What can change as a game (of Skyrim) progresses?

[InDarkestNight]

This is a problem that's been vexing me for years and I've done everything under my power to fix it, but not a damned thing helps. I'm having problems with freezes/crashes in the overworld, that occur all over the map, AND INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AS A GAME CONTINUES.

I've played the game on the lowest possible settings, without a single mod, and the problem persists. I've installed every fix I can find, and while they do solve SOME crashes, they don't solve this.

The only pattern is they increase in frequency as a game continues. I can literally run laps around the entire map without a single crash (I've done that testing fixes I've installed), but even then they appear if my character levels. Its as if my character's level is tied to the frequency!

What could possibly be changing that causes this? My save file getting too big? Keep in mind this happens even if I don't have a single mod installed. What, can my computer not even handle 100% vanilla save files? What in the world could be causing this. Is my hardware to blame?

I've asked about this repeatedly both on here and all over the internet. Most of the time people accuse me of lying because there is logical reason under the sun why this should be happening! I'm sick of saving every few seconds while traveling the overworld. I've even contemplated recently installing a mod that lets you set custom conditions for autosaves, such as time intervals. However, I would probably have to set the thing TO MAKE AN AUTOSAVE EVERY FIVE TO TEN SECONDS, which would surely create script lag.

I'm at my wit's end here. And if that isn't bad enough, s#*! edition is even more unstable. Crashes happen so frequently I could barely take 2 steps without crashing, I couldn't even save fast enough. And that had nothing to do with time played (minus not being able to play at all if my computer was on for more than 3 or 4 hours, regardless of what I did with it). I also had a guaranteed crash in dragonsreach that wouldn't go away no matter what. No mods, minimal graphics, problem persists. I literally couldn't play that game at all! Its why i switched back to LE years and years before the AE 'update' ANNIHILATED s#*! EDITION. On that note, why do we even call an update? Call it a virus, call it vandalism, call it sabotage, IT WAS NOT AN UPDATE. An update fixes balance issues and stability. They don't FORCE INSTALL CONTENT THAT NOBODY WANTED THAT RENDERS THE GAME COMPLETELY UNPLAYABLE.

edit: Also, mysteriously, changing hardware and even the OS made NO difference. I previously was running the game on WIndows 10 installed on and HHSD. That thing fried and I replaced it with an SSD. I tried to install Linux on my laptop, which also ran Windows 10. It blocked me from doing so, simply saying I wasn't allowed to do that. With a blank SSD that clearly didn't have windows on it, I decided to finally take the opportunity to put Linux on it. Ubuntu 20 to be precise, which I updated to 22 (the latest at the time) to fix performance issues. Neither of these things made any difference. The problem persisted. I even later swapped out the RAM, and that made no difference. So, hardware and OS change, and not a damned thing change (minus me being able to run more scripts). As I've said, I've done everything under the same to fix the issue. What else can I do here? Change the processor? I did try to do that, but I couldn't find one that would be a worthwhile update that could plug into my motherboard. I did buy one, but it wouldn't run. Turns out I screwed up in finding a compatible one. I returned it and bought some collectible figures with it, while feeling guilty I made a brand new processor used. Fml.

And yes, I even tried re-installing the game (SE technically). I reinstalled it completely probably half a dozen times trying to fix the stupid dragonsreach issue. I thought maybe it was installed in a bad memory sector. However, re-installing it made absolutely no difference. I was later told doing that wore out my hard drive, and also it was night impossible for it to be re-installed in the same location, so clearly my hard drive wasn't the issue. So re-installing also made no difference. Again, I've done everything I can. What, do I need to play with the Artistic Skyrim Overhaul, and turn off my grass? What else can I do here?

Edited July 25 by InDarkestNight

[HeyYou]

I might be tempted to reinstall windows..... then reinstall the game. Start fresh.

[fraquar]

Only suggestion I can make is this:

Don't load anything but a hard save (i.e. no Quicksaves and no Exit Saves).

Haven't played Skyrim since the whole SE/AE mess - but even before that those weren't healthy things to do.

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Added:  Even today with Fallout 4 - no Exit Saves and no Quick Saves.   Force of habit I guess.

Added 2:   Your sentence that is in ALL CAPS is why I left Steam altogether.    That is a platform that will in a New York minute try to upgrade your game even when it's not even necessary (i.e. every Single Player game they offer).    The latest isn't always the greatest.    So, years later it's no surprise we see the same thing happening again - a mad rush of people trying to DOWNGRADE their Fallout 4.

Edited July 26 by fraquar