Fix for Bioshock no sound, stutter, lag, crashes and more

[Charlie]

The simplest way to get Bioshock working is as follows.

- First Method

Update your Audio Drivers before you do this!

Right Click on the Volume icon in the bottom left hand corner of the screen and select 'Playback devices' and them select the 'Recording' tab. Right click and show select 'Show Disabled Devices' and if 'Stereo Mix' comes up simply right click and Enable it. Your Bioshock should now work with no issues. If you've done this or Stereo Mix isn't there please try the steps below. If possible only use the first method as it works the best.

- Second Method (If Method One doesn't work)

Step 1: Locate your Bioshock exe file, for most people people this will be

C:\Program Files x86\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Bioshock\Builds\Release

and there you will see the Bioshock.exe file

Step 2: Right click Bioshock and select 'Properties', select the 'Compatibility' tab and run this program in compatibility for Windows XP Service Pack 2. I would also recommend you run as an Administrator. If you are still have issues and cannot run the game try running the game in compatibility for Vista, XP Service Pack 3 and so on, however XP Service Pack 2 seems to works best for most people.

Step 3: Edit the Default.ini file, this is located in the same directory as your Bioshock.exe file. Open the Default.ini file and hold down CTRL and press F a menu will pop up, from here type ''vsync'' you should now see ''UseVSync=True'' change this to ''UseVSync=False'' and save the file, to save it hold CTRL and press S. V-Sync is what causes the game to stutter and lag, we have to manually force V-Sync off in the ini file.

You should be able to force V-Sync in your GPU control panel just fine.

Step 4: Force Bioshock to start at your native resolution. Open the default.ini file and hold CTRL and press F and search for ''FullscreenViewportX='' from here input your native horizontal resolution, for me it will be 1920. Now we can input our vertical resolution, directly below should be another line that says ''FullscreenViewportY='' now input your vertical resolution, for me this will be 1080

This is what mine looks like

FullscreenViewportX=1920
FullscreenViewportY=1080

By default it will look like this (we don't want this, unless your native resolution is 1024x768)
FullscreenViewportX=1024
FullscreenViewportY=768

- How to find out your native resolution.

To find your displays native resolution you can right click your Windows wallpaper and click 'Screen Resolution' from here a menu will pop up, on the right side of Resolution you will see something like ''1920 x 1080 (recommended)'' the first set of numbers are the horizontal resolution and second set of numbers are the displays vertical resolution so mine is 1920x1080. Windows by default will recommend your monitors native resolution.

Here is a video that may help if it's unclear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ezOG9_8ehE
After you have done all this it should be done and in theory Bioshock should work. If you are having issues double check to make sure you actually saved the ini file. I would also recommend playing around with 'Reverb' in the game options, for some people it makes the game run better and others it doesn't.

If you are still having issues also check out http://steamcommunity.com/app/7670/discussions/0/540744935098265916/
My fix is based on his/hers fix but with a few differences and extras

If you go into the game properties in Steam and click 'Set Launch Option' and enter
"-nointro" you won't have to sit through the tedious load screen with all the NVIDIA stuff every time you start the game.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a guaranteed fix, what works for me may not work for you, If you have any questions please post them below and I will do my best to help you. I would also like to point out that with any Bioshock fixes the game can sometimes freeze for several minutes, don't worry it hasn't crashed just be patient and the game should unfreeze. Also don't try and ALT + Tab. That can crash the game.

[Enericolors]

Thanks for the info :D was so usefull!

[Charlie]

Welcome.

[Khloe]

Thank you, Mr! :)

[Charlie]

Originally posted by A Wolf In Jesus Skin:

It worked for me. Thanks for sharing.

Glad I helped.

[Astrael]

thanks, it finally worked :)

[TheSurvivor815]

I LOVE YOU BRO!!!!!

[ThePony]

Thanks for sharing. its work like magic!! :)

[Charlie]

Originally posted by nGoRiLLa:

Thanks for sharing. its work like magic!! :)

It would be nice is they would release an update so we don't have to do this.

[Charlie]

I just updated the thread, to make it more clear.

[El Gato™]

So, I've played the game before (old pc 4 RAM Geforce card or something, never had problems), but now, I start the game, play for a good 5 minutes, then it just close, like that, no error, no msj, nothing, just close and show me my desktop. The sound works, the graphics look beatiful, it's just like the game give up and BAM, close to windows.

I've tried every solution I could find (compatibility mode with vista sp2, XP, etc, copy .dll to .exe directory, the stereo aux thing, and i always hace a mic connected ,my mobo only have 3 slots for speakers, mic, and aux, so i always have a headseat with mic on).

Here is my PC specs, hope someone could give me a solution (I would like to finish the game this time, never had time before...)

EDIT: I have the latest drivers for every damn thing on my pc, I don't have the Rapture3D, but I have OpenAL (don't know where this come from) and something called NVIDIA PhysX (this came with the mobo drivers i believe). I've played both Metro games without any issues and those games are heavy -_-

Processor Information:
Vendor: AuthenticAMD
CPU Family: 0x15
CPU Model: 0x2
CPU Stepping: 0x0
CPU Type: 0x0
Speed: 3516 Mhz
6 logical processors
3 physical processors
HyperThreading: Supported
FCMOV: Supported
SSE2: Supported
SSE3: Supported
SSSE3: Supported
SSE4a: Supported
SSE41: Supported
SSE42: Supported

Network Information:
Network Speed:

Operating System Version:
Windows 7 (64 bit)
NTFS: Supported
Crypto Provider Codes: Supported 311 0x0 0x0 0x0

Video Card:
Driver: AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series

DirectX Driver Name: aticfx32.dll
Driver Version: 14.301.1001.0
DirectX Driver Version: 8.17.10.1315
Driver Date: 15 Sept 2014
OpenGL Version: 4.4
Desktop Color Depth: 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
DirectX Card: AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series
VendorID: 0x1002
DeviceID: 0x683d
Number of Monitors: 1
Number of Logical Video Cards: 1
No SLI or Crossfire Detected
Primary Display Resolution: 1366 x 768
Desktop Resolution: 1366 x 768
Primary Display Size: 18.98" x 10.67" (21.73" diag)
48.2cm x 27.1cm (55.2cm diag)
Primary Bus Type Not Detected
Primary VRAM: 1024 MB
Supported MSAA Modes: 2x 4x 8x

Sound card:
Audio device: Speakers (VIA High Definition A

Memory:
RAM: 8175 Mb

EDIT3: This was posted on another thread (find yours after looking for more solutions), I did a request at 2kgames support, never had an answer, I'm gonna try yours, tomorrow (g2g to work right now).

I've tried the troubleshot compatibility too, I press the "try the game now and see if it works" and a windows show up asking if I wan Bioshock.exe to do something, I press yes, and nothing happened, so I'm stuck, I can play for about 1 or 2 minutes then it just close like that.

[El Gato™]

Manage to play like 1 or 2 hours with your solution, I was playing right after I got the telekinesis stuff, went for the damn key, pulled the key, forgot how to play, let go left button, key fly away to unknow places, nurse show up, change to revolver, did 3 shots, game close like before (I've shot before in this session, works pretty well, don't know what happened.) However, I love you for letting me play more than 5 minutes.

[Charlie]

When the freeze/crash happens wait a few minutes and the game will usually restore itself

[El Gato™]

The game crash after I grab the key with telekinesis, then I try the no Reverb option, then the game crash faster the same, no msg error, nothing (save was before grabbing telekinesis, grab it, kill splicer that enters the room, game crash). I don't know what happened and I don't know what else to do, I've tried every solution on the forums, wikigame,etc. So, at this point I'm tired of this ♥♥♥♥, even did request at 2kgames and they didn't answer a damn thing

[Charlie]

Originally posted by El Gato™:

The game crash after I grab the key with telekinesis, then I try the no Reverb option, then the game crash faster the same, no msg error, nothing (save was before grabbing telekinesis, grab it, kill splicer that enters the room, game crash). I don't know what happened and I don't know what else to do, I've tried every solution on the forums, wikigame,etc. So, at this point I'm tired of this ♥♥♥♥, even did request at 2kgames and they didn't answer a damn thing

You could try using the microphone/headset trick. Keep everything the same except disable compatibility mode. Start the game, it should run normally but you'll get no sound. Now plug a microphone or headset in and then unplug them, for some people this fixes the audio issues.

[El Gato™]

I don't have problems with no audio, my problems is that my game closes, with no msg error, nothing, not even an error sound from windows, nothing, it just give up and closes, as far as I can see, no one else have the same problem I have, the others can't start the game, or they have no sound, or game crash with msg error, mine doesn't, mine is a lazy efffin game!. And I always have headphone set with mic connected (soundcard default in the MOBO, just 3 slots, speakers/mic/aux), and yes I've tried the enable aux thing and plug/unplug mic.

Thank your for your reply