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Windows 8 Games black screen on launch

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  • Windows 8
  • Games
Last response: in Windows 8
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January 12, 2014 4:31:15 AM

I really have tried everything now. Games effected include: Batman Arkham Origins, GTA IV and Planetside 2.

Whenever the game is launched, there only a black screen, no game sound, no video. I have tried numerous fixes and had nothing. Please help!

Specs: i7 4770k, GTX 780, 8GB RAM, 2TB HDD, 128GB SSD.

I am running on Windows 8.1, and I have 3 1280x1024 monitors. But I am only gaming on one of them. I have tried disconnecting them and only using one.

Other games such as Borderlands 2, Payday 2, Hitman Absolution and Splinter Cell Blacklist all work fine. The games are on steam by the way.

Thanks in advance

More about : windows games black screen launch

a b * Windows 8
January 12, 2014 8:13:47 AM

1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.
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0
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January 12, 2014 9:42:14 AM

johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?
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a b * Windows 8
January 12, 2014 10:52:02 AM

i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?


m
0
l
January 12, 2014 11:01:58 AM

johnbl said:
i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?




Accidentally clicked best answer on this instead of reply. Still didn't work :( 
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a b * Windows 8
January 12, 2014 11:28:27 AM

no problem, I unselected best answer so people will still reply. I think you can unselect also
I just tried planetside 2 of my 3 monitors (the non default ones)
I have a old AMD card, just installed the new drivers and control center, created a eyefinity group on 2 monitors, and ran planetside 2. It worked as expected and did not use my default monitor. I think you will have to use the NVidia control panel to make your settings but at least the game is not the issue( on AMD cards)

I would think its going to be a NVidia control app setting (don't recall the name of their app)


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?




Accidentally clicked best answer on this instead of reply. Still didn't work :( 


m
0
l
January 12, 2014 12:00:51 PM

johnbl said:
no problem, I unselected best answer so people will still reply. I think you can unselect also
I just tried planetside 2 of my 3 monitors (the non default ones)
I have a old AMD card, just installed the new drivers and control center, created a eyefinity group on 2 monitors, and ran planetside 2. It worked as expected and did not use my default monitor. I think you will have to use the NVidia control panel to make your settings but at least the game is not the issue( on AMD cards)

I would think its going to be a NVidia control app setting (don't recall the name of their app)


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?




Accidentally clicked best answer on this instead of reply. Still didn't work :( 




Sorry but I'm unsure of what you are asking me to try. I need to unplug one monitor and do surround on 2 screens, and then launch and it it will be on 1 screen?
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a b * Windows 8
January 12, 2014 12:17:22 PM

basic: unplug all monitors except one. boot into BIOS and get video, boot windows get it working.
then try your game. if it works, add second monitor and reboot, and go through the same sequence to make sure game still works (2 monitors, game on 1 monitor in full screen mode) if it does not work. I would expect a graphic card driver that was requested to run a full screen game on one monitor might decide that you want to commit all graphics resources to run the game. To do this it would blank out the non used monitors. It will only work if it sends the feed to the correct monitor (this would be configured in a control app provided by the graphics vendor) for AMD it is in the catalyst control center software that they provide with a full install of the driver. I would expect you would get something that does the same function with a full install of the Nvida software.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
no problem, I unselected best answer so people will still reply. I think you can unselect also
I just tried planetside 2 of my 3 monitors (the non default ones)
I have a old AMD card, just installed the new drivers and control center, created a eyefinity group on 2 monitors, and ran planetside 2. It worked as expected and did not use my default monitor. I think you will have to use the NVidia control panel to make your settings but at least the game is not the issue( on AMD cards)

I would think its going to be a NVidia control app setting (don't recall the name of their app)


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?




Accidentally clicked best answer on this instead of reply. Still didn't work :( 




Sorry but I'm unsure of what you are asking me to try. I need to unplug one monitor and do surround on 2 screens, and then launch and it it will be on 1 screen?


m
0
l
January 12, 2014 12:28:47 PM

johnbl said:
basic: unplug all monitors except one. boot into BIOS and get video, boot windows get it working.
then try your game. if it works, add second monitor and reboot, and go through the same sequence to make sure game still works (2 monitors, game on 1 monitor in full screen mode) if it does not work. I would expect a graphic card driver that was requested to run a full screen game on one monitor might decide that you want to commit all graphics resources to run the game. To do this it would blank out the non used monitors. It will only work if it sends the feed to the correct monitor (this would be configured in a control app provided by the graphics vendor) for AMD it is in the catalyst control center software that they provide with a full install of the driver. I would expect you would get something that does the same function with a full install of the Nvida software.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
no problem, I unselected best answer so people will still reply. I think you can unselect also
I just tried planetside 2 of my 3 monitors (the non default ones)
I have a old AMD card, just installed the new drivers and control center, created a eyefinity group on 2 monitors, and ran planetside 2. It worked as expected and did not use my default monitor. I think you will have to use the NVidia control panel to make your settings but at least the game is not the issue( on AMD cards)

I would think its going to be a NVidia control app setting (don't recall the name of their app)


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
i just clued in to your 3 monitors. I would think that your game is using your default video driver output and full screen mode. I would start by having my graphics control panel app and set the main monitor to the monitor that is the default for when you boot into BIOS. (or move your cables so that monitor you want to game on is the same one that you use when you boot to BIOS)

after that you can try to extend the monitors one at a time if that is what you want to do.


harryderouich said:
johnbl said:
1. disable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel
2. un install your graphics driver
3. reboot
4. install graphics driver directly from graphics vendor
5. reboot
6. re enable windows automatic install of drivers in control panel

run cmd.exe as a admin (windows key +x , then type A)
sfc.exe /scannow <-------------- this will check windows core files for corruption.

if that fails to work, you need to check the power connections from your power supply, directly to your graphics card.


Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I just tried all that and still the same problem. Any other suggestions?




Accidentally clicked best answer on this instead of reply. Still didn't work :( 




Sorry but I'm unsure of what you are asking me to try. I need to unplug one monitor and do surround on 2 screens, and then launch and it it will be on 1 screen?




Well I just tried the game with 1 monitor, no luck, so I guess that tells me all my hardware is ok? It must be the game then? Any ideas on what it could be?
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a b * Windows 8
January 12, 2014 12:40:16 PM

edit: I think your hardware is fine, but your games have stored incorrect info about your graphics.

I would think that if one game works and the other one does not. That the game made a incorrect guess as to which video port to use. In planetside 2 this setting is done in UserOptions.ini you might just delete the file and have it try again.
( or edit the file if you can figure out the correct values to use)

you might even want to run the NVidia software and move the default monitors around just to reset the information that is stored even if you don't make a hardware change. The game might be incorrectly getting and using the wrong information for the graphics port.



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