The Forest Black Screen After Startup: Endnight Games Ltd developed an open-world survival crafting game titled ‘The Forest,’ which was released in early access in April 2018. The game has garnered an impressive response from players on Steam, with many praising its engaging gameplay and immersive environment. However, some users have encountered a frustrating issue when launching the game on PC: a persistent black screen.
Reports from players indicate that upon attempting to start the game, they are met with a black screen that remains unresponsive. In addition to the visual blockage, there is an absence of audio during this time. Players often find themselves having to use the Alt+F4 command to exit the game, as no other options seem to work. This bug has proven to be quite aggravating for those affected.
The Forest Black Screen After Startup | PC users: How to FIX
There is a significant likelihood that the black screen issue in The Forest can be attributed to compatibility problems between your PC’s configuration and the game’s system requirements.
Various factors could contribute to this problem, including outdated graphics drivers, missing or corrupted game files, an outdated version of the game, DirectX-related issues, conflicts with overlay applications, or excessively high in-game graphics settings.
To avoid these compatibility issues, it is advisable to review the game’s system requirements through the provided link, ensuring that your computer meets all necessary specifications.
1. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations
- To begin, navigate to the directory located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Forest\Binaries\Win64. If you have installed Steam or the game in a different location, please go to that specific folder instead.
- Next, locate the file named The Forest.exe, right-click on it, and select Properties from the context menu.
- In the Properties window, switch to the Compatibility tab. Here, you will find an option labeled “Enable Fullscreen Optimizations.” Make sure to uncheck this box.
- After making this adjustment, click on Apply and then OK to confirm and save your changes.
2. Run the game as an Administrator
To prevent any privilege-related issues with user account control, it’s important to launch the game executable as an administrator. Additionally, you should also run the Steam client with administrative rights. Here’s how you can do this:
- 1. Locate the shortcut for The Forest executable on your desktop or in your files.
- 2. Right-click on the shortcut and choose “Properties” from the context menu.
- 3. Navigate to the “Compatibility” tab.
- 4. Find the option that says “Run this program as an administrator” and check the box next to it.
- 5. Finally, click “Apply” and then “OK” to confirm your changes.
By following these steps, you’ll ensure that both the game and Steam have the necessary permissions to run smoothly.
3. Check Graphics Driver Update
Ensure that your PC’s graphics driver is up to date, as an outdated or corrupted driver can lead to various problems, including black screen issues in games or applications. To check for updates, follow these steps:
- 1. Press the Windows + X keys simultaneously to access the Quick Link Menu.
- 2. From the menu, select Device Manager.
- 3. Locate and double-click on Display Adapters to expand the section.
- 4. Right-click on your active graphics card.
- 5. Choose the option to Update Driver, then select Search automatically for drivers.
- 6. If an update is available, your system will automatically download and install it.
- 7. Finally, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
4. Update The Forest
If you haven’t updated your game, The Forest, in some time, it’s important to check for any available updates and install the latest patch. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Launch the Steam client.
- 2. Navigate to your Library and select The Forest from the list on the left.
- 3. Steam will automatically look for any updates. If an update is found, be sure to click on the Update button.
- 4. The installation process may take a while, so be patient. Once the update is complete, exit the Steam client.
- 5. Finally, restart your computer to apply the changes, and then you can start the game again.
5. Check System Resources
If you experience slow loading times or prolonged startup when playing The Forest on your PC, it’s a good idea to monitor your system resources. Follow these steps to determine if RAM or CPU usage is unusually high:
- 1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously.
- 2. Navigate to the Processes tab and locate the application you wish to terminate.
- 3. Select the task and click on “End Task.” Repeat this process for each individual task as needed.
- 4. After you’ve finished, restart your computer to apply the changes immediately.
This will help optimize your system performance and improve your gaming experience.
6. Disable Overlay Applications
Some players who have experienced issues report that overlay applications can operate in the background during gaming sessions, which may lead to increased system resource consumption and negatively impact gameplay performance.
To mitigate these potential issues, it is advisable to disable any overlays before starting the game, especially if you do not use a specific overlay tool for features like chatting, taking screenshots, or recording gameplay. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate The Forest in your game list and right-click on it, then choose Properties.
- 3. In the Properties window, go to the General tab and uncheck the box labeled “Enable Steam Overlay.”
- 4. Return to your Library and relaunch The Forest to see if the black screen problem persists.
7. Check Windows Updates
It’s quite common for your Windows operating system to become outdated over time. When this happens, not only can your gameplay performance suffer, but you may also encounter bugs and stability issues. To ensure optimal performance, it’s advisable to regularly check for and install any available Windows updates. Here’s how you can do this:
- 1. Press the Windows key and the “I” key simultaneously to open the Settings menu.
- 2. Navigate to the “Update & Security” section and click on it.
- 3. Under the Windows Update section, select “Check for updates.”
- 4. If an update is available, click on “Download and install.”
- 5. Allow some time for the update process to complete.
- 6. Once finished, restart your computer to implement the changes immediately.
Keeping your Windows OS up to date is essential for maintaining the best performance and stability during your gaming sessions.
8. Lower in-game Graphics Settings
Consider adjusting the graphics settings within the game menu to see if it resolves your issue. Specifically, turning off V-Sync, shadow effects, and anti-aliasing may improve performance.
Additionally, setting the game to a lower display resolution could potentially address any black screen problems you are experiencing.
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9. Update DirectX
An obsolete or absent DirectX version can lead to various problems when starting or playing a game. To resolve this, consider the following steps to update DirectX:
- 1. Visit the Microsoft website to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer for your computer.
- 2. Proceed with the installation or manual update of your DirectX version.
- 3. After completing the installation, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
10. Press ALT+TAB Key Combo
Several users experiencing issues on their PCs have reported that utilizing the ALT + TAB keyboard shortcut allows them to navigate between open applications.
By repeatedly pressing ALT + TAB, you can cycle through your programs and return to your game to see if the issue has been resolved.
This action toggles the display from full-screen to windowed mode and back to full-screen, which may help rectify the black screen problem.
11. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
Several widely-used applications feature overlay programs that may operate in the background, potentially hindering gaming performance or causing launch issues. To resolve these problems, it’s advisable to disable these overlays by following the instructions below:
Disabling Discord Overlay
- 1. Open the Discord application and click on the gear icon located at the bottom of the window.
- 2. Navigate to the Overlay section under App Settings and toggle the option for “Enable in-game overlay” to the off position.
- 3. Proceed to the Games tab, select “The Forest,” and ensure that the “Enable in-game overlay” toggle is switched off.
- 4. Restart your computer to implement the changes.
Turning Off Xbox Game Bar
- 1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to access Windows Settings.
- 2. Select the Gaming option, then go to Game Bar and disable the option labeled “Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar.”
- 3. If you cannot locate the Game Bar option, you can search for it directly in the Windows Settings search bar.
Disabling Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay
- 1. Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience application and navigate to the Settings menu.
- 2. Under the General tab, find the “In-Game Overlay” option and turn it off.
- 3. Restart your computer to apply these changes, then try launching your game again.
Additionally, consider disabling other overlay programs such as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay applications that might be running in the background, as they could also impact your gaming experience.
12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
To effectively resolve various gaming issues or errors, it’s important to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer. Here’s how to do this:
- 1. Open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
- 2. In the search bar, type “Apps & Features” and select it from the results.
- 3. Browse through the list to find the Microsoft Visual C++ programs.
- 4. Click on each one and choose the Uninstall option.
- 5. Next, head over to the official Microsoft website to download the most recent version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- 6. After the download is complete, proceed with the installation on your computer. Finally, restart your system to apply the changes.
This process should help alleviate any gaming-related issues you may be experiencing.
13. Verify Game Files and Repair
It is advisable to check and repair your game files automatically through the game client for optimal performance.
To initiate this process on Steam, follow these steps:
- 1. Launch Steam and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate The Forest in your list of games, then right-click on it.
- 3. Select Properties from the menu that appears, and then head to the Local Files tab.
- 4. Click on the option labeled “Verify Integrity of Game Files…”
This action will initiate a verification process that checks all installed game files for any missing or corrupted elements. Allow this process to finish completely. Once it’s done, close the Steam client and restart your computer to ensure that all changes take effect.
After your computer has restarted, open Steam again and attempt to launch The Forest.
We hope you find this guide useful! If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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