bInvalidateOlderFiles=1, CTD entering Megaton

[ripple]

I was experiencing CTD while trying to entering Megaton (reproduceable), and did some experimenting to try and find out the cause. At first I thought it was a mod/load order issue, but could not find the culprit through FO3Edit or disabling mods one by one. In the end, I finally reinstalled Fallout 3 and tried to see if my game still CTDs when I try to enter Megaton without any mods loaded (first unpatched, then patched to 1.0.0.15 and using the "fake 1.4 patch", then patched to 1.4).

 

After extensive experimenting, I have discovered that if I use "Archivevalidation Invalidated!"or set "bInvalidateOlderFiles=1" in my fallout.ini, I will CTD trying to enter Megaton. If I set "bInvalidateOlderFiles=0" in my fallout.ini, no CTDs. Trying to enter Megaton.

 

This is a slightly different issue then the one noted by Quarn in the readme for UOP. In UOP, Quarn stated that "bInvalidateOlderFiles=1" is known to cause CTD at startup for some PC users. In my case, I don't experience CTD at startup. Rather, it occurs when I try to Megaton (I haven't tried to do much else in game, only started playing yesterday).

 

I am completely at a loss for explainations or workarounds. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Circuitous]

You're using the fake patch AND the real patch?

[ripple]

No, when I reinstalled, I first tried to play without any patches (no CTD entering Megaton, but hangs when exiting game). Then I patched up to 1.0.0.15 and applied the fake patch (no CTD entering Megaton, no hanging when exiting game). Then I applied the 1.4 patch (no CTD entering Megaton). All of this was just to narrow down the problem, which is that whenever I am using a mod that inserts custom textures/meshes into the game (including UOP) and I have bInvalidateOlderFiles=1 enabled by Archivevalidation Invalidated!, I experience CTD when trying to enter Megaton.

[Circuitous]

Okay then.

 

Did you go in and enable bInvalidateOlderFiles in the INI yourself? And did you use Invalidated's manual version or automatic?

[IceDragon987]

Take a snap of your FOMM and upload if its your mods causing it and not the game.

 

Then I patched up to 1.0.0.15 and applied the fake patch (no CTD entering Megaton, no hanging when exiting game). Then I applied the 1.4 patch (no CTD entering Megaton).

 

So did you reinstall the game, pathed up to 1.0.0.15, applied fake patch then patched up to 1.4?

 

From what I read thats exactly what you did and that itself may be causing the problem.

 

If thats not the case: Did you only CTD with a mod that changed Megaton around?

 

Also please answer the above posters question, it may be vital.

[ripple]

I completely forgot I had opened up a thread here about my issue. Just to report back, it was solved last week after a bit of testing. It turns out that the CTD was caused by a texture replacer that came with the "quick armour fix" for Breeze's male body (specifically, the Sheriff's Duster)--hence the persistent CTD whenever I tried to enter Megaton. I stopped experiencing CTDs while trying to enter Megaton after I removed the texture files. I believe a fix has been uploaded since then.

[nosisab]

Reinstalling the game may be not enough if the cause of CTD continues in the /data or in the ini file at the Documents/.../ folder. Neither the contents of the /data nor the ini is deleted. you shall make sure it is really clean by yourself, manually doing it.

 

The first try you may want is deleting the ini file and letting the game making it again from scratch. If not enough try deleting (after backup if you want) de /data file before reinstalling.

 

PS: if the problem is with some savegame it may be corrupted too. these are the main causes of troubles when even reinstalling does not seems to resolve.