[6.0] Black screen after changing graphics settings - Fix in HF2.

[Mr.Freud]

I got new system, fresh windows 11 install, latest Nvidia drivers.

When I try to change graphics settings or change screen resolution screen goes black, game becomes unresponsive. Have to end the process.

(No mods)

Tried clean gpu driver install too.

Vulkan info
https://justpaste.it/33lr3

dxdiag
https://justpaste.it/5pcea

another user reporting the same issue viewtopic.php?f=183&t=451108

[Alan Phipps]

The nVidia release notes for driver 528.02 do mention game display instability is possible if a non-native resolution is used. I don't know if that helps.
Current Mode: 3840 x 2160 (32 bit) (120Hz)
Native Mode: 3840 x 2160(p) (60.000Hz)

I think you probably do not need 7 sound devices and drivers going at the same time. The ones you don't use can be disabled in Device Manager. (Nothing to do with your issue though.)

[Mr.Freud]

The nVidia release notes for driver 528.02 do mention game display instability is possible if a non-native resolution is used. I don't know if that helps.
Current Mode: 3840 x 2160 (32 bit) (120Hz)
Native Mode: 3840 x 2160(p) (60.000Hz)

will try different settings. I play on TV, maybe that's the issue?
But all other games/apps work correctly with current mode.

update: tried native one and and its the same.

One thing I noticed though is that the game is not actually unresponsive. I tried changing AA setting - when screen when black I pressed DOWN and enter (for confirmation dialogue window thats usually there when changing settings) and on the next launch settings were correct. Looks like for some reason it doesn't hook back (if thats the correct term) to the screen?

[Mr.Freud]

Hey, sorry to bother you.

Ive been messing around with settings/windows/game to try to find whats the cause of my issue. Just Now I decided to wait during the black screen and see what happens if I dont end the process. While I was waiting I noticed in task manager that disk usage was constantly 100%. So I checked whats consuming it and its X4 process. It constantly uses 100% of disk bandwidth. (nvme ssd). So i figured I should wait and around 5 minutes later I got back to the game menu, but of course graphics settings didnt apply as the confirmation window is only 15 seconds.

Do you know what might be causing such behavior?

I also tried 6.0 beta but the game doesnt even load to main menu - just black screen from start up.

[Alan Phipps]

Have you verified your Steam X4 installation?

You only have the one drive and so everything running is off that drive. That makes me consider the following potential areas to check:

1. Does your AV do real-time file checking on loading from disk into system RAM? If so, try excluding the X4 gamefiles and X4 documents folders from checking and/or stop real-time checking.
2. Might you have an issue with your Steam Client? Does the Client need updating, verifying, or maybe even reinstalling? (Don't delete Steam or your SteamApps folder!)
3. Do you have any intensive applications running in the background while playing that really don't need to be?
4. Is is possible that your cpu/gpu are having to totally rescale or reload textures and shaders every time you change resolution for your display (could be in X4 or in Steam).
5. Do you have any real-time disk caching going on while your system is in use. Maybe all the files in use are being recached every time you change things?
6. Does your drive have any automatic compression or encryption applied?

You have loads of VRAM, system RAM and free drive space and so I don't think you are running into any memory, swapfile or drive limitations of any sort.

Have you considered rolling back your graphics driver to a slightly previous version just in case the current driver version has introduced an issue with X4 and an RTX 4090?

Sorry for the random ideas but what is nagging at me is that you have a very new and powerful system and graphics set up and it may just be that X4 is causing unforeseen teething issues with cutting edge hardware or drivers.

Moderator Imperial Good, should they see this, may have far better technical ideas about your issue than I have. Good luck!

[Mr.Freud]

...
4. Is is possible that your cpu/gpu are having to totally rescale or reload textures and shaders every time you change resolution for your display (could be in X4 or in Steam).
5. Do you have any real-time disk caching going on while your system is in use. Maybe all the files in use are being recached every time you change things?
...

Moderator Imperial Good, should they see this, may have far better technical ideas about your issue than I have. Good luck!

Thank you for the tips. Tried all of them. I think the problem lies somewhere between poin 5 and 6.

Sometimes when I try to change settings, after trying something new, when I start the game I get straight to the confirmation dialog of changing settings, that should have been there when I terminated the process. Its almost like the game keeps itself somewhere either in RAM or on the drive

Also tried couple previous drivers from Nvidia...

With Beta 6 its even worse as I can't even get to the main menu

[Imperial Good]

Your operating system is Turkish. Maybe there is a locale bug, such as with path lookup.

Your GPU is also a RTX 4090 so it could be specific compatibility issues with that GPU as a very small number of players are using such GPU.

If you are running your display in a HDR mode, try turning HDR off in case it is a HDR compatibility issue.

Try deleting the config.xml file in case it is corrupt. X4 should create a new one next time it is launched.

Try restarting your computer in case it is a driver state bug. Restarting will reload drivers on startup, shutdown and then power on does not due to hybrid shutdown.

[Mr.Freud]

Your operating system is Turkish. Maybe there is a locale bug, such as with path lookup.

Your GPU is also a RTX 4090 so it could be specific compatibility issues with that GPU as a very small number of players are using such GPU.

If you are running your display in a HDR mode, try turning HDR off in case it is a HDR compatibility issue.

Try deleting the config.xml file in case it is corrupt. X4 should create a new one next time it is launched.

Try restarting your computer in case it is a driver state bug. Restarting will reload drivers on startup, shutdown and then power on does not due to hybrid shutdown.

Tired all of that already. The only thing I didn't try is clean windows install.

[Nivcore]

Hello all,

I have exactly the same problems
I have the same GPU and CPU, coincidence?

Here is my thread (GER):
viewtopic.php?f=183&t=451108

Fast DeepL translation:

Spoiler

Show

Hello,

I need help because X4 does not want to work properly for me.

I recently got a new PC on which I have now freshly installed X4.
Unfortunately there are huge problems even before actually playing.
If it should start normally, (is not always the case, see below) is at the latest at the graphics settings end.
As soon as I try to change a setting there (e.g. edge smoothing, display mode: full screen > borderless window) it's over again.
Nothing happens for minutes.
Sometimes you can still hear the menu music, sometimes not.
Sometimes with the wallpaper of the current DLC as background image, but sometimes just black image.
I just let the game do this after I switched from full screen to borderless window.
In doing so I stopped the time.
Changed the setting, off it goes:
0:00 - 03:03 black picture, music still audible.
03:03 - 04:17 Background image appears again (Tides of Avarice), music still to be heard.
04:17 - 05:23 Image is black again, music still playing.
05:23 - 09:24 Window minimizes, when I try to open it again only black picture and music.
09:24 - The game is visible again, in graphics settings. But display mode is again/still fullscreen.

Sometimes the game start is also disproportionately slow (1-2 minutes).
Instead of the logo and intro video, there is a long black image again.

So something must be going wrong.
I don't know what else I can try.
What have I already done?

-checked graphics card driver, is up to date (528.02 - 05.01.23)
-reinstalled the game
-Steam checked the data for errors, no defects
-deleted game files from the documents folder
deleted -config and inputmap from the documents folder

The rough info about the system:
Windows 11 Pro
I9-13900K
RTX 4090
32GB DDR5 RAM

The details can of course also be found in the attached files.
DxDiag
vulkaninfo

Thanks a lot

[Mr.Freud]

Hello all,

I have exactly the same problems
I have the same GPU and CPU, coincidence?

Here is my thread (GER):
viewtopic.php?f=183&t=451108

Fast DeepL translation:

Spoiler

Show

Hello,

I need help because X4 does not want to work properly for me.

I recently got a new PC on which I have now freshly installed X4.
Unfortunately there are huge problems even before actually playing.
If it should start normally, (is not always the case, see below) is at the latest at the graphics settings end.
As soon as I try to change a setting there (e.g. edge smoothing, display mode: full screen > borderless window) it's over again.
Nothing happens for minutes.
Sometimes you can still hear the menu music, sometimes not.
Sometimes with the wallpaper of the current DLC as background image, but sometimes just black image.
I just let the game do this after I switched from full screen to borderless window.
In doing so I stopped the time.
Changed the setting, off it goes:
0:00 - 03:03 black picture, music still audible.
03:03 - 04:17 Background image appears again (Tides of Avarice), music still to be heard.
04:17 - 05:23 Image is black again, music still playing.
05:23 - 09:24 Window minimizes, when I try to open it again only black picture and music.
09:24 - The game is visible again, in graphics settings. But display mode is again/still fullscreen.

Sometimes the game start is also disproportionately slow (1-2 minutes).
Instead of the logo and intro video, there is a long black image again.

So something must be going wrong.
I don't know what else I can try.
What have I already done?

-checked graphics card driver, is up to date (528.02 - 05.01.23)
-reinstalled the game
-Steam checked the data for errors, no defects
-deleted game files from the documents folder
deleted -config and inputmap from the documents folder

The rough info about the system:
Windows 11 Pro
I9-13900K
RTX 4090
32GB DDR5 RAM

The details can of course also be found in the attached files.
DxDiag
vulkaninfo

Thanks a lot

so Im not alone with this problem, its kinda reassuring

do you notice high disk usage by X4 when black screen happens?

Can someone check our vulkan infos and dxdiags to see if there are some similarities or something? I noted these things - we have different motherboards and different monitors.

[Nivcore]

These are the highest values that could be determined so far:

https://imgur.com/a/2rYZ7XS

[Mr.Freud]

These are the highest values that could be determined so far:

https://imgur.com/a/2rYZ7XS

looks like mine. except disk usage is 100% but with same numbers. What SSD/NVME are you using?

[Nivcore]

this is the NVME on which X4 is installed:
https://www.samsung.com/de/memory-stora ... -v9p1t0bw/

[Mr.Freud]

this is the NVME on which X4 is installed:
https://www.samsung.com/de/memory-stora ... -v9p1t0bw/

I have the same. Are you using Samsung Magician? But I tried uninstalling it - issue persists

[Nivcore]

okay crazy...

Moved x4 via Steam to my E:\ drive (WDC WDS200T2B0A-00SM50) - all successful changed in a few seconds.
The new Samsung too fast for X4?

[Mr.Freud]

okay crazy...

Moved x4 via Steam to my E:\ drive (WDC WDS200T2B0A-00SM50) here everything goes smoothly?
The new Samsung too fast for X4?

Damn, I don't have any other drives to try

Ill try different partition. How did you move it? just copied everything?

[Nivcore]

Steam: rmb on X4 > properties > local files > move install folder

[Mr.Freud]

Steam: rmb on X4 > properties > local files > move install folder

thank you. will try it now with different partition. But your Documents folder stayed in the same place (on samsung)?

[Nivcore]

so checked d drive to:

C:\ Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB - issue
D:\ Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB - issue
E:\ WDC WDS200T2B0A-00SM50 - fine

so X4 has some problem with this NVME series.

[Mr.Freud]

so checked d drive to:

C:\ Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB - issue
D:\ Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB - issue
E:\ WDC WDS200T2B0A-00SM50 - fine

so X4 has some problem with this NVME series.

yeah, different partiton didnt work for me. Also tried moving the documents folder there - no change.

Guess Im not playing X4 anytime soon

I wonder if the Devs can do something about it? I mean no other game or app has such problems with the nvme.