Returning from fullscreen mode, redraw desktop

How can I cause a complete redraw of all windows, nested windows and client areas ?

I need this for an application that runs in fullscreen and windowed mode. When it returns from fullscreen to windowed mode, only some of the others applications windows are redrawn and none of their client areas.

I've searched the board and found these functions:

InvalidateRect(HWND_BROADCAST, NULL, FALSE);
UpdateWindow(HWND_BROADCAST);

SendMessage(HWND_BROADCAST, WM_SETTINGCHANGE, 0, 0);

The first method (invalidate and update) only redraws the titlebars for some reason, the other method redraws a few elements like a windows' menu and quickbars, but it's extremely slow and doesn't redraw all of the window (the renderer-area in a browser or the editor component of DEV C++ etc). I could probably speed this up by posting the message instead of sending it, but right now, not even sending it works properly.

Is there anyone who can give me a little hint (or two) ? :)

I think RedrawWindow() may be the answer, I generally use the following for redrawing a window entirely:

RedrawWindow([handle],NULL,NULL,RDW_INVALIDATE | RDW_FRAME | RDW_ERASE | RDW_ALLCHILDREN);
UpdateWindow([handle]);

or

RedrawWindow([handle],NULL,NULL,RDW_INVALIDATE | RDW_FRAME | RDW_ERASE | RDW_ALLCHILDREN | RDW_UPDATENOW);

I've no idea how it would perform on an entire desktop of windows however. RedrawWindow won't return until all windows have been redrawn if RDW_UPDATENOW is used, and i presume the same with the use of UpdateWindow.

Both do the same thing anyway, just a matter of preference i suppose. (Although the second feels mroe natural in my opinion)

(Actually I did once use this with EnumWindows to redraw everything when returning from full screen opengl. It was resonably quick, although there was noticable lag in the redrawing. )

Try ChangeDisplaySettings as follows:

Code:

---

ChangeDisplaySettings(0,0);

---

which causes a WM_DISPLAYCHANGE to be sent to all top level windows.

Have you tried PostMessage instead? I have run into a few instances where PostMessage works when SendMessage doesn't and vica versa. Other then that I have no idea :)

Thanks everybody!

I tried Postmessage, Thantos, but that didn't work at all. :( Same goes for RedrawWindow, Tada.

ChangeDisplaySettings seems to work however. Which is very strange since thats exactly the command I also use to return to the desktop (even with the same parameters). So basically what I do now is calling it twice when leaving fullscreen. Once before I restore my windows shape and once after it but before showing the reshaped window again.
It works perfectly... but isn't that a bit strange ?

Anyways, thanks again! It works and seems to be pretty fast, too. I cannot say that I want more than that ;)