Fallout 3 Stuttering after W7 x64 Reinstall

[chiknnwatrmln]

Hi, I reinstalled Windows 7 the other day and now Fallout 3 keeps stuttering very badly. It doesn't stutter if I stay still or right when I start the game, but after five or so minutes it stutters every time I turn. It feels almost like the game is running out of RAM or something. This is not the normal, crappy Gamebryo stuttering, but hard, 3-5 second pauses if I move my character a couple inches, open the Pipboy, pause menu, or inventory... I've gotten used to Fallout's quirks but this is unplayable.

 

I copied all of my files exactly from my previous installation, so I can't figure out why this is happening. Here is what I have tried:

 

-Installed all of the helper files (DX, GFWL, etc)

-Made sure Fallout3.exe can handle 3GB RAM

-Tweaked ENB settings (VRAM, memory manager, etc. but I get stuttering with or without ENB so that's not it)

-Set Fallout3.exe to run as Admin with XP compatibility pack

-Checked to make sure Fallout antistutter FOSE plugin is still there

-Uninstalled any mods I have installed since the game was working

-Use older .ini files

-Tweak .ini settings (iPreloadSizeLimit, etc.)

-Turning Vsync on or off (no difference in stuttering)

-Check if VRAM is full (it's not, I have 4GB)

-See if Fallout is taking too much RAM (Fo3.exe and ENBhost.exe take about 1.7GB combined when I get the stuttering)

-Changing threads to 2, 5, or 8 (no dif)

-My SSD is nowhere near full and has very fast transfer speeds so it's not that

-I don't think it's a hardware issue, Fallout ran fine before and all other games run perfectly

-My page file is 1GB if that matters (used to have it entirely off)

-Using new 14.4 drivers, before I used 13.12 but I still get stutter on those now too

-My framerate is fine, outside I get 40-50 FPS and inside I get around 70-100 (I run triple monitor) when I'm not stuttering

-CPU usage skyrockets during the stutters

 

I'm at my wit's end, I thought I knew almost everything about how this game works but I can't figure out what the problem is here. Any help is appreciated.

 

My hardware:

Sabertooth Z77

3770k @ 4.8GHz

R9 290 @ 1200/1500MHz

Samsung Pro 840 SSD (has my games)

PNY XLR8 120GB SSD (OS)

Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD

4x 4GB G. Skill Ripjaws X 1600MHz RAM

Corsair AX860 power supply

ASUS Xonar DX sound card

A bunch of radiators and blocks and other watercooling crap

Edited April 27, 2014 by chiknnwatrmln

[Purr4me]

With windows 7 64 ; there is a way to verify if the code/data , the "copied data" is corrupted beyond repair. Because it's 7, the ways it stores data from one system to another, or drive storage Byte per byte, you can determine if this is the problem.

If you have Enough hard drive space to do all of this that is?

 

you really need an external hard drive to do this. but create a directory on another partition if at all possible, name the directory (0), any other tools you have, put those into yet separate directories, named in suite: " ( 1 ) " and so on up to 9.

 

Do NOT copy the files to these directories, "Choose Move". This process will hang on corrupted files you may have, it only starts to show up if done on another totally different hard drive storage medium.

 

The point is, files get corrupted for any number of reasons and these files rapper to be normal but are not. an example of what I mean is a download can complete, but it can be missing internal data (0) length bit files, the files name and extension are there, but it bares zero data within it, if a active *.nif / mesh file is set in this way, the game will hang /crash, stutter, freeze and every other strange weird thing will take place.

 

scan disk can help fix the corruption, it can not fix he files.

 

so if you get zero windows complaints doing all of this moving around, and choose to put them back after you have moved them, and after you have scanned the moved files on the storage medium, reboot.

verify no data is bad.

 

&/64 will not allow some types of older 32bit software's to be installed. on these systems, the compatible software to take it's place is accessible through add remove programs application of the system it's self, "Turn on or off windows applications"

 

keep in mind, this will always be there.

kitty

[chiknnwatrmln]

So you think it's a corruption problem? My method of transferring my files was to compress them from my SSD to my HDD, format my SSD, then extract the files to my SSD. The folders before and after were the same size, and all of my other games work well, but it is a possibility.

 

One thing I noticed with more playing is that the stutter isn't gone at all. But, if I turn off script processing via console, the stuttering seems to stop. This makes me wonder, maybe a script from a mod? The only thing is, I have only installed three or four mods in the past 8 or so months. Only one of them had scripts (Custom Beginning I think) so I removed that and all the other new mods and started a new playthrough... Still stuttering.

 

What's really throwing me off is that I can't tell if the problem is a script hogging CPU or the scripts causing a slowdown because of something else. My thinking is that if the problem is the scripts, then why does the game play fine for the first five or so minutes? It feels almost as if the game is not letting itself take up enough RAM, but I have used and tweaked several old (working) copies of my .ini files but still no luck. Also, I have checked via Task Manager and Fallout3.exe and ENBHost combined are capable of taking up more than 2GB...

Edited April 27, 2014 by chiknnwatrmln

[Purr4me]

anything past 1.37 gig's? and the game will start to fault, IF you have a lot of mods? even more so.

your procedure is incorrect, I said to move, not compress, do not do anything to the files. if the medium is at fault? and you compress due to your preference? then you will never find out whats wrong.

 

I laid it out plainly. Windows has a built in debugger that has problems with fragmented files, fragmented files cause stutters.

Some files can lose data during comprehension and extraction, but, formats ?, this changes how the files are seen and inspected "By Windows" not by a zip program.

 

Of course the file sizes will be the same, we are not after that information, we are after whats contained inside a file.........or two....or more.

 

If you do not have the space, just forget all of this. this type of diagnostics requires a ton of hard drive space and a very squeaky clean Operating system, a rig that can do the job too help a lot.

 

post a load order first, let me see what you have?

kitty

[chiknnwatrmln]

I didn't try your method yet, just stating what I did to get my games back on my SSD after I formatted it.

 

So if I understand correctly, I should move all of my game files on my SSD to a separate folder on my HDD, and Windows will hang on any files that are corrupt? I have enough space to do this, so it's worth a shot.

 

I will attach a picture of my load order. The only mods that have been changed or installed since my game was working fine are the three mods at the bottom. Several of these have been tweaked or overhauled by me, so if you see some mod names that are unfamiliar it's probably my doing.

 

Here's hoping this forum supports spoiler tags...

 

[X] Fallout3.esm
[X] StreetLights.esm
[X] EVE.esm
[X] FACE3.esm
[X] Lings.esm
[X] Anchorage.esm
[X] ThePitt.esm
[X] BrokenSteel.esm
[X] PointLookout.esm
[X] LingsDLC.esm
[X] Zeta.esm
[X] CRAFT.esm
[X] CALIBR.esm
[X] xCALIBR.esm
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm
[X] AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
[X] DCInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
[X] DCInteriors_SideQuests.esm
[X] RH_IRONSIGHTS.esm
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esm
[X] body blood replacment.esp
[X] bltc.esp
[X] Remington700.esp
[X] megalight.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Followers Enhanced.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Followers Enhanced (BrokenSteel).esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Halftime.esp
[X] FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Realtime.esp
[X] EVE Operation Anchorage.esp
[X] my weapon fix.esp
[X] Death Canyon v3.esp
[X] EVE.esp
[X] DCInteriors_DLC_Collectables.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_VanillaPlugin.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_PittPlugin.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_BrokenSteelPlugin.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_PointLookoutPlugin.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_ZetaPlugin.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Pitt_NewRifleSights.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_PL_NewItems.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + DLCs.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Master Menu Module.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release.esp
[X] Sydney Follower.esp
[X] Project Beauty.esm
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Natural Selection.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - Zones Respawn.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_Basic_AnchoragePlugin.esp
[X] RH_EVE_Bridge.esp
[X] RH_FWE_Bridge.esp
[X] RH_IronSights_RemoveReticule.esp
[X] HZSmoothLight - FO3.esp
[X] xCALIBRammo_FWE.esp
[X] Ammo Press with CALIBR.esp
[X] ZL-MP5 Pack.esp
[X] BLTC Immersion Patch.esp
[X] BLTC Hypo Fix.esp
[X] MrSlackPants-Explosions.esp
[X] Outcast DX.esp
[X] WinterizedT51bDX.esp
[X] Tribal_DX.esp
[X] xCALIBRammo_override.esp
[X] DarNifiedUIF3.esp
[X] 112312.esp
[X] FO3toFPS.esm
[X] BoSDX.esp
[X] URWLENB-001-Weather.esm
[X] Point Lookout Reborn by Jcro25.esm
[X] Feng Shui.esp
[X] m200intervention.esp
[X] FACE3 - NPCS.esp
[X] sydfix.esp
[X] Sydney Follower - FWE Dialog Fix.esp
[X] Sydney Follower - Load Order Fix.esp
[X] Mart's Mutant Mod - FWE Master Release + Project Beauty.esp
[X] Project Beauty- Broken Steel.esp
[X] Project Beauty- Point Lookout.esp
[X] ColtM4Carbines_RHIronSights.esp
[X] Improved Vault Suit Black (36).esp
[X] Millenia_AK47_replacer.esp
[X] r700.esp
[X] drug fix.esp
[X] 7_HolsterForHandGunsV1_1.esp
[X] HAZdrugs.esp
[X] magnum fix.esp
[X] Core Robots - The Handy.esp
[X] FACE3 NPCS - DLC03 Broken Steel.esp
[X] FACE3 - DLC04 Point Lookout.esp
[X] CP - FACE3 NPCS [MMM].esp
[X] CP - FACE3 [MMM] Racefix.esp
[X] Core Robots - The Eyebots.esp
[X] Core Robots - The Protectrons.esp
[X] M1911GS.esp
[X] CrowdedCities_v2.esp
[X] tubunarFWE.esp
[X] BetterFoodPackaging.esp
[X] Rivet City Merchants With Point Lookout.esp
[X] BoSPatrols.esp
[X] CharonImproved.esp
[X] llama's Vanilla Followers for Charon Improved.esp
[X] Beards.esp
[X] Beards2.esp
[X] Glock19.esp
[X] CALIBRv14 Ammunition Schematics for FWE-WMK-CRAFT-V1_1-18639.esp
[X] PureWater-LittleRad-.esp
[X] bittercup_comp.esp
[X] kikaiEquipment.esp
[X] JIP Realistic Weapon Overheating.esp
[X] Magazines.esp
[X] Sydney Follower - Recruitment Fix.esp
[X] Lookout Outfits.esp
[X] Glow Sticks.esp
[X] BBBackpacks-v1-1.esp
[X] Flashlight-LOS.esp
[X] LeatherBackpack - eng.esp
[X] JIP Fast-Travel Anywhere.esp
[X] FO3 NPCs Travel.esp
[X] Echo_UseBothGloves.esp
[X] URWLENB-002-Interiors.esp
[X] URWLENB-004-WeatherPL.esp
[X] URWLENB-005-WeatherPitt.esp
[X] URWLENB-006-WeatherBS.esp
[X] URWLENB-007-WeatherAnch.esp
[X] Patch2.esp
[X] Flora Overhaul.esp
[X] RubblePilesFix.esp
[X] Auto Aim Fix v1.1.esp
[X] Nanomatic!.esp
[X] RagdollOverhaulFo3.esp
[X] HelplessFalling.esp

 

[Purr4me]

 

 

So if I understand correctly, I should move all of my game files on my SSD to a separate folder on my HDD, and Windows will hang on any files that are corrupt? I have enough space to do this, so it's worth a shot.

Correct.

 

[X] 112312.esp

[X] FO3toFPS.esm <------No esm goes in any load oroder in this manner, all esm files go at the top.

[X] BoSDX.esp

[X] URWLENB-001-Weather.esm >---------------------

[X] Point Lookout Reborn by Jcro25.esm <-------------------

[X] Feng Shui.esp

[X] m200intervention.esp

 

 

with the above set in this way, I am surprised the game even loads them at all or even runs , fix this and the see what takes place.

If this is due to Loot ,and they say it's a new way t o sort things? I can tell you "they are not game developers, nor are fit to be involved with gaming processes.

 

falllout 3 or any TES based games do not work this way.

kitty

[M48A5]

Move the mods out of the DLCs. Load Streetlights after ThePitt and before BrokenSteel. Use only one Followers Enhanced and one Optional VATS. EVE Operation Anchorage should be after EVE.esp. Use only one MMM-FWE. You don't have Project Beauty so you don't need the various patches. Move the .esm that you have mixed with the .esp to load with the other .esm and after the DLCs.

 

You should be using a utility to set your load order. Try BOSS http://boss-developers.github.io Be warned, BOSS locates your game using the entry in the registry, so it will only work if the game is in the same location in which it was installed, unless you know how to edit the registry.

[Purr4me]

(((( [X]))) <---- that little diddy says your using Fomm, a sorting tool, and we all know what and where it gets it's information from, a loading list, a template for sorting the mods.

 

Unless you never used the fomm program at all to check it's load order or chose t ouse the sort button? Highly unlikely, there for, fomm sorter is busted, not working, fomm has also a report out put at the top drop down window that will show errors.

 

If it were Nmm, all entries would have had - 1 or = 0 at the end of each file name. ([X]) would not be there.

 

​Excellent suggestion ( By M48A5, ) but know this, your existing saved game....will not probably work any more. after you fix all of this, so expect to start a new game.