How to Fix Black Screen Issue in Counter Strike 2?

Encountering a black screen in Counter-Strike 2 can often be attributed to the graphics drivers installed on your computer. This issue may occur when the drivers are outdated or damaged following a Windows update, which can prevent proper rendering of the game’s graphics.

Additionally, missing or corrupted game files may also lead to a black screen in Counter-Strike 2. In this case, repairing your game files could resolve the issue. This article will guide you through several methods that can help fix the black screen problem in Counter-Strike 2.

1. Use Autoconfig

When troubleshooting a black screen issue in Counter-Strike 2, the first step is to modify your config files, as they could be the root of the problem.

By launching the game with its default settings, Counter-Strike 2 reverts to its default configuration, which can effectively bypass any incorrect settings that may be causing the black screen. It’s a fresh start that helps to make sure the issue isn’t linked to modified or corrupt configuration files.

1. Open the Steam client on your PC.
2. Navigate to your Library, right-click on the game, and select Properties from the menu.
   
3. In the Properties window, type -autoconfig into the Launch Options field.
   
4. Close the Properties window and launch the game to see if this resolves the issue.
5. If the problem disappears, you should delete your current config files and create a new set to prevent the issue from recurring.

2. Use Windowed Mode

The display mode you’re using in Counter-Strike 2 could be another reason for the black screen issue. If you experience a black screen immediately upon launching the game, changing the display mode via the video settings menu may not be possible.

Under these circumstances, you will need to apply a launch option that forces the game to start in windowed mode regardless of the in-game settings. The following steps will enable you to do this:

1. Launch the Steam client on your computer.
2. Head to your Library.
3. Right-click on the game, then select Properties from the menu.
   
4. Next, enter -windowed into the Launch Options field.
   
5. After inputting the command, start the game and check if the black screen issue continues.

3. Verify Game Files

At times, your computer’s game files could be at fault, leading to a black screen. Missing or corrupted files are typical examples of such issues. The Verify Game Files function acts as a troubleshooter, scanning for and restoring any missing or damaged files within your game’s installation directory.

By restoring these essential components, this process can effectively eliminate the black screen issue, allowing Counter-Strike 2 to operate as intended.

1. Open the Steam client on your computer.
2. Go to your Library.
3. Right-click on the game and choose Properties from the menu.
   
4. In the Properties window, switch to the Installed Files tab.
5. Click the Verify integrity of game files button.
   
6. Let the scan complete and repair any detected issues.
7. Afterward, start the game to check if the black screen still exists.

4. Update Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers are crucial for gaming since they facilitate communication between your system’s processes and the graphics card. If your graphics drivers are outdated or corrupted, this may lead to black screen issues with your games. In such cases, reinstalling and updating your graphics drivers is necessary.

A tool called Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) can be particularly useful as it completely removes the current drivers from your computer.

1. Download the latest version of DDU from the official website here.
2. Extract the downloaded file to a preferred location on your PC.
3. Locate the extracted folder and run the Display Driver Uninstaller.exe file.
4. In the General Options window that appears, click Continue.

   

5. Select GPU from the Select device type drop-down menu.

   

6. Select your graphics card manufacturer from the Select device drop-down menu.

   

7. Click on Clean and restart to remove the graphics drivers.

   

8. Once your PC reboots, visit your graphics card manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your model.
9. Install the drivers on your PC, then launch the game to determine if the black screen persists.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

When none of the methods above have resolved the issue, it’s likely that third-party applications running in the background are causing interference with the game’s files or processes.

Performing a clean boot can isolate the root cause by booting Windows with only essential services. If the game runs smoothly after a clean boot, a background application is likely the problem. You can identify the specific reason by re-enabling services one at a time.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type msconfig into the box and press Enter.

   

3. This action opens the System Configuration window.
4. Switch to the Services tab and check the Hide all Microsoft services option.

   

5. Click the Disable all button, apply the changes, and click OK.

   

6. Move to the Startup tab and select the Open Task Manager link.

   

7. In the Task Manager, disable all startup applications by selecting them and clicking the Disable button.

   

8. Restart your computer.
9. Upon rebooting, launch the game to verify if the black screen has been resolved.
10. If the issue is resolved, re-enable services individually to find the problematic application.