April 2017
Hi! I recently bought the Dragon Age Inquisition Game of the Year Edition, downloaded and installed it but when trying to launch the game it opens an all-black full screen window (as if the game was about to start - even my cursor changes to the DAI cursor), but then after maybe 2 seconds, it closes and goes back to the Origin client window. There is no error message of any kind, and I have not been able to pass this point at all.
I've tried disabling AVG (have not tried uninstalling it as I'm not sure that would be different from disabling it), and done a clean driver install to the latest version (Nvidea GeForce Game Ready 378.92). I've also tried repairing the game files via the Origin client, and re-downloading and installing everything, as well as re-downloading and installing only the base game (without any of the GOTY extras or expansions). None of this seemed to have any effect. I'm opening Origin as administrator, and the DAI exe is set to open as admin as well.
I've attached a dxdiag, but I'm running a Sony VAIO laptop:
Sony VAIO SVS151190S
Windows 7 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3612QM
8GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
I'm able to play other games (GTA V, Far Cry 3, Shadow of Mordor) with no problem, so I'm very confused with what's going on here. Any ideas??
April 2017 - last edited April 2017
While you claim to have another vid card/chip, your DiaX file doesn't show one by the computer's knowing. So you need to find out if a driver is missing, or a setting on your computer is set up to NOT use your better card. So nose around your computer, check with the manufacturer site and see how to get the non-intel gpu up and running.
Edited to clarify: Your DiaX file only shows an Intel graphics device instead of the one you list. This means the computer doesn't actually use the better device and thus you are using the Intel only which ISN'T supported by the game. It may work on some games, as Intel puts a good bit of work into making their * function halfway decently to run older games, but the only way to really get a chance to run the game is getting the other better graphics gpu up and running.
April 2017
@petee22 Hey, Mcsupersport seems to be on the right track here. Please check your nvidia settings to ensure that the 640m (i dug through and found it, it wasn't active at the time you ran your dxdiag) is running when you're playing the games. You should be able to set this from your Nvidia control panel > Manage 3D settings.
As I understand the card in question is on the edge of the minimum specs, so be sure to turn your graphics settings as low as possible, to start with.
Thanks.
April 2017 - last edited April 2017
Thanks @EA_David and @mcsupersport. What you're saying makes sense, I just find it very difficult to believe that this is the issue, considering I've played other modern games on medium-high graphics options with no problem. The 2012 Sony Vaio S15 I have has the option to switch between using only the dedicated Intel graphics card (Stamina mode), and using the dedicated card but switching to the Nvidia card when certain apps are opened (Speed mode). The difference in gaming performance between these modes is very obvious, although I've never run the numbers.
I've been in Speed mode for all this, and in the NVIDIA Control Panel I've set the Global settings to the "high-performance NVIDIA processor". I've also set the Program settings for DAI to use the NVIDIA. (Note that I cannot set the Program Settings for the Origin client itself, although I've tried right-clicking and using the "Run with graphics processor" to open with the NVIDIA). None of this helped.
I'll try looking more into this route (any suggestions where to start?), but any other ideas of what the problem could be?
April 2017
Thanks for the extra info, it sounds like you've taken the right steps here. Can I check if you get a crash report in your reliability monitor for the failed DAI startup?
In some rare cases corrupted settings files can be a factor in startup crashes, can you navigate to My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age Inquisition\Save.
In here please try deleting the ProfileOptions and ProfileOptions_profile items. You may want to make a desktop backup of them first, just in case something unusual happens. The game should recreate these fresh when it can't find them on startup.
April 2017
Things to try....
1) Go ahead and put the exceptions in AVG for Origin, Origin games, and DAI saves (over in user files)...
2) Your Intel GPU Driver is showing a 2012 date, upgrade may help if it is using it briefly and then transitioning over to Nvidia, new driver may help it along just enough to get it going.
3) There is usually another mode that allows you to use strictly the Nvidia card, you may try that and see if it helps..
4) Check your power settings too, I have seen on other laptops that they will change when things are used by the amount of power available, sometimes limiting higher end cards when not plugged into the wall.
5) Check the sound, input, and bios for upgrades on your PC as well.
April 2017
Thanks @EA_David! Strangely there's no crash report showing up in the reliability monitor after any of the failed startups, and when I go into the My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age Inquisition folder, there is no save folder at all (only an empty Screenshots folder).
April 2017
Thanks @mcsupersport!
1) I've put exceptions into AVG, no change.
2) Based on the Sony VAIO site and Windows Device Manager, my Intel GPU driver is the latest version. When I try downloading the Intel Driver Update utility, it will not update my GPU driver and says the following:
"A customized computer manufacturer driver is installed on your computer. The Intel Driver Update Utility is not able to update the driver. Installing a generic Intel driver instead of the customized computer manufacturer driver may cause technical issues. Contact your computer manufacturer for the latest driver for your computer."
I'll try backing up, creating a System restore point and then manually installing the latest Intel driver over the weekend, but I feel like custom driver might be necessary to allow the switch to the Nvidia card. I'll keep you updated on this.
3) I couldn't find any mode or workaround to let me use only the Nvidia card. Disabling the Intel Card in Device Manager and restarting didn't change anything in the DxDiag. From what I read it sounds like the sony models still partially use the Intel drivers, even in "Speed" mode when the nvidia driver is active.
4) I don't see anything in the power settings that might have an effect, in any case I'm always plugged in.
5) Device Manager and Sony Support site show that all the sound, input and BIOS drivers are up to date
April 2017
September 2018
i had the same problem. i have the GOTY edition, went to play it after a year or more of not doing so and have it pop a window up just to crash without any crash report or error message. turns out that AVAST really doesnt like DAI for some reason (i had similar issues years ago that i forgot about). a good way to test if AVAST is what force closes it is to disable your sheilds for 10 minutes or whatever, then try and launch the game. if this is indeed your issue you should get to the main-menu, or at least a loading screen with a loading icon.