OBS Shortcut / Hotkeys Stopped Working [Fix/Workaround]

Just a quick fix/workaround for something I bumped into with OBS this past few days - for some reason, the Hotkeys (Shortcut Keys that you press to start Recording, Take Screenshots, etc) seemed to stop working once you took the focus off of OBS itself. For example, if I started OBS, then started a game, and hit the keyboard key that was configured for OBS to Record (while it was in the background), it didn't do anything (eg. / to start recording). I did figure it out though, it was a real easy fix for now; so I wanted to share it here.

There was a Windows Update recently [for me] and so I thought maybe OBS needed more Permissions or something; so I just ran OBS in Administrator Mode - and it worked!

All you have to do is Right-Click the Icon that starts up OBS and choose "Run As Administrator" (possibly under More > Run As Administrator, for example, if using the Start Menu for launching OBS). That's it!
Now you should find that you can start up a game and/or ALT+TAB to the game, leave OBS running in the background, and OBS will faithfully start Recording/Taking Screenshots/etc again. 

Sorry I haven't posted for some time now; my own illness (not COVID) has been acting up this year. A lot. Anyway, HTH

~T

No Man's Sky 'Not Starting' or 'Failing To Launch'? - Here's What Worked For Me [Notification/Tutorial]

[Text-Mode Only: This posting is being shared as Text-Only, to speed up the ability to share it, at this time. 

I may return to add helpful screenshots/diagrams/etc, at a later date.]

Update 1: Added link to driver download, for the version that worked for me (NVIDIA website)
Update 2: Oddly, the GOG version was working - but as of 09.02 neither game starts up at all

For the past week or so (since the BEYOND release) I've had a problem trying to get back into No Man's Sky to check it out... The game just wouldn't start/launch. I noticed that it was popping up in the Windows Taskbar but then it would 'close itself' or 'crash' - either way, resulting in the game closing up and I wasn't able to play and try out the new stuff!

After messing with it off and on for about a week, I finally figured out something that worked - No Man's Sky actually starts now, and I can play! Here are the things I tried at first:

• Restarted PC/system
• Re-installed NMS
• Verified Cache (Steam version**)
• Disabled Anti-Virus temporarily while running game (third-party AV, Windows Defender, etc)
• Ran game as Administrator
• Ran the Compatibility Troubleshooter for the game executable (Windows 10, did not affect result of game closing itself upon starting it)
• Dusted out system and hardware (to help with potential overheating, corruption/errors due to heat and dust issues, etc)
• Re-installed NMS to C: drive (Windows/main drive/partition, then moved NMS back to other SSD [I had it originally on], as it made no difference)
• Re-installed GPU drivers (videocard 'system files that Windows uses to 'talk' to the hardware' [is how I describe "computer drivers" to others])
• Ran Windows Update (there was an Update package, did not affect result of game closing itself)
• Considered re-installing Windows 10 (then did not do it - this time - lol)

I tried a ton of other little things as well, like re-installing Visual C++ libraries for Windows (system files that are part of Windows that many, many programs utilize) - it had apparently worked for many people, and I saw this mentioned in a few different Game Support forums (eg. Reddit, Steam, GameFaqs, etc) if you want to try this, these can be found at the Microsoft website, here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads

With all of these steps (many of them mentioned by helpful users on multiple forums online - most of them I knew and tried myself), at some point, they would 'get the game working' for many people. Sadly, not for me. I had to hunt around and 'hack away at the bushes of the problem jungle' on my own for awhile... Finally, I found something that got No Man's Sky working for me - here is what I did:

'Roll back' the GPU drivers (videocard system files that Windows uses to 'talk' to the hardware) to an older version, then re-install the latest version of the GPU drivers (non-'clean' install). BOOM it worked! 

Here is the steps I took that finally got No Man's Sky working:

• Regress the GPU drivers [re-install older and older versions of the GPU drivers] until the game works (for me, that meant I re-installed older drivers over and over until NMS started 'fully and without issues' - for me, that was NVIDIA GPU Driver version 391.01 - this driver can be downloaded directly from NVIDIA's website, however, their own Search for Drivers does not go back that far... I found these older versions by going to Google and searching "NVIDIA driver 391", for example, then following a Link that goes to NVIDIA's Driver website [as opposed to other third-party websites, not that they are always 'bad', some are great, but I wanted the official NVIDIA drivers from them, for this]). If you want to try the exact version I found worked for me, the link to NVIDIA's release of that Driver is here:
  https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/131443/en-us
• Once game is verified as 'working without issues', re-install latest GPU Driver (version 436.xx as of the time of this posting) 'on top of' the currently installed Drivers [newer versions of NVIDIA Drivers 'uninstall' the older versions, but just do not chose the 'clean' install, where it deletes your Profiles, etc]. I found I also had to select to install the "NVIDIA HD Audio" and "NVIDIA 3D" options, as well...

That's it!

Although professionally I am a Computer Tech, I'm not a Developer/Programmer, so I'm not 100% sure why it got No Man's Sky working finally (but I can assume some things, like the game needing some older Windows System libraries that got 'corrupted' or lost, somehow, and other things that could have occurred) - but I'm just glad that the game runs once again. 

Of course, this may not be your specific issue with NMS not starting for you, my dear reader; but perhaps it can help the game to run for you, too. Good Luck with it - and a many-a-Good-Journey to you, Traveller! 

Addendum: As of 09.02, both versions (GOG and Steam) now do not start up (they do not run properly) - the game appears in the Taskbar for a moment, then closes itself. I shall try some Troubleshooting again, and if I find another 'fix', I will return to share it here...

**Oddly, the Good Old Games (now GOG.com) version, that I received as a gift a while ago, worked fine... Only the Steam version of NMS had issues... During the course of Troubleshooting the Steam version, the GOG version stopped working [lol] - then, after 'fixing' the Steam version, the GOG version was working once again. Possibly, the issues were related, but I am not sure. Hopefully, one of the steps mentioned herein (or my 'final solution' step [maybe I should rename that]) will work for you

It's Not Just You™ - HumbleBundle 'Vegas Pro, Discover Creative Freedom' Installer/Registration Not Working [Notification]

For the next two weeks (13 Days, according to the Countdown at the HumbleBundle Website, starting today) there is a fantastic offer for Video Editors, Music Composers, Web Developers and more - over $900 worth of Software, including Sony's Vegas Pro [the Vegas Editing Product Line was bought out by MAGIX, a German software company that has produced it's own editing software for years, popular for their "Music Maker" and "Movie Edit Pro" lines]. So what's the issue? Well, this Bundle is so darn popular, many parts of it aren't working/responding, at this time. For example, if you run into the Installer 'starting but just closing/crashing' or the store or program 'not registering' or the 'website is down'... just letting you know... It's Not Just You™

Part of the reason why this Bundle is so popular (although many HumbleBundles are quite popular at different times), is because one of the main pieces of Software offered is Vegas Pro Edit, originally by Sony. This video editing software is a Premium Version ("high end") of this program, normally being sold at around $400. Along with other great products, such as Magix Music Maker, Xara's Photo and Graphic Designer, Xara's Web Designer, Photo Story Deluxe and more - it's easy to see why this Bundle is so popular, for all kinds of content creators and producers. Indeed, if you are into (or trying to get into) making music, editing video, or web design, at all; I highly recommend picking up this fantastic bundle of software, if you can. The link/URL to the HumbleBundle directly, is here:

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/vegas-pro-creative-freedom

For those unfamiliar with HumbleBundle, it is a retail site that offers a mix of software, books and games, connected to and donating a portion to, a customer's chosen Charity. For example, my account is connected to Extra Life, the 'Gaming Marathon' Fund Raising charity that I try to play for every November, on behalf of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Because I attached this Charity to my Account, any purchases I make will contribute a portion to my charity. One of the greatest things about HumbleBundle however, is that the products - although one is not able to choose which products to buy specifically - are usually offered in 'portions' or 'packs' for any amount that you can afford to pay (as low as $1 up to whatever you can pay for the software company/charity/etc); and the more you can pay/donate, the more software/books/games/etc you will get. Since 2010, these 'Pay What You Want' Bundles (for Windows, Mac and Linux) have become quite popular over time.

The issue that has arisen this time then, is that the Bundle is so popular, that the server for the Installer has become Unresponsive ("not working"). Even the Website for the Retail/Vendor/Developer itself has become Unresponsive, giving this Error Message [to me] seen below (from Chrome):

As also sometimes happens with the most popular HumbleBundles, some people are experiencing very slow Downloading of their purchased products (as in 256kBps or less). Others are experiencing the Installer for the products stops functioning. This is what I personally am experiencing too (the Installer seems to startup, but then 'crashes' (or at least disappears) and is unable to continue. After one random attempt, I got a message stating that the Installer actually tried to Download the Installation Files but could not properly communicate with their servers. The message that came up [for me] can be seen below:

Trying another time later on, I did see the Installer for the 'MAGIX Music Maker 80's Version' pop up and start Downloading, which was nice to see; however the overall download speed was pretty slow [understandably] at about 300kBps.

If I may make a Suggestion then - if you are running into any of the issues above, at this time: my suggestion would be, to definitely pick up the Bundle if you can [Note: You have to purchase the Bundle for at least $20 to get Vegas Pro] - then wait a while before you attempt to install anything. According to the MAGIX website, you can access your purchase (to install it) anytime after buying it, from now until September 2018 [Note: A free Magix account must be created if you do not already have one]. So, there is no rush, once you purchase it, to get the Installation Files from MAGIX. I also recommend backing up your Installation Files, once Downloaded, onto a USB drive, External Drive or even Optical Disc - anything that can back up your purchase for future re-installation, if needed (at least, until you buy a newer version of any applications you like..).

By the way, a quick note about Vegas Pro 'Edit Version' (about a 450MB download) - for those wondering about the difference between the Vegas Movie Studio versions and the Vegas Pro versions (and what the 'Edit' identifier means), here is a short summary of the differences:

• the Movie Studio versions of the editor are an easier-to-use, scaled-down version of the Vegas editor, with still many features, allowing up to 200 Tracks of Events (clips/media) - increased from 20 Tracks recently! It just lacks many of the advanced features of the Pro versions (such as the  'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version], Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), et.al). The Movie Studio version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-movie-studio/product-comparison/#productMenu
  
• the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' of the editor costs less than the other Pro(fessional) versions, as it is missing the DVD/Blu-Ray authoring package, as well as some advanced filters and creation utilities (such as the Boris FX media generators, et.al) - it is still a 'full featured' Professional-level Video Editing program however, allowing Unlimited Tracks, full 4K Support, Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), includes the 'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version] and much, much more. The Pro version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/#productMenu

[Note that the links above will show the most recent versions of the programs, but the comparisons themselves (the effects and capabilities of each) will remain similar, despite the edition versions changing over time]

Here is a capture of the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' comparison, for the 14th edition [CAD prices, sorry]:

Although the Vegas line of editing products have always had a bit of a learning curve due to their more advanced capabilities (Sony used to give out a DVD with some introductory courses for it; I am privileged to say I have one of these), MAGIX has created a few tutorials of their own, which can be found at the MAGIX Vegas Pro Tutorials website, here:

http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/online-tutorials/

So, try not to let it bother you 'too much', if you have run into any of these issues (downloading, installing, registering, etc). Just wait a little while longer and try doing it again, in the near future. For now, don't worry - It's Not Just You™...

Good Luck with it - and Have Fun!

[Note: I am not affiliated with Sony, MAGIX or HumbleBundle in any way, and I will not receive any compensation for mentioning them here - I am merely an enthusiastic user of their products and wanted to share what I felt was helpful information/notification. I have used other video editing programs in the past (such as PowerDirector, Nero Vision and Windows Movie Maker and some free video editors, such as Avidemux, DVD Soft's FreeVideoEditor and VirtualDub) and will still use them when desired in the future]

Addendum:

During the time it took for me to compile this posting, I was able to try again and began Downloading then eventually Installing Vegas Pro [Edit version] - and it is going smoothly still - however, Downloading of the various applications in the Bundle are still quite slow. 

If you do not mind that, dear reader, go ahead and try again now; otherwise, as in my Suggestion, perhaps wait a while (as in days) before attempting to have a fast/smooth installation of these popular applications. 

The Elder Scrolls Online - How To Logout Of Your Game Account, When Using The Steam Version Of TESO [Tutorial]

Recently, I was getting back into playing The Elder Scrolls Online a bit - which I haven't really played at all since the Beta Testing Phase of the game. I was also popping in to the Steam Forum for the game, helping out a few people and I ran into someone asking about 'how to logout of the game' - that is, how to Logout of their Account but not actually exit/quit the game itself. While this may seem easy with the Standalone/Web Version of TESO (you just click the "Back" link at the Character Selection screen, which takes you to the Login screen, with the Account information fields to fill in); with the Steam Version of TESO - when you have associated your Steam Account with TESO - this is not quite as easy, as hitting "Back" at the Character Selection merely takes you back to a screen that just says LOGIN, with no fields to fill in. An example of how this looks is just below:

Example of what the Login Screen looks like,
when a Steam Account is directly associated with a TESO Account
(Click to see Full Size)

So, I tried to figure out how to 'logout of the game' but not 'logout of Steam', as it were; being able to log out of TESO so that one could change to a different account if they wanted to (say, to let a family member login/play with their own account), but keep Steam and the game running, similar to what one could do when running the Standalone/Web version of the game...

Normally, this can be done with games that utilize Game Clients ("Launchers") by not starting up the Game Client, but instead going to the executable file for the game directly, running it to start the game up (which usually opens the game to a Login screen of some sort). In the case of the Steam Version of TESO, here are the steps I found to do this:

• Open Steam
• Right-Click on TESO in the Library and choose Properties
• Click on the Local Files tab
• Click on the Browse Local Files button to show the directory/folder of the game
• Navigate into THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE > GAME > CLIENT folder
• Double-Click on "eso64.exe" to launch the game (or "eso.exe" if running 32-bit Windows/Game)

That's it! Now you should be at the Login area that everyone with the Standalone/Web-sourced version of The Elder Scrolls Online sees: a screen with Data Fields that can be filled in with Account Information, to Login. An example of what it looks like, is below:

Example of what the Steam Version of TESO's Login Screen looks like,
when launched directly from the Executable file,
even though a Steam Account is associated with TESO
(Click to see Full Size)

I wanted to share this here, to help others that might run into this 'problem'; wanting to 'logout of their TESO game account' or 'change TESO game accounts', while using a Steam Version of the game. While associating your Steam Account with your Elder Scrolls Online Account is somewhat convenient (as you don't have to type in your login information every time you start the game), hopefully this will assist with the issue that does arise then, when one wants to just Logout of the game and/or Login with a different TESO Account.


I hope that helps - and See You In The Game!

Guild Wars 2 - Slightly Annoying Not-So-Little Grey Arrow That Points Down And Does Not Go Away [It's Not Just You]

Just a quick Tip to others playing Guild Wars 2: I popped into GW2 after a long time away, mainly for some Stock recordings; but I found a weird little arrow that doesn't seem to have a reason for being there - other than covering up my Buffs and pointing to the 6th Skill (for no reason?). Here's what it looks like:

I asked around in the game (noone knew how to get rid of it, but others complained about it) and I looked in on the Official Forums, eventually finding this - an Official Response from a Dev there (from about a month ago):
http://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/support/bugs/Escape-key-no-longer-opens-menu/first#post5088931

Messing about with it a little more, it seems nothing gets rid of it for most (including myself, when it occurs). I personally have:

• Healed
• Died (while AFK)
• Used a Waypoint
• Hit ESC 42 times
• Logged out then logged in again

That last one cleared it for me, slash-whew.. But it may return, and it may not go away until I Logout again... [Maybe something will change from today's update..?]

Just letting others know that 'it's not just you' - and as of the time of this post, it seems there's nothing we can really do about it slash-sadface

See You In The Game Anyway!

And More: AMD Gaming Evolved App (Raptr) Slider Not Staying On Quality Setting, Reverting To Balanced [Explained]

Yesterday, I posted on the Raptr Support Forums, talking about an issue where I saw that the configurator [I think that's a word, I'm going to use it anyway, in regards to "the main slider that sets the quality setting in the Client"]  would not stay on "Quality", if set for games in the AMD Gaming Evolved Client (which I have begun to use slowly over the past few months).

What I saw was, is that if I changed the configurator to "Quality" for a game, then temporarily selected a different game for a while from the Library list, then went back to the previous game, the configurator would not remain on "Quality" for the previous game but would revert back to "Balanced". Here is an example, using Battlefield:Hardline in the Client App, below:

Animation showing how the Gaming Evolved client does not stay on the desired Quality preference/setting, using Battlefield:Hardline as an example. Click to see Full Size

I asked about this occurrence in the Raptr Forums here, and was told by a Rep there that a Ticket would be opened on my behalf [a 'Trouble Ticket' is a Support mechanism for tracking issues (I was Technical Support for a few companies in my past)]. I received an email from Raptr Support quickly and worked back and forth with them over a short period, testing some games out and how the configurator worked with those - finding that for games such as Hitman:Absolution, Tomb Raider (2013) and Max Payne 3, the slider worked just fine, remaining on the desired "Quality" setting - however, for other games, it 'reverted' back to "Balanced" every time.

It was explained to me by Raptr Support, that for the games where 'the slider reverted back to Balanced after setting the slider to Quality' [my phrasing], it was because there were no actual differences in the settings between "Balanced" and "Quality", for those games where that occurred.

The AMD Gaming Evolved client (Raptr) showing that the configurator indeed remains on the desired Quality setting,
for some games, such as Hitman:Absolution, Tomb Raider (2013) and more. Click to see Full Size

Although the slider may be slightly confusing then (they stated they are working on that), this was mostly my own fault, in my mind, since I was fixating on the seemingly-rebellious slider and I wasn't looking at the settings below (where I would have seen that there were no real differences between Balanced and Quality for those games).

So in the end, as far as the slider 'not staying on the "Quality" setting and reverting to "Balanced" all the time', all was eventually figured out (with the helpfulness of Raptr Support); and even if it wasn't entirely "fixed", I wanted to share these experiences and explanations with you all, especially for those that have run into this exact issue.


See You In The Games!

And More: Game Recording for Compatibility with Video Editing Programs (Text-Only Version)

Just some quick tips for recording your gaming adventures, so that no matter what recording or editing program you use, you can open the recorded file and edit it without any problems:

Most game recording programs will automatically install CODECs (COmpressor/DECompressors) when you install the program itself. Codecs can be thought of as 'handlers' for the video and audio formats that the program will 'prefer' [that is, formats that they were programmed with], so that you can open them in video editing applications. Also, most video editing apps can read certain widely-accepted/standardized formats such as MJPEG, RGB, YV12, Uncompressed, and so on, "natively" (without installing any additional codecs, once you install the video editing program itself). The thing is, sometimes there is a format that is selectable or useable in a recording application and then you can find out later that your video editing application "doesn't like it" (won't open your recorded file)...

To solve this problem, you can do a few things (in order of ease-of-use):

• Change the format you are recording with.

[This also works if you don't want/can't install any additional codecs on the system]

All you have to do is switch the recording codec you are using to something that the editor can easily open. If your recording cannot easily be imported into your video editor, take a look at the 'importable formats' that are listed for your video editing application at the manufacturer's website.

You can also just do a couple of short test recordings to find out what can be recorded to and opened by your favourite editing app without problem. You may, for instance, test with a short recording and find that only the video (or only the audio) can be opened. This means you just have to check what formats you are recording with and switch out the one that is not being read properly. 

For example:

Problem: Sony Vegas opening a recorded file and the video track is fine but the audio has only a small 'sliver' of data (no sound track)
Fix: Change the audio recording format to Uncompressed PCM Audio

Now Sony Vegas can properly open both the video and audio portions of the recording (without installing any additional codecs) - all solved by merely switching to using a different codec for recording

• Install the codec you wish you use.

A recording program may offer a format that you can record with, but it may not automatically install the decoder portion for it, so you may have to download and install the codec package in order to open the recordings.

Some examples:

Some find that when using the MJPEG codec offered within MSI's Afterburner program to record, they cannot open the MJPEG format recorded files in their video editing application. Within MSI Afterburner, there is an option to enable an MJPEG decoder within it, if it is needed (it shouldn't be, since most video editing programs support MJPEG natively (it is just a sequence of JPGs))

Some find that when using the Xvid codec offered within Bandicam to record, they cannot open the Xvid format recorded files in their video editing application. To solve this, merely download the Xvid codec package from the Xvid.org website and then you should be able to open the Xvid recorded files in your video editing program

• Convert the recorded file into a format that the video editing app can open without problem.

Most editing programs have a list of 'compatible' formats that it was programmed to open natively [without installing anything else]. From the list, choose a format that is easy for you to convert your recordings into, so that you can easily import them into your video editing application.

To convert your recordings, you can use the conversion program that came with your camera or multimedia device, if it came with one. There are also many freeware programs that you can use, such as:

Avidemux
Virtualdub
FormatFactory
Xvid4PSP
Xmedia Recode
Nero Recode
WinFF
and more

Simply use the one that you find easiest to use and convert your files with. You can also purchase a video editing program/software suite that will allow you to convert/edit the recordings.

Once you try one of the above steps (listed in order of easiest/quickest first), you should find importing your recordings into your favourite editing apps going a lot smoother and having less problems/glitches when starting your editing.

Good luck with it and Have Fun editing your gaming adventures!

Quick Tip: Can't Record Your Game At All? (64-bit/32-bit Fix)

Just a quick tip for when it seems like you cannot record your game 'at all':
64-bit computing is still relatively new for home users, which means that not all 64-bit hardware and applications communicate without problems. Many game recording apps simply can't record games that operate in 64-bit modes. Just look for a 32-bit version of your game/gameclient and then your game recording program (no matter which one you use, be it Dxtory, Bandicam, MSI Afterburner..) should be able to record the screen. [For games that use Java (eg. Minecraft), download the 32-bit Java at their website]

See you in the games!