I tried every fix suggested in the known issues page but it still just black screens with music
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In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless. THEN go here:
And run the x86 and x64 installers there.
IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run successfully on this computer? Or never?
IF IT USED TO RUN:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:
- move any valued save games elsewhere, and user empire designs.txt from /Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/ if you have made any custom empires or races.
- "uninstall" in Steam-Stellaris
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Stellaris AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test
In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam Stellaris or Documents Stellaris locations, before installing again.
IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:
(run dxsetup.exe after extracting this download to its own folder anywhere on your computer)
Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.
If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.
Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .
Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads
This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages.
support.microsoft.com
IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run successfully on this computer? Or never?
IF IT USED TO RUN:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:
- move any valued save games elsewhere, and user empire designs.txt from /Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/ if you have made any custom empires or races.
- "uninstall" in Steam-Stellaris
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Stellaris AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test
In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam Stellaris or Documents Stellaris locations, before installing again.
IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package MFC Security Update from Official Microsoft Download Center
A security issue has been identified leading to a vulnerability in MFC applications that are built with Visual Studio 2010 and ship the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package.
www.microsoft.com
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Official Microsoft Download Center
This update is the latest in a cumulative series of feature additions and bug fixes for Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable.
www.microsoft.com
Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center
The Microsoft DirectX® End-User Runtime installs a number of runtime libraries from the legacy DirectX SDK for some games that use D3DX9, D3DX10, D3DX11, XAudio 2.7, XInput 1.3, XACT, and/or Managed DirectX 1.1. Note that this package does not modify the DirectX Runtime installed on your Windows...
www.microsoft.com
Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.
If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.
Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .
it used to run prior to the Canis Minor update. I have just tried a clean reinstall and added to the apps allowed through list and run both x86 and x64 installers.
it's still black screen on launch I can take screen shot through steam that show the game and even select button based on the audio cue but it's still only displaying a black screen.
it's still black screen on launch I can take screen shot through steam that show the game and even select button based on the audio cue but it's still only displaying a black screen.
If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.
Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.
Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .
Please update that nVidia driver to June 2023 https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
If that doesn't help, can I get new copies of all 5 files I requested. Thanks.
If that doesn't help, can I get new copies of all 5 files I requested. Thanks.
Sorry I didn't send everything the first time I misread. also the error log won't attach because its empty.
You haven't updated the video driver, yours is from 2021. Please do that!
THEN Right click on stellris.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, cap refresh rate to refresh rate 60.
Does that help?
THEN Right click on stellris.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, cap refresh rate to refresh rate 60.
Does that help?
I have been unable to update my driver because of my own incompetence. however your second suggestion fixed the issue thank you so much for the help!
Taking a backup of my saved games and user empire design file, uninstalling Stellaris and deleting the "Stellaris" folder in Documents/Paradox Interactive/ followed by a clean reinstall worked for me. 
No idea why it stopped working in the first place though. Stellaris worked fine last week, and I haven't turned on my PC since the last time I played. Today the game suddenly gave me a black screen with the mouse pointer and music... But the fix here worked, not sure if I really needed to uninstall and reinstall the game, or if just deleting the "Stellaris" folder in Documents/Paradox Interactive/ would have been enough on it's own.
No idea why it stopped working in the first place though. Stellaris worked fine last week, and I haven't turned on my PC since the last time I played. Today the game suddenly gave me a black screen with the mouse pointer and music... But the fix here worked, not sure if I really needed to uninstall and reinstall the game, or if just deleting the "Stellaris" folder in Documents/Paradox Interactive/ would have been enough on it's own.