noticing odd problem across programs in vista, any fix?

Barcardi

So i have started to notice a problem across multiple programs (cad, revit, adobe indesign, adobe photoshop, even firefox) in vista.

I will be working in a program and i will execute an action.... say i open a new tab in firefox thats a large webpage, or i draw a room in revit, or open an image in photoshop... and the computer wont freeze, but rather the menus in the programs running will become opaque, like a big grey screen covers all the menus. I can move my mouse over the menu and then this grey screen will slowly dissipate, menu icon by menu icon. I can also minimize the program then maximize again to clear the grey screen.

Its not really a major issue or a crash, and i have noticed it happens at both my work computer and hope pc. Both are completely disconnected from each other and i dont transfer files or anything between the two.

Does anyone know what i am talking about? Know of any fixes?

Morskittar

If I'm understanding correctly, it's the equivalent of an earlier OS fully freezing up while something hangs. Vista just greys out the offending program and (usually) lets you work elsewhere.

How often do you see it? Are both machines relatively older where they might be seeing load time or slowdown issues?

Barcardi

both machines are relatively new.

sortof like a freeze with no freeze

here is a good example that just happened: i loaded word, i printed something, from hitting the print button everything behind where that print window was is still greyed out like the window is still there, but also so is the entire word program except the paper space. So i move my mouse up to the toolbar, and as the cursor moves over the tools each one appears as if it had never been greyed out at all.

ronya

I've had this problem, but not on Vista. Are you using Aero?

(broad guess: a fairly complicated problem involving whatever Windows component that's in charge of drawing the windows. GDI? user32.dll? Whatever it is, I've never had the problem appear on a system with good hardware, only slow ones that could just-meet the requirements of whatever it's running. Try getting more memory?)