Blank Screens or Black Menus on Windows

Use this page if OMN4 opens on Windows but shows a blank white window, black menus, missing text or controls that disappear as you move the mouse. A graphics-driver compatibility problem can cause these symptoms, even when other programs look normal.

Try updating your graphics driver first. If that does not help, or you need to keep a particular driver for other software, try the software-rendering fallback below.

If the Microsoft Store window itself is blank, or OMN4 has not installed yet, use Microsoft Store Installation and Update Problems instead.

1. Check For Graphics-Driver Updates

A graphics driver is the software Windows uses to work with your graphics card. Begin with Windows Update.

Windows 11

Save your work and close OMN4.
Click Start (the Windows symbol on the taskbar), then Settings.
Choose Windows Update, then Check for updates. Install the available updates.
On the same page, open Advanced options, then Optional updates.
Expand Driver updates, if shown. Select any update for your graphics or display adapter, then choose Download and install.

Windows 10

Save your work and close OMN4.
Click Start, then Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
Choose Check for updates and install the available updates.
If View optional updates appears, open it and expand Driver updates. Select any graphics or display driver update, then choose Download and install.

On either version of Windows, finish by choosing Start > Power > Restart, then open OMN4 again. Check whether the text, buttons and menus now display correctly. If they do, you can stop here.

Microsoft also provides instructions for finding driver updates.

If Windows Finds No New Driver

Your computer or graphics-card manufacturer may have a newer compatible driver. To find out which card you have:

Right-click Start, then choose Device Manager.
Click the arrow beside Display adapters. Note the names listed there; some computers have more than one.
Double-click an adapter, then open its Driver tab. Note Driver Date and Driver Version.
Check your computer manufacturer's support website for a graphics driver for your exact model and Windows version. If appropriate, check the graphics-card manufacturer's website too.
Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions, restart Windows and try OMN4 again.

Use the manufacturer's own website for downloads. If you are unsure which driver to choose, send the adapter details to Anquet support before installing one.

See Microsoft's driver-update guidance for more help.

2. Try Software Rendering

Software rendering makes OMN4 draw using your computer's main processor instead of its graphics card. It can help when no suitable driver update is available or the display problem remains after updating.

Moving and zooming the map may be slower, and processor use may increase. Try it and check whether performance is comfortable on your computer. You can undo the change using the steps below.

Turn It On

Use the Windows account you normally use to run OMN4. A normal Command Prompt window is sufficient.

Close OMN4. If its window is still open, click the X in the top-right corner.
Hold down the Windows key and press R, then release both keys. A small Run box opens.
Type cmd in that box and press Enter. A Command Prompt window opens, usually with a black background and a line ending in >.
Copy the following line. Click inside the Command Prompt window and press Ctrl + V to paste it, or type it exactly, including the spaces:
```
setx OMN4_RENDER software
```
Press Enter. You should see a message confirming that the value was saved successfully. If you see an error, stop and send its wording to support.
Close Command Prompt. Save any other work, then choose Start > Power > Restart. Restart the whole computer so Windows picks up the setting.
After Windows restarts, open Outdoor Map Navigator 4 from Start.
Check the screen that was failing. If the sign-in fields were missing, try signing in. If menus were black, open those menus and move the mouse over them. Then move and zoom the map to check performance.

The setting stays in place for your Windows account until you remove it, including after an OMN4 update or a computer restart. It changes how OMN4 draws the screen and does not remove your saved routes, tracks, waypoints or downloaded maps.

If the display is now correct and performance is acceptable, you can keep using this fallback. Please let support know that it helped. Support can confirm backend=software in OMN4's diagnostics; you do not need to find a setting inside the app.

Turn It Off Again

Remove the setting if it makes no difference, performance is too slow, or you want to try normal graphics rendering again after a driver or graphics-card update.

Close OMN4.
Hold down the Windows key and press R. Type cmd and press Enter.
Copy and paste this whole line into Command Prompt, then press Enter:
```
reg delete HKCU\Environment /v OMN4_RENDER /f
```
You should see a message confirming that the operation completed successfully. If Windows says it cannot find the specified registry key or value, the saved setting is already absent. For any other error, send the wording to support.
Close Command Prompt, save your work and choose Start > Power > Restart.
Open OMN4 and check the display again.

This command removes the OMN4 rendering override for your Windows account. If the original display problem returns, you can turn software rendering on again using the earlier steps and contact support.

If You Still Need Help

Reply to your existing support conversation, or email support@anquet.com. Include:

a screenshot or clear photo of the whole OMN4 window
your computer model
your Windows version: press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter to see it
the graphics-adapter name, driver date and driver version from Device Manager, if you can find them
the OMN4 version from Settings > About, if the screen is readable
which steps you tried, whether software rendering helped and whether it is still enabled

If any step looks different on your computer, tell us which step you reached and what you see. There is no need to repeat steps you have already reported to us.

Blank Screens or Black Menus on Windows

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