If you have full screen error problem black screen

[Hollywood]

If you start the game and see a black screen with a gold mouse cursor, then you most likely have a second (or third) monitor plugged in.

Remove all but your primary monitor's DVI/HDMI/VGA cable.

Now it should work properly on your main monitor. If it doesn't work right away, restart the game.

[Growlers]

What if I don't want to always have to remove it or disable it? Anyone have a fix?

[Pringles]

Huh, is this a new problem?

Setting Windowedmode=true fixed this for me, FYI. You want this anyway if you have more than 1 monitor.

[Hollywood]

It's not a new problem, however there's multiple causes for the black screen.

A) For some people it's because the default resolution in EQ ini file is too low or too out of whack with their monitor's native resolution. I.e. 2560x1600 30"
B) Another reason is that it defaults to windowed mode, and alt-enter does not work because of a graphics tool (like ATT) running in the background.
C) Another reason is as Pringles mentioned, the Windowedmode setting in the EQ ini file. Most people set it to FALSE - otherwise when clicking near edge of the screen, it drops you back to windowed mode(thinks you're clicking on the Windows desktop)
D) And the reason I put, was because of multiple monitors - something people would probably over look.


So reason four isn't as common, but hopefully helps someone...Growlers for example.

@Growlers not that I know of. But you could search on Windows XP/7 forums to see if anyone knows how to force the computer to not recognize a second monitor.

[snsd_sone_eric]

It's not a new problem, however there's multiple causes for the black screen.

A) For some people it's because the default resolution in EQ ini file is too low or too out of whack with their monitor's native resolution. I.e. 2560x1600 30"
B) Another reason is that it defaults to windowed mode, and alt-enter does not work because of a graphics tool (like ATT) running in the background.
C) Another reason is as Pringles mentioned, the Windowedmode setting in the EQ ini file. Most people set it to FALSE - otherwise when clicking near edge of the screen, it drops you back to windowed mode(thinks you're clicking on the Windows desktop)
D) And the reason I put, was because of multiple monitors - something people would probably over look.


So reason four isn't as common, but hopefully helps someone...Growlers for example.

@Growlers not that I know of. But you could search on Windows XP/7 forums to see if anyone knows how to force the computer to not recognize a second monitor.

Hollywood, could you explain how to fix each of the possible issues above?

I've been playing the game fine for a few months, then one day screen goes black while I'm running along. Sound is up, game is running, just black screen. Not disconnected from game. Ever since then, and half dozen loggins, the game will let me get to character loading sometimes, sometimes a few seconds into the game, but always goes to black screen. I play with the EQ window smaller than my desk top, but I've always played like that with not problems.

I don't know where the ini file is or how to search for it.

I don't know how to adjust the screen size/mode (especially if you're talking about adjusting it in game, since the screen is black).

I'd appreciate any technical help. (I have the game set to run as admin XP sp1 and all that stuff; and as I said, game worked fine up until two weeks ago.)

Thanks in advance.

[snsd_sone_eric]

Sorry, but I managed to figure out how to adjust the screen size/mode ("A" in Hollywood's post below), from another post. If you don't want to search forums for "black screen" here's how you adjust screen mode in "EQ ini" file...

Problem: EQ window is black, but still have mouse cursor, sound, and you're not link dead.

**Your in-game Options/Display/Video Modes may be set to a different standard than the eqclient file in your C-drive (or wherever you have the game on your hard drive).

Fix: (Assuming you cannot adjust Options/Display/Video Mode in-game because the screen is black)... use Windows Explorer to go to the location of EQ Emulator's eqclient file. For me it was C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\EverQuest\

Double Left click eqclient file to open it in Notepad

Use tool bar at top to Edit-->Find... type in "[VideoMode]" without the quotes.

You should see something like this:

WindowedWidth=1280
WindowedHeight=720
Width=1280
Height=720
FullscreenBitsPerPixel=32
FullscreenRefreshRate=0

To fix - I changed WindowedWith=800...WindowedHeight=600...Width=800. ..Height=600.

Re-start computer, then restart game. It fixed my problem.

Error was, in the game I had been messing around with the display settings in (Alt+O) Options/Display/Video Modes. I had changed my screen to 800x600.

After the game was up and running (meaning, the screen wasn't black), I've gone into Alt+O Options/Display/Video Modes and changed my Video Mode back to 1280 x 720 like I prefer. I did not change the eqclient file to reflect this, so I hope there are no conflicts again later.

[Swish]

If you're an energy saver and have settings to turn off the display after inactivity, that causes me a black screen...so I'm no longer an energy saver :p

Other things like opening task manager (on Vista at least) can also cause the black screen - game is still running okay but you've suddenly got worse than human vision :D

[snsd_sone_eric]

Well, everything was working fine. I got up did some laundry and food stuff, came back and screen was black.

So, I made sure the eqclient file read the same window dimensions as I had established in the Options window in the game (1280 x 720). Rebooted, started, killed a mob to make sure game worked. Sat down, walked away for about 30 seconds - screen black!

Ugh!

[haddad]

I have been having such a rough time with this error. I can get it to work sometimes. Next day it is back to not working again and I spend hours trying to fix it.

I am editing the EQ ini file correctly, the same exact way every time. It just does not work sometimes. Sometimes it does work? I did not know about the multiple monitors thing I just unplugged it and it still does not work correctly.

I can reinstall EQ, run the game once or twice. Then it reverts to crashing at start up. Its so strange. I am posting a log of my INI file.

Defaults]
Sound=TRUE
TextureQuality=1
VertexShaders=0
20PixelShaders=0
14PixelShaders=0
1xPixelShaders=0
MultiPassLighting=1
UseLitBatches=TRUE
InspectOthers=TRUE
Log=FALSE
AttackOnAssist=TRUE
ShowInspectMessage=TRUE
LockWindows=FALSE
InvWinLabels=TRUE
HidePlayerWin=FALSE
HidePartyWin=FALSE
HideTargetWin=FALSE
HideSpellsWin=FALSE
HideBuffWin=FALSE
HideHotboxWin=FALSE
HideChatWin=FALSE
HideMainMenuWin=FALSE
ChatLineSpacing=0
ShowDynamicLights=TRUE
ChatFontSize=3
ShowNamesLevel=4
VideoMode=0
MousePointerSpeedMod=0
ShowSpellEffects=1
CombatMusic=1
MixAhead=8
ServerFilter=0
TrackPlayers=TRUE
TrackSortType=NORMAL
TrackFilterType=0
DefaultLanguage=0
ShowGrass=TRUE
UseArrowCamera=FALSE
NetStat=FALSE
DoProperTinting=FALSE
Sound44k=0
SpeakerType=0
UISkin=Default
AtlasSkin=Default
LoadSocialAnimations=TRUE
UseLuclinVahShirMale=TRUE
UseLuclinVahShirFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinElementals=TRUE
LoadArmor17=FALSE
LoadArmor18=FALSE
LoadArmor19=FALSE
LoadArmor20=FALSE
LoadArmor21=FALSE
LoadArmor22=FALSE
LoadArmor23=FALSE
DefaultChannel=8
LastCharSel=0
SystemInfoDelay=0
WindowedModeXOffset=-1916
WindowedModeYOffset=-15
WindowedMode=TRUE
SendSystemInfo=1
LastSysInfoDate=1364873486
ShowCreationHelp=FALSE
Music=0
SoundVolume=10
Gamma=11
SpellParticleOpacity=1.000000
EnvironmentParticleOpacity=1.000000
ActorParticleOpacity=1.000000
ShowAlarmWindow=false
SpellParticleNearClipPlane=8.000000
SkyCubemapSize=0
Shadows=0
UseLuclinHumanMale=TRUE
UseLuclinHumanFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinBarbarianMale=TRUE
UseLuclinBarbarianFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinEruditeMale=TRUE
UseLuclinEruditeFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinWoodElfMale=TRUE
UseLuclinWoodElfFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinHighElfMale=TRUE
UseLuclinHighElfFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinDarkElfMale=TRUE
UseLuclinDarkElfFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinHalfElfMale=TRUE
UseLuclinHalfElfFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinDwarfMale=TRUE
UseLuclinDwarfFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinTrollMale=TRUE
UseLuclinTrollFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinOgreMale=TRUE
UseLuclinOgreFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinHalflingMale=TRUE
UseLuclinHalflingFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinGnomeMale=TRUE
UseLuclinGnomeFemale=TRUE
UseLuclinIksarMale=TRUE
UseLuclinIksarFemale=TRUE
UseD3DTextureCompression=TRUE
MipMapping=TRUE
TextureCache=TRUE
EnvironmentParticleNearClipPlane=8.000000
AllLuclinPcModelsOff=FALSE
LoadVeliousArmorsWithLuclin=FALSE
WaterSwap=0
SkyUpdateInterval=60000

[Options]
IgnoreFile1=1
Camera1-Distance=30.000000
Camera1-DirHeading=192.000000
Camera1-Heading=0.000000
Camera1-Pitch=0.000000
Camera1-Height=5.000000
Camera1-Zoom=90.000000
Camera1-Change=1
Camera2-Distance=82.000000
Camera2-DirHeading=277.000000
Camera2-Heading=0.000000
Camera2-Pitch=0.000000
Camera2-Height=18.000000
Camera2-Zoom=90.000000
Camera2-Change=1
Realism=20
ClipPlane=20
FogScale=4.000000
MaxFPS=100
LODBias=10
MouseSensitivity=4
ShadowClipPlane=99
ActorClipPlane=99
[VideoMode]
WindowedWidth=800
WindowedHeight=600
Width=800
Height=600
FullscreenBitsPerPixel=32
FullscreenRefreshRate=0
WidthWindowed=800
HeightWindowed=600
[News]
LastRead=00000000
Automatic=0

[haddad]

Ok Here is how I fixed it.

I cut my eqclient.ini file out of the directory so it was forced to create a new one. Violia it works. I loaded EQ didnt touch a SINGLE OPTION.

It worked again when I loaded it.

Went into game, changes resolution to native, 1920x1080, reloaded it. WORKED!

Have not touched anything since.

I see a lot of advice being thrown around on various forums, including this one, telling people to modify their eqclient files. For me this never worked and I was following the instructions. Removing it and starting with an essentially empty one was the only thing that worked

[snsd_sone_eric]

Ok Here is how I fixed it.

I cut my eqclient.ini file out of the directory so it was forced to create a new one. Violia it works. I loaded EQ didnt touch a SINGLE OPTION.

It worked again when I loaded it.

Went into game, changes resolution to native, 1920x1080, reloaded it. WORKED!

Have not touched anything since.

I see a lot of advice being thrown around on various forums, including this one, telling people to modify their eqclient files. For me this never worked and I was following the instructions. Removing it and starting with an essentially empty one was the only thing that worked

haddad, I was about to post, glad I found this.

Can you explain what "cut my eqclient.ini file out of the directory" means? Did you open the eqclient.ini file in Notepad, and then simply delete the text and hit save? Or did you simply delete the entire eqclient.ini file? Or something else?

And can you explain what you meant by "reloaded it" when you wrote "Went into game, changes resolution to native 1920x1080, reloaded it. WORKED!"?

I'd sure like to try your fix, but I'm afraid of royally screwing this up or just doing it wrong and thinking the fix doesn't work.

Eric

[snsd_sone_eric]

Took a chance and just deleted the eqclient.ini file (after backing it up, of course), then tried to start game.

EULA screen and copyright screen were Full Screen (why?)

Then graphics system seemed to reset, and game went into windowed mode and did load screen.

Got to the toon selection screen right before entering Norrah, and screen "re-set" and went black. Nothing.

So, deleting the eqclient.ini file did not fix my particular problem, and now I can't even get into the game to try Video Mode Options. I tried deleting the eqclient.ini file three times with same result.

Whatever conflict there is, it's definitely graphics card and game. When EULA and copyright screens were on full-screen, I noticed if I got out that my desktop was also blown up to giant icons, etc. It's like the game was resetting my whole graphics system.

I'd appreciate any more advice anyone has.

[snsd_sone_eric]

Subject: Black Screen

Issue:
• Screen suddenly blacks out. Toon is no “blinded” in combat. Game is still running, having sound, seeing golden mouse cursor, can cast spells from hot buttons, etc.
• Only the EQ game goes black. Can see desktop, watch videos, surf net, open docs, etc.
• Once blacked out, all EQ Emu related screens are black. Even if I exit game completely, and re-start, the EULA screen is black.
• If I re-boot computer, game will start normally until it blacks out again at some random point.
• Blackout has occurred as early as a couple of seconds into viewing the screen where you select your toon to enter the game, to as late as 45 minutes of playing normally.
• Blackout has happened while meditating looking at ground afk, right after rezoning from FP to EC, to just running down path in EC, to standing and looking around, to the middle of fighting in WC.
• EQ P99 (the only emu I play) ran perfectly for the first 2 months, until about 2 weeks ago. I’d always played in 1280x720 windowed mode (my screen is 1600x90), and I could simultaneously surf Windows IE, Mozilla Foxfire, and Google Chrome, with a MS Word doc open! No issues.
• Until 2 weeks ago, no blackouts. I thought was a heat issue with graphics card since fan was running high. Since I have taken apart laptop, cleaned everything, and reapplied thermal paste to heatsink & CPU. I have heat monitoring utility, and no heat issues. Fan runs normally, temps normal. Game still blacks out.

Computer Stats:
• Laptop ASUS G72gx, Intel Core Duo P8700 at 2.53 MHz (+5% overclocked), 6 GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit O/S
• Graphics card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
• All drivers are current, all devices working properly
• I play through wireless (WLAN) DSL, through a Netgear router.

Attempted Fixes:
These are all things I’ve done differently since the black outs. The game worked fine for 2 months without any of the below.
• Deleted EQ Emu, re-installed again from Titanium disks, then re-patched.
• Now play EQ as Administrator with XP sp3 (and tried sp2).
• Game Options – changed far clip plane to near, medium, far, farthest & changed sky to simple & complex.
• Game Options Video Mode – Have changed to 800x600, 1068x660, 1280x720
• Modified eqclient.ini file [VideoMode] WindowWidth, WindowHeight, Window, Height to match the in-game Game Options Video Mode settings.
• Modified eqclient.ini file WindowsMode=FALSE.
• Turned-off Power Saving mode of graphics card & WLAN.
• Played in windowed mode and full screen.
• The hit Ctr+Enter to switch between. Does not cause blackout & does not fix blackout once it happens.
• No heat issues. Laptop clean, fan barely runs, temps are great on GPU, CPU, graphics card, and unit as a whole.
• (Today) Deleted eqclient.ini file, started game: Game got to the toon selection screen, but blacked out before I could pick toon to enter the game.

I have not played with WinEQ 2.0. Frankly, I read all the instructions, I still have no idea what to do with it. Do I just run it while I’m playing P99, or do I need to use WinEQ to adjust game settings?

And the bigger question (to me) is, why did the game run fine and now doesn’t.

I’d appreciate anyone with some knowledge to help. And I’d really appreciate any instructions be step-by-step on what to do, as I’m a bit lost with computers. For example: It took me a good half hour to figure out that the solution “adjust the EQ INI file VideoMode…” meant find the file “eqclient” and open it in Notebook and make changes, since eqclient is the name of the file and the “ini” extension doesn’t show up in Windows Explorer to find it.

Thank you. Eric