In some cases, you may get a black screen when connecting to a computer, and you may be able to hear sound or see the mouse. You may also observe messages like "It looks like something went wrong. The host isn't sending any video data". If you observe these issues, check the possible reasons below.
A red error message eventually shows up after the black screen
You should click "Read more" next to the error message, and learn more about the error.
You're joining using the web app
Try downloading Parsec for your operating system instead. You can download Parsec from here.
H265 issues on old Mac hosts
If you're using an older Mac that doesn't have the Apple ARM chips, it's possible that you can resolve the issue by disabling H265. On the client that will be joining this host, go to the Parsec settings > Client > H.265 and disable the setting.
The PC you're joining has no monitor or it's turned off
Parsec needs a display to be able to capture it, and it must be on currently. Check that computer physically and make sure that the screen is not turned off. If your laptop's tray is closed for example, the screen is automatically turned off and Parsec will not have a display. Monitors using DisplayPort will usually also have their display removed from the system when it's turned off.
If your display is set to go to sleep after some time of inactivity while it is turned on, try clicking and shaking your mouse or pressing a few keyboard keys to wake it up, just like you would if you were physically in the computer.
If your display is turned off and you prefer that it stays off, or you're using a headless system, you need to provide Parsec an alternative display of some sort.
- You can make use of Parsec's virtual displays, available in the host settings. The free version of Parsec has a "Fallback To Virtual Display" which adds a single virtual display if no other displays are present. Learn how to set it up at the bottom of the virtual displays page
- Alternatively, you can purchase a HDMI dongle to generate a monitor, (we recommend this one). Using an HDMI Dongle can be problematic if you also plan to physically use this host machine, as while the headless hdmi dongle is plugged in, you will have an invisible monitor at all times
- On QUADRO or TESLA graphics you might be able to simulate an EDID via NVIDIA Control Panel
Issues with experimental 10-Bit Color
Some people may have issues when turning on 10-Bit Color in the experimental settings. Disable and try to connect again if this is the case.
No approved application is open on the host
When using the Approved Apps setting in Parsec and streaming to friends, it's possible that you have not approved whichever application is currently in focus on the host. To confirm this is the case, look at the apps that you've approved in the settings. You can also temporarily disable approved apps to confirm if this is due to the setting, although we recommend re-enabling afterwards.
Your game launched in fullscreen mode
If your game launched in fullscreen, Parsec may be set at a different resolution than the one the game believes is fullscreen on your computer, causing a black screen. You can either fix this by directly forcing the game into Windowed Mode in its configuration file, which you may find in your documents folder, or by searching up about it online.
Some games will switch to Windowed Mode if you press the Windows key + D. You'll need to make sure Parsec's immersive mode is on, which you can turn on via the hotkey combination of Ctrl + Shift + I.
The wrong monitor is being streamed
If the computer you're joining has multiple monitors, Parsec may be choosing the wrong monitor to stream. This might cause a black screen if that monitor is not plugged into your GPU directly. You can switch your monitor quickly via Parsec's settings on the host, or you can use the Windows key + P and press the down arrow twice to duplicate all displays. Make sure you have the Parsec Immersive Mode setting on using the hotkey combination of Ctrl + Alt + I.
Something went wrong with the Parsec virtual display
If you use Parsec's virtual displays, it's possible something went wrong with it. See the VDD troubleshooting article for more information.
Issues with the graphics drivers
If everything else above appears to be fine, you can attempt to update or clean up and reinstall the graphics drivers on the host machine.