blting to the screen for x seconds

[GIAKEN]

Instead, make it not call the Render_Graphics sub, which will stop drawing everything and only show black...which would have the same effect but better. So:

Code:

Public tmrStop As Long

.........

If tmrStop < GetTickCount Then Render_Graphics

Then where you want to make everything black, enter this code:

Code:

tmrStop = GetTickCount + 2000

And that will make everything black for 2 seconds.