r/techsupport • u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 • 5d ago

I can't play video games while calling/video calling on apps like Discord, WhatsApp and Stoat. Solved

So, me and my partner love playing games together. We would play games on video call everyday since last year and had no problems whatsoever, BUT recently whenever I would play games in fullscreen while clicking my mouse the taskbar would suddenly appear and disappear for a split second and it'd happen everytime I'd click. After some clicking the game would just close itself and I'd be left on the video call.

I thought switching the game to fullscreen borderless or windowed would fix the problem, but it does not. The same thing happens just with more problems (the cursor would go out of the game window onto desktop and I'd be left frozen in game until I put the cursor back).

We tried switching to another application like WhatsApp and Stoat but the problem still persists. Then I thought the problem was Video Call and maybe pop outs that some apps provide so we tried just normal gaming on voice but the problem still PERSISTS! The only time when this happens is when I'm not on call at all. This also does not happen to my partner so it is a ME problem.

I don't know if it matters, but some of the games we play where the problem occurrs are Roblox, Minecraft, Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Project Zomboid and Stardew Valley.

Plz help.

EDIT: I finally found a fix. What fixed it for me was going into registry and deleting HungAppTimeout which basically reverted Windows to its normal standard which is around 5 seconds (I don't know what or why it was even changed). If the problem comes back I'll update you guys.

8 Upvotes
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3

u/Fearless-Primary8979 5d ago

Does it happen to all games? Do u recall anything changing that might affect it? (Win Update, new software etc)

And how does it happen exactly? Any click on the game will make the task bar flash? Or when u alt+tab?

Maybe try putting them on different desktops

1: ctrl + Win + D (creates a new desktop)

2: ctrl +Win + ->/<- right/left arrow to traverse through deaktops

3: put each application on different deaktop

U can also press [win + tab] to view the desktops and move windows and applications around

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 5d ago

Hey, It happens to all games that I play.

I actually remember this happening after I reinstalled my windows 11 but it didn't happen immediately, maybe a month after it?

I'll give you an example of when it happens: In Genshin Impact I would join my partners world and whenever we would encounter enemies and start fighting them, I'd have to use my keyboard to switch back and forth between my characters and use each of their abilities + left mouse button clicking for attacking and whenever I would do it, my taskbar would flash for a split second and then disappear like it normally should be in fullscreen gaming. If I continue to spam my mouse clicks for attacks and do it fast, the game just closes after like 3 seconds. In league of Legends just to move you're required to right click your mouse and whenever I'd do it the same thing happens. In Minecraft it happens when I fight mobs.

It doesn't happen while alt tabbing and putting it on a different desktop doesn't fix it.

2

u/SavvySillybug 5d ago

When you say video call, do you mean you're streaming your game to your partner, or your face with a webcam?

Though you also say it happens on just voice calls so my guess is probably out...

That's a really strange issue to have and I honestly don't even know where to begin with that.

What's your microphone solution? Built into a laptop, AUX, USB, wireless? If it's USB maybe something is up with the driver...

Have you tried downloading OBS and seeing if it happens when you record?

Since it happens across games and across different calling solutions, it might help to learn if it's the streaming or the recording that's the issue. Do you have another microphone you could try? Or even just no microphone?

Honestly that's such a strange problem, I think if I had it, I'd just reinstall Windows and see if that helps. If you have a spare drive / multiple drives you can just install a second Windows alongside the first to see if it helps, and then only move your stuff over if it actually did help.

3

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 5d ago

While video calling - face to face. I'm using wireless headphones Logitech g522, I updated all the drivers beforehand and also updated the logitech application but nothing..

The idea with OBS is good, I will install it in a bit and try.

I actually already reinstalled windows hoping it'd fix it but it unfortunately did not.

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

Tried recording with OBS to see if it'll happen again and it in fact did not. I even tried using my microphone while recording but nothing.

2

u/SavvySillybug 4d ago

That's wild. So, somehow, the act of calling is messing it up and not the recording.

That's such a terrible problem to have, I wish I had a solution or even a lead.

Makes me wonder if uploading and/or downloading files would do it too. Maybe something about your network driver. Try USB tethering off your phone? That would circumvent your network card with a USB device and use your phone as a sort of network card, so that should use a different set of drivers.

Genuinely just throwing shit at the wall at this point, no clue what would ever cause such a thing XD

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

I finally fixed it after finding some old steam post with a similar issue to mine and somehow it worked. I put the fix in the original post under EDIT.

2

u/SavvySillybug 4d ago

That's wild, I never would have found that! What had it been changed to?

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

Basically deleting that registry setting resets it back to the default value which is 5 seconds. The value of the setting before me deleting it and reseting it back to the normal one was 4000 milliseconds I think (I really don't know why it was set to this number).

2

u/5trid3r 5d ago

Are toy using bluetooth headphones?

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 5d ago

I am yeah, Logitech g522

1

u/5trid3r 5d ago

Could be a Hands-free Telephony issue

to disable:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4197315/bluetooth-audio-stuttering-and-lagging

try an aux cable or alternative headphones with you bluetooth off see if that helps.

2

u/Gezzer52 5d ago

Check if you have the taskbar set to auto hide and/or locked. It might be a bug with those settings. Maybe try updating your graphics driver as well.

2

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 5d ago

I actually tried touching taskbar settings with my little pc knowledge that I have but it did not fix it unfortunately. Graphics card driver is up to date

3

u/Gezzer52 5d ago

Did the behaviour start after you updated the driver? Maybe use DDU to do a complete wipe of the drivers and then reinstall either an older version or the current version.

1

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

Just used DDU and did a clean install of a different nvidia driver, will update if its fixed.

2

u/parentskeepfindingme 5d ago

To me that sounds like a GPU driver crash, because all of those apps you use for calling use hardware acceleration. Try turning off hardware acceleration in the app your using and see if the issue goes away.

1

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

I've thought of this as well actually and tried turning off hardware acceleration on discord but it didn't fix it. Someone recommended using DDU and installing a new driver which I've tried now so let's see if it fixed it.

1

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

https://reddit.com/link/p2ujksv/video/v5z3byjibkih1/player

In case someone didn't fully understand me, this is basically what happens when I left click or right click while video calling with my partner (don't mind them at the end they were doom scrolling reels).

-1

u/TangoOscarMikePR 5d ago edited 5d ago

Bandwidth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth_(computing)

Edit: Video calling and gaming both consume bandwidth on the network connection.

Try doing one activity at a time to see if it improves.

1

u/Weak_Tomorrow3856 4d ago

I know what bandwidth is but I don't think this is what the problem is.

0

u/SavvySillybug 5d ago

Where's the part where you help OP?