# Black screen on Client Multiplayer Startup (hear music, can see cursor) **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [July 26, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363 "2018-07-26T16:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/1 "2018-07-26T16:12:45Z")

Hi, I bought Stonehearth to my girlfriend today, sadly when she tries to join my game she gets black screen (She can see cursor and hear music). However when she creates Singleplayer game it seems to work somewhat fine. I already searched for a help on these topics (None of the helps etc. made any difference. 😕 ) > [@Current workarounds (try these if you're stuck!)](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/current-workarounds-try-these-if-youre-stuck/3972): > > Help! I can’t play the game! If you suffer one or more of these issues: Game doesn’t start but there’s no error message nor anything that tells you that something went wrong Steam tries to launch the game but the game never opens Game opens but closes inmediately Game opens but the screen is black and there’s no cursor Game opens but you can’t see anything, although you can hear the music Game crashes shortly after starting to play You can try these workarounds: Refer to [Crashing on star… > [@Black screen when entering the game](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-when-entering-the-game/33647): > > when you log into the game through steam I run the game but the black screen with cursor what to do? She’s using Acer Aspire E15 (Not great but it should be able to run the game. Well at least Can You Run It tells us that it can. 😅 ) CPU: Intel Celeron N2940 1.83GHz GPU: Nvidia GeForce 810M RAM: 4GB Any Ideas what could solve this problem, or is it just that her Laptop isn’t good enough. **A little update:** So after multiple tries it seems like the game won’t even start now. 😑 Starting to get a little frustrated, anyone has any idea what could help…? ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/2 "2018-07-26T16:19:31Z")

Maybe those two guides aren’t really about the same problem but it could’ve helped. (Couldn’t really find similar problem though. 😕 ) ---

**Author:** ![Wouter\_Sikkema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/wouter_sikkema/32/61482_2.png) [@Wouter\_Sikkema](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Wouter_Sikkema)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/3 "2018-07-26T16:24:44Z")

I’m looking at that processor and thinking hell no :’) (stonehearth is a speed hog @ processor) (note I’m no expert in minimum requirements) ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/4 "2018-07-26T16:27:31Z")

@Wouter_Sikkema My thoughts as well 🤣 but it runs singleplayer no problem and in multiplayer it should be little better since I’m the host. Don’t really get why the multiplayer issue though. 😕 ---

**Author:** ![Wouter\_Sikkema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/wouter_sikkema/32/61482_2.png) [@Wouter\_Sikkema](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Wouter_Sikkema)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/5 "2018-07-26T16:32:06Z")

Hmm fair point. What happens the other way around? If she hosts and you join? #forscience ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/6 "2018-07-26T16:33:51Z")

@Wouter_Sikkema Gonna try it. But just out of record, her laptop’s gonna probably blow up 😄 ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/7 "2018-07-26T16:44:25Z")

@Wouter_Sikkema So when she hosts the game it works just fine. 🤔 ---

**Author:** ![Wouter\_Sikkema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/wouter_sikkema/32/61482_2.png) [@Wouter\_Sikkema](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Wouter_Sikkema)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/8 "2018-07-26T16:55:38Z")

Maybe she’s just not much of a joiner :’)? (have a similar issue with my gf, except my game explodes when I join her and not the other way round) seeing as I have the more beefy pc this is not an issue for us :’) ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/9 "2018-07-26T16:57:08Z")

@Wouter_Sikkema Sadly since she has a calculator and I’m running quite a high-end-ish PC it’s quite a little issue 😃 ---

**Author:** ![Relyss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/relyss/32/41785_2.png) [@Relyss](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Relyss)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/10 "2018-07-27T16:25:04Z")

@Thaly could you get the log from her laptop after the blackscreen issue happens? (The log gets overwritten everytime you open the game). Perhaps some error will appear on it after a bit of time on that blackscreen. You can find the stonehearth.log inside C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stonehearth (assuming you play through Steam). ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 11:24am UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/11 "2018-07-28T11:24:24Z")

@Relyss Here it is. Hope it helps… 😑 > 2018-07-28 13:16:47.599550 | server | 1 | app | Stonehearth Version 1.0.0.892 (x64) > 2018-07-28 13:16:47.601549 | server | 1 | core.config | user id is 08ebc4d4-3985-4654-8bb4-ba0cd63da3fc > 2018-07-28 13:16:47.601549 | server | 1 | core.config | session id is e7c026fc-bda5-44a7-825e-917f14b7f2c7 > 2018-07-28 13:16:47.602550 | server | 0 | app | Steam present. > 2018-07-28 13:16:47.609548 | server | 0 | core.system | Initializing crash reporter > 2018-07-28 13:17:20.800227 | server | 1 | resources | Modules are verified pristine. > 2018-07-28 13:17:26.731580 | server | 0 | app | Running Stonehearth server on port 59571 > 2018-07-28 13:17:26.732581 | client | 0 | client.core | Connecting to local server… > 2018-07-28 13:17:26.941568 | server | 0 | physics.navgrid | subspace pathfinder is enabled > 2018-07-28 13:17:26.966566 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Initializing OpenGL > 2018-07-28 13:17:28.850446 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Determining window placement > 2018-07-28 13:17:28.850446 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Selecting monitor at 683, 375 > 2018-07-28 13:17:28.865445 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Creating OpenGL Window > 2018-07-28 13:17:37.996863 | server | 1 | mod radiant | lua controller lifetime tracking set to “nil” > 2018-07-28 13:17:39.719755 | server | 0 | mod stonehearth.ai.service | enable\_cpp\_placeholders is on > 2018-07-28 13:17:39.719755 | server | 0 | mod stonehearth.ai.service | enable\_cpp\_compound\_action is on > 2018-07-28 13:17:56.452695 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Creating OpenGL Context > 2018-07-28 13:17:56.496687 | client | 1 | game\_engine | Finished OpenGL Initialization > 2018-07-28 13:17:57.638612 | client | 1 | horde.general | Initializing GL2 backend using OpenGL driver ‘4.6.0 NVIDIA 388.71’ by ‘NVIDIA Corporation’ on ‘GeForce 810M/PCIe/SSE2’ > 2018-07-28 13:18:02.767287 | client | 1 | horde.general | No cascade buffer allocated! > 2018-07-28 13:18:24.783886 | client | 1 | browser | cef started. > 2018-07-28 13:18:24.989873 | client | 1 | browser | Navigate called without an existing browser! > 2018-07-28 13:18:26.417779 | thread3264 | 1 | browser | Doing a buffered navigation to [http://radiant/stonehearth/ui/root/index.html](http://radiant/stonehearth/ui/root/index.html) > 2018-07-28 13:18:31.568453 | client | 0 | physics.navgrid | subspace pathfinder is enabled > 2018-07-28 13:18:32.584389 | client | 1 | client.core | user feedback is off > 2018-07-28 13:18:34.459275 | client | 1 | game\_engine | ignoring duplicate screen resize to (1366, 705) > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.555202 | client | 1 | network | client allocating new send buffer (total: 0) > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.577203 | client | 0 | client.core | Authenticating… > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.663201 | server | 0 | simulation.core | Making authentication request with provider: host > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.664209 | server | 0 | simulation.core | Authentication successful, responding with session. > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.664209 | server | 0 | simulation.core | { > “session” : { > “player\_id” : “player\_1”, > “client\_id” : “host”, > “provider” : “host” > }, > “state” : “configuring” > } > 2018-07-28 13:19:17.943444 | server | 1 | mod stonehearth.build.building\_monitor | inventory was not present for player player\_1 > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.050438 | server | 0 | mod stonehearth | Player ‘player\_1’ joined > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.269435 | server | 1 | network | server allocating new send buffer (total: 0) > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.287423 | client | 0 | client.core | Authenticated > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.309421 | client | 1 | mod radiant | lua controller lifetime tracking set to “nil” > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.444408 | client | 1 | horde.general | Failed to create shadow map > 2018-07-28 13:19:18.445410 | client | 1 | horde.general | Failed to create shadow map > 2018-07-28 13:19:26.631799 | server | 0 | simulation.core | took 122 ms to flush streamer > 2018-07-28 13:19:26.633794 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | started buffering client updates. (seq:142 ack:0) > 2018-07-28 13:19:27.939705 | client | 1 | lua.code | unrecognized object type ‘boxed’ in json\_to\_lua! > 2018-07-28 13:19:27.939705 | client | 1 | lua.code | unrecognized object type ‘boxed’ in json\_to\_lua! > 2018-07-28 13:19:28.243695 | server | 1 | lua.code | unrecognized object type ‘boxed’ in json\_to\_lua! > 2018-07-28 13:19:28.243695 | server | 1 | lua.code | unrecognized object type ‘boxed’ in json\_to\_lua! > 2018-07-28 13:19:28.269688 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | stopped buffering client updates. (seq:142 ack:142) > 2018-07-28 13:19:28.319692 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | started buffering client updates. (seq:175 ack:142) > 2018-07-28 13:19:28.420680 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | stopped buffering client updates. (seq:175 ack:175) > 2018-07-28 13:19:48.115823 | client | 1 | client.core | save game directory does not exist! > 2018-07-28 13:19:51.258032 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | started buffering client updates. (seq:624 ack:604) > 2018-07-28 13:19:51.309031 | server | 1 | simulation.remote\_client | stopped buffering client updates. (seq:624 ack:615) > 2018-07-28 13:22:01.496203 | client | 0 | game\_engine | window closed. exiting process Also after it drops her into the black screen she can’t start Stonehearth at all. Getting the Black Screen on normal Start Up as well… 😑 ---

**Author:** ![Relyss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/relyss/32/41785_2.png) [@Relyss](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Relyss)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/12 "2018-07-28T17:06:06Z")

Hmm I wonder if running in 32bit would work (you can find an option to force it in the user\_settings.json). Or adding an exception for the game in her antivirus / firewall. 🤔 Also, updating the drivers from [Download Drivers | NVIDIA](http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us) might help, they seem a bit outdated. ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/13 "2018-07-28T22:52:57Z")

@Relyss I was thinking the same thing. Also we already tried that… it’s also mentioned in those guides I was linking, if I remember corectly. 🙂 Gonna try the 32bit thing, that’s only thing we didn’t try. ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 10:58am UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/14 "2018-07-29T10:58:59Z")

@Relyss Also while we were trying this we found a possible bug. I can’t invite my girlfriend to the game when she has Stonehearth already running, even when she’s in a main menu. And to the 32bit, didn’t make any difference 😕 ---

**Author:** ![Relyss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/relyss/32/41785_2.png) [@Relyss](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Relyss)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/15 "2018-07-30T15:06:38Z")

> [@Thaly](#): > > I can’t invite my girlfriend to the game when she has Stonehearth already running, even when she’s in a main menu. Clients can only join the host after the host has already placed their banner inside the game. That said, we know there’s an issue with Steam Invites right now since they changed the Friend list UI, we’re looking into that. Sorry that nothing is helping 😥 If she was able to play fine before, there’s no reason why she would get a black screen now. I know when playing non-Steam multiplayer, client would get some black screen if it tries to play single player after that (because due to the user settings, it will still try to connect to host, so after some time it will finally time out and go to the main menu). But it seems that some players have been experiencing black screens after we updated to 1.0 too so there might be something suspicious out there. From mods, to antivirus not liking that we patch so often. If she tries running the Stonehearth.exe while not logged to Steam, does the blackscreen still appear? ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/16 "2018-07-30T18:51:37Z")

> [@Relyss](#): > > it will still try to connect to host, so after some time it will finally time out and go to the main menu). This is kind of what she’s experiencing. 🤔 Could it be something in my PC? I’m thinking if it’s not some kind of error on my side that times her our to main menu. (The main menu time out happens after like half an hour or so.) > [@Relyss](#): > > Sorry that nothing is helping 😥 Honestly, I don’t mind that nothing is helping since you actually respond to me quite fast. Feels like Blizzard support. Fast and actually tries to help 😃 ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/17 "2018-07-31T18:19:04Z")

> [@Relyss](#): > > If she tries running the Stonehearth.exe while not logged to Steam, does the blackscreen still appear? Umm… so should she get the black screen in Steam then close steam and run the game again without steam… am I understanding it right…? 😶 ---

**Author:** ![Relyss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/relyss/32/41785_2.png) [@Relyss](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Relyss)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/18 "2018-07-31T18:21:49Z")

If she closes Steam (logs out of Steam) and then runs the Stonehearth.exe from the folder, does she still get the black screen? ---

**Author:** ![Thaly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/thaly/32/65165_2.png) [@Thaly](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Thaly)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/19 "2018-08-03T12:57:04Z")

@Relyss She did not get the blackscreen without Steam running. 🤔 Sorry for being silent last few days. 😃 ---

**Author:** ![Relyss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.stonehearth.net/relyss/32/41785_2.png) [@Relyss](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/u/Relyss)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363/20 "2018-08-03T17:22:49Z")

No problem 🙂 Thanks for the follow up. So, this might point to an issue with Steam, which might / might not be related to the initial blackscreen when trying to connect to multiplayer described in the first post. She could try disabling the Steam overlay and see if it helps. 🤔 There’s probably some other Steam setting that I can’t remember that can also cause trouble. [Next page](https://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/black-screen-on-client-multiplayer-startup-hear-music-can-see-cursor/37363.md?page=2)