Hotkey Crashes to Windows, Damages Windows, Requires System Restore (or Worse) to Fix

[YarTheBug]

Hello,

I didn't want to put the hotkey in the title because I didn't want anyone trying it without first setting a restore point.

I'm not pressing it again to check for repeatability because the last time I ran into this problem I ended up having to reset windows to fix it. Tonight I was lucky enough to have a recent restore point.

!!!DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BACKUP READY!!!

 

1. Set restore point. (If you don't know how, figure it out. This procedure will corrupt windows in a way you can't otherwise fix without a reset.)
2. Open DCS (I also had TrackIR, SRS, TacView, Chrome, Discord, GPUtweak, and maybe a few other things running.)
3. Press the "cog" icon > Controls tab > select any aircraft/UI/General (I was editing Su-33)
4. Press
   Spoiler

   Lctrl+Lalt+W

   . (GAME WILL CRASH AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO START IT AGAIN!)
5. Try to restart DCS, TacView, SRS, Windows Security, Windows Restore. (A few programs do work; Chrome, Discord, GPUtweak for instance.)
6. Restart windows (This fixed it the first time I did this)
7. If a restart fixes it, repeat from Step 2 until a restart doesn't fix it (For me it happened the second time. Dumb, I know)
8. Restore windows. (It may take some poking around to find a way that works. Several windows utilities will crash when attempted.)

Sorry if I'm a bit long-winded. This was almost the second time I had to re-install windows to fix this, and I don't want any other poor sap who's trying to find a slick keybind to fold their (w)ings in an Su-33 to find it.

 

Kind regards,

Yar

PS - I don't know what logs to include, but I'll be more than happy to attach them as soon as I know what you need.

Edited January 4, 2022 by YarTheBug

[maximov]

Hello.

I tried this.
1. Started Chrome (I usually use Firefox)
2. Started Discord.
3. Launched DCS and TacView
4. Didn't run GPUtweak and TrackIR - I don't have these programs (maybe TechPowerUp GPU-Z would work as a replacement?)
5. Opened Settings - Controls - Su-33 - General and press LCtrl+Lalt+W....... and nothing
6. Opened Settings - Controls - UI Layer - General and press LCtrl+Lalt+W....... and again nothing
Maybe I did something wrong?

[silverdevil]

@YarTheBug - if you have GForce Experience, the hotkey CTRL + Alt + W starts a recording. it does not matter if it is left or right. if so change it in GForce Experience or uninstall it all together if possible. perhaps this may assist you in your struggle. 

[YarTheBug]

So I worked up the nerve to try this with only my startup programs running and nothing else. Same behavior, i.e. those programs that crashed or wouldn't start still wouldn't start. My apologies for thinking this was a DCS related issue. It only happened that both instances were while I was running DCS, and DCS was the most noticeable thing to crash.

After a bit more searching, I found an old reddit post talking about a problem with Firefox telling the user, "Turn Off This Memo Ctrl+Alt+W". This was solved by turning off GPU Tweak since there's no way to disable the shortcut. I turned off GPU Tweak and viola... problem solved. There's no mention of this shortcut anywhere in the GPU Tweak UI or the user manual.

If not for Maximov trying it without GPU Tweak running I'd have been at a dead end.

Thanks to both of you for the help,

Yar