FS9 Minmises Itself to The Tray (XP) during flight - Infuria

Please - any one have any ideas why FS9 sometimes (often but not always) minimises itself to the XP tray during a long flight "overnight" over (say) the Pacific NZ to Los Angeles or UK to Hong Kong? Sometimes after an hour, sometimes after 4 hours of a 10 or 12 hour flight. No obvious pattern.

AVG is on Firewall Gaming Mode allowed. Incoming emails are turned off. Can't think of anything else that might interfere and put the flight on pause.

Google brings up nothing of relevance

Suggestions please?

System is stable, plenty of memory - XP-SP3 is installed.

It's never happened to me but I use avast!

I do not see a reason for you to run AVG while doing an overnight flight. Just turn off your modem. My thoughts are that your programs running in the background interfere with your flight, in particular your AV program.

The AVG Gaming mode won't come into play either if you turn off your modem.

Last but not not least: Windows has the nasty habit of downloading and trying to install updates whether you like it or not. Switching off your modem will eliminate this problem.

My reply is not purely theoretical. I have done many overnight flights in the past and occasionally still do them. The worst that ever happens to me is that when I sleep in, the aircraft has been going around its destination in a circle... until I wake up.

Try and inform us of the results

Those are two good suggestions which I will implement and give it a whirl tonight.

Thank you for 'the reply which I didn't pessimistically expect to manifest itself' !!

Will post back to this thread the success or failure of these measures.

Thanks again - Best wishes

I just noticed my 'TRAINEE' status anda 'wistful' smile ....

I clocked up nearly 4000 hours as an airline pilot with an ATP before retiring.

What is it? 'Second childhood perhaps .........?'

You asked me to revert as to whether your suggestions solved this irritating problem of FS9 minimising itself in a long flight after an indeterminate length of time.
Alas - no. The problem remains. I have simply no ideas. Every memory resident application has been terminated where possible.

Please - any further suggestions?

Thanks !

Overheating.
Open the computer and clean the dust out of the CPU heatsink-fan and all the other fans.
Don't forget the fan on the video card.

If you don't know how to clean, ask.

Yes - again thanks. I do know how to clean. I'll try it although I have a HDD thermometer which flashes me a 'red' whenever the temperature rises above 50C (which it rarely does) but I'll try it anyway. As you say, perhaps the video card. I'll revert.