Game not starting on Windows 7 [music and cursor only, worked before]

[PascusRex]

Hello,

I'm sorry to bother you guys but I am at my wit's end. I have many hours of Rimworld played on steam and Version 18 worked fine for me until suddenly after christmas when I tried to launch the game it only starts in some kind of semi-minimized window that I can't interact with, I got the Rimworld music and cursor though. I then have to kill the game via Task Manager.

I didn't change my system or installed any new stuff.

My system:
Windows 7 Premium (6.1 , Build 7601)
Intel Core i5-4690 @ 3.50Ghz
8192 RAM
DirectX 11
Geforece GTX 1060 3GB (Game Ready Driver Version 390.65 updated on 08/01/2018)

what I tried the last couple of days:
-remove mods
-restart computer
-restart steam
- fresh install
- delete all Ludeon/Rimworld folders, then reinstall
- run the official Rimworld registry cleaner and then reinstall.
- install on drive C:
- starting the game and waiting an hour
- starting the game and trying Alt+Enter
- starting the game and clicking the task bar icon
- change the scaling in my nvida display settings to "no scaling", "aspect ratio", "full screen", tick the box to override app settings
- start Rimworld via the nvidia optimization page in the Nvidia Experience app. Change the rimworld resolution from outside the game and then start. Force start in windowed mode.

So I read some people have a similar problem but they are all using WINDOWS 10. Couldn't find a single other person having this issue on Windows 7. So what fixes it for most people isn't doing it for me sadly.

Pls help me get my favourite game back. 

[Calahan]

Can you please post your log file (as an attachment). Details on where to find it here (see #6): https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=513.0

Also, you said you are using a Nvidia GPU, as such please can you check the Nvidia Control Panel and see if the Nvidia Share option is enabled. And if so please disable it (as it has been the cause of a variety of technical issues).

ps. You've mentioned messing around with a number of Nvidia settings trying to get the game to work. As such, and if you haven't already, I'd recommend changing your Nvidia settings for this game back to default/let CPU decide/let game decide. As forcing certain GPU features/settings has also been the cause of some issues as well.

Oh and can you please confirm whether you are using a laptop or desktop computer.

[PascusRex]

Thank you very much for your swift reply.

I am using a desktop computer.
I changed all nvidia settings back to how I had them before (in the Geforce Experience app and the screen resolution thing. Sadly no change.

Also I can't seem to find the option to disable Nvidia SHARE, it only says disable in-game overlay for me. This option was alredy disabled.


ps: just to save you some hassle: Thank you very much vor your help, I am off to work now, will check on this topic in about 10 hours.

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[Calahan]

Thank you for the log file and screenshot (my swift reply was purely coincidence as I just happen to check the support forum seconds after you posted )

According to your log file the cause of your error is:

HandleD3DDeviceLost

Which is usually caused by your GPU drivers being out of date. Although in your OP you mention your GPU driver version and update date, so that doesn't seem to be the cause here. So:

1 - I have limited experience (and none of it positive) with GeForce Experience, as every time I tried using its recommended / optimal settings for games all it did was make them look worse and/or run slower. Or in at least one case cause the game to crash on start-up. So for now please don't do anything via GeForce Experience program (unless asked specifically), and instead use the Nvidia Control Panel in relation to changing/checking Nvidia settings.

Another user who described the same problem as you, and had the exact same log errors you do, resolved this issue by resetting the 3D settings via the Control Panel:

Edit4: I got it to work again! Its so simple...
         Open NVIDIA control panel, go to 3D Settings and hit  "Let the 3D-Application decide"
         Should work then again!

https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=4805.msg368561#msg368561

(this was the end of the support conversation. It started here: https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=4805.msg368538#msg368538 and continues for the next few posts)

So my best guess right now is that something, maybe/likely GeForce Experience, has changed the 3D settings for RimWorld (and/or globally) and is trying to force/deny a certain setting that is incompatible with the game.

As such please open the Nvidia Control Panel* (so NOT Geforce Experience) and check that the settings for the RimWorld.exe program are all set to "Application controlled /default / Use the 3D application setting". Basically make sure that no setting is forced or denied (in place of allowing the GPU or application to decide). You can start by just changing the setting specifically for the RimWorld.exe, but if that doesn't resolve this then you might need to change your global settings (see 1a for a quick way to do this).

(please note I don't know if you have any specific global settings set. If you don't then just change those to make sure they get applied to RimWorld. As again, my experience isn't that great/positive with trying to get the Nvidia GPU to use certain settings for certain .exe's. Since the settings often seem to either be ignored, or changed without my input. So I just gave up after a while and now only change global settings and use a text file to keep track of game specific 3D settings. Which is a pain but the only way I can be sure what settings are actually getting used).

1a - There should be a "Restore" option in the Nvidia Control Panel to reset all settings to the defaults. As I said, I have no idea how extensively (or not) you yourself (rather than GeFroce Experience doing it) change your 3D settings, but if you don't want to manually check and change every settings, then you should be able to restore everything to default via the "Restore" option.


2 - Try going back to a previous set of GPU drivers. Historically, there haven't been any issues with Nvidia drivers and this game (which hasn't been the case for AMD drivers), but maybe there is now. So it's worth checking if previous drivers allow the game to work again (if just to rule it out).


3 - If neither of the above doesn't work, then please try a clean reinstall of your Nvidia GPU drivers. There should be a program on the Nvidia site that performs a clean reinstall of their drivers.


4 - Not sure how much of a crux this will be for you, but you could try uninstalling GeForce Experience. I've no idea if you lose any settings etc. that you have fine tuned. But if all else fails this might be something to try.


I'll leave it at that for now (as your 3D settings seem the most likely cause at this point). So please try the above and report back with the results. Although advanced warning that my RL is very busy right now so I'm afraid I can't give any guarantees on when I can reply (as I said, my response time here was totally "right place right time"). But all the signs are this is a GPU related issue, and not the game itself. So if all the above fails, and I (or someone else) isn't able to promptly respond with further suggestions, then the solution is very likely to be GPU related (either settings or drivers).


re: Nvidia share. I'm not sure if this is available on Win7 or not (as maybe that's why it's not an option for you. Not sure tbh). But I've attached a screenshot I found of someone's GeForce Experience screen to show you where the Share option is (or should be).


* Nvidia Control Panel - In case you don't know how to open it, and assuming there's no desktop shortcut. You should be able to open it by right-clicking on the Nvidia tray icon (but perhaps not any GeForce Experience icon, as that might only open the GeForce Experience Control Panel). Otherwise (assuming default install paths) you should be able to find it in Program Files>Nvidia Corporation>Control Panel Client> nvcplui.exe . Or just try searching your files and folders for the nvcplui.exe file

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[PascusRex]

Wow, thanks for your time and efforts. Your reply is written as if I am a complete moron, that makes you excellent customers service staff! 

So based on your advice I did two things in this order:

- I got rid of Geforce Experience as I never used it for anything other than the update-gpu-driver button.

- Then I clicked that restore button in the Nvidia 3D settings control panel. From what I noticed some global settings changed, but I don't remember if that was something I did some time ago or maybe a Geforce Experience update.

And the Game works again immediately!

Thank you so much for your help, I got my favourite game back! You are amazing! 

[Calahan]

Happy to help, and glad to hear the game is working for you again.

My educated guess is that at some point you clicked on / enabled one of GeForce Experience's very enticing sounding, but usually entirely falsely named features along the lines of "yes, please improve and optimise the performance of my games, and/or of gameX".

Which basically instructed GeForce to mess with various 3D settings. Either globally or for a specific game. Which it did, and then broke RimWorld (at least) in the process (maybe other games as well, although using the Restore button should have fixed any other broken games as well). Sometimes the performance of games can be improved by forcing/denying certain 3D settings, but sometimes it makes them worse or even breaks them completely. And for a game like RimWorld I'd be surprised if there's any gain to be had from adjusting 3D settings, and over just letting the Unity engine decide what's best (although GeForce obviously thought it knew better. Although GeFarce is a far more appropriate name for it from my experiences).

Edit - If you have uninstalled GeFarce now then you'll need to remember yourself to check for updates to your GPU driver. You can check and download drivers directly from Nvidia's website (pretty certain you know this, but mentioning it due to my excellence in customer services )