Steam big picture mode and games just open into a black screen with sound

[w]

So I recently got a third monitor for work on my computer. Since my computer doesn't have a second hdmi input, I ordered a USB-HDMI adapter (http://goo.gl/Fw9k5M). The problem is, after this change, whenever I open steam big picture mode (or any game whatsoever) I just get a black screen, and I can hear the sound in the background. I tried reinstalling the Nvidia drivers and reinstalling steam but nothing!

I have an Nvidia 850M and an intgrated graphics (intel 5500). I think the third monitor is using the latter because when I uninstalled the Nvidia graphics for the re installation the third monitor was still working fine. Does it has anything to do with the drivers of the adapter? What can I do to fix this?

P.S Steam and the games won't work even when I disconnect my external monitors. Same thing would happen.

[James]

Sounds like the USB port doesn't have enough bandwidth to transmit the video or your mobile GPU doesn't have a good enough RAMDAC to drive 3 displays from it. Either way, I'm not sure there's an easy way around that sadly mate. Does the third monitor actually show up as "3" in the Nvidia control panel? Your laptop screen will be 1, your original external monitor as 2 and your new monitor if its detected should be 3. If its not detected, your graphics card will be simply passing the audio through to the USB but no picture as it won't have recognised it.

[w]

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

Sounds like the USB port doesn't have enough bandwidth to transmit the video or your mobile GPU doesn't have a good enough RAMDAC to drive 3 displays from it. Either way, I'm not sure there's an easy way around that sadly mate. Does the third monitor actually show up as "3" in the Nvidia control panel? Your laptop screen will be 1, your original external monitor as 2 and your new monitor if its detected should be 3. If its not detected, your graphics card will be simply passing the audio through to the USB but no picture as it won't have recognised it.

Thanks for your reply! Well, the thing is this seems to be a driver problem because I have disconnected the external monitors, and unplugged the USB adapter but I still have the black screen problem even with no external monitors attached. But why would the driver I installed could cause conflict with my Nvidia?

[James]

So you have a blank screen on your laptop? Literally can't see anything? Which version of windows is this? Try pressing the windows key + P together, then press the DOWN ARROW and then press ENTER and see if your screen returns. Might be the graphics card driver bugging out whilst thinking it has a primary monitor which isn't even attached.

[w]

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

So you have a blank screen on your laptop? Literally can't see anything? Which version of windows is this? Try pressing the windows key + P together, then press the DOWN ARROW and then press ENTER and see if your screen returns. Might be the graphics card driver bugging out whilst thinking it has a primary monitor which isn't even attached.

I am using Windows 8.1. And yeah it's pretty much black, so I can't see anything. That did not work unfortunately. :/ There might be something wrong with conflicting drivers with the Nvidia and the USB adapter, but I have no idea why would this be the case...

[James]

When you restart the laptop do you see the POST screen with all the BIOS stuff on it or is it literally completely blank?

[w]

Also.... If I open up steam with the integrated graphics card it works fine.... But when I want to use the Nvidia card, I get the black screen. So it's definitely something wrong with the Nvidia card.

[w]

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

When you restart the laptop do you see the POST screen with all the BIOS stuff on it or is it literally completely blank?

It is completely dark just when opening steam or any steam game. Everything else works just fine.

[James]

Alright lets try and get rid of the dodgy graphics card drivers. Go to guru3d.com and download a program called "DDU driver cleaner"

When you run it, it'll advise you to restart your computer in safe mode (it'll do this for you) so accept and follow the prompts to remove JUST the Nvidia graphics card drivers. When its finished removing all traces of them, reboot your laptop and download + install the latest drivers from nvidia.com and see how you fair.

[w]

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

Alright lets try and get rid of the dodgy graphics card drivers. Go to guru3d.com and download a program called "DDU driver cleaner"

When you run it, it'll advise you to restart your computer in safe mode (it'll do this for you) so accept and follow the prompts to remove JUST the Nvidia graphics card drivers. When its finished removing all traces of them, reboot your laptop and download + install the latest drivers from nvidia.com and see how you fair.

Alright, I'll try this and post the results. Thank you!

[James]

Messaggio originale di lcruz:

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

Alright lets try and get rid of the dodgy graphics card drivers. Go to guru3d.com and download a program called "DDU driver cleaner"

When you run it, it'll advise you to restart your computer in safe mode (it'll do this for you) so accept and follow the prompts to remove JUST the Nvidia graphics card drivers. When its finished removing all traces of them, reboot your laptop and download + install the latest drivers from nvidia.com and see how you fair.

Alright, I'll try this and post the results. Thank you!

You're welcome mate, hope you get a positive result from it. I'm gonna get my head down as I'm not very well but you can reach me through here or my youtube channel if you need more help later.

[w]

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

Messaggio originale di lcruz:

Alright, I'll try this and post the results. Thank you!

You're welcome mate, hope you get a positive result from it. I'm gonna get my head down as I'm not very well but you can reach me through here or my youtube channel if you need more help later.

Thanks dude! Unfortunately it did not work. I saw an interesting message that appeared when installing the drivers "This USB 3.0 adapter is not compatible with this graphics card", so it might try uninstalling the drivers of that adapter which seems to be the problem.... I will see what I can do... Thanks man.

[James]

Messaggio originale di lcruz:

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

You're welcome mate, hope you get a positive result from it. I'm gonna get my head down as I'm not very well but you can reach me through here or my youtube channel if you need more help later.

Thanks dude! Unfortunately it did not work. I saw an interesting message that appeared when installing the drivers "This USB 3.0 adapter is not compatible with this graphics card", so it might try uninstalling the drivers of that adapter which seems to be the problem.... I will see what I can do... Thanks man.

Ahh atleast you now know the cause I suppose! Any time mate :)

[Bluuey]

Same problem here.

[Nuclearjazz]

Messaggio originale di Hail:

Messaggio originale di LancobusUK YouTube:

You're welcome mate, hope you get a positive result from it. I'm gonna get my head down as I'm not very well but you can reach me through here or my youtube channel if you need more help later.

Thanks dude! Unfortunately it did not work. I saw an interesting message that appeared when installing the drivers "This USB 3.0 adapter is not compatible with this graphics card", so it might try uninstalling the drivers of that adapter which seems to be the problem.... I will see what I can do... Thanks man.

Hail dude! Thanks, your suggestion is so helpfull, i've got lenovo y700 + 2 monitors, one of which was connected using digitus usb to vga on 3.0, once i removed driver for this, i've got black screen on steam and games like arma 3 resolved. ++ into your carma man

[JonathanKasady]

GPU Accelerated Web Rendering needs to be enabled for Big Picture to work properly.
Go to Steam Settings > Interface. Check the box, restart and try again.