Re: RA and RA:UR not starting correctly
I advise installing the CnCNet online play installer for RA2/YR. Even if you're not interested in online play, it comes with a bunch of automatic fixes. It should automatically take care of the "black screen on startup" issue, and has a configuration tool that allows further tweaking of the game's settings. Just install it, and then launch the game normally through the EA app.
