Hey all. I've been hearing some good things about this game, and I've been wanting to try it out. I've been running into a problem though. Everytime I start up the game, my screen will just flicker black constantly, and I can't open anything to close it down. I've used the task manager, and it makes it look like the game isn't even running. Any help I could get would be appreciated, and if it helps any, I'm running Windows 7. I can post my dxdiag if needed also.

Hmmm...is the compatibility mode set to windows XP SP2?

I honestly have no clue where to find that. Where would I be able to find that? (sorry about this, I'm kinda new with some aspects of computers.)

Originally posted by blooblob

I honestly have no clue where to find that. Where would I be able to find that? (sorry about this, I'm kinda new with some aspects of computers.)

 right click the Vanguard Icon.

choose "Properties" at the very bottom of the list.

choose the "Compatibility" tab from the top

First option on the page is for choosing compatibility,,,,make sure it has XP SP2 in th box. If not choose that option from the list

Click  Apply then OK at the bottom.

restart Vanguard and hope this was the problem..lol.

Also...make sure drivers  for your graphics card are  updated...you can do this on your card's  website......basically either Nvidia or ATI...which ever card brand you have.

I just did both of these, and I'm having the same problem. Any other suggestions?

Those were the basics off the top of my head. Anyone probably could've suggested them. My work is picking up so I won't be able to delve too much further other than this.....I checked your past posts out of hunch. I noticed a question about your HP SLimline. If that is what you are using...after I googled your PC and problem I noticed a few people having the same flickering screen issue with various applications. I don't have much time but try googling your pc name and model with a summarized explanation of your problem. e.g. black flickering screen. Also try the problem with the name Vanguard. You might find a better answer and resolution in time.  Also...what kind of graphics card do you have?...might just not work well with the game...but I'm assuming it is relatively new. So it should be fine. Sorry I couldn't help more...when I have time I'll keep checking this thread and looking online for possible answers

It could also be your in-game resolution settings. Try matching your desktop resolution to the in-game resolution via the video options in Vanguard. Another thing to keep an eye on is monitor refresh rate. A flat panel LCD display should have no more than 60hz refresh rate. A CRT or "tube" monitor will have between 70-85hz refresh.

Applications running in the background can affect game performance and flicker at times. If a background app is set to "always on top" it can try and take over but not be successful with VG in full screen mode.

I think u can access video options before you start the game through the launchpad. Most games have this option.

I have two computers. One is a good desktop with a good processer, and good video card and othe others is a cheap HP laptop with nothing special for gaming.

Both computers start up with a black screen AFTER the character slect screen and going into the world. So this tells me that the game seems as if it has a hard time starting no matter how good your computer.

MY Laptop has Windows 7 installed and I don't have to run it in compatability mode, but my friend does....I recommend that after you start the game and you are at the caracter slect screen go into your game video options and lower your default from Ballanced to High Performance. The game may not look the best grpahicly but it makes a world of a diffriance for stability and playabality on a cheap computer.

Crow, the weird thing with Vanguard is that there is no way to change any kind of settings through the launchpad. It seems that the only way to do things like this is to actually get into the game. I'll try to adjust things through the properties panel, and see if that works. If you there's anything else anyone can think of, please help out. I've been dying to try this game.

Originally posted by blooblob

Crow, the weird thing with Vanguard is that there is no way to change any kind of settings through the launchpad. It seems that the only way to do things like this is to actually get into the game. I'll try to adjust things through the properties panel, and see if that works. If you there's anything else anyone can think of, please help out. I've been dying to try this game.

 Well if you downloaded it, ran it, and alow it to patch for a few hours, and your not able to even make a character, you may have a bad download.

or

1) if it's an old and cheap computer it may not work

2) if it's a new Laptop, you may have to go to the HP web site and update the drivers, as even new computers have very very old drivers. They are expecting you to do this anyway

There is a setting in Vanguard that usually turns my screen "black" once i'm in game.

It's either tone mapping or hardware occlusion.

So i wonder, can you go into your video card settings and make it so that Vanguard only relies upon what is set in the Video Card settings. I know Nvidea has something like this. Then make it so that everything is kind of low. Then try and see if you an get in.

Thread is utterly pointless, without even the basic spec of ur machine, etc.

Originally posted by Phelcher

Thread is utterly pointless, without even the basic spec of ur machine, etc.

That's a good point.

er "op tell us what you have".

You could try downloading the Sony Station client...which manages all sony games as far as updating ...etc. Once you download SonyStation ..it  will have a button to show all games on their station pass and their status...e.g whether you're subscribed/active/inactive for each game. Click on vanguard and allow it to patch and update it again. This will also scan and check files each time you launch Vanguard and allow you to update in the background.(this keeps sony station client active unless you end it manually..even if you're not playing any games. You can exit the station  from your taskbar) It might launch through this process. I forgot that I have Star Wars Galaxies as a separate icon..but  I  launch Vanguard through sony station.

This also a resolution of a similar problem...however it was from 4 years ago

go to your Vanguard folder then to "bins" and delete the "caches" folder and redownload it from the patcher. It is a known problem. From the Station.com Knowledge base: "Load screen goes black after hitting play

Some players have reported the following message after clicking on the play button, “Vanguard is either already running or has crashed the last time you ran it, click yes to restore Vanguard to default settings”. While this issue is known, a temporary workaround can be done by deleting the Caches folder under the \Program Files\Sony\Vanguard\bin directory." 

...you could always try it if all else fails.

Dxdiag:

 Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.101026-1503)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: HP-Pavilion
       System Model: AY643AA-ABA s5310f
               BIOS: BIOS Date: 02/10/10 19:29:04 Ver: 5.19
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 250 Processor (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
             Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM
          Page File: 1933MB used, 6255MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 Series       
       Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
          Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x954F)
           DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_954F&SUBSYS_24621682&REV_00
     Display Memory: 2808 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 1016 MB
      Shared Memory: 1791 MB
       Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
       Monitor Name: Dell IN1910N(Analog)
      Monitor Model: DELL IN1910N
         Monitor Id: DELA04C
        Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (59.790Hz)
        Output Type: HD15
        Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.1065 (English)
     Driver Version: 8.821.0.0
        DDI Version: 10.1
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 1/26/2011 17:59:10, 708608 bytes
        WHQL Logo'd: n/a
    WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
  Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-D60F-11CF-1B71-6804BEC2C535}
          Vendor ID: 0x1002
          Device ID: 0x954F
          SubSys ID: 0x24621682
        Revision ID: 0x0000
 Driver Strong Name: oem36.inf:ATI.Mfg.NTamd64.6.1:ati2mtag_R7X:8.821.0.0:pci\ven_1002&dev_954f
     Rank Of Driver: 00E62001
        Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C

Those are the basics. Tell me if you need any more.

Originally posted by BarCrow

This also a resolution of a similar problem...however it was from 4 years ago

 

go to your Vanguard folder then to "bins" and delete the "caches" folder and redownload it from the patcher. It is a known problem. From the Station.com Knowledge base: "Load screen goes black after hitting play

Some players have reported the following message after clicking on the play button, “Vanguard is either already running or has crashed the last time you ran it, click yes to restore Vanguard to default settings”. While this issue is known, a temporary workaround can be done by deleting the Caches folder under the \Program Files\Sony\Vanguard\bin directory." 

 

...you could always try it if all else fails.

Sadly, nothing's working still, my screens still flickering on start-up. This is going badly. >.<

Welcome to Vanguard....Hope you like troubleshooting things like this if you plan on playing it.

This game has been crippled by tons of technical issues from day one.  It could have been one of the best mmo's ever made but everyone who tried it quit after a short time due to the constant glitches, bugs, and performance issues.  They've tried to fix many of them but it's still just a jumbled mess of code that most people have given up on.

Ih ad this problem in the past and it turned out to be a bad memory section on the video card(which basically means bad card). I only saw the problem with Vice City, so I thought that it had to be the game since others worked. But each game has a different "memory footprint" as well as a different way of handling bad data, which is why some games limp along unnoticed and others crash outright.

Your issue may be with your graphics card and not Vanguard exclusively. I googled your card and symptoms and I came up with several links where the black flickering is occurring with several different games. Here is the link:

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=vanguard+problems+black+flickering+ati+4300&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f17ae772ca1ea813&biw=1680&bih=913

Originally posted by blooblob

Originally posted by BarCrow

This also a resolution of a similar problem...however it was from 4 years ago

 

go to your Vanguard folder then to "bins" and delete the "caches" folder and redownload it from the patcher. It is a known problem. From the Station.com Knowledge base: "Load screen goes black after hitting play

Some players have reported the following message after clicking on the play button, “Vanguard is either already running or has crashed the last time you ran it, click yes to restore Vanguard to default settings”. While this issue is known, a temporary workaround can be done by deleting the Caches folder under the \Program Files\Sony\Vanguard\bin directory." 

 

...you could always try it if all else fails.

Sadly, nothing's working still, my screens still flickering on start-up. This is going badly. >.<

1)  You may just have a bad download.

2) I could not get LOTRO to play on my good gaming PC yet, works fine on my cheap laptop....Sometimes you just never know.