Vortex Failed to Initialize LOOT

[cormell]

I've been getting this error message for a couple of weeks. I am currently using Vortex to mod Fallout 4. I don't know what version of Vortex I have, but every time I get a message that a new version is available, I update.  Could you tell me how I can initialize LOOT. This is the error message:

Error: libloadorder failed to create a game handle. Details: Failed to parse ini file, error at line 21, column 27: unknown character in \xHH form: Libloadorder error
    at l.handleResponse (C:\Program Files\Black Tree Gaming Ltd\Vortex\resources\app.asar.unpacked\bundledPlugins\gamebryo-plugin-management\index.js:2:619583)
    at C:\Program Files\Black Tree Gaming Ltd\Vortex\resources\app.asar.unpacked\bundledPlugins\gamebryo-plugin-management\index.js:2:618056
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at Socket.<anonymous> (C:\Program Files\Black Tree Gaming Ltd\Vortex\resources\app.asar.unpacked\bundledPlugins\gamebryo-plugin-management\index.js:2:618039)
    at Socket.emit (node:events:513:28)
    at addChunk (node:internal/streams/readable:324:12)
    at readableAddChunk (node:internal/streams/readable:297:9)
    at Readable.push (node:internal/streams/readable:234:10)
    at Pipe.onStreamRead (node:internal/stream_base_commons:190:23)

[Pickysaurus]

As the message suggests, one of the game INI files is borked. Check the ones in your My Documents folder or inside the Data folder. 

[cormell]

I appreciate you help. I installed an old copy of Fallout.ini from August. I still get the same error at the same line number (21) and column number (27) even though the two files are different. I'm not very good at debugging these things.  But I don't understand how the error could be at the identical location since the first 21 lines of the two ini files are different. Do you know what the \xHH form is?

[Pickysaurus]

What it might be worth doing is rename your INI files, then start the game via the launcher (which will recreate the INIs with the default values). 

[cormell]

Actually you have to have the .ini files in place to launch the game. The game launcher says I need to download the game from Steam -- start again -- since there are no ini files. Not surprising. But what is surprising is that when I launch Vortex, I get the exact same error as before. Occurring at the same line number and column number despite the fact that there is no .ini file present. Apparently the error is not in the .ini file.

Do you know what the \xHH form is?   "unknown character in \xHH form"

 

[cormell]

OK. With some advice from a friend, I went to my Steam library and ran the verification routine. It found corrupted files. Fixed them and now everything seems to be OK.