How do I troubleshoot a freeze?

[BrotherShamus]

So... my game keeps freezing up at Battle-Born Farm. I can't check the Crash log because it doesn't crash and I still suck at using xEdit for anything other than applying scripts. I'm using several mods that could affect the area but I'm hoping there's an easier way to narrow it down... mostly because when the game freezes, the only way to 'un-freeze' it is to restart my computer. I've tested several other areas and everything seems fine except for that one spot.

[Hietanen]

You don't have to restart your computer when it freezes.

 

Just press ctrl + alt + del (try it now) and when the menu pops out, log out, and then Skyrim will be forced shut down.

 

This is way faster and easier than always restarting the computer.

 

Also, if the mouse don't work in this menu (sometimes happens) press shift and you will see a menu move down, then press down key until you get to the log out button, then press enter.

 

 

The best way to localize a freeze may be to disable mods. Sorry I can't be of more help on this. Posting a load order may also help maybe someone will spot something.

[7531Leonidas]

Have you tried verifying your game files through Steam? Might just be a corrupted game file.

[anjenthedog]

I guess maybe scan your mods list for those that affect adjoining areas and NPCs. If it "used to work just fine and now it doesn't", I'd try disabling those that were installed most recently. One at a time, starting with the last installed and working your way back, and again, only check one at a time. (ie, if it comes back negative - error still occurs - reenable the mod, then move to test the next "suspected" mod in line). Once you find the mod, keep it disabled and you can fix it "on your own time", so to speak. (the game will now at least work correctly)

 

 

 

You don't have to restart your computer when it freezes.

Just press ctrl + alt + del (try it now) and when the menu pops out, log out, and then Skyrim will be forced shut down.

@Hietanen...

 

FYI/FWIW, It's even easier than that.

 

ctrl-alt-del

Choose the Task Manager

Find and right-click on the Skyrim executable in the Processes tab, Apps section.

Choose End Task

 

- I somewhat regularly experience black screen issues on cell change (1 in 30 or 40 cell changes), and I intermittently experience other, true "freeze" situations, so I do this as a matter of course. It has not harmed the game or computer in any way.

[BrotherShamus]

I guess maybe scan your mods list for those that affect adjoining areas and NPCs. If it "used to work just fine and now it doesn't", I'd try disabling those that were installed most recently. One at a time, starting with the last installed and working your way back, and again, only check one at a time. (ie, if it comes back negative - error still occurs - reenable the mod, then move to test the next "suspected" mod in line). Once you find the mod, keep it disabled and you can fix it "on your own time", so to speak. (the game will now at least work correctly)

 

 

 

You don't have to restart your computer when it freezes.

Just press ctrl + alt + del (try it now) and when the menu pops out, log out, and then Skyrim will be forced shut down.

@Hietanen...

 

FYI/FWIW, It's even easier than that.

 

ctrl-alt-del

Choose the Task Manager

Find and right-click on the Skyrim executable in the Processes tab, Apps section.

Choose End Task

 

- I somewhat regularly experience black screen issues on cell change (1 in 30 or 40 cell changes), and I intermittently experience other, true "freeze" situations, so I do this as a matter of course. It has not harmed the game or computer in any way.

 

Ctrl+Alt+Delete wasn't working. I could select the Task Manager option but it would bring up a black screen. Then I'd have to press again and just restart. I suppose I could have switched to windowed mode for testing but... I didn't think of it at the time.

[BrotherShamus]

Have you tried verifying your game files through Steam? Might just be a corrupted game file.

 

This was it! I should have thought of it... but I didn't so thanks! Everything is running perfectly now.

[BrotherShamus]

Apparently I spoke too soon. Everything was working until I rebuilt my dynamic patches (Synthesis, xEdit BDS patch, Mator Smash, Dyndolod) and now I'm having the same problem. Verifying didn't correct it this time around. At least I now know that somehow generating these patches is causing the issue. I'm just posting this update to see if anyone else has experienced this...

[Algabar]

Apparently I spoke too soon. Everything was working until I rebuilt my dynamic patches (Synthesis, xEdit BDS patch, Mator Smash, Dyndolod) and now I'm having the same problem. Verifying didn't correct it this time around. At least I now know that somehow generating these patches is causing the issue. I'm just posting this update to see if anyone else has experienced this...

Just guessing: "Mator Smash" is a very powerful tool. Unfortunately, its development stopped at some point, so it's a bit outdated now. I'm still using it for Fallout 4 (meanwhile knowing my load order and knowing what to patch and what not). For Skyrim, I went back to Wrye Bash. The current version works very well and - at least for me - does everything one really needs. So, maybe worth a try.

 

Dynamic snow can also cause weird crashes. In fact, I had to remove a player home because in combination with any dynamic snow mod, it made the corresponding cell crash - no matter what I tried... You could also try a different dynamic snow mod. Simplicity of Snow is IMHO the best option currently available.

 

On a side note:

 

Synthesis, xEdit BDS patch

 

You should only use one or the other: Either use the Synthesis BDS patcher - or the XEdit one.

[BrotherShamus]

Thanks for the tips! To be honest... I use Mator Smash for simplicities sake... I can literally dump my rather large load order in it and it'll handle it, even if I've got more than 254 plugins. I just looked at the Wrye Bash page and I'm not sure if it does... I'll have to investigate a little further later today (because Mothers Day yo). And I've just always used BDS because so many of my mods list it as a dependancy. Also... I had wondered about using both the xEdit patch with the Synthesis patch... decided to go with both based on something someone wrote on the comments section... somewhere in here. They had mentioned that 'one patch might get what the other one missed'. Which of the two do you think I should go with?

 

Anyway... after two days, I finally did find the culprit. It was the facegen data for Gwendolyne Battle-Born in the NPC overhaul I was using. According to the Net Script Framework documentation, that's the most common cause for games to freeze like this. I'm guessing the one time I got my game to work, she was not in the affected cell. So I replaced that and all is well. Now I just have to sort out the crazy tiling I'm getting from Water for ENB... hahaha.