Blank screen but sound when I launch the game

[ArcticJay]

When I launch the game it has sound but doesn't show any images. It stays showing the steam library screen. My mouse can't leave a small box in the middle of the screen. If I launch the task manager and mess around a bit I can get to the actual game on the bottom tool bar and then it just shows a black screen but I can hear the intro.

I've updated my video driver. Windows is updated. I verified the files on steam.

Any help would be appreciated.

[B-o-B]

Does the game appear in the corner of your screen when you press Windows key and Tab?

[Zekiran]

What size and refresh rate is your monitor? Did the game EVER run successfully on that specific hardware? Or is this the first time you're using it?

[ArcticJay]

Originally posted by B-o-B:

Does the game appear in the corner of your screen when you press Windows key and Tab?

Originally posted by B-o-B:

Does the game appear in the corner of your screen when you press Windows key and Tab?

When I press the windows tab it doesn't appear. My mouse is stuck in a small box in the middle of the screen.

[ArcticJay]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

What size and refresh rate is your monitor? Did the game EVER run successfully on that specific hardware? Or is this the first time you're using it?

I've run it in 60 hz and 360.01 hz, no luck.

1920 x 1080

I don't think I've run it successfully on this laptop. My old laptop died and I had to get a new one about a year ago.

[Zekiran]

Could you please go up to the steam HELP tab and click SYSTEM INFORMATION and post the whole list? That'll show what we're dealing with. It might be something conflicting, or not being configured correctly if this is a new(ish) laptop.

[B-o-B]

Try a couple of simple things also.

Go here. C:\Users\YOU\Documents\My Games\Fallout4 and move the file Fallout4Prefs.ini cut and paste it to your Desktop. You can add it back later if it fails but the game should create a new one.
Then load the F4 Launcher and adjust the video setting option but don't click PLAY yet. Close the Launcher and re-open it again to see if the settings you changed are still active. If they are then hit PLAY. If it does load then you can delete the file you moved as it would have created a new one.

If that Fails.

Download the Directxwebsetup.exe file from Microsoft Website and run it as Admin. It should install around 90 MB of files. That way we can rule out missing files.
If it still fails then do what Zekiran say's

[ArcticJay]

Originally posted by B-o-B:

Try a couple of simple things also.

Go here. C:\Users\YOU\Documents\My Games\Fallout4 and move the file Fallout4Prefs.ini cut and paste it to your Desktop. You can add it back later if it fails but the game should create a new one.
Then load the F4 Launcher and adjust the video setting option but don't click PLAY yet. Close the Launcher and re-open it again to see if the settings you changed are still active. If they are then hit PLAY. If it does load then you can delete the file you moved as it would have created a new one.

If that Fails.

Download the Directxwebsetup.exe file from Microsoft Website and run it as Admin. It should install around 90 MB of files. That way we can rule out missing files.
If it still fails then do what Zekiran say's

Tried both of these. Didn't work. I really appreciate the help, though!

[ArcticJay]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Could you please go up to the steam HELP tab and click SYSTEM INFORMATION and post the whole list? That'll show what we're dealing with. It might be something conflicting, or not being configured correctly if this is a new(ish) laptop.

Computer Information:
Manufacturer: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
Model: ROG Strix G733ZM
Form Factor: Laptop
No Touch Input Detected
Processor Information:
CPU Vendor: GenuineIntel
CPU Brand: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700H
CPU Family: 0x6
CPU Model: 0x9a
CPU Stepping: 0x3
CPU Type: 0x0
Speed: 2688 MHz
20 logical processors
14 physical processors
Hyper-threading: Supported
FCMOV: Supported
SSE2: Supported
SSE3: Supported
SSSE3: Supported
SSE4a: Unsupported
SSE41: Supported
SSE42: Supported
AES: Supported
AVX: Supported
AVX2: Supported
AVX512F: Unsupported
AVX512PF: Unsupported
AVX512ER: Unsupported
AVX512CD: Unsupported
AVX512VNNI: Unsupported
SHA: Supported
CMPXCHG16B: Supported
LAHF/SAHF: Supported
PrefetchW: Unsupported
Operating System Version:
Windows 11 (64 bit)
NTFS: Supported
Crypto Provider Codes: Supported 311 0x0 0x0 0x0
Video Card:
Driver: Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics
DirectX Driver Name: nvldumd.dll
Driver Version: 31.0.101.4502
DirectX Driver Version: 31.0.15.5152
Driver Date: 6 15 2023
OpenGL Version: 4.6
Desktop Color Depth: 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Refresh Rate: 360 Hz
DirectX Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VendorID: 0x10de
DeviceID: 0x2520
Revision: 0xa1
Number of Monitors: 1
Number of Logical Video Cards: 1
No SLI or Crossfire Detected
Primary Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Desktop Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Primary Display Size: 15.04" x 8.46" (17.24" diag), 38.2cm x 21.5cm (43.8cm diag)
Primary Bus: PCI Express 8x
Primary VRAM: 1024 MB
Supported MSAA Modes: 2x 4x 8x
Sound card:
Audio device: Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio)
Memory:
RAM: 16044 Mb

[cheshirm]

Monitor Refresh Rate: 360 Hz
try monitor = 60hz and fps =60 and see if the game works

[ArcticJay]

Originally posted by cheshirm:

Monitor Refresh Rate: 360 Hz
try monitor = 60hz and fps =60 and see if the game works

Tried that. No luck.

[cheshirm]

so I have an i7-11700, 3060ti, 16gb ram, monitor 60 hz, 1920x1080 desktop, same driver - pretty similar hardware - and the game works. so what could it be? some setting?

laptop not using the nvidia card?

check Fallout4Prefs.ini file. should have lines
bFull Screen=1
iSize H=1080
iSize W=1920
and sD3DDevice should have you video card

[SideQuestGuy]

have you found out the answer to this? I am literally in the same boat.
Although my laptop has a Nvidea 4070

[ohmollypop]

Originally posted by SideQuestGuy:

have you found out the answer to this? I am literally in the same boat.
Although my laptop has a Nvidea 4070

I was also having the same issue! It ended up working for me whenever I went into the options on the launch screen and I check the "Windowed Mode" box which also checked the "Borderless" box automatically. Hopefully it works for you all too!