Broken Fallout Digital Steam Purchase

[Ravenshadow]

hey all,

 

i have also posted a thread on the bethesda homepage relating to this as well, but considering some of the comments posted there, i'm thinking if anyone is going to help me it's the modding community, rather than the developers.

 

I bought a copy of Fallout 3 from Steam and downloaded it to my rather new (built within the last 3 months) PC. I am not able to start the game, nor am i able to patch it either, because i noticed, during the patching process, rather than finalising and confirming the patch has successfully installed, it starts the game. I haven't been able to figure out a way to check the version details either, as steam does not display it in its GUI.

 

after reading another person's recommendation i went to http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/bonus...option_id=7908# and got a glowing pass from the site. This is also after about 4-5 hours and painstaking, checking and re-installing the drivers of all my hardware just in case i missed updating something. Unfortunately it does nothing, and every time i try to start a new game, i get kicked back to the desktop saying windows had to close the program. I am running Vista 64 bit home pro and have tried using admin and non admin starts as well as getting it to execute compatible with XP SP2.

 

So is there anything i can do to try and enjoy the game or have i wasted my money and bought a software brick?

If you need further info please respond here and i will provide to the best of my abilities, but i am out of ideas.

[mechine]

urrg, this is tough

 

For one install fallout outside of program files from vista applying

security risks to stuff in program files,

 

 

*from below*

May require Win Xp SP3, Check your version from finding the fallout3.exe right click an select propertys and the version TAB

 

 

 

 

Hmmm it's hard to pick what to say.

 

I kind of wana say, register to all the secondary sites

you need to get the install finished, then just run the game

and let games for windows live patch it.

 

Then uninstal it, reinstall it to outside program files

giving Bethesda it's own folder on the drive like

 

C:/program files

C:/bethesda softworks

 

or even on a seperate drive

 

Then with the second install pick which patch you want to use

for it's benifits to either the mods or DLC's you plan to use

 

You could even play it a while on the first install

but when you get to the point of wanting to add mods

I would uninstall and pick a patch that will work better with mods

 

I only mention it because the retail disc version I bought I had to do this

to put in the CD key, but to do that I had to follow the default process

which may not be good for using mods, because it patched all the way to current.

 

 

 

 

 

The last part of the patch It enters the game to log into live

 

 

or games for windows live

 

 

You don't get a choice of which patch to run with that route

 

Windows live will just load up the last patch which might not be what you want

 

 

 

 

Here at Nexus you can download the patches by which you wana run out of your choice

 

the common set ups are 1.0.15 plus fake patch, 1.4 plus fake patch, 1.5 plus FO3 (bonus program) master update

 

 

1.0.15 is to trick the system into letting you keep the first version of fallout 3, which things

were not nerfed or patched over for system stability an such, like some perks got nurfed

also the ability to shoot down grenades thrown at you in mid air, it's not really a big deal

I hardly notice, besides the later patches had stuff for SLI multi grapics cards users

which pretty much tossed using 1.0.15 for me out the window

 

Another factor in the choice is that 1.5 plus master update was very easy and hands off

not much reading or hacking

 

Also because you downloaded the software, there is no telling which version it downloaded

maybe it's already patched to 1.4 or 1.5 even 1.0.35 which would be bad

I didn't have many problems using 1.0.35 but most people did and hated it

 

You can check which version you have, by finding the Fallout3.exe in your Bethesda softworks folder

somewhere on your hard drive, right click the .exe an select propertys then version tab to see which you have

 

 

 

After you put in the key the first time, I don't think you have to visit the GFW live to get it to work

But I rather dislike the whole GFW (games for windows) thing, for one I want to play a game

not access the net while doing so, besides having crap running in the background I don't need

 

 

FOSE (fallout script extender) has many benifits, one being it disables games for windows live

FOMM (fallout mod manager) also many benifits, one being it detects FOSE an will run it rather than the fallout.exe

 

I remember the first time I installed I had to have a games for windows live account registered, which

prompted to enter the CD key, I don't know how it works if downloaded

 

After that first install I could put which patch I wanted to the .exe

but probably the first time you'll have to go thru the default process which would

be all patches in one, or 1.6, but that depends on which version was included in your

purchace. I hope they sold you the 1.0 version which would give you more options

depending on what you wanted an what you are running in terms of system.

 

 

 

I really don't know much about the downloaded path to get games. I do know usually

they require a different method to patch, which you should be able to get from

where you bought it. The patches at live, bethesda, and Nexus are probably

meant to be used on retail discs, so you could run into trouble

 

 

It's not easy getting started.

You have to learn though somehow.

I've installed fallout 3, 3 different times.

 

 

For one you wana bring the bethesda file outside of program files

More of a Vista workaround, as vista applies security risks to stuff

in program files, but it doesn't hurt for it to have it's own folder in XP either

This last time I installed it I put it on a seperate drive than the system files drive.

Also a lot of stuff now requires Win XP SP3 over SP2, on the box anyway

 

Then just place shortcuts to the files you need to get to on the desktop

for one you'll need a short cut to the data file of fallout 3 for installing mods

and also messing with stuff in there.

 

You're tweek settings are located in /documents and settings/games/fallout3/ two note pad files

 

there are also settings from the default fallout3.exe, or the default launcher,

Pretty much the only reason we use the default launcher anymore, just to tweek settings, then close it

 

 

When you start putting in mods, do them all the hard manual way an watch what over writes things

if it's going to replace something, maybe you wana delete that mod, just don't drag data files

over to your data file, without looking at them

 

You'll need winzip or winrar to get mods, read the read me's, but ignore anything to do with

archive invalidation, just use the archive invalidation invalidated toggle in FOMM or the stand alone

version of archive invalidation invalidated

 

 

Once you get it to run I would create a restore point in windows system tools

so if you screw up something you can just go back.

[Ravenshadow]

after coming back to find this post waiting for i feel really chuffed that mechine went to all that trouble to help, and i think if i hadn't already gotten the answer that would have fixed any remaining avenues i hadn't used, thank you.

 

it is nice when you can solve the problem yourself.

 

was able to fix the game by uninstalling my Asus GamerOSD. it seems that even though it was disable (or was supposed to be) when doing a clean boot, actually removing it, did the trick in my case.

Other than a few odd freezes the game now runs, hopefully meaning i can play and finish and use DLC from here on in.

if anything for those that do hit trouble keep at it, don't use one site keep looking across the net and your answer you may just get yourself :)

[overload1977]

Steam need i say more....... i will never install that again i dont care about hl2 cs ect no more they are boring heh

 

but at lest you fixed your error :)