Weird problem: Hypespin becomes non-responsive randomly

[wderbi]

I have an issue that I am having difficulty explaining.  MY setup was designed as a cabinet with swappable control panels (CPs).  My CPs are a X-Arcade Tankstick and a custom CP with a flight stick for tron, two zippys, two spinners and a U360.  I was running HS on my i7 running Win 7 pro, with HS installed on the portable USB drive and set up to run MAME 168 only (so far) with the full ROM set.  I was have two major problems with the setup: (1) sometimes when I select a game in MAME, the game would not start.  I would hear the vocal game description and button description from the LEDBlinky routine, but the game would not start.  The sequence would just repeat over and over: "Donkey Kong", "ready to play", "4-way joystick"...  But the game would not initiate.  If I exited HS, I would notice that MAME was still running as a process.  I would have to CTRL-ALT-DEL to quit MAME and restart HS.  Upon restart, the game would start up just fine.  This issue would again pop up from time to time, but much more regularly than what you want to see in a cabinet.  The second issue I was having was that if left alone for a few hours, the HS would eventually just crash leaving a white screen with a question mark on the screen. 

 

I got tired of the issues, so I did a fresh upgrade to Windows 10 thinking that I was having issues with FLASH or some other plugin in Win 7. Now, the problem is even more bizarre!  What happens now is that HS starts up and randomly decides that its either going to respond to controls on the control panel or be non-responsive.  If it responds to the controls, it works just fine and you can select games you want to play in MAME like normal.  If it decides it will not respond to the controls on the CP, it will just ignore input from CP buttons and joysticks, and the wheels will just spin and attract mode is uninterruptable.  There is very limited response to the actual keyboard when it does this, and if you press too many different keys, HS just locks up---only CTRL-ALT-DEL will allow exit.  I seem to have something reminiscent of the problem described in  the post below by buelight in this forum:

 

Can anyone help me diagnose my problem?  Is this a flash issue?  Is having a key board and ipac4 on the same unit confusing HS?

[wderbi]

I don't have the joystick enabled...I know it should be fixed in 1.4, but I have not enabled these.  My "joysticks" are programmed as keystrokes via the IPAC4.  The problem I am having is not quite the same as the dreaded spinning wheel you see in HS 1.3.  In that issue, you actually have some response to the CP, and you can actually change direction of the spinning wheels by reversing the joystick.  My problem now is that there is no response to CP at all when it happens; however, it only happens half the time!  The other half, things work fine!

 

WD

[heykool69]

I use JoyToKey mapper on one of my cabinet and it works fine.  But my other 2-players cabinet without JoyToKey sometimes unresponsive from time to time.....for example: Player 1 can't scroll the Hyperspin wheel, only Player 2 can.  I still haven't got a chance to install HyperScript Startup file yet.....don't know if that would matter.

[Metalzoic]

I don't have the joystick enabled...I know it should be fixed in 1.4, but I have not enabled these.  My "joysticks" are programmed as keystrokes via the IPAC4.  The problem I am having is not quite the same as the dreaded spinning wheel you see in HS 1.3.  In that issue, you actually have some response to the CP, and you can actually change direction of the spinning wheels by reversing the joystick.  My problem now is that there is no response to CP at all when it happens; however, it only happens half the time!  The other half, things work fine!

 

WD

What else are you launching along with HS or in the background? And are you saying that when your CP doesn't respond (like something else has focus) your keyboard quits working too?

[wderbi]

This is a fresh upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 pro.  I did a clean install in which all settings and system programs were wiped except for personal files and documents. As I mentioned before, I do have some limited keyboard response: I can press CTRL-ALT-DEL to quit hyperspin quite easily.  My problems are best described in the following YouTube video:  

[wderbi]

UPDATE: After I ran into this problem, I shelved this project---I pretty much shut the cabinet down, and haven't even touched it since I posted this...mainly because I just could never muster up the patience to get downstairs and play around with it. It is such a shame: I spent countless hours building the cabinet, ran into this obstacle, and put the project to sleep.  Well, I got back on this project about two weeks ago.  I started all over with a new hard drive and a new fresh Win 10 install. Starting from scratch, I left the Hyperspin folder untouched (which was on an external drive), but I installed Launchbox and paid for Bigbox premium with the intention of trying another full featured, but less complicated frontend.  Rather than setting up each system with individual emulators for each system, I ran all systems through Rocket Launcher that was mostly set up through Hyperspin.  I had most systems I would add to Launchbox already set up for Hyperspin in RL, thus saving some time.  This way, it would take 2 minutes to switch between frontends if I wanted to switch.

I went through the process of adding multiple systems, one-by-one in Launchbox, over a period of about a week.  Unfortunately, it took such a long time because I kept hitting pitfalls.  What ended up causing me the most difficulty was that I would set up the multiple system's controller configuration, but when I tried to use a system that was working a day before, I found that the controller I knew was set up, would not work!  I am referring to either the Joysticks, the PS3 controllers, Aimtrak Gun, and/or Wii controllers that I had set up for the different systems.  It took me a couple of days to figure out the problem, but what I found out was that Windows 10 was causing device conflicts between the keyboard controller in the joystick control panel (I-PAC44), and multiple other USB controllers, but it was random devices affected at a given time.  After a few more days of trial and error trying to figure out how to avoid the USB device conflicts (changing IPAC and Ultrastick firmware, sequential plugging in of USB devices one at a time and setting up the respective system, prayer, etc...), the problem would still return upon restart or waking up PC from sleep, even if I had all devices working.  At that point, I said phuck it, reformatted the hard drive, installed Windows 7 Professional, took all available updates, and reinstalled all software for Launchbox/Bigbox along with all software for various controllers.  NO MORE DEVICE CONFLICTS!!!  Even Hyperspin works now without a hitch!  I cannot believe I wasted so much time with Windows 10!!! 

In my opinion, Windows 10 is not good for a cabinet if you have multiple USB devices connected at the same time...particularly if you have several different devices from the same manufacturer.  In my case, I have an IPAC44, Ultrastick 360, Pac-LED, and 2 AIMTRAK guns...all from Ultimarc.  At various times, Windows 10 would identify either Ultimarc device as the IPAC44.  I even tried updating the IPAC44's firmware to remove game controller function, and that made only a marginal difference.  After a few devices, things would be OK after firmware change in IPAC44.  However, as I added more devices, the conflicts would start again.  Take my advice and stay away from Windows 10 if you have multiple USB devices hooked up t your cabinet...From what I read, WIN10 takes over the PC's bios and takes over the USB resource assignments from the BIOS...I believe this is what caused my problems.

[Metalzoic]

Glad you got it working. I prefer Win 10 over 7 on my cab, but I'm also not running a bunch of USB controllers. Just the iPac.

[gigapig]

I'm scared to plug in another controller into my cab in case the order of my Ultrastiks gets blown out again, they are a pain to reorder. There's enough games on it to keep me busy, so no need to go adding modern systems.

[Aorin]

Windows is who's to blame when it comes to device ordering, it just doesn't work the way it should. If you want a specific controller always to be the main, a specific to be the second, the third and so on, it just doesn't work.

I haven't tested it myself, but I will soon, as I only have 2 PS3 gamepads I haven't felt the need to go deeper into it, but in Libretro forums, people has been using it to have gamepads/Joysticks, etc in the same order, always:

https://github.com/briankendall/devreorder

It seems simple to use, give it a go and let us know if it works for you guys.

[Infbuckets1]

UPDATE: After I ran into this problem, I shelved this project---I pretty much shut the cabinet down, and haven't even touched it since I posted this...mainly because I just could never muster up the patience to get downstairs and play around with it. It is such a shame: I spent countless hours building the cabinet, ran into this obstacle, and put the project to sleep.  Well, I got back on this project about two weeks ago.  I started all over with a new hard drive and a new fresh Win 10 install. Starting from scratch, I left the Hyperspin folder untouched (which was on an external drive), but I installed Launchbox and paid for Bigbox premium with the intention of trying another full featured, but less complicated frontend.  Rather than setting up each system with individual emulators for each system, I ran all systems through Rocket Launcher that was mostly set up through Hyperspin.  I had most systems I would add to Launchbox already set up for Hyperspin in RL, thus saving some time.  This way, it would take 2 minutes to switch between frontends if I wanted to switch.
I went through the process of adding multiple systems, one-by-one in Launchbox, over a period of about a week.  Unfortunately, it took such a long time because I kept hitting pitfalls.  What ended up causing me the most difficulty was that I would set up the multiple system's controller configuration, but when I tried to use a system that was working a day before, I found that the controller I knew was set up, would not work!  I am referring to either the Joysticks, the PS3 controllers, Aimtrak Gun, and/or Wii controllers that I had set up for the different systems.  It took me a couple of days to figure out the problem, but what I found out was that Windows 10 was causing device conflicts between the keyboard controller in the joystick control panel (I-PAC44), and multiple other USB controllers, but it was random devices affected at a given time.  After a few more days of trial and error trying to figure out how to avoid the USB device conflicts (changing IPAC and Ultrastick firmware, sequential plugging in of USB devices one at a time and setting up the respective system, prayer, etc...), the problem would still return upon restart or waking up PC from sleep, even if I had all devices working.  At that point, I said phuck it, reformatted the hard drive, installed Windows 7 Professional, took all available updates, and reinstalled all software for Launchbox/Bigbox along with all software for various controllers.  NO MORE DEVICE CONFLICTS!!!  Even Hyperspin works now without a hitch!  I cannot believe I wasted so much time with Windows 10!!! 
In my opinion, Windows 10 is not good for a cabinet if you have multiple USB devices connected at the same time...particularly if you have several different devices from the same manufacturer.  In my case, I have an IPAC44, Ultrastick 360, Pac-LED, and 2 AIMTRAK guns...all from Ultimarc.  At various times, Windows 10 would identify either Ultimarc device as the IPAC44.  I even tried updating the IPAC44's firmware to remove game controller function, and that made only a marginal difference.  After a few devices, things would be OK after firmware change in IPAC44.  However, as I added more devices, the conflicts would start again.  Take my advice and stay away from Windows 10 if you have multiple USB devices hooked up t your cabinet...From what I read, WIN10 takes over the PC's bios and takes over the USB resource assignments from the BIOS...I believe this is what caused my problems.

Mannnn i am having the same issue! Someone built this bartop for me and for the most part it works but if i leave it on for more than 10 min it just becomes unresponsive to any buttons and i have to ctl alt del. I definitely dont want to reformat and go to windows 7. Im hoping there is another work around or fix for windows 10. My system also runs very hot as soon as i open hyperspin, and if i play any games, forget it. It runs so hot!


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[gigapig]

28 minutes ago, Infbuckets1 said:

 

Mannnn i am having the same issue! Someone built this bartop for me and for the most part it works but if i leave it on for more than 10 min it just becomes unresponsive to any buttons and i have to ctl alt del. I definitely dont want to reformat and go to windows 7. Im hoping there is another work around or fix for windows 10. My system also runs very hot as soon as i open hyperspin, and if i play any games, forget it. It runs so hot!


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So have you checked the heatsink, fan, thermal paste and cpu? Sounds like the heat is causing it to lock.

[Infbuckets1]

So have you checked the heatsink, fan, thermal paste and cpu? Sounds like the heat is causing it to lock.

Honestly i have not, i didnt build the machine. Im sure with some direction i could check it out but its not my area of expertise.


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[gigapig]

You should probably install CoreTemp and find out what the temperature is first and this will show if it's the CPU causing it.