May 25, 2010

Screen Shrinkage & Missing Scroll Bars with Bookmarklet Programs

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Clicking on a bookmarklet program can cause your screen to start shrinking.  Until recently I didn't know what this was all about and even thought it was a conspiracy by Zynga to get me to stop using scripts.  I figured out how to stop it in mid-shrink but now thanks to the Spockholm Mafia Tools Website, I know how to prevent it from happening.  I still don't know what causes this phenomena and hope one of my computer friends will enlighten me.  UPDATE:  The Arch-Angel Nemesis provided me with the following information and I have now been enlightened.  
"There is a timer contained within the Mafia Wars source that tries to resize the browser window. When Mafia Wars is being run in an unframed state, which is not how Zynga really intended it to be run, this timer gets confused. However, you can stop the shrinking once it has started. (Also note, whether it happens or not depends on where the timer is in its count, so it is an intermittent problem.) To stop the shrinking as it is happening, run the Unframe_MW-beta bookmarklet, the Item Analyzer bookmarklet, or the ScrollMW bookmarklet in the newly unframed Mafia Wars window or tab before it shrinks too small to be able to access anything to run the bookmarklet. This will stop the shrinking and then you will be able to resize the window". 
Here are the steps to prevent screen shrinkage.
1.  From your FireFox browser at the very top upper left side of your computer find the word Tools, click on it and click on Options located at the bottom of the box that appears.
2.  Click on Content at the top of the Options Box
3.  Click on the Advanced button next to Enable Javascript and another box will appear.
4.  Remove the check mark by clicking on it from the box that says "Move or resize existing windows" and then click OK.
Now you will no longer get screen shrinkage.  I wonder if George Costanza of Seinfeld could have used this advice to prevent his shrinkage!.
This is a good time for you to add the Unframe-MW Bookmarklet by Spockholm and the ScrollMW BookMarklet by The Arch-Angel Nemesis.  Frame and unframe simply refer to weather or not there is a white frame around the game window.  Facebook and Zynga don't like an unframed game because the advertisements can't be seen.  Some scripts do not take Mafia Wars out of frame when you click on them and will not work if the game is in frame.  To get around this, go to the Spockholm Mafia Tools Page, right click on the Unframe-MW Bookmarklet Box, drag and then drop it in your bookmarklet holding area.  The first screen shot of this post shows where I put it.  Some scripts take the game out of frame but the scroll bars disappear making it impossible for you to maneuver in the game. If this happens, simply click on Unframe-MW a second time or click on the ScrollMW Bookmarklet.  The scroll bars will magically reappear and your game will stay unframed.  If you don't have the ScrollMW Bookmarklet you can get it by going to the Arch-Angel Nemesis Website and follow the same instructions for installing the Unframe-MW.  If you don't have your browser settings adjusted to prevent screen shrinkage, you can also use Unframe-MW to stop it.  You need to be quick so as soon as you see the screen start to move, hurry up and click on Unframe-MW.  The shrinking will now stop and you can open the window back to full size.

12 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post and the person suggesting to someone else to go here. the problem was rare enough (i don't always use firefox) that i was not searching for a fix, but now i have found it and can tell others i know have the same problem

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  2. thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. mAN i KNEW HOW TO STOP IT IT FROM SHRINKING BUT NOT HOW TO STOP IT PERMANENTLY, ty SO MUCH!!!

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  4. thanks just took me abit

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  5. Thanks Jen, this just started to happen and it was driving me nuts. Wondered the same thing about zynga and scripts. Keep up the good work.

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  6. awesome..im not the sharpest tool in the shed on this type stuff..THX

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  7. When I got to send gifts, regardless if I select RECOMMENDED, MY MAFIA, or ALL FRIENDS, I do not have a scroll bar so I can select who I want to send gifts to. I already did the fix on the java for skrinkage, but still no scroll bar, do you have a suggestion. I'm using Firefox.

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  8. But what if you use Chrome?Cheryl Quinn-Mafia wars

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  9. HELLO, 1ST OF ALL, RIGHT CLICK DOESN'T WORK, I HAD TO DO IT WITH LEFT CLICK.. AND LASTLY, IT IS NOT WORKING ON FIREFOX, AND I HAVE NO IDEA IF IT WORKS ON FIREFOX OR NOT..
    CAN SOMEONE POST A REAL LINK TO UNFRAME MAFIA WARS PLEASE..

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  10. Stuck in a shrunk mode, unable to play untill I read this. Thank you Very Much.

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  11. Thank you!!!!! I had stopped using FF because of this issue and now can use it again

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  12. my Firefox does not have that in its options :(

    all mine has is the popups, fonts and language

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