Can't start the game - Mod issue.

[THE_TrashMan]

64 bit Win 7 Ultimate SP1
20GB RAM
NVidia GForce 1030 3GB - drivers updated.

Game (not Beta, so I should be on 5.10) doesn't start. The game icon appears, the exe is running, but I just get a black screen that stays like that ( I can see and move a blue mouse cursor).

If I tab and try to tab back, I see the same blue X4 mouse cursor, like I'm in the game, but the actual background is whatever was at my screen. There is tiny black box in the upper left corner (like it's still minimized?).

Updated drivers.
Updated Windows
Verfied game files
Steam folder is on regular HDD

Vuklaninfo: https://ufile.io/addtj1el

DXDiag info: https://ufile.io/x97npbdp

[CBJ]

We can't help you with so little information. The very first thread at the top of the forum - the one with "Please read this before posting!" in the title - tells you what information you need to provide, and how to provide it, for us to have any real chance of being able to help.

[THE_TrashMan]

We can't help you with so little information. The very first thread at the top of the forum - the one with "Please read this before posting!" in the title - tells you what information you need to provide, and how to provide it, for us to have any real chance of being able to help.

Updated first post with more info and Vuklan and DX diag info

I'd also like to clarify that I did try the game out when it first came out and it did work on my PC.

[CBJ]

The upload site wants me to install a browser extension and then tries to get me to install malware when I refuse. Please host it somewhere reputable.

[THE_TrashMan]

The upload site wants me to install a browser extension and then tries to get me to install malware when I refuse. Please host it somewhere reputable.

Huh? For me it just takes me directly to the download

try Dropbox then. Both files are in the shared folder.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x1jr7s0w54gv ... MZxea?dl=0

[CBJ]

Try updating your Realtek drivers from the Realtek site, and disabling the VB-Audio device in case that's interfering. I'd also suggest performing a Steam file verification, then exiting the Steam client and restarting, and also excluding the game folder from your AV software's regular scanning.

[Alan Phipps]

Just expanding a bit on what CBJ has said above. Your Realtek sound driver may be updated to Reltek HD Audio Codec R2.82 from here, the date on that site looks earlier, but the version number is definitely later. That VB-Audio driver of yours is definitely old stuff.

You have already verified but the hint about restarting the Steam Client is a good one, as are the AV exclusions.

Your graphics card has a great modern driver but will still be limited somewhat by only having the minimum spec of 3GB dedicated VRAM.

Unfortunately now-unsupported Win7 doesn't have error reporting in its DxDiags. See if anything in Event Viewer can throw any light on why X4 is failing. Look for incidents involving X4 on the dates and times that you try starting it.

[THE_TrashMan]

Thanks.
Will try right now...but damn, the download is slow...3 hours to download 240 MB.

EDIT:
Updated drivers, disabled VB audio.. still black screen
Tried running game with AV turned off (shouldn't be an issue, Avast recognized it and gave me a popup that it's auto-added to the safe list)

Nothing unusual in event view either (neither app nor system .. no warning or error when I start the exe). The game doesn't crash, I have to kill/stop the process.

[Alan Phipps]

Hmm, sorry to hear that. With your download speeds I can't really suggest deleting local files for X4 and doing a clean reinstall either.

One thing that hasn't been established yet is whether your gamefiles are modified in any way. I include whether you have had mods in the past even if you have disabled them now. Sometimes 3rd party mods don't keep up with updates and after a break from playing auto-updated games, the old mods break things in the updates.

[THE_TrashMan]

Hmm, sorry to hear that. With your download speeds I can't really suggest deleting local files for X4 and doing a clean reinstall either.

One thing that hasn't been established yet is whether your gamefiles are modified in any way. I include whether you have had mods in the past even if you have disabled them now. Sometimes 3rd party mods don't keep up with updates and after a break from playing auto-updated games, the old mods break things in the updates.

That's just the audio driver downlaod from Realtek site. My donwload speed is perfectly fine.

I can re-install it, but I bought and installed the game yesterday evening, so it's a new, fresh install.
Mods are also all from Steam Workshop (ship and a few QoL mods), but since I can't even get to point of entering main menu and activating any of the extensions/mods, I doubt that's it. Can try removing them.

Problem is I have to leave town in an hour and I wont' be back till next weekend, so don't have time to test now.

[CBJ]

The fact that your game was modified would have been really useful to know from the start, and could have saved everyone a lot of time, including you. There is a reason we ask for this information in the sticky thread at the top of the forum.

So yes, the very first thing we would have suggested, had we known this, would be starting the game without any mods installed.

[THE_TrashMan]

The fact that your game was modified would have been really useful to know from the start, and could have saved everyone a lot of time, including you. There is a reason we ask for this information in the sticky thread at the top of the forum.

So yes, the very first thing we would have suggested, had we known this, would be starting the game without any mods installed.

My apolgies.

I was under the impression that mods have to be activated from the main menu and simply having them in the extension folder does nothing. It was indeed a mod issue!

[aurumgallente]

"Fire and Smore", "Remove Dirt" can cause different black screens.