consistent crash upon startup issue

[Riot Inducer]

Ok, I hope someone here might be able to help me with this.

I recently did a complete wipe of my desktop, and after getting everything up to speed again I reinstalled my copy of Fallout 3, only to find it consistently crashes on startup now.

 

I've done a lot of searching both on these forums and elsewhere, I've tried multiple solutions but nothing seems to be working.

 

I'm running Windows 7 64bit

Video Card:

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS

Processor:

Intel® Core2 CPU 6600 @ 2.40GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.4GHz

 

I've got all the current drivers for my hardware (Fallout 3 worked before the wipe with the exact same drivers and system settings)

I've got a retail copy of the GoTY edition, the game DOES work if I don't install in DLC or update the initial install version (1.0.0.3 or something) however that kind of defeats the point of having the GoTY edition with all the DLC.

 

I've tried multiple complete uninstalls and reinstalls, changing .NET settings before installing, downloading the latest Windows Live before installing, as well as patching the game and installing the DLC from different sources (GoTY edition disc, downloaded patch, saved backup copies of DLC, etc.)

 

Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can offer, I'm at my wit's end and about ready to permanently shelve this otherwise amazing game.

[mongrelarchitect]

I'm assuming "a complete wipe of my desktop" means that you reformatted your hard drive and reinstalled Windows.

 

Is Fallout3.esm first in your load order when dealing with the DLC's?

 

Do other games have any similar issues since the reformat?

 

Maybe try using an older driver for your graphics card?

 

I'm not sure if it's necessary for Windows 7, but have you tried installing FO3 somewhere besides the default "program files" directory?

 

You said the game works without the DLC and the latest patch - does it work with one of them at a time? Maybe you could narrow it down and see if it's the DLC or the patch that's giving you problems.

 

That's all I can think of at the moment, hope it helps. Good luck!

[Riot Inducer]

thank you for the reply

 

yes I meant formatting the HD the term was escaping me when I posted.

I'm pretty sure it's the 1.7 patch causing this, I tried using the DLC without the patch and it worked...well some of the DLC's didn't work but the game successfully launched, and just patching to 1.7 caused it to start crashing.

 

I also tried installing in a different location apart from the default my programs location, it made no difference as soon as I patched to 1.7 it started crashing once more.

 

I may try using an older 1.6 patch and see if that makes a difference.

 

Also thus far Fallout 3 is the only program to have any issues since the formatting everything else is working perfectly.

[tcunni89]

I don't recall if when I was playing f03 on my win7 machine if it had any upgrade, but I was playing with DLC's so it must have had the most recent at the time.. I was using the RC too. Are you playing with any mods installed? Does it only happen if you are using the fallout launcher?

[Riot Inducer]

I don't recall if when I was playing f03 on my win7 machine if it had any upgrade, but I was playing with DLC's so it must have had the most recent at the time.. I was using the RC too. Are you playing with any mods installed? Does it only happen if you are using the fallout launcher?

 

There is no mods applied or installed, additionally I've tried various configurations with and without the DLC's. I've also tried patching from the default GoTY edition version of 1.0.0.12 to versions 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7; all patched versions result in the inexplicable crash upon startup of the game.

 

Only the default version of 1.0.0.12 seems to work at all, I'm going to see how much DLC and modified content can be applied to the base version but it seems unlikely I'll get much of anything to work with such an "old" version.

 

Edit: Missed your question about the launcher; It crashes no matter where fallout 3 is installed and no matter how I activate it (Autorun from the disk, via the launcher, directly activating the .exe, all seem to cause the crash)

[Katuko]

I'm having this problem as well, Fallout 3 crashes on startup. A blackDOS-like window flashes, then it moves to the top-left corner and appears as a small black frame with the Fallout icon on its bar. It can't be closed, I have to end the process. No other error messages. My version worked just fine (with lots of mods and stuff too) until a week ago. Then it stopped working. It's run fine for over a year, but now it stopped. I installed the 1.7 patch, no difference. Disabled all mods, it doesn't work.

But since you've got the same problem, Riot Inducer, I'll assume this is not a problem with mods. :/

[Daedalus4213]

I've been having a similar issue. I recently decided to reinstall Fallout, as it was bloated and crashing every 5 minutes or so. I reinstalled the game, downloaded and installed all 5 DLC and patch 1.7 fired up the game and immediately crashed during the please stand by loading screen at the very beginning. I've tried running in compatibility mode as well as admin, and tried running with FOSE to see if it was an issue with windows LIVE. I tweaked the Ini for multicore. And it continued to crash on the first loading screen.

 

Then I went back to the backup folder where I had copied my older fallout install too. It ran fine. The important thing here is that that install was installed on an earlier version of windows - I copied the directory to a secondary hard drive when I upgraded to win 7 and left it from there. Its issues seem to have been tied to the quad core issue and its running a bit better now, though I'm still getting a few texture issues now. Since the issue seems to be a windows 7 issue, you might be able to install fallout 3 on an older computer running XP, copy the directory to a large USB drive or an external HD and shift it to your computer and run it. I haven't tested this, and you will need to install it on the win 7 computer to get the ini and save directory, but this may serve as a workaround to the issue.

 

Again, I haven't tested this, and all of this is pure speculation. Hope it helps.

 

EDIT: Have Tested, and does not appear to work. Might work for others; the XP computer I used isn't actually capable of running Fallout 3. Not sure what the issue is

Edited April 13, 2010 by Daedalus4213

[Naturalrice]

I'm really freaking out... I think on my computer (also 7 with all DLCs + 1.7 patch) It did work at start... I can't quite remember anymore cause I'm really really really tired... but I added a few mods (new textures and Fook + MMM) and now it's crashing... I'm like really *pooing* my pants cause if I have to dl the mods again I'm gonna cry... I checked my load order with FO3edit and there's no problems...

[Fonger]

I'm really freaking out... I think on my computer (also 7 with all DLCs + 1.7 patch) It did work at start... I can't quite remember anymore cause I'm really really really tired...

take a few minutes and find out for sure

 

Instead of reinstalling, try returning the game to it's vanilla state. Rename the data folder to something else (oldata or whatever you choose) then create a new Data folder and COPY do not move the following files back into the new data folder.

 

Music (folder)

Shaders (folder)

Video (folder)

Credits.txt - probably not needed

Fallout-MenuVoices.bsa

Fallout-Meshes.bsa

Fallout-Misc.bsa

Fallout-sound.bsa

Fallout-Textures.bsa

Fallout-Voices.bsa

Fallout3.esm

 

That should put the game back to it's original pre mods state. Now start the game and make a save. (its a PITA waiting through all of the intro cut scenes but wait if you must)

Now start adding mods, ONE at a time and testing between each one,

[allangb]

The same problem here, I just reinstalled Fallout to play with FWE mod and now I have this ****ing problem, hours ago I was playing just fine... Help please!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: