EU IV - Game will not start in full screen after 1.31.6 (same for 1.32)

[Dimes]

Description
Game will not start in full screen after 1.31.6 (same for 1.32)

Game Version
1.32

What expansions do you have installed?
Cradle of Civilization, Third Rome, Mandate of Heaven, Rights of Man, Mare Nostrum, Cossacks, Common Sense, El Dorado, Art of War, Res Publica, Wealth of Nations, Conquest of Paradise, Rule Britannia, Dharma, Golden Century, Emperor, Leviathan, None

Do you have mods enabled?
No

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
After 1.31.6 I was no longer able to play in full screen mode. When I start it from the launcher I only get a black screen - I have to tab out and kill EU4 in the task manager. I have tried most of the steps I have been able to find here - but none have made any difference.

I have reinstalled the game. I have updated to the latest version of VC_redist.x64.exe. I have uninstalled and unsubscribed from all mods. I have deleted the folders for EU4 in Documents\Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV and Steam\steamapps\common\Europa Universalis IV.

I would appreciate it if you could please provide a list of all the things to test in one place - preferably as a step by step guide.

(Before this issue the ability to play in full screen with more than 60Hz disappeared - you can set it to whatever higher level your hardware supports - then EU4 asks you to reload and when you restart it always ends up on 60 Hz again. If there is a known solution for this I would appreciate this too. It works just fine if I use an older version.)

If you need more informartion - then pleaee let me know.

Steps to reproduce the issue.
Start Launcher - choose Full scren mode - run

Upload Attachment
File(s) attached

 

[grotaclas]

After 1.31.6 I was no longer able to play in full screen mode.

Did you test if you can still use fullscreen if you go back to older versions? AFAIK this issue is caused by windows updates/graphic drivers and not by a specific eu4 version.
Using borderless fullscreen as a workaround would solve your refresh rate problem as well, because then eu4 uses the refresh rate of your OS and you can set the refresh rate there.

Some people with such problems were able to use fullscreen mode by disabling "Fullscreen optimization"(right click on eu4.exe >> compatibility >> disable fullscreen optimizations).

 

[Dimes]

Did you test if you can still use fullscreen if you go back to older versions? AFAIK this issue is caused by windows updates/graphic drivers and not by a specific eu4 version.
Using borderless fullscreen as a workaround would solve your refresh rate problem as well, because then eu4 uses the refresh rate of your OS and you can set the refresh rate there.

Some people with such problems were able to use fullscreen mode by disabling "Fullscreen optimization"(right click on eu4.exe >> compatibility >> disable fullscreen optimizations).

Yes, it works just fine on 1.31.5 (although only with 60Hz). And I have tried to disable full screen optimization. It made a difference on earlier versions for me - but not now - unfortunately.

Borderless fullscreen will not disable sound if I tab out - also CPU useage stays high.

P.S. I also just tried to run the game straight from the exe with the same result.

 

[MordredViking]

This is likely better in tech support, hopefully you can get some more direct help there (moved)!

 

[AndrewT]

And I have tried to disable full screen optimization. It made a difference on earlier versions for me - but not now - unfortunately.

That really should work - can you confirm it still is not for you somehow?

 

[Dimes]

That really should work - can you confirm it still is not for you somehow?

Now running the hot fix. Just tried to run full screen again after making sure that no mods are active. And yes, Full screen optimizations are deactivated. When I try I just get a black screen which I have to ctrl-alt-del out of and kill EU4 with the task manager to stop it.

Attached a screen shot of the eu4.exe compatibility settings.

 

[AndrewT]

And if you run in borderless or windowed it works fine, is that right? If so that is the exact opposite of the normal experience.

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/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .

 

[Dimes]

And if you run in borderless or windowed it works fine, is that right? If so that is the exact opposite of the normal experience.

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/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .

Yes, it runs fine borderless and windowed.

Here are the files.

 

[Dimes]

Yes, it runs fine borderless and windowed.

Here are the files.

I noticed I was behind on some drivers, so I updated video, chipset and wifi/bt drivers. Same result after this, unfortunately.

 

[AndrewT]

I see no reason in those files for this problem I am sorry. This is only happening to you, so far as we know!

Let's try a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- flag eu4.exe to Disable fullScreen Optimisations again
- add EU4.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 make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

 

[Dimes]

I see no reason in those files for this problem I am sorry. This is only happening to you, so far as we know!

Let's try a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- flag eu4.exe to Disable fullScreen Optimisations again
- add EU4.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 make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

That seems to have done the trick - the only thing here I have not done before is to flag it in my Internet security - so I guess that was the cuplrit. Still only 60Hz, but that I will survive - the most important was that I could run it full screen.

So thanks a lot for the help!

 

[Dimes]

That seems to have done the trick - the only thing here I have not done before is to flag it in my Internet security - so I guess that was the cuplrit. Still only 60Hz, but that I will survive - the most important was that I could run it full screen.

So thanks a lot for the help!

And unfortunately that did not last. Yesterday it worked just fine - but today we're back to the same issue again. I have tried to pinpoint what might have changed / updated since yesterday - but cannot find it. eu4.exe is still excempted in my security tool - so I guess that was not the problem after all?

And yes, it works as it should (although still always resetting to 60Hz) with 1.31.5.

 

[AndrewT]

I don't know what to say really. Obviously 1.32.1 is identical now to what it was on Friday so it can't be the game itself. Maybe your security app had an update meantime?

 

[Dimes]

I don't know what to say really. Obviously 1.32.1 is identical now to what it was on Friday so it can't be the game itself. Maybe your security app had an update meantime?

I did already try removing eu4.exe and readding the excemptions (and turning the security app temprorarily totally off changes nothing). And I of course also tried the full reinstall as per above. No full screen for me it seems :/

 

[AndrewT]

Since doing that have you re-applied the "disable fullScreen optimisation" setting to eu4.exe ?

 

[Dimes]

Since doing that have you re-applied the "disable fullScreen optimisation" setting to eu4.exe ?

Yes.

 

[AndrewT]

Sorry then, I have no idea what is happening in this machine to cause this to you. I expect a Windows Reset or clean wipe and install would fix it, but that's a lot to contemplate to get a game going properly, I know!

 

[sambucca1977]

any fix? i've got the same issue on my new laptop (freshly installed windows 10)

 

[grotaclas]

any fix? i've got the same issue on my new laptop (freshly installed windows 10)

The fix would be to use borderless fullscreen. Did you try this?

 

[sambucca1977]

The fix would be to use borderless fullscreen. Did you try this?

Yes, it works in borderless fullscreen.
Just wondering why it doesn’t run in full screen.