If you’re seeing a black screen whenever you launch Darksiders Genesis, the fixes in this article will help you get rid of the problem.

Run the Game in Windowed Mode

Some users found a neat trick that resolved the issue. The idea is to switch the game to Windowed mode (press the Alt and Enter keys together) after you launch it. If it begins to run normally, change it back to full-screen mode, then you’ll be all set.

If that doesn’t work, move on to the next solution.

Change the Game’s Resolution

For some reason, the game’s resolution might be higher or incompatible with your monitor. Some gamers found this to be the problem and were able to resolve it by changing the resolution to that of their monitor’s. To do that, follow the steps below:

First of all, check your monitor’s recommended resolution by right-clicking your desktop and selecting Display Settings. Check the “Recommended” option in the Display Resolution drop-down under the “Scale and layout” section of the Display interface.

Since you can’t get the game to run, follow these steps to adjust the screen resolution in its configuration file:

  1. Open the Run dialog box by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Run from the Quick Access menu or by pressing the Windows and R keys simultaneously.
  2. After Run shows up, type “%localappdata%” (without the quotes) into the text box and click on OK or hit the Enter key.
  3. After the Local folder opens, navigate to:

THQ Nordic\Darksiders Genesis\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

  1. Right-click on the “GameUserSettings.ini” file, hover your mouse pointer over “Open with,” then click on Notepad.
  2. After the text file appears, search for the “FullscreenMode=0” line and change it to “FullscreenMode=1”.
  3. Search for the “PreferredFullscreenMode=0” line and set it to “PreferredFullscreenMode=1”.
  4. Save the text (Ctrl + S) and launch the game to check for the problem.

If the issue isn’t resolved, open the file again and set “FullscreenMode=1” to “FullscreenMode=2”.

If the black screen problem still occurs, delete the “GameUserSettings.ini” file and run the game.

Deleting the Darksiders folder also resolved the problem for other gamers.

Delete the AMD_Logo_Movie.wmv File

This is the video that plays whenever you launch the game. It could be the reason for the problem, and you can fix the issue by deleting it. The file resides in your game’s installation folder. The folder’s location will depend on how you installed it. We’ll show you how to summon it, using the Steam client and GOG Galaxy.

  1. Launch Steam by clicking on its icon on your Desktop or by going through the Start menu if you don’t have a Desktop icon.
  2. Once the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  3. After the list of games attached to your Steam account appears, locate Darksiders Genesis, right-click it, then select Properties.
  4. Go to the Properties interface on the right side of the window and click on Local Files.
  5. Click on the “Browse Local Files” button under the Local Files tab.
  6. The game’s folder will now pop up.

If you run the game via GOG Galaxy:

  • Go to the Start menu and launch the client or double-click on its desktop icon if you have one.
  • After GOG Galaxy opens, go to the Library and select Darksiders Genesis.
  • Once the game’s tab appears, click on the “More” drop-down menu, place your mouse pointer over Manage Installation, then click on Show Folder.
  • The game’s folder should now appear.

After the game’s folder opens, locate the AMD_Logo_Movie.wmv file and delete it.

Stop Overclocking Your GPU

As it turns out, the problem seems to be common among players who are in the habit of overclocking their display adapters. If you’re one of them, make sure you reduce your clock speed to default and check for the issue.

Verify Integrity of Game Files

Your game files could be the reason for the problem. It’s possible that some of the files associated with the startup process have gone missing or corrupt due to antivirus interreference or abrupt system shutdown during gameplay. It’s also possible that the files have been compromised by malware.

To resolve the problem, go to your gaming client and verify your game’s installation files. The client will compare the files on your computer with those on its servers and replace any that it finds to be problematic. We’ll be showing you to verify your game files, using GOG Galaxy and the Steam Client.

Using GOG Galaxy:

  1. Go to the Start menu and launch the client or double-click on its desktop icon if you have one.
  2. After GOG Galaxy opens, go to the Library section and select Darksiders Genesis.
  3. Once the game’s tab appears, click on the “More” drop-down menu, place your mouse pointer over Manage Installation, then click on Verify/Repair.
  4. GOG Galaxy will now fish out all the faulty game files and download their replacements.
  5. After the process is complete, run the game and check if the problem persists.

Using Steam:

  1. Launch the Steam client.
  2. Once Steam opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  3. After your list of games appears, right-click on Darksiders Genesis and click on Properties in the context menu.
  4. Go to the Properties interface on the right side, switch to the Local Files tab, then click on the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
  5. The Steam client will now check your game files for irregularities and replace any that is problematic.
  6. After the client completes the verification process, it will notify you.
  7. Restart Steam and run the game to check for the problem.

Run the Game as an Administrator

Without admin rights, the game won’t be able to access some of the advanced system resources that it needs to function properly. The lack of these permissions could be the reason you’re experiencing the black screen when launching the game. So, launch Darksiders Genesis as an administrator and check if the problem will go away.

The normal way to run any application in administrator mode is by right-clicking its Start entry or desktop icon and clicking Run as Administrator. Note that you must do this whenever you want to launch the game. Also, you can only run the game as an administrator if you’re on an admin account.

To adjust the game’s settings so that you don’t have to right-click it, follow these steps:

  1. Launch a File Explorer window, using the Windows + E keyboard shortcut. You can also click on the folder icon in the taskbar if you have one.
  2. Once the File Explorer window appears, navigate to the right pane of the window and double-click the drive where Windows is installed (this is usually the Local Disk C).
  3. Once the drive opens, go to Program Files (x86) >> Steam >> Steamapps >> Common >> Darksiders genesis.
  4. If you didn’t install the game or Steam in the default location, or use GOG Galaxy to run the game, follow any one of the relevant guides below to summon the game’s installation folder:

If you bought the game on Steam:

  • Launch Steam by clicking on its icon on your Desktop or by going through the Start menu if you don’t have a Desktop icon.
  • Once the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  • After the list of games attached to your Steam account appears, locate Darksiders Genesis, right-click it, then select Properties.
  • Go to the Properties interface on the right side of the window and click on Local Files.
  • Click on the “Browse Local Files” button under the Local Files tab.
  • The game’s folder will now pop up.

If you run the game via GOG Galaxy:

  • Go to the Start menu and launch the client or double-click on its desktop icon if you have one.
  • After GOG Galaxy opens, go to the Library and select Darksiders Genesis.
  • Once the game’s tab appears, click on the “More” drop-down menu, place your mouse pointer over Manage Installation, then click on Show Folder.
  • The game’s folder should now appear.
  1. In the folder, you’ll likely find two EXE files. Make sure you apply the changes that follow to both.
  2. Right-click on the EXE file, then click on Properties.
  3. After the Properties dialog window opens, switch to the Compatibility tab.
  4. Now, check the box associated with “Run this program as an administrator,” then click on the OK button.

Update Your Display Adapter Driver

Graphics card drivers remain one of the most common reasons for gaming issues. Your driver has to be right for the game you’re playing or you’re going to be facing one issue or the other. If you haven’t updated this piece of software in a while, make sure you do that as it could very well be the cause of your challenge.

There are different ways to update your display driver properly, and we’ll be walking you through each. However, we recommend that you uninstall your current driver before you proceed. Performing a clean installation is the right way to go because some components of your current driver might be corrupt. Follow these steps if you don’t know how to remove your display driver:

  1. Press the Windows and S keys together to open the search box beside the Start menu.
  2. After the search function appears, type “device manager” (no quotes).
  3. Click on Device Manager once the search results appear.
  4. After the Device Manager opens, click on the arrow beside Display Adapters.
  5. Under Display Adapters, right-click your graphics card and select Uninstall Device in the context menu.
  6. After the Uninstall Device confirmation dialog box pops up, check the box next to “Delete the driver software for this device,” and then click on the Uninstall button.
  7. Once Windows completes the uninstallation, restart your device.

Note that you can also make use of tools such as the Display Driver Uninstaller to get rid of your graphics card driver and all its files and registry entries. The AMD Cleanup tool also serves this purpose.

Once you’ve removed the display driver, take the right steps in installing the updated version. There are different ways to go about this, from using the Windows Update utility and the Device Manager to using a third-party application.

We’ll be walking you through the steps in using those methods.

Using Windows Update

The Windows Update utility is known for updating the operating system and Microsoft apps, but it’s also great at installing driver updates. The tool will automatically detect your graphics card and match it with the appropriate driver version.

Using Windows Update guarantees you a driver that has been vetted by Microsoft and cleared for your operating system and device. The only downside to using it is that Microsoft may take a while before publishing the driver. That aside, we still recommend that you start with it.

Now, follow these steps to use the Windows Update utility:

  1. Click on the Start button or tap the Windows logo key to open the Start menu. Once the Start menu appears, click on the cogwheel icon beside your username.
  2. If you want to launch the app faster, simply hit the Windows and I keys simultaneously.
  3. After Settings appears, click on Update & Security at the bottom of the home page.
  4. Once you see the Windows Update interface, click on the Check for Updates button.
  5. Allow the utility to check for available updates for your system. If your operating system is up to date, move on to the next guide.
  6. If you have pending updates, the utility will automatically begin to download them. If permission is required, click on the Download button.
  7. After the updates are fully downloaded, click on the Restart Now button.
  8. Your computer will now reboot and Windows will begin the installation process.
  9. Once the process is complete, your system will boot up normally.
  10. Launch the game and check for the black screen problem.

Use the Device Manager

The Device Manager is another built-in Windows utility where you can update your device drivers. The tool also depends on Microsoft for the driver updates, which means there’s a chance the process might not be successful. You can still try it out since other gamers were able to use it to update their drivers. Follow the steps below to complete the process:

  1. Open the search box beside the Start button by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the taskbar or by pressing the Windows and I keys together.
  2. Type “device manager” (without the quotes) into the text box.
  3. After Device Manager shows up in the search results, click on it.
  4. After the Device Manager opens, click on the arrow beside Display Adapters.
  5. Under Display Adapters, right-click your graphics card and select Update Driver in the context menu.
  6. Click on “Search automatically for updated driver software” after you see the Update Driver window.
  7. Now, allow Windows to update the driver once it finds the latest version.
  8. Restart your system and check for the problem once the process is complete.

Perform a Clean Boot

If nothing worked to this point, then it’s possible that you’re dealing with application conflicts. Some programs that run in the background are configured to launch automatically once Windows starts. One or more of these programs could be the reason for the problem. You have to fish out the responsible program. To do that, you’ll be performing a Clean Boot.

The Clean Boot is a troubleshooting technique that involves disabling every startup app and restarting your system. After that, you can run the game. If the black screen doesn’t show up, then you just confirmed that a startup program is responsible.

The steps that follow will show you how to isolate the program behind the problem:

  1. Press the Windows and S keys together or click on the magnifying glass in the taskbar.
  2. After the search function opens, type “msconfig” (no quotes), then click on System Configuration in the results.
  3. After the System Configuration dialog window opens, switch to the Services tab.
  4. Under the Services tab, check the box for “Hide all Microsoft services.”
  5. Next, click the Disable All button to prevent all the startup services under the tab, except Microsoft services, from launching after you restart your system.
  6. Now, go to the Startup tab and click on “Open Task Manager”.
  7. After the Startup tab of Task Manager appears, disable all the startup programs by selecting each program and clicking on the Disable button.
  8. Close the Task Manager and click on the OK button in the System Configuration dialog.
  9. Restart your system.

If the game opens normally without the black screen, then you have to take further measures in figuring out which program is causing the problem. To do that, enable one program, restart your system, then launch the game to check if the black screen shows up. Keep going from one startup to the next until the issue occurs again. The last program to trigger the black screen is the culprit.

If you can’t go through the lengthy process of enabling startup after startup, the steps below will show you an easier method:

  1. Launch the System Configuration dialog window.
  2. Go to the Services tab.
  3. From the top, enable half the services by checking their boxes and clicking on the Enable All button.
  4. Click on the OK button, then restart your system and launch Darksiders Genesis.
  5. If the game opens without the black screen problem, then none of the services you enabled is responsible. If the black screen issue appears, however, then you have to focus on the services you just enabled. Start disabling them one after the other until the issue goes away. The last startup you disabled before the problem disappears is what you’re looking for.
  6. Follow the same principle till you’ve gone through the startup apps.

Conclusion

That’s it – how to get rid of black screen problems in Darksiders Genesis. If you have other issues or want to share your experience playing the game, use the comments section below.