Random Crashing Problem

[ADD1CTEDGAM3R]

So, I thought I finally had Skyrim running perfectly, but apparently I was wrong, which is typical with the luck that I have. :rolleyes:

 

Anyways.

 

I've been having a lot of random crashes. So far, I've mostly been outdoors (I'm fairly early into the game), so that's where they've been happening, but the way that they happen varies. I've had them happen when I'm walking along a main road, when I try to quicksave, once when I pressed the pause button, and most recently, when I tried to initiate dialog with the Khajit that sits in his tent by the Whiterun Stables.

 

I've already seen Gopher's video that talks about the 3.1GB RAM limit that S.T.E.P discovered, and using the Skyrim Performance Monitor, I found that when out in the middle of the outdoors, I'm not going any higher than 2.5GB, and that was before I removed a couple of things that I didn't need (I did this before starting this topic), so I don't think that's the problem.

 

Here are some helpful bits of information that you'll surely ask for.

 

System:

 

1) MSI Z87-G45 Gaming Motherboard

2) Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor

3) 8GB DDR3 RAM

4) Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition

5) Asus 24" Monitor (1920x1080)

 

Mods and Tweaks:

 

1) DLC List.txt

2) Load Order.txt

3) Plugins.txt

4) Compiled Screenshot of Mods in NMM

5) Boss Log.txt

6) Skyrim INI

7) Skyrim Prefs INI

 

Hopefully that's enough information to try and get this all straightened out. If there's anything else you need to know, ask away.

 

Thanks in advance! :smile:

[prod80]

Your Skyrim.ini looks really weird. You have multiple sections called [General] for instance... all containing different data. Also missing a few very important settings in there as well. You also have settings belonging to Skyrim.ini in SkyrimPrefs.ini and the other way around.

 

So, how about you backup those files, remove them, and verify game files with Steam to get new ones? Then see if you still have CTDs...

 

Just out of curiosity, where did you get those ini's?

[prod80]

You also have SkyTEST and other Animal related mods installed at the same time... that will cause problems as well. Also some obsolete mods in your load order, and a LOT of dirty mods loaded very low in your load order is bound to cause issues.

 

Another thing you have Sounds Of Skyrim, Climates of Tamriel, Realistic Lighting Overhaul installed, but no compatibility patches for them, they will conflict the crap out of your game like this.

 

You also have multiple lighting mods installed which are having major conflicts. Eg. CoT interior light and RLO interior light.

 

You should seriously think over your mods, it's a bit (a lot) messy.... :(

[ADD1CTEDGAM3R]

Your Skyrim.ini looks really weird. You have multiple sections called [General] for instance... all containing different data. Also missing a few very important settings in there as well. You also have settings belonging to Skyrim.ini in SkyrimPrefs.ini and the other way around.

 

So, how about you backup those files, remove them, and verify game files with Steam to get new ones? Then see if you still have CTDs...

 

Just out of curiosity, where did you get those ini's?

 

I didn't "get" them from anywhere. I started with my normal INI files, and I added in things that I found in an assortment of guides on the Internet. I'm relatively new to all of this, so I'm not surprised that I made a few mistakes.

 

You mentioned that there are bits and pieces in each file that belong in the other file (Skyrim.ini vs SkyrimPrefs.ini); could you clarify as to which bits and pieces those are?

 

You also have SkyTEST and other Animal related mods installed at the same time... that will cause problems as well. Also some obsolete mods in your load order, and a LOT of dirty mods loaded very low in your load order is bound to cause issues.

 

Another thing you have Sounds Of Skyrim, Climates of Tamriel, Realistic Lighting Overhaul installed, but no compatibility patches for them, they will conflict the crap out of your game like this.

 

You also have multiple lighting mods installed which are having major conflicts. Eg. CoT interior light and RLO interior light.

 

You should seriously think over your mods, it's a bit (a lot) messy.... :(

 

The way that I understood it was that the mods related to Animals and Creatures that I have, wouldn't interfere with each other, especially seeing as some of them only alter textures, and others alter behavior, spawns, etc.

 

I tried to find compatibility patches for those mods, but I can't seem to. There's a link in the BOSS log for a Sounds of Skyrim patch to make it work with Climates of Tamriel, but it just takes me to the Sounds of Skyrim mod page, and there's no patches in the file section. :confused: Where do I get them?

 

Yes, I use multiple lighting mods, because that's how I get the desired lighting. I could do without the Climates of Tamriel Interior Lighting, I suppose, but the other lighting mods that I use are to make the nights and the dungeons as dark as I want them to be, because without those, they're stupidly bright, and totally kill the immersion.

 

Could you be more descriptive as to which mods I should get rid of, which mods won't work together, etc? Like I said, I'm new to all of this, and half of the time, mods don't say what they are and aren't compatible with.

[prod80]

First of all, do return to normal default ini's... your stupidly bright dungeons can be caused by missing settings under [Display] in Skyrim.ini ... I know this because I have also tried to put stuff from Skyrim.ini to SkyrimPrefs.ini and it caused all kind of wacky stuff in lighting (I was trying to put 'general system stuff' into Skyrim.ini and changing settings (like shadows and so on) into Skyrimprefs.ini - but it simply doesn't work like that). I find Bethesda's way of working with 2 ini files very confusing to say the least. You should return to the normal ini's and do not move anything that's there by default from 1 file to the other, and certainly do not remove stuff from it as you have done now. Some settings are duplicated in both files as well by default and should be left that way too. I know it's weird, but that's the way it is.

 

You have to sort your lighting mods, they are conflicting... So you pick only 1 mod for interior lighting (city's, towns, dungeons) and 1 mod for exterior lighting (worldspace - CoT weathers is also exterior lighting)... you cannot combine 2 or more interior lighting mods because they are trying to edit the same space and can have really weird results. RLO for dungeon lighting should be dark, really dark.

 

If you done both of those changes above here, and your dungeons are still stupidly bright, then there must be something in your mods loaded after RLO that is adjusting image spaces, try and load RLO as low as possible in your load order and follow the load order as suggested on the mod's page.

 

For sounds of skyrim, the compatibility patches can be found on the mod's page.... I see them under optional files... "Compatibility patches", I think you overlooked them :smile:

 

I would suggest not to use SkyTEST, many people have problems with it, especially in large load orders.... it's also clearly said by the mod's author that it's not suggested to use with a lot of other mods. It will cause problems:

 

 

To help the stability of the mod i suggest you to create a new Game and try to keep your mod count as low as possible, and Please DO NOT MESS with the UGridsToLoad= since some people BLAMED the MOD when it was actually their fault for messing with the Grids!!!
this mod does not support multiple mod compatibility, since i cant honestly keep track of every single mod out there that conflicts-
with this mod, so don´t nag me about this mod conflicts with 1000 other mod, it works FLAWLESSLY in Vanilla Skyrim and also
don´t expect this mod to Run well when you are trying to load a lot of different animal mods at the same time or when running 100 mods at the same time, sorry that´s how it is.

 

That's pretty clear, I'd say...

 

 

EDIT: take care with uninstalling SkyTEST if you do and see the mod page for instructions or it's byebye to your save game...

[ADD1CTEDGAM3R]

First of all, do return to normal default ini's... you stupidly bright dungeons can be caused by missing settings under [Display] in Skyrim.ini ... I know this because I have also tried to put stuff from Skyrim.ini to SkyrimPrefs.ini and it caused all kind of wacky stuff in lighting (I was trying to put 'general system stuff' into Skyrim.ini and changing settings (like shadows and so on) into Skyrimprefs.ini - but it simply doesn't work like that). I find Bethesda's way of working with 2 ini files very confusing to say the least. You should return to the normal ini's and do not move anything that's there by default from 1 file to the other, and certainly do not remove stuff from it as you have done now. Some settings are duplicated in both files as well by default and should be left that way too. I know it's weird, but that's the way it is.

 

You have to sort your lighting mods, they are conflicting... So you pick only 1 mod for interior lighting (city's, towns, dungeons) and 1 mod for exterior lighting (worldspace)... you cannot combine 2 or more interior lighting mods because they are trying to edit the same space and can have really weird results. RLO for dungeon lighting should be dark, really dark.

 

If you done both of those changes above here, and your dungeons are still stupidly bright, then there must be something in your mods loaded after RLO that is adjusting image spaces, try and load RLO as low as possible in your load order and follow the load order as suggested on the mod's page.

 

For sounds of skyrim, the compatibility patches can be found on the mod's page.... I see them under optional files... "Compatibility patches", I think you overlooked them :smile:

 

I would suggest not to use SkyTEST, many people have problems with it, especially in large load orders.... it's also clearly said by the mod's author that it's not suggested to use with a lot of other mods. It will cause problems:

 

 

To help the stability of the mod i suggest you to create a new Game and try to keep your mod count as low as possible, and Please DO NOT MESS with the UGridsToLoad= since some people BLAMED the MOD when it was actually their fault for messing with the Grids!!!

this mod does not support multiple mod compatibility, since i cant honestly keep track of every single mod out there that conflicts-

with this mod, so don´t nag me about this mod conflicts with 1000 other mod, it works FLAWLESSLY in Vanilla Skyrim and also

don´t expect this mod to Run well when you are trying to load a lot of different animal mods at the same time or when running 100 mods at the same time, sorry that´s how it is.

 

That's pretty clear, I'd say...

 

I too find the INI files to be confusing. However, I do know that I never moved anything from one file to the other, and I didn't remove anything from either file either. The only changes that I made, were adding in new lines based on what I was reading in the articles I found on the Internet that went over useful things to add to the files. That's it.

 

For the base of my mods, I followed a guide, seen here. I followed it to the letter, with the exception of when I deviated and added some other items in the Climates of Tamriel configuration (interior lighting and darker nights). If I understand you correctly, you're saying that I should use the defaults for Climates of Tamriel, and the defaults for Realistic Lighting Overhaul. Is that correct?

 

Actually, now that you mention it, I tried that patch, and it brought back an error (red) in BOSS, saying that the file SoundPropogationOverhaul.esp was missing. Upon Google searching said file, it brings up a dead link here on the Nexus, and therefore, I couldn't use that patch, and simply left Sounds of Skyrim and Climates of Tamriel Sounds both enabled. I didn't think it would cause problems, and don't know if it actually has or not, as I don't know for sure what's causing the crashes.

 

Hmm. I must have missed that in SkyTEST. My bad. I was in such a hurry to get all of these installed so I could start playing, so it doesn't surprise me.

[prod80]

That's not a guide that you link, that's simply a mod list of what he uses... there's no indication on what to install and how other than "overwrite when asked" ... you should go through each and every mod page (yes the whole page not just the download section) and see what you need installed, what kind of other dependancies it might have, what it isn't compatible with, and so on...

 

Skyrim modding is not "click download, install, play!" ... His modlist is also just texture replacers and RLO+CoT... you have a lot more than that. He has an unsorted list of mods as well, but there are no instructions connected to it. He only lists them alphabetically.

 

You are right, from CoT only install the default (so that's weather and lighting (that's 1 file)) and your night level darkness of choice - dont forget DLC patches. Leave interior lighting on default (so it doesnt install) and use RLO for the interiors (choose custom install and pick what you need). Then put them in the order as on the RLO website and, please, also read both CoT and RLO sites... they are big mods.

 

 

PS. I never saw 1 single person new to Skyrim modding install 100+ mods at once and got away with it. You're better off just changing Weather/Lighting and texture changes and actually play a bit (understand the game a bit more) and then add (slowly.....!) new mods in. Experimenting with mods is fine - but expect your save game to break a few times having you start over again as part of the learning curve :P

 

One thing you are going to have to understand already is that you cannot uninstall mods on a save game and expect things to return to normal (if you had trouble). Problems in games, stability/strange weirdness, is in general caused by removing mods and mod conflicts, mainly removing causes problems when the game starts to look for things that aren't there anymore. Your save games will remember EVERYTHING that has happened and what should be where... so keep that in mind.

 

Also for ini tweaks, return to normal ini files first, and if you need something changed (something specific) just send me a PM, and I'll help you for as much as the game engine allows... ;) There is (seriously) a lot of really bad and poor advise on the internet regarding skyrim ini tweaks, either outdated or plainly wrong causing a whole lot of issues for people, especially when used with mods.

[ADD1CTEDGAM3R]

That's not a guide that you link, that's simply a mod list of what he uses... there's no indication on what to install and how other than "overwrite when asked" ... you should go through each and every mod page (yes the whole page not just the download section) and see what you need installed, what kind of other dependancies it might have, what it isn't compatible with, and so on...

 

Skyrim modding is not "click download, install, play!" ... His modlist is also just texture replacers and RLO+CoT... you have a lot more than that. He has an unsorted list of mods as well, but there are no instructions connected to it. He only lists them alphabetically.

 

You are right, from CoT only install the default (so that's weather and lighting (that's 1 file)) and your night level darkness of choice - dont forget DLC patches. Leave interior lighting on default (so it doesnt install) and use RLO for the interiors (choose custom install and pick what you need). Then put them in the order as on the RLO website and, please, also read both CoT and RLO sites... they are big mods.

 

 

PS. I never saw 1 single person new to Skyrim modding install 100+ mods at once and got away with it. You're better off just changing Weather/Lighting and texture changes and actually play a bit (understand the game a bit more) and then add (slowly.....!) new mods in. Experimenting with mods is fine - but expect your save game to break a few times having you start over again as part of the learning curve :P

 

One thing you are going to have to understand already is that you cannot uninstall mods on a save game and expect things to return to normal (if you had trouble). Problems in games, stability/strange weirdness, is in general caused by removing mods and mod conflicts, mainly removing causes problems when the game starts to look for things that aren't there anymore. Your save games will remember EVERYTHING that has happened and what should be where... so keep that in mind.

 

Also for ini tweaks, return to normal ini files first, and if you need something changed (something specific) just send me a PM, and I'll help you for as much as the game engine allows... :wink: There is (seriously) a lot of really bad and poor advise on the internet regarding skyrim ini tweaks, either outdated or plainly wrong causing a whole lot of issues for people, especially when used with mods.

 

It's not a "guide" per se, but I was able to use it to figure out the base for my graphics settings using that list. That's what I meant. The rest of the mods that I have installed, I chose myself, based on what I wanted to do to or with the game. I may be new to Skyrim on the PC, but I've logged countless hours in Skyrim on the 360, so I have a very specific idea in mind of what I want the end result to be here on the PC, mainly, something that looks downright gorgeous, and something that doesn't as incredibly unrealistically as vanilla Skyrim does.

 

I'm well aware of the fact that you can't remove mods from a save game and have it function properly. I've known that since the beginning. Whenever you remove mods, it's always good to start fresh.

 

Are there "normal" INI files here on the Nexus? I don't use Steam, so it's not as simple as deleting the old files and verifying the game cache in Steam to get replacements. The tweaks that I've made are a combination of the ones found here, here, and here, as well as individual tweaks added as per the descriptions of a couple of mods I've installed.

[prod80]

Umm... not a legal version of the game? That's gonna suck... I can tell you already

[ADD1CTEDGAM3R]

Umm... not a legal version of the game? That's gonna suck... I can tell you already

 

No, I got it off of the Internet.

 

Previously, I paid for the game, and I actually still have it. This was when I was using an entirely different computer. I used Steam like you're supposed to when I installed the game, and everything was well. Unfortunately, that computer bit the dust, and I built this one. The problem is, the e-mail account that I had associated the Steam account with, I no longer have access to (because AOL Mail sucks), and I don't remember the password to the Steam account, and I can't use the activation code in the case for the copy of Skyrim that I have, because I used it when I installed the game on the old computer, with the old Steam account. So, essentially, I'd have to pay for the goddamn game again, when I have a perfectly good and working copy of it sitting right in the goddamn case on the desk in front of me, but I can't use it! So, I said to hell with it, and I downloaded a copy off the Internet.

 

Are you telling me that I'm going to have to spend another $60 to buy the game off Steam in order to get this working properly? I seriously hope that's not what you're telling me right now...