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Dementium II HD on Steam is most reliable when you treat display failures and input failures as separate problems. For a black screen caused by exclusive fullscreen at a resolution above 2560×1440, add -popupwindow to Steam’s launch options. For controller problems, connect a wired Microsoft Xbox 360 controller before starting the game, then restart and verify the Steam files if interaction or buttons are missing. Persistent crashes require a controlled reproduction plus DxDiag and the files in the game’s Crash_<datetime> folder.
This guide covers the Windows Steam release of Dementium II HD, released December 17, 2013 by Memetic Games and Missing Link Games—not the original Nintendo DS game.
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Start by identifying the exact failure
Before changing settings, let Steam finish downloading every update for Dementium II HD. The historical patch discussion records fixes in versions 1.259 and 1.266, including display settings, 2560×1200 support, windowed mode, V-sync, and controller behavior. A current installation should therefore be tested after it has updated rather than compared with an unpatched copy.
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- No window appears: a startup crash, missing dependency, or corrupted installation is more likely than a display-mode problem.
- A window opens but stays black: test fullscreen and resolution settings first.
- The menu works but a controller has no buttons: test the controller connection and launch order.
- Only movement works: the game may be receiving keyboard input while controller actions are unavailable.
- The game freezes when you interact, save, or reach one location: reproduce that exact action and preserve the resulting logs.
Do not change resolution, launch options, controller hardware, and compatibility settings simultaneously. One change at a time makes it possible to identify the cause and return to a known-good configuration.
Confirm that Steam is running a supported-enough environment
Steam lists the game’s original minimum requirements as Windows XP, Vista, or 7, DirectX 9.0c, 2 GB of RAM, and 4 GB of storage. Those are historical game requirements, not a guarantee that the old executable will behave identically on a current Windows installation. Separately, Steam states that its client supports Windows 10 and later from January 1, 2024. If you are running a newer Windows version, treat compatibility as a variable and document it when reporting a crash.
| Item | Historical listing or supported fact |
|---|---|
| Release | December 17, 2013, Windows Steam edition |
| Developers named by Steam | Memetic Games and Missing Link Games |
| Minimum operating systems listed | Windows XP, Vista, or 7 |
| Graphics API listed | DirectX 9.0c |
| Minimum memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Storage listed | 4 GB |
Fix a black screen or display failure
Use -popupwindow only for the documented high-resolution case
If the black screen appears when the game is using exclusive fullscreen at a resolution above 2560×1440, force a windowed presentation:
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- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Right-click Dementium II HD and choose Properties.
- Stay on the General tab and find Launch Options.
- Enter
-popupwindowexactly, with the leading hyphen and no quotation marks. - Close the Properties window and launch the game.
This is a targeted workaround for the documented high-resolution exclusive-fullscreen black-screen condition. It is not a universal crash fix. If the game never creates a window, continue with the crash procedure instead of assuming this option will repair the installation.
Try the official windowed-mode toggle
The patch notes state that windowed mode was added through Alt+Enter. When the game displays an image but fullscreen is unstable, press Alt+Enter once to switch presentation modes. Give the game a few seconds to redraw before pressing the shortcut again.
After entering windowed mode, lower the resolution and restart. The patch history specifically mentions a fix for 2560×1200 and for display settings that failed to apply or reverted. If a selected resolution keeps reverting, choose a lower value, apply it, exit normally, and launch again before testing a higher value.
Use a controlled display test
- Remove any temporary launch option that is not related to the current test.
- Start at a conservative resolution in windowed mode.
- Confirm that the menu and a saved game render correctly.
- Change only one setting—resolution, fullscreen state, or V-sync—then restart.
- Record which setting causes the black screen to return.
This sequence distinguishes a presentation-mode failure from a general crash. The historical fixes show that display settings were a known area of the port, but they do not establish a single setting that works for every monitor or modern graphics driver.
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Start with the controller path the developers tested
The pinned controller support discussion says that Dementium II HD supports the Xbox 360 Controller and explains that wired 360 controllers were the units used during testing. That is the strongest-supported hardware path in the available documentation: a Microsoft wired Xbox 360 controller connected by USB before the game starts.
The same discussion contains reports of wireless pads and licensed third-party controllers losing action buttons, interaction triggers, save interaction, or all input. Do not assume that a modern Xbox-style, Bluetooth, or third-party controller will map identically simply because Windows detects it.
Follow the correct launch order
- Connect the wired Xbox 360 controller directly to the PC before launching Steam’s game entry.
- Wait for Windows to finish recognizing the device.
- Launch Dementium II HD and test movement, an action button, interaction, and a save-related prompt.
- If any of those functions are absent, exit the game completely and start it again with the controller already connected.
- If the problem remains, verify the Steam installation files before trying another controller.
A support reply notes that restarting the computer and relaunching sometimes restored interaction. A restart is therefore worthwhile when movement works but object interaction does not, especially after connecting the controller while the game was already running.
When only WASD works
“Only WASD works” usually means the keyboard path is active while the expected controller actions are not. First quit and relaunch with the controller connected. Then use Steam’s file-verification command:
- Open Steam Library.
- Right-click Dementium II HD and select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Choose Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to complete the scan and reacquire any changed files.
- Launch the game again and test an action button and an interaction prompt, not just movement.
Verification repairs missing or altered game files; it does not add support for a controller type the port was never tested with. If a wired Xbox 360 controller works after verification but a wireless or third-party pad does not, the result is consistent with the support reports rather than proof of a new game defect.
Compare controllers by behavior, not by appearance
| Connection or identity | Evidence in the support discussion | What to test |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Xbox 360, wired USB | Used in testing and the most strongly supported path | All buttons, object interaction, and saving after a cold launch |
| Xbox 360, wireless | Reports of missing buttons or interactions | Whether action and interaction inputs appear after a restart |
| Licensed third-party pad | Reports of lost action buttons, save interaction, or all buttons | Every required action in a new launch, followed by file verification |
| Modern Bluetooth or Xbox-style pad | No universal fix established by the support record | Do not assume compatibility from shape or branding; test against the wired baseline |
In October 2014, a controller support reply stated that there had been no updates on additional controller support. That means a workaround that emulates an Xbox 360 pad may help in some setups, but the available evidence does not justify promising that every current controller can be made fully compatible.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Repair crashes that occur before launch or during play
Separate a startup crash from a repeatable in-game crash
If no window appears, reproduce the failure once after Steam has finished updating and after removing unrelated launch options. If the game reaches the menu but crashes at one room, interaction, or save point, reproduce that same event and note the location. The support thread describes crashes affecting “a select few people” and says the issue was being investigated; it does not publish a crash-rate percentage or a guaranteed universal fix.
For each attempt, record:
- Whether the crash happened before a window, at the menu, or in a specific level location.
- Fullscreen or windowed mode and the selected resolution.
- Whether V-sync was enabled.
- Controller type, connection method, and whether it was connected before launch.
- Whether Steam had just verified or reacquired files.
Verify the installation before reinstalling
Use Steam Library → right-click the game → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Let the process finish, then launch once with the simplest configuration: no experimental launch options, a conservative display mode, and the controller disconnected if you are diagnosing a keyboard-only startup crash.
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If verification reports changes, test again before uninstalling. Reinstalling can destroy useful crash evidence and does not address a display-mode or controller-compatibility limitation.
Collect the files support requests
A Steam discussion identifies the standard crash directory as:
C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonDementium 2Crash_<datetime>The folder name contains the crash date and time. Preserve a copy before reinstalling or repeatedly launching the game. The files specifically requested in the support discussion are:
output_log.txtcrash.dmperror.log
Also create a DirectX Diagnostic report:
- Press
Win+R. - Enter
dxdiagand pressEnter. - Allow the diagnostic tool to finish collecting information.
- Choose Save All Information and keep the resulting text file with the crash-folder copy.
When requesting help, describe one reproducible case and attach the relevant logs rather than sending several unrelated experiments. Include the exact launch option, resolution, display mode, and controller state used for that reproduction.
Understand what the historical patches changed
The patch discussion records several changes that explain why older troubleshooting advice can be misleading:
- Display settings that failed to apply or reverted were fixed.
- Support for 2560×1200 was addressed.
- Windowed mode was added through
Alt+Enter. - V-sync behavior was corrected.
- Controller support received fixes.
These changes are why updating through Steam is the first step. Running an old build can reproduce defects that the later 1.259 and 1.266 discussions specifically addressed. Conversely, a current build can still encounter hardware-specific controller problems or a high-resolution exclusive-fullscreen black screen, for which the documented steps above remain relevant.
Quick Recap
A practical decision path
- Update: wait for Steam to finish all downloads.
- Classify: decide whether the failure is no window, black screen, missing controller input, or a repeatable in-game crash.
- Display failure: use
Alt+Enter, lower the resolution, and use-popupwindowonly for the documented high-resolution exclusive-fullscreen case. - Controller failure: connect a wired Xbox 360 controller before launch, restart, and verify files.
- Crash: reproduce with one change at a time, preserve the
Crash_<datetime>folder, and collectoutput_log.txt,crash.dmp,error.log, andDxDiag. - Escalate: report the exact symptom and configuration instead of claiming a general crash or compatibility rate that has not been published.
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