Steam Games Not Launching (GPU Issue?)

[MajoraTFO]

For a many months now, I've had an issue where Steam games will not launch. When I run the application for a game, a window will open saying the game is starting, but the game doesn't launch. If I have steam open while this is occurring, it shows my status for the game as "playing," then returns to normal when the game fails to launch. The only solution that routinely fixes the issue is reinstalling my graphics card driver. Doing this will allow the games to launch normally for the rest of that day, but the issue usually returns on the next day I attempt to launch a Steam game. It is fixed again if I reinstall the same graphics card driver once more. When I run the DxDdiag tool, I see my integrated graphics card under "Display" where it states DirectX 12 Ultimate is "Disabled" and the device type is "Full Display Device." My dedicated graphics card appears under "Render" and has everything enabled, but the device type is listed as "Render-Only Display Device." Under "Advanced Display Settings" in Windows settings, my integrated graphics card is listed as the adapter for my laptop and the TV I have my laptop connected to, even when the TV is not on. It doesn't look like there is an option to change this. Any help would be appreciated. I have included two error log messages from Stardew Valley and Payday 2 at the end of this post. Here is a list of notable troubleshooting steps I have tried unsuccessfully in the past:

1. Windows OS is up to date
2. Dedicated and integrated Graphics card drivers are up to date
3. Verified file integrity
4. Deleted and reinstalled game
5. Opened NVIDIA Settings and changed Manage 3D Settings default to "High-performance NVIDIA processor" and Phys-X configuration default to "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 laptop GPU"
6. Manually editing the render settings XML file in Notepad for Payday 2 sometimes works, but usually just results in the game reverting the file back
7. Stardew Valley will launch without issue if I connect the laptop to TV via HDMI, then launch the game before turning on the TV. Will not launch without reinstalling graphics card driver if I turn TV on before launching game.

My Specs:
OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home, Version 10.0.22431

Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 laptop GPU

Driver: Game Ready Driver - 566.36 - Thu Dec 5, 2024

DirectX Version: DirectX 12

CPU: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700H 2.30 GHz

RAM: 16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)

System type: 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Storage (2): SSD - 476.9 GB ; SSD - 4.5 TB


STARDEW VALLEY ERROR LOG MESSAGE:
Message: Failed to create graphics device!
InnerException: System.PlatformNotSupportedException: MonoGame requires either ARB_framebuffer_object or EXT_framebuffer_object.Try updating your graphics drivers.
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.GraphicsDevice.FramebufferHelper.Create(GraphicsDevice gd) in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\Platform\Graphics\GraphicsDevice.OpenGL.FramebufferHelper.cs:line 32
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.GraphicsDevice.PlatformInitialize() in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\Platform\Graphics\GraphicsDevice.OpenGL.cs:line 340
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.GraphicsDevice.Initialize() in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\Graphics\GraphicsDevice.cs:line 357
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GraphicsDeviceManager.CreateDevice(GraphicsDeviceInformation gdi) in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\GraphicsDeviceManager.cs:line 144
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GraphicsDeviceManager.CreateDevice() in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\GraphicsDeviceManager.cs:line 115
Stack Trace: at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GraphicsDeviceManager.CreateDevice() in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\GraphicsDeviceManager.cs:line 123
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game.DoInitialize() in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\Game.cs:line 941
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game.Run(GameRunBehavior runBehavior) in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\MonoGame.Desktop\MonoGame.Framework\Game.cs:line 465
at StardewValley.Program.Main(String[] args) in D:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\stardewvalley\Farmer\Farmer\Program.cs:line 200

Game Version: 1.6.8 build 24119
SDK Helper: SteamHelper
Game Language: en
GPU: Could not detect.
OS: Win32NT Microsoft Windows NT


PAYDAY 2 ERROR LOG MESSAGE:
Application has crashed: C++ exception
Could not load texture because IDirect3D9::CreateTexture call failed.
Direct3D could not allocate sufficient memory to complete the call.

-------------------------------

Callstack:

payday2_win32_release (???) ???
payday2_win32_release (???) ???
ntdll (???) RtlInitializeCriticalSectionAndSpinCount
payday2_win32_release (???) ???
payday2_win32_release (???) zip_get_name
payday2_win32_release (???) ???
payday2_win32_release (???) ???
payday2_win32_release (???) ???
payday2_win32_release (???) zip_get_name
ntdll (???) RtlClearBits
ntdll (???) RtlCaptureContext


-------------------------------

Current thread: Renderer

-------------------------------

System information:
Application version : 1.138.187
CPU : 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700H (10 cores); SSE; SSE2; SSE3; SSSE3; SSE4.1; SSE4.2
DirectX : 12.0
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU / nvldumd.dll[31.0.15.2879]
Language : english
Memory : 16068MB 708KB
OS : 6.2.9200 () 0x300-0x1 (64 bits)
Physics : threaded
Renderer : DX9 threaded
Sound : Intel(R) Corporation (Speakers (Intel® Smart Sound Technology for MIPI SoundWire® Audio))

[0110000101100001]

It sounds like your system is having trouble managing the integrated and dedicated GPUs, which is causing your games not to launch properly. Based on your description and logs, here are some steps you can try to fix the issue. Hopefully, one of these will work:

1. Force your games to use the NVIDIA GPU

Sometimes, games default to the integrated GPU, which could be part of the problem.
1. Through NVIDIA Control Panel:
• Right-click your desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Go to Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
• Add each game that’s having trouble (e.g., Stardew Valley, Payday 2).
• Set the preferred graphics processor to High-Performance NVIDIA Processor.
2. Through Windows Settings:
• Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics Settings.
• Add your games by browsing to their .exe files.
• Select the game, click Options, and set it to High Performance (which should use the NVIDIA GPU).

2. Check Display Settings

Your logs suggest the integrated GPU might be prioritized for display rendering, which could explain why launching games is hit-or-miss.
1. Disconnect any external monitors or TVs before launching games. It seems like connecting the TV sometimes triggers the issue.
2. Go to Settings > Advanced Display Settings and make sure your NVIDIA GPU is being used for your laptop’s primary display.
3. If you’re using an external monitor, double-check that it’s set to use the NVIDIA GPU in NVIDIA Control Panel.

3. Disable the Integrated GPU

If the integrated GPU is causing problems, you might want to disable it altogether (don’t worry, you can re-enable it later).
1. Open Device Manager (just search for it in the Start menu).
2. Expand Display Adapters.
3. Right-click on the Intel GPU and select Disable Device.
4. Restart your computer and see if that resolves the problem.

4. Reinstall Graphics Drivers

The fact that reinstalling the GPU driver temporarily fixes the problem suggests there could be a driver conflict or corruption.
1. Completely Uninstall Old Drivers:
• Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and run it in Safe Mode.
• Use DDU to uninstall both your NVIDIA and Intel drivers.
2. Reinstall Clean Drivers:
• Go to the NVIDIA website and download the latest driver for your GPU.
• Do the same for your Intel GPU on the Intel website.
• Install the Intel driver first, then the NVIDIA driver.
• Restart your system.

5. Fix DirectX or Game Files

Your error logs point to some DirectX issues or missing files.
1. Reinstall DirectX:
• Download the DirectX Runtime installer from Microsoft’s website.
• Run it to repair or update your DirectX files.
2. Verify Your Game Files:
• Open Steam, right-click the game, and select Properties.
• Go to Installed Files and click Verify Integrity of Game Files.

6. Test in Clean Boot Mode

If there’s a background program interfering with your games, a clean boot might help you figure that out.
1. Press Win+R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable All.
3. Restart your computer and try launching the games.

7. Change Power Settings

Your system might not be allocating enough power to the GPU.
1. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
2. Select High Performance or Ultimate Performance.
3. Click Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings.
4. Under PCI Express > Link State Power Management, set it to Off.

8. Game-Specific Fixes

You mentioned issues with specific games—here are a couple of quick tweaks to try:
• Stardew Valley: Try running the game in windowed mode. You can manually edit the startup_preferences file to set Windowed: True.
• Payday 2: Edit the render_settings.xml file in the game directory to lower the settings. Also, if you can, try forcing the game to run in DirectX 11 mode instead of DX9.

9. Test your hardware

If none of the above works, it’s worth testing your hardware to make sure there isn’t a deeper issue.
1. Use a tool like FurMark or Unigine Heaven to stress test your GPU and check for any errors or crashes.
2. Run MemTest86 to check your RAM for issues.

Hopefully, one of these steps works for you. Let me know how it goes.

[MajoraTFO]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von 0110000101100001:

It sounds like your system is having trouble managing the integrated and dedicated GPUs, which is causing your games not to launch properly. Based on your description and logs, here are some steps you can try to fix the issue. Hopefully, one of these will work:

1. Force your games to use the NVIDIA GPU

Sometimes, games default to the integrated GPU, which could be part of the problem.
1. Through NVIDIA Control Panel:
• Right-click your desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Go to Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
• Add each game that’s having trouble (e.g., Stardew Valley, Payday 2).
• Set the preferred graphics processor to High-Performance NVIDIA Processor.
2. Through Windows Settings:
• Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics Settings.
• Add your games by browsing to their .exe files.
• Select the game, click Options, and set it to High Performance (which should use the NVIDIA GPU).

2. Check Display Settings

Your logs suggest the integrated GPU might be prioritized for display rendering, which could explain why launching games is hit-or-miss.
1. Disconnect any external monitors or TVs before launching games. It seems like connecting the TV sometimes triggers the issue.
2. Go to Settings > Advanced Display Settings and make sure your NVIDIA GPU is being used for your laptop’s primary display.
3. If you’re using an external monitor, double-check that it’s set to use the NVIDIA GPU in NVIDIA Control Panel.

3. Disable the Integrated GPU

If the integrated GPU is causing problems, you might want to disable it altogether (don’t worry, you can re-enable it later).
1. Open Device Manager (just search for it in the Start menu).
2. Expand Display Adapters.
3. Right-click on the Intel GPU and select Disable Device.
4. Restart your computer and see if that resolves the problem.

4. Reinstall Graphics Drivers

The fact that reinstalling the GPU driver temporarily fixes the problem suggests there could be a driver conflict or corruption.
1. Completely Uninstall Old Drivers:
• Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and run it in Safe Mode.
• Use DDU to uninstall both your NVIDIA and Intel drivers.
2. Reinstall Clean Drivers:
• Go to the NVIDIA website and download the latest driver for your GPU.
• Do the same for your Intel GPU on the Intel website.
• Install the Intel driver first, then the NVIDIA driver.
• Restart your system.

5. Fix DirectX or Game Files

Your error logs point to some DirectX issues or missing files.
1. Reinstall DirectX:
• Download the DirectX Runtime installer from Microsoft’s website.
• Run it to repair or update your DirectX files.
2. Verify Your Game Files:
• Open Steam, right-click the game, and select Properties.
• Go to Installed Files and click Verify Integrity of Game Files.

6. Test in Clean Boot Mode

If there’s a background program interfering with your games, a clean boot might help you figure that out.
1. Press Win+R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable All.
3. Restart your computer and try launching the games.

7. Change Power Settings

Your system might not be allocating enough power to the GPU.
1. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
2. Select High Performance or Ultimate Performance.
3. Click Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings.
4. Under PCI Express > Link State Power Management, set it to Off.

8. Game-Specific Fixes

You mentioned issues with specific games—here are a couple of quick tweaks to try:
• Stardew Valley: Try running the game in windowed mode. You can manually edit the startup_preferences file to set Windowed: True.
• Payday 2: Edit the render_settings.xml file in the game directory to lower the settings. Also, if you can, try forcing the game to run in DirectX 11 mode instead of DX9.

9. Test your hardware

If none of the above works, it’s worth testing your hardware to make sure there isn’t a deeper issue.
1. Use a tool like FurMark or Unigine Heaven to stress test your GPU and check for any errors or crashes.
2. Run MemTest86 to check your RAM for issues.

Hopefully, one of these steps works for you. Let me know how it goes.

Thank you for your detailed help! Apologies for the delay in responding. #1 didn't work on its own, but a combination of #s 2, 4, 5, and 7 seems to have worked for me. When I used DDU, I found NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD drivers on my computer. I've never had an AMD graphics card on this device, so I'm not sure why that was there and why it didn't show up anywhere until I used DDU. I searched online and found some reports of Windows installing incorrect graphics drivers when attempting to update them during automatic Windows updates. I tried just uninstalling NVIDIA and AMD drivers first before rebooting and redownloading only NVIDIA. I disconnected my HDMI cable from my TV. Under power settings, my system was set to something like "Conserve maximum battery power." I know some of my devices have changed my power settings without my asking during automatic updates. I always turn off battery boost and energy saving stuff when I see it in settings, so maybe Windows changed this on their own. I also reinstalled DirectX and verified game files. After doing all this, I was able to run my games without issue. Payday 2 even ran at 170s-180s FPS which I've never seen before. Over the past 3 weeks, I've only had one day where I couldn't launch Steam games. In that instance, I opened NVIDIA and all the stats listed for my rig (e.g. GPU utilization, power, VRAM clock, etc.) just tried to load endlessly. Restarting my computer fixed that issue and I haven't run into any others since. Thank you again for all your help; I'm very grateful!