Oblivion won't load

[exesinxmyxalias]

A couple of months ago I took a break from Oblivion and was playing a bunch of other games instead. A couple weeks ago I come back to my senses and go to satisfy my Oblivion fix. I try to launch the game and it won't launch. I get a black box in the top left corner of the screen and then it crashes and I get an error report window.

 

I figured it might be some problem with one or more of the mods, seeing as I use a lot of them, so I un-checked all of the mods and tried to launch the game* through the splash menu instead of OBSE Loader. I got the same problem. I tried to patch the game and was informed that I already had the most recent patch. I just can't get the game to run.

 

I have no idea what the issue is but I've been dying to play Oblivion.

 

Here are the system specs and the only thing that is different between now and when I played it before is that I added a second monitor to the computer.

 

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System Information

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Time of this report: 8/21/2009, 02:49:43

Machine name: THEBEAST

Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234)

Language: English (Regional Setting: English)

System Manufacturer: INTEL_

System Model: D915GAV_

BIOS: BIOS Date: 02/22/06 23:50:09 Ver: 08.00.10

Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)

Memory: 2046MB RAM

Page File: 932MB used, 1207MB available

Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS

DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

 

 

 

And the video card is an NVIDIA Geforce 6600

 

 

 

 

* I lost the game while typing that.

[dezdimona]

remove OBSE, get the latest version of it

patch your game to the latest patch

reinstall OBSE

Note: game must launched using OBSE if its installed.

[bben46]

Your computer specs look fine. The 6600 is a little slow for Oblivion, but it should work at low to mid settings.

I suspect possibly something in you registry that was left behind from before. Unfortunately, the Oblivion uninstaller does not remove everything and leaves behind some trash entries in the registry when you uninstall.

 

Here is a Link to Bbens Complete Uninstall/Reinstall procedure:

http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibr.../1446421/1/#new

 

This removes any old registry entries, and allows you to save all of your save games and mods. Plus leaves you with a clean install and a backup clean install - so you won't have to go through it again.

 

The registry cleaning is important. you MUST restart your computer just before doing the registry cleaning, and again just after for the cleaning to work properly.

[exesinxmyxalias]

I never uninstalled it. It's been sitting there waiting for me to come back to it. I'll have to try the reinstall of OBSE thing.

 

I've already patched the game with the most recent patch. So do I still need to do that or can I just get away with reinstalling OBSE?

 

EDIT: @bben: Just now reading through the link you provided. That actually sounds like a good idea. Seems like this method would nip any problem in the bud. The analogy might be off but it sounds like going after a fly with a rocket launcher. Luckily I like rocket launchers.

[nosisab]

I never uninstalled it. It's been sitting there waiting for me to come back to it. I'll have to try the reinstall of OBSE thing.

 

I've already patched the game with the most recent patch. So do I still need to do that or can I just get away with reinstalling OBSE?

 

EDIT: @bben: Just now reading through the link you provided. That actually sounds like a good idea. Seems like this method would nip any problem in the bud. The analogy might be off but it sounds like going after a fly with a rocket launcher. Luckily I like rocket launchers.

If it's yet in time, try first just deleting the Oblivion.ini file. Since it carries almost all the actual configurations the game will use and some may be seated up harmfully it may resolve when the engine builds a fresh one with default values. The disadvantages are already done tweaks need to be done again.

 

About OBSE, the way it works isn't well understood from many people. Differently of a mod (in the common sense we use here) it does not changes Oblivion in any way, it doesn't have anything the game 'see'. Trying to put clearly, Oblivion's engine "never" uses OBSE, only mods do use it. If the game is started directly it will be as OBSE does not even exists and if no mod using it's functions are present, nothing happens differently the vanilla.

 

Now, when OBSE starts it load Oblivion.exe and 'patches' it 'on RAM' so to intercept and execute itself the functions the vanilla engine wouldn't recognize. If the actual instruction/function is a vanilla one, OBSE simply pass the control to the engine and sit down waiting for the next.

 

So, not only is possible to start the game, and the CS too, with or without OBSE, as it is useful, mainly the CS, if one wish to be granted the mod is OBSE free.

 

PS: Of course, if any mod uses OBSE functions, it turns out to be "needed" and not an option anymore.

[bben46]

As nosisab said, put away the rocket launcher and pick up the fly swatter. Always try the simple stuff first. Any system changes would affect the Oblivion.ini file so removing it and allowing Oblivion to make a new one is a very good idea.

[exesinxmyxalias]

ok, fine. I'll try your "fly swatter' method first

[exesinxmyxalias]

Where would this oblivion.ini be located? I've found one that says Oblivion_Default. could that be the one I'm looking for?

[LFact]

Where would this oblivion.ini be located? I've found one that says Oblivion_Default. could that be the one I'm looking for?

 

No. What you're looking for is \My Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Oblivion.ini. Oblivion_Default.ini is a template for generated Oblivion.ini, so it should not be altered anyway.

[exesinxmyxalias]

Deleting the Oblivion.ini file worked. I cna haz Oblivion now.

 

Now I have something to distract me from WoW every now and again.