All controls stop responding!!!

[crashwg]

I'm hoping someone can explain why, when I'm playing mame, that all controls become unresponsive for a few seconds.

I'm using MAME32 0.83 on winxp.  Just about every game I've played has done it once or twice.  I've used a Playstation controler attached through a radioshack converter, real controls attached through an Mini-Pac and just a keyboard and it has happened with all methods.

It seems as though the computer takes the button(s) I'm pressing at the time and just continues to send that command to mame for, I'd say 2 or 3 secconds.  

For instance, if I'm walking in one direction and shooting, I decide to turn arround and throw a grenade, but nothing happens.  I start mashing buttons and cursing because I'm about to die!!! but still nothing happens and then at the last second before my life is completly gone controll is returned and I save myself.

I can't say for sure that it has happened more than once in a game and it doesn't happen all the time either.

Anyone experience something simmilar?  How do I fix it?

[Santoro]

I have no idea for sure, but maybe tinker with the keyboard repeat (typematic) rate in XP control panel or in the BIOS?

Just a thought.

[zaphod]

Is this an arcade-only machine or do you also surf on it, etc?  I would guess you have some resident processes that occasionally are sapping resources.  How much memory do you have?  Could it be paging on you?

[crashwg]

I'm going to assume Zaphod is correct on this one.

This is on the main computer of the house.  Used for just about everything, it probably just doesn't have the resources.

[J_K_M_A_N]

I would also check to see if any of the Accessibility Options are checked. Just go into the control panel and click on Accessibility Options and unckeck them all. You may also have to go into the settings on each and uncheck all the options and unckeck the use shortcut box. Good luck.

J_K_M_A_N

[fredster]

I think it's the XP. It's polling something. It's looking for an answer from some piece of hardware.

Where are our XP experts?

[maraxle]

Turn off indexing on your drives.