be resolved?

BaRoN

[Ashen]

I think it was eventually resolved when the engine was updated and people stopped using that version...
If updating you game files to a newer version's not practical for you, you might be stuck with the "running the exe from the folder" method. Is that noticably slower on other machines, or when the editor isn't running?

[Baron]

No, on my old desktop both the editor and test-game run and load at normal speed (roughly 5 seconds to save the game in the editor, and roughly 5-10 seconds to compile and then go into game mode while testing.
      On the laptop that has suddenly started experiencing problems the editor takes roughly 30 seconds to save the game, and it takes that long or longer to run the .exe from the game folder (before it took maybe 5-10 seconds).
      It's weird that the version would run fine for so long and then experience these unexplainable problems....  I doesn't make sense that it is the editor itself, really.  Maybe I'll take the computer in to a repair shop and see what they think.
      And yes, I've been meaning to update for a while, but I'm too committed with this game to convert (I understand there is a big difference between 2.6 and 2.7x), so it'll have to wait until I finish!

[Gilbert]

For slow saving/loading time, it might be due to speed of HDD, virus scanning, large game size (that's why we have the "split resource" option), etc.

If it worked smoother before, maybe it's possible that your game is becoming larger and larger in the progress?

[Baron]

Game size would make sense, but my whole compiled folder is only 32 MB, and the last game I made using the same editor ended up at about 40MB.  I do have a larger number of sprites (about 1300 now), and no music yet, so it's very likely that the game files themselves are a lot bigger.  Still, I've read about people making bigger games and I experience the same problem when I try to open smaller projects now, which would make no sense if game size were responsible. 
      I've also tried reinstalling AGS 2.6 from a backup CD I made a while back and the new program hangs like the old one, so it's GOT to be something to do with the system.
     

[Barbarian]

I had a somewhat similar problem a couple years back with my old laptop. Some of the internal components were slowly dieing on me (which at the time I didn't know and figured it was some software problem). At first the problems didn't seem so bad, but, over time and use things got progressively worse (with similar problems as you what you mentioned and worse - but it wasn't just with AGS), untill finally one day my computer went *Poof*... and no longer even starts properly (and no it wasn't the Hard Drive as I had installed a new Hard Drive before that too).

Doing some research on my own I found via the internet that many similar problems occur with some laptop owners and usually associated with components such as the IDD controller or Keyboard interface, etc starts flaking out. So anyways, after that I cursed laptops and switched over to a nice, more stable, desktop system and haven't had any such problems ever since. 

[Baron]

So the performance issues I'm experiencing are due to nothing more than a long steady decline brought on by the passing of time?  I feel so.... middle aged all of a sudden .  I think I'll make the switch to my desktop permanent, and just look into buying a better monitor.  Thanks!

[Barbarian]

Well, your problem may or may not be a hardware problem such as I was having on my old (now dead) laptop, but it just sounded a lot like the type of problems I was having before my computer got progressively worse. Some of the other problems I was having was "cut" and "paste" functions started to act very wierd or not at all. Also getting random "keystrokes" when not even typing anything, or erroneous characters when typing, as well as false mouse movements and commands.Ã,  I thought at first it could have been a virus, but of course after installing a fresh hard-drive and the same things happening, I knew it was then hardware failure.Ã,  As well, it got so bad, I wasn't even able to get into BIOS upon booting up anymore.. and eventually, one day the whole thing just finally "died" in a puff of smoke.

But one more suggestion you might do: Did you try running things from Safe-Mode and see how things run from there and if the same type of problems occur?

But in my case, I went though trying to fix every software thing I could think of to try to no avail, and even installing a new hard-drive without fixing the problem, and then I finally figured out that something of the internal workings was dieing on me.Ã,  But to repair an out-of-warrenty laptop computer, and in a different country than when it was bought, it would have almost been the same price to buy a new one... so in my case I just saved up my pennies to get a nice desk-top instead.

Good luck.

[Ashen]

Since whatever this is, it doesn't seem like an editor problem as such, I'll move it to General Discussion. You might get some more suggestions there.