Improvements from Alfred:

- Added new SDL_HINT_ALLOW_TOPMOST hint, when set to "0" then never set the topmost bit on a window. Useful when debugging fullscreen issues.
- fixed crash in windows joystick scanning if we failed to load the xinput dll
- added support for SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP under windows
- synthesize relative mouse movements if directinput fails to send relative moves, happens under virtual box.

include/SDL_hints.h

@@ -204,6 +204,18 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SDL_HINT_GAMECONTROLLERCONFIG "SDL_GAMECONTROLLERCONFIG"
 
 
+/**
+ *  \brief If set to 0 then never set the top most bit on a SDL Window, even if the video mode expects it.
+ *		This is a debugging aid for developers and not expected to be used by end users. The default is "1"
+ *
+ *  This variable can be set to the following values:
+ *    "0"       - don't allow topmost
+ *    "1"       - allow topmost
+ */
+#define SDL_HINT_ALLOW_TOPMOST "SDL_ALLOW_TOPMOST"
+
+
+
 /**
  *  \brief  An enumeration of hint priorities
  */

src/joystick/windows/SDL_dxjoystick.c

@@ -569,6 +569,8 @@ SDL_JoystickThread(void *_data)
 			}
 		}
 
+		if ( XINPUTGETCAPABILITIES )
+		{
 			// scan for any change in XInput devices
 			for ( userId = 0; userId < 4; userId++ )
 			{
@@ -589,7 +591,7 @@ SDL_JoystickThread(void *_data)
 					bOpenedXInputDevices[userId] = SDL_FALSE;
 				}
 			}
-
+		}
 
 		if ( s_pKnownJoystickGUIDs && ( s_bWindowsDeviceChanged || nNewOpenedXInputDevices != nCurrentOpenedXInputDevices ) )
 		{

src/render/direct3d/SDL_render_d3d.c

@@ -538,9 +538,14 @@ D3D_CreateRenderer(SDL_Window * window, Uint32 flags)
     pparams.SwapEffect = D3DSWAPEFFECT_DISCARD;
 
     if (window_flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN) {
+		if ( ( window_flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP ) == SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP )  {
+			pparams.Windowed = TRUE;
+			pparams.FullScreen_RefreshRateInHz = 0;
+		} else {
         pparams.Windowed = FALSE;
         pparams.FullScreen_RefreshRateInHz =
             fullscreen_mode.refresh_rate;
+		}
     } else {
         pparams.Windowed = TRUE;
         pparams.FullScreen_RefreshRateInHz = 0;

src/video/windows/SDL_windowsevents.c

@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ WIN_WindowProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 		HRAWINPUT hRawInput = (HRAWINPUT)lParam;
 		RAWINPUT inp;
 		UINT size = sizeof(inp);
+
+		if(!SDL_GetMouse()->relative_mode)
+			break;
+
 		GetRawInputData(hRawInput, RID_INPUT, &inp, &size, sizeof(RAWINPUTHEADER));
 
 		/* Mouse data */
@@ -229,8 +233,24 @@ WIN_WindowProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 			RAWMOUSE* mouse = &inp.data.mouse;
 
 			if((mouse->usFlags & 0x01) == MOUSE_MOVE_RELATIVE)
+			{
 				SDL_SendMouseMotion(data->window, 1, (int)mouse->lLastX, (int)mouse->lLastY);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				// synthesize relative moves from the abs position
+				static SDL_Point initialMousePoint;
+				if ( initialMousePoint.x == 0 && initialMousePoint.y == 0 )
+				{
+					initialMousePoint.x = mouse->lLastX;
+					initialMousePoint.y = mouse->lLastY;
+				}
 
+				SDL_SendMouseMotion(data->window, 1, (int)(mouse->lLastX-initialMousePoint.x), (int)(mouse->lLastY-initialMousePoint.y) );
+
+				initialMousePoint.x = mouse->lLastX;
+				initialMousePoint.y = mouse->lLastY;
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	}

src/video/windows/SDL_windowswindow.c

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "SDL_windowsvideo.h"
 #include "SDL_windowswindow.h"
+#include "SDL_hints.h"
 
 /* Dropfile support */
 #include <shellapi.h>
@@ -73,6 +74,22 @@ GetWindowStyle(SDL_Window * window)
     return style;
 }
 
+static SDL_bool
+ShouldAllowTopMost()
+{
+    const char *hint;
+
+    /* If the user has specified a software renderer we can't use a
+       texture framebuffer, or renderer creation will go recursive.
+     */
+    hint = SDL_GetHint(SDL_HINT_ALLOW_TOPMOST);
+    if (hint && hint[0] == '0' ) {
+        return SDL_FALSE;
+    }
+
+	return SDL_TRUE;
+}
+
 static int
 SetupWindowData(_THIS, SDL_Window * window, HWND hwnd, SDL_bool created)
 {
@@ -354,7 +371,7 @@ WIN_SetWindowPositionInternal(_THIS, SDL_Window * window, UINT flags)
     int w, h;
 
     /* Figure out what the window area will be */
-    if (window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN) {
+    if ( ShouldAllowTopMost() && (window->flags & (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS)) == (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS )) {
 		top = HWND_TOPMOST;
     } else {
         top = HWND_NOTOPMOST;
@@ -406,7 +423,7 @@ WIN_RaiseWindow(_THIS, SDL_Window * window)
     HWND hwnd = ((SDL_WindowData *) window->driverdata)->hwnd;
     HWND top;
 
-    if (window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN) {
+	if ( ShouldAllowTopMost() && (window->flags & (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS)) == (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS )) {
 		top = HWND_TOPMOST;
 	} else {
 		top = HWND_NOTOPMOST;
@@ -467,11 +484,12 @@ WIN_SetWindowFullscreen(_THIS, SDL_Window * window, SDL_VideoDisplay * display,
     int x, y;
     int w, h;
 
-    if (fullscreen) {
+	if ( ShouldAllowTopMost() && (window->flags & (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS)) == (SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN|SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS )) {
 		top = HWND_TOPMOST;
 	} else {
 		top = HWND_NOTOPMOST;
 	}
+
     style = GetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_STYLE);
     style &= ~STYLE_MASK;
     style |= GetWindowStyle(window);
@@ -551,6 +569,23 @@ WIN_SetWindowGrab(_THIS, SDL_Window * window, SDL_bool grabbed)
     } else {
         ClipCursor(NULL);
     }
+
+	if ( window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN )
+	{
+		HWND top;
+		SDL_WindowData *data = (SDL_WindowData *) window->driverdata;
+		HWND hwnd = ((SDL_WindowData *) window->driverdata)->hwnd;
+		UINT flags = SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE;
+
+		if ( ShouldAllowTopMost() && (window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS ) ) {
+			top = HWND_TOPMOST;
+		} else {
+			top = HWND_NOTOPMOST;
+			flags |= SWP_NOZORDER;
+		}
+		
+		SetWindowPos(hwnd, top, 0, 0, 0, 0, flags);
+	}
 }
 
 void