Unusual problem with system alignment
Unusual problem with system alignment
I experienced an unusual compatibility challenge while attempting to play several classic titles. The issues appeared in the following games: Overlord 2 (also tried Overlord 1, thinking they shared the same engine). In all three games, persistent stutters and freezes were common. I plan to upload a video once it becomes available on YouTube. Over the past two days, I've tried numerous fixes: updated drivers (GPU, chipset, BIOS), installed older DirectX versions, reinstalled the games, moved them to a second SSD, toggled overlays on/off, used compatibility tools, disabled Vertical Sync, adjusted power settings, reinstalled drivers from a year ago, and even disabled Thread Optimization. The most surprising part was that everything worked perfectly when I played the first mission of Overlord 2 a year ago without any problems. Since then, I haven't altered anything on my laptop and didn’t uninstall the game from Steam. Recently, I’ve managed to play both old and new games without issues—games like RDR 2, CP 2077, Cloudpunk, Flatout, Ridge Racer Unbounded, HL2, Brutal Legend, Lost Planet, GTA V, GTA San Andreas, and Simpsons Hit&Run all function smoothly. It seems the problem likely stems from a recent Windows 11 update affecting these older titles, though it doesn’t impact other games. The issue isn’t clearly hardware-related, as similar problems wouldn’t appear elsewhere. I’m hoping someone else encountered a comparable situation and could share their solution.
Consider turning off fullscreen optimization. Open the game's executable file and click on it to access properties. Navigate to the compatibility section and ensure Disable fullscreen optimization is selected. This can sometimes reduce stutters in certain games.
Unfortunately the issue persisted. I also removed the Xbox Game bar, which is frequently mentioned in similar cases, but that didn’t resolve it. Updated: added a video to the original post.
Can you download HWinfo and operate it in the background during play? It should capture all hardware metrics, helping you identify any problems this way.
I identified the issue. Perhaps others will face the same challenge and come across my message. Initially, I believed the problem lay in the software itself. However, while searching at the driver and system levels, I realized it involved third-party applications, which shouldn't normally impact performance. It's even more puzzling that the issue affected only three out of fifty games I tested during troubleshooting. Additionally, the program functioned correctly as a system process even when it was turned off during testing. Eventually, I examined the system logs and found numerous error entries. It remains unclear whether the problem emerged right after installation or following an update. Generally, if you encounter a similar situation, uninstall all remote connection software (such as Citrix or any bundled applications) and use a dedicated work laptop instead of your personal device.