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Black Screen Workaround

By Yarlen on March 19, 2012 5:14:04 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Yarlen

Stardock
Join Date 01/2005
+159

(Updated - 4/23/12)

Thank to everyone's submissions we've been able to track this issue down for the vast majority of users. 

We've determined that this bug appears to be caused by older Nvidia drivers. If those having this issue can try updating their drivers directly from the Nvidia website for their chipset, that would be great. You must be using driver version 296.10 or higher.

The URL is: http://www.geforce.com/Drivers

Once your drivers are updated if you still hit the black screen crash on startup, please try setting your Nvidia driver as the preferred 3D device as shown here: http://screencast.com/t/RTo1NZaVM

If you could let us know if this works for you, that would be great.

Thank you in advance.

 

 

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Reply #76
ViridianD
Join Date 02/2008
0
May 11, 2012 3:59:00 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Bought it month ago and couldn't play the game at all. I do not have an integrated video card. I am using latest nvidia drivers. I have created a ticket in "FogBugz" and sent 3 minidumps (after each update) and a savegame.

Game just keep crashing after every 10-15 min. It is the only game i have issues with.

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Reply #77
Yarlen
Join Date 01/2005
+159
Stardock
May 11, 2012 5:38:44 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Your issue isn't this one if you can play at all. The Black Screen issue occurs before you even get into the game.

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Reply #78
ViridianD
Join Date 02/2008
0
May 11, 2012 7:12:16 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Yarlen,
reply 77
Your issue isn't this one if you can play at all. The Black Screen issue occurs before you even get into the game.

I realize that. Though game does go into "black screen" before generating minidump. I doubt that making a different thread would've achieved anything. I have done everything i could on my part short of analyzing game minidumps and i doubt that i could've done that myself anyway.

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Reply #79
RayBritton
Join Date 09/2008
0
May 12, 2012 7:07:36 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have a Aspire Ethos 8951G, i7, nVidia GeForce GT 555M, some sort of Intel Integrated graphics and I was getting the black screen.

So I updated my driver and set it to use my nVidia card instead of Intel and now it works, thanks.

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Reply #80
Volt_Cruelerz
Join Date 06/2008
+89
May 12, 2012 12:40:58 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Oddly enough, I only run into this bug when using fullscreen with dual monitors or while using my NVidia graphics card.  By going windowed mode or single monitor and using integrated graphics, I don't have this crash anymore.

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Reply #81
Fundai
Join Date 05/2012
0
May 16, 2012 4:25:43 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

The new update fixed the black screen for me, I can now play with no problems (so far).

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Reply #82
Megacarnag51
Join Date 02/2010
0
May 22, 2012 1:26:11 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have this problem, it black screens because of a mini-dump will this solve the problem?

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Reply #83
Megacarnag51
Join Date 02/2010
0
May 23, 2012 3:22:39 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have had this problem for so long, I don't know what to do, all suggestions do not work and I have not been able to play since beta 3 came out, I am now out $40 and and cannot play game at all, there is no way to even start it up and I'm basically screwed unless there is some sort of update, I have just thrown my money into the incinerator.

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Reply #84
awuu
Join Date 05/2012
0
June 21, 2012 3:15:14 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have an error where it says failed to initialize steam. I wonder if steam just has some sort of issue with mobile nvida chipsets. Is there any way to launch the game NOT through steam?

 

EDIT: I found this out by trying to run the dev version of rebellion. I still get the black screen crash regardless of run as admin and updating my nvidia drivers.

 

Sins Trinity works just fine so I have no idea what is the problem. Diablo 3 runs fine as well so I am supposing my comp can handle it lol.

 

Ty for any updates, I've gotten all the sins games from solar empire 1 and would like to support stardock more, if their games work -.-

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Reply #85
Lavo_2
Join Date 05/2010
+79
June 21, 2012 3:47:30 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting awuu,
reply 85
I have an error where it says failed to initialize steam. I wonder if steam just has some sort of issue with mobile nvida chipsets. Is there any way to launch the game NOT through steam?

You can run the exe directly, which bypasses using Steam's launcher, however Steam will still have to be running in order for the game to not give you that Steam error.

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Reply #86
awuu
Join Date 05/2012
0
June 21, 2012 4:09:11 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well steam is running and I am launching from the .exe

I just wanna play the game lol. This error hasn't happened with any other games purchased through steam. I guess i will retry the solutions on this forum but since the problem hasn't been indentified, I may just as well be throwing darts blindfolded hoping I get it right.

 

EDIT: I found a solution for users who have an ASUS K53SD laptop with a NVIDIA 610M chip. This thread fixed the issue for me

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=219235&st=60

Cheers

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Reply #87
neoevolution
Join Date 11/2011
0
June 23, 2012 8:10:04 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

I getting this error too.......i can run the intro video fine, then once it kicks into the menu blank screen I still here the music.....

I can run Sins Of A Solar Empire Diplomacy no problem.....Do have the latest drivers.... 

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Reply #88
Bundy_Drop_Bear
Join Date 07/2012
0
September 19, 2012 9:36:49 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire Forums Sins of a Solar Empire Forums

Add me to the list of people who can't get into the game, I have the latest Nvidia drivers 306.23 which I did a clean install of 3 days ago, i even reinstalled the game from steam and still it gives me a black screen on my ASUS G75VW Gaming Laptop.

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