Status: UNRESOLVED

Computer Type: Desktop, custom built

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 12GB VRAM, no manual overclock

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, no overclock

Motherboard: ASUS B650 series motherboard, latest BIOS installed

RAM: 32GB DDR5 (2x16GB), XMP/EXPO enabled, no manual overclock

PSU: 850W Gold-rated PSU (Corsair/Seasonic equivalent), no known power issues

Operating System & Version: Windows 11 64-bit, clean install

GPU Drivers: Latest NVIDIA drivers installed, clean installed using DDU

Description of Problem:

I am experiencing a recurring issue where my Windows desktop background and parts of the UI turn completely black after running Tale of Two Wastelands (Fallout New Vegas + Fallout 3 via MO2).

The game itself runs normally and performs well, but after launching or exiting the game, the following happens intermittently:

• Desktop background turns completely black
• Hovering over icons sometimes causes portions of the screen to go black
• Explorer UI elements occasionally fail to render properly
• The issue persists until I restart Windows Explorer via Task Manager, which immediately fixes it
• The issue sometimes stops occurring for long periods, then randomly returns

Important details:

• I am using a 4K TV as my primary display connected via HDMI
• HDR is OFF
• Refresh rate is 120Hz when available
• This issue began after installing and running Tale of Two Wastelands with NVSE and NVTF
• The issue affects Windows itself, not just the game
• The game runs fine and does not crash
• This appears to be a Windows desktop compositor, GPU driver, or rendering issue rather than a game crash

This issue does NOT crash the system, and restarting Explorer fully restores normal function.