ERROR: Multiple monitor experiments run on Windows 10 or Windows 11 freeze or receive a display is too busy error (Error 11102) [35180]

This article applies to:

E-Prime 3.0

E-Prime 2.0

Symptoms

Multiple monitor experiments run on Windows 10 (Versions 2004, 20H2, 21H1, 21H2) or Windows 11 cause E-Prime to either freeze or report the "Display is too busy" runtime error (Error 11102).

Detail

What is Windows 10 May 2020 Update?

Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004, build 19041) is the first major update to Windows 10 released in 2020.

What is Windows 10 October 2020 Update?

Windows 10 October 2020 Update (version 20H2, build 19042) is the second major update to Windows 10 released in 2020.

What is Windows 10 May 2021 Update?

Windows 10 May 2021 Update (version 21H1, build 19043) is the first major update to Windows 10 released in 2021.

What is Windows 10 November 2021 Update?

Windows 10 November Update (version 21H2, build 19044) is the second major update to Windows 10 released in 2021.

What is Windows 10 22H2?

Windows 10 22H2 (version 22H2, build 19045) is the first major update to Windows 10 released in 2022.

What is Windows 11 21H2?

Windows 11 21H2 is the initial release of Windows 11.

What is Windows 11 22H2?

Windows 11 22H2 is the first major update to Windows 11 released in 2022.

What is Windows 11 23H2?

Windows 11 23H2 is the first major update to Windows 11 released in 2023.

What is Windows 11 24H2?

Windows 11 24H2 is the first major update to Windows 11 released in 2024.

What is the impact on E-Prime?
One of E-Prime’s most important features is its ability to achieve and maintain millisecond accuracy. E-Prime takes numerous precautions to both ensure that your experiment’s timing is accurate and to monitor and flag when timing inaccuracies may be present.

With each Windows release, Psychology Software Tools performs a large battery of tests across a variety of configurations to confirm E-Prime's timing integrity. Our preliminary testing suggests has shown that multiple monitor experiments may freeze or produce the "Display Too Busy" error when run on systems that have NVIDIA or AMD chipsets. Users experiencing this runtime error or freezing should enable the workaround below.

NOTE: The "Display is too busy" error message can occur for other reasons, primarily when other external programs attempt to update the display during an experiment. The "Display is too busy" error is therefore not specific to the Windows 10 May 2020 Update issue.

Workaround

The following workarounds are possible:

Workaround 1:

Disable the Fullscreen Optimizations setting for E-Prime. This setting needs to be edited per user account.

Follow these steps to disable this setting:

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\PST\E-Prime 3.0\Program.
2. Find the E-Studio application.
3. Right-click on the E-Studio application and select Properties.
4. Navigate to the Compatibility tab in the E-Studio Properties.
5. Check "Disable full screen optimizations."
6. Click OK to confirm the changes.

NOTE: Perform steps 2-6 for the E-Run application if using E-Run.

NOTE: While PST's in-house testing confirmed accurate timing, researchers should verify their own timing using external hardware to ensure millisecond accuracy. For example, users can verify timing by using Chronos and a photosensor to ensure that Stimulus onset and monitor refresh rates are accurate.

Workaround 2:

Do not upgrade your machine to Windows 10 version 2004, 20H2, 21H1, 21H2 or Windows 11. Currently, this issue has not been reported on previous versions of Windows 10 (e.g., Windows 10 October Update (1809)).

See Also:

ERROR: Experiments run on Windows 11 24H2 may freeze or receive a display is too busy error (Error 11102) [43363]

ERROR: Experiments run on Windows 10 (1903 & 1909) freeze or receive a display is too busy error (Error 11102) [30679]

RELEASE INFO: Known Issues in E-Prime 3.0 [27789]

RELEASE INFO: Operating system (Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP) support in E-Prime [18652]

TIMING: Verifying your Clock and Timing in E-Prime [34371]