As title, nothing happens. Taskmanager says it's running and I can't press Play again until I end the process.

Details, please! Error messages? Your operating system? Up to date? Graphics card? One of those odd setups with the system changing between integrated and discrete card? Antique pc that cannot handle the game?

Windows 7, good pc, RX Vega graphics. Drivers all up to date.

Other than that I don't know what to tell you, no errors, nothing happens at all. I get something in task manager saying ut2004 is running but NOTHING happens in windows.

Did you install the optional Windows updates too?

How about the drivers for the motherboard etc?

How do I do that?

Control centre > Microsoft or Windows Updater > check for updates and look around where how you check for the optional ones too. I cannot remember the details now. Think there was a different tab or something for it.

Lol I thought you meant for UT2004, yes I have all the windows updates.


I can't imagine unreal 2004 has issues with a motherboard driver anyway..

Too common that people do not install or update the drivers, leading to problems. In Windows you have to do it or use the little help programs some manufacturers have that do it for you.

How about you run DXDIAG.EXE and check that it has DX9 in working condition? You can copy the name of the program (which I wrote in capitals) and paste into your search line or Run command.

Maybe check the Galaxy sticky thread as Galaxy seems to be riddled with problems. Good thing the game runs like a dream without it.

I managed to get it to run via the exe files without galaxy intervening, but now I have the problem of my mouse cursor not being locked to the game screen so every time I move my character I click outside the game window and it minimizes, any ideas?

Sorry no, I do not have any :-(

Darn, I'll have to either disable my second monitor or get some kind of mouse lock program while I'm running the game... that's irritating.

Look around! Here is some useful information:
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Unreal_Tournament_2004

This is likely due to microsoft discontinuing the windows 7 game updates system.
It only affects users with the UT games listed in the Windows games section of the start menu.
See this thread for details
https://ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13392

Shouldn't worry about discontinued operation systems. If it was able to run the game 10 years ago, it will run the game 10 years after. The lackluster drivers for newer hardwares cause the problems of the older games most of the times. So as long as you not change anything on the PC you can play UT2004 even on WinXP for everlasting.

As for UT2004 you should try the 64 bit patch. It isn't official but may help running the game in fullscreen and then the cursor can't leave the window.

It isn't about drivers or CPU power. It is about the game not opening when you run it.

You misunderstand the nature of the discontinued system.
Windows 7 has a game library that kicks in when you launch any games it has in its list.
If you look in the start menu and go in the "Games" section then run the "Games Explorer" and if you see your Unreal games listed, you have the problem.
If not there you don't have the issue. Rename the exe and you don't have an issue either.

When you run 1 of the games in the list, windows first halts the game while checking for news and updates.
Because the service is down and does not send a fail, and the library does not timeout, it waits forever.
Running a second copy of the game bypasses the issue. Once the game is running you can kill the first task.

However it is preferable to fix the root problem in Windows.

As for the x64 patch. It is official from Epic and was released a couple of years later.
https://liandri.beyondunreal.com/Unreal_Tournament_2004#Patches