Multitasking does not work for Metro IE?

sjengie

Member
Member
Messages
11
Hi,

when i stream internet radio using new Metro IE and then switch to the start menu the radio internet connection fades away.

Strange, this works fine in desktop mode.

any ideas ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8
It's because when you go to desktop mode the Metro aplication is suspended.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10.0.10122
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    My Build - Vorttex Ultimate
    CPU
    Core i7 @ 4500 MHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z87-Plus
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 @ 1822 MHz (OC)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon R9 280X 3GB @ 1180 / 6800 MHz
    Sound Card
    7.1 HDA
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LCD LG 22" + CRT LG 17"
    Screen Resolution
    1760 x 1320 / 1280 x 960
    Hard Drives
    1 x 240 GB SSD (System)
    3 x 500 GB HDD (Data/Media)
    1 x 2000 GB e-HDD (Backup)
    PSU
    ThermalTake 1000W PSU
    Case
    Corsair Carbide R300
    Cooling
    Corsair H60 (Push-Pull)
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    60 Mbps (Down) 5 Mbps (Up)
    Browser
    IE, FF, Chrome
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security 2015
    Other Info
    Some wired stuff
@vrosa, thx for your reply but it also happens when i stay in Metro mode and switch to e.g. Start Metro to launch another app.

so it must be something else ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8
Hello sjengie,

The metro UI has nothing to do with this. :)

If you leave any opened/running metro app to go to a different screen, the currently opened app will be suspended until opened next.

Hope this helps,
Shawn
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
In other words the OP was correct. No multitasking in Metro.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 x64 SP1 Home Premium/Win 8.1 in VBox
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hewlett-Packard/G62 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz
    Motherboard
    Hewlett-Packard 1425
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Builtin
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    2TB Seagate GoFlex USB 2 Drive
    1TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive
    1.5TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive (Samsung)
    1TB Iomega NAS.
    Mouse
    Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
    Internet Speed
    20Mb/sec
With metro apps anyway.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
It's because when you go to desktop mode the Metro aplication is suspended.

Yes and no; I use 2 monitors, in one I use the desktop and in the other one I open mail (metro)
when I'm working on my desktop application , I can see my email update in the other monitor

I use Windows key + Page down to send my Start page and Metro Apps in the right monitor


2.jpg
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 enterprise x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Pc-Quebec / Area 66
    CPU
    i7-3960X Extreme Edition
    Motherboard
    Rampage IV Extreme
    Memory
    Gskill 4x4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    4 x HD 7970
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Screen Resolution
    2560*1600
    Hard Drives
    C:\Intel series 520 SSD , 250 GB
    D:\ WD 750 black with Intel 40gb SSD cache Intel RST
    E:\ WD 2TB Black
    PSU
    Corsair AX 1200
    Case
    TT Mozart TX
    Cooling
    Water Cooled
    Keyboard
    Logitech G-15
    Other Info
    Windows 8 VM is install on his own SSD.
With metro apps anyway.
This isn't strictly true is it? I mean, if you play a song in the Music app, then go to Start and go to the Video app and start playing a trailer of a movie, then go to the Mail app, you still get the song, and the movie playing when you're in Mail.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
Multitasking on Windows 8 metro apps works almost the same way as in Windows Phone 7.5+ (after mango).

Let me explain it:

As it has been already explained before, closed metro apps go into suspended mode.
But it doesn't mean that they don't have multitasking.

They don't in the sense that they can't multi-task themselves directly, as suspended tasks are not allowed to run any code.
This was created so it won't have any impact on system whatsoever.

But the problem Microsoft faced was with multitasking.
They couldn't allow suspended apps to directly run in background for multitasking as it would destroy the purpose of suspension.

Thus, Microsoft has created background tasks. Those are tasks that Metro apps could take advantage for multitasking.
Apps can't run directly but they can use API for these background tasks to accomplish tasks they want.

For example:
Push and toast notifications. This is used for periodic checks, like mail and live-tiles. This way Finance and Weather app can update its live tile.

Playback Manager is used for music and video as mention above with Music and Video apps.

Background transfer API. You can try this one with Metro IE. Start some large download and leave Metro IE. Even though IE goes into suspended mode, download will still continue.

There also possibilities for sharing, printing, synchronisation and etc.

There is also background tasks for VoIP and chat clients.

So with this model, Microsoft can assure that suspended Metro apps won't abuse their power and have any impact on system while still being able to do background tasks.
Background task service makes sure to have minimal impact on foreground process.

If you are really interested and want more details there is a whitepaper about it:
Download: Background Tasks - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

EDIT: In the scenario of 2 monitors, metro app is considered as still active/running, thus it should not go into suspension. ( As far as I know)

From whitepaper:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview (referred to later as Windows 8) introduces a new model of app behavior. Metro style apps in Windows 8 are full screen and the user is expected to interact only with the app that is in the foreground. The foreground app is assumed to be the most important to the user, so this app receives all the resources of the system. When an app is not in the foreground, it is suspended, and cannot run any code. A suspended app remains suspended until the user resumes it by bringing the app back to the foreground. With this model of app behavior, the user experience is never impacted by lags or delays caused by the execution of unimportant background apps. In addition, reducing unnecessary background activity optimizes battery life on a variety of form factors. The time taken to resume a suspended app is negligible and would appear to be almost instantaneous to most users.
Windows 8 provides a number of features to make an app update content even when the app is suspended:

• Windows push notifications can be used to keep the app tile fresh and up-to-date.
• Playback Manager can be used to play audio in the background.
• The background transfer API can be used to download and upload files in the background.
• File share contracts can be used to share data between apps.

Push notifications and the background transfer API are optimized for system performance and longer device battery life, so it’s best to use these features whenever possible. If a suspended app must run its own code to do other kinds of work, Windows 8 provides apps with the ability to create background tasks.

Appropriate scenarios for background tasks

Allowing apps to run code in the background when they are suspended is a powerful feature and is designed primarily for the real-time class of apps such as mail, VOIP, and chat apps. The background task execution environment is a restricted resource-managed environment, and background tasks only receive a limited amount of system resources. Background tasks should be used for small work items that have no interaction with the user and only provide limited service. Long running or expensive workloads in the background will deplete the user’s battery and are not an appropriate use for background tasks.

Scenarios that are appropriate for background tasks include downloading mail in the background, or showing a toast notification for an incoming VOIP call or a chat message, or reacting to a change in system condition (for example, UserAway) and updating the server with this information. Scenarios that are not appropriate for background tasks are indexing mail, transcoding photos, running SETI type workloads, or anything that requires user interaction through displaying UI or audio.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Tetris
Thanks for the clear explanation Jav. I tried to rep you but I have to spread it around +1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 x64 SP1 Home Premium/Win 8.1 in VBox
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hewlett-Packard/G62 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz
    Motherboard
    Hewlett-Packard 1425
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Builtin
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    2TB Seagate GoFlex USB 2 Drive
    1TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive
    1.5TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive (Samsung)
    1TB Iomega NAS.
    Mouse
    Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
    Internet Speed
    20Mb/sec
thx, i confirm that music runs fine in the background but how do i now stream internet radio in the background ?

may Metro be with you ....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8
You are welcome.

As far as I can see metro IE doesn't take advantage of music background task which means there is not really any way to listen to internet radio on it. (I may be wrong and it may actually use it)

So your choices are:

A) report it to Microsoft and hope that they implement it into next versions (RC). But I don't believe that they will add it. It is not implemented in Windows Phone IE as well. This was probably done under assumption that people will use appropriate apps if they want to have background music or video. (which is wrong as many people like you still use browser for such tasks)

B) Use appropriate applications as Microsoft wants you to do. Music app for your offline music and try looking at Store for Internet Radio apps which should have background music playback abilities.

C) go old school. Just use desktop browser like Chrome, Firefox or desktop IE itself.

I hope these will help you. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Tetris

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
Back
Top