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Borderless is not optional
Exclusive fullscreen owns the swap chain. A modest overlay has nowhere to draw. Borderless or windowed is the documented path.
Open GTA 5 graphics settings, switch Screen Type to Borderless Windowed, apply, then load Story Mode. If the menu still hides, disable GeForce, AMD, Discord, and Afterburner overlays one by one. Exclusive fullscreen is the usual reason a watermark exists in Task Manager and not on the monitor.
High-DPI scaling can shrink the tree. Set Windows scaling to 100% for a test, or move the game to the primary display. Ultrawide users should look at the edges and corners before they redownload — a modest column can sit off-centre rather than fail to attach.
After the display mode is honest, follow the install order. If the tree is visible in windowed mode and gone the moment you return to exclusive fullscreen, you already have the diagnosis. See troubleshooting for the rest of the blank-screen list.