Black Screen on New Computer

[Maelstrom Vortex]

I would also suggest trying to reinstall the direct x 9C distributables and we should find out if there are any common distributable that the game's graphic engine library requires like the old c+ microsoft framework libraries. Some games won't even start without them and a black screen is a common presentation of their absence. So we need to look at all graphics dependencies I'd say, not simply those that are card or brand specific. New machines will not have these libraries installed by default and many old games require them.

[Apparition]

FWIW, my Alienware desktop arrived with Windows 11 pre-loaded.  Bleh.  I immediately wiped the SSD and installed Windows 10 Pro.  Most of the drivers were downloaded and installed from Dell's website, except the Nvidia graphics card driver which I downloaded and installed from Nvidia's web site.  I since updated the graphics card driver in March.  No difference.

 

5 minutes ago, Maelstrom Vortex said:

I would also suggest trying to reinstall the direct x 9C distributables and we should find out if there are any common distributable that the game's graphic engine library requires like the old c+ microsoft framework libraries. Some games won't even start without them and a black screen is a common presentation of their absence. So we need to look at all graphics dependencies I'd say, not simply those that are card or brand specific. New machines will not have these libraries installed by default and many old games require them.

 

City of Heroes doesn't use DirectX, it uses OpenGL.  That's why the game is mostly incompatible with newer machines using integrated graphics as Windows no longer ships with OpenGL drivers.  Only graphics card drivers still come with OpenGL drivers included.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

12 minutes ago, Apparition said:

City of Heroes doesn't use DirectX, it uses OpenGL.  That's why the game is mostly incompatible with newer machines using integrated graphics as Windows no longer ships with OpenGL drivers.  Only graphics card drivers still come with OpenGL drivers included.

Would you happen to know anything on the distributable angle? Other than the Direct X/OpenGL angle that's the second thing I'd be looking at.

And if open GL is the problem, has anyone having the problem tried this yet? It's an open GL / CL addon for Windows 10 and beyond I believe.
https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/opencl™-and-opengl®-compatibility-pack/9NQPSL29BFFF?hl=en-us&gl=US

In my thinking if people have installed their GPU drivers.. there may be a disconnect between the openGL that come with them, and the window's supporting back end.. which in theory this fixes for newer machines.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Maelstrom Vortex