Update...................
I thought that i might try 30mins of practice for the 55 race tonight and choose which car to use.
Fired up the new rig and started GEM.
Selected my 55 driver profile, the 55 carset and Zandvoort.
Started GPL ( offline)
Car in pits FPS 36???
Back out to GEM...60fpsnewmod box is clearly ticked???
Rejoin screen resolution is 600x800?
!!!!
Back out to GEM...check Graphics and Rasterizer settings.. all OK at 1920x1080???
into GPL again and we have correct screen resolution and 60FPS??? even though no settings were changed???
OK whatever
Did a few laps and played with setup etc
Then Screen Freeze with horrible buzzing sound!!! Had to crash PC and restart.
Clicked on the desktop icon for GEM and I get a small windows message "fatal error"
and GEM will not activate. I cannot get GEM to start so It looks like another fresh install
Tried the IGOR icon and that fires up OK.
Went into the Events log to see if there were any clues, and at the time that it all went wrong it appears that the "PeopleApp" was initialising?
along with some other admin stuff.
I am wondering if this is similar to the problem that Robert Fleurke had, where he overcame it by mapping one of his pedals to a keystroke so that windows will recognise GPL as a running programme and not "put it to sleep"
UPDATE 2....
I took the precaution of saving a copy of my GPLsecrets folder after I got things working again on Sunday evening.
So, I tried to delete the now non-functioning GEM software from my HDD, but I got the message that it was "still being used by another programme"?? Very odd, as nothing was showing on the taskbar after a PC reboot?
Fired up Task Manager
There were about 4 instances of GEM listed and apparently running. I assume from my attempts at clicking on the desktop shortcut, but there was no evidence of GEM actually having launched properly.
So, used the "end task" command and removed all of the references to GEM from Task Manager.
Deleted the GPLsecrets folder complete. Deleted the desktop shortcuts then copied and renamed the saved ( working) GPL secrets folder into place.
Created a shortcut and placed on desktop.
Click, and we are operational again
So, whatever happens when GPL freezes also corrupts GEM and its ability to start again
. I have now placed a reserve ( renamed) copy of GPLsecrets alongside the current install and kept another copy on a memory stick. At least this way I do not have to do a complete virgin install if it happens again.