Fallout 3 Crash Fix Guide

[menofservice90]

Hey my fallout 3 crashes randomly during the parts when your a child in the vault (Fallout 3 Not Responding)

on a side note the black textbox in the top left-hand corner keeps flickering. I have tried almost everything, can someone help please?

[Carpella]

Where it has been mentioned to edit the fallout.ini do the following in notepad:

Find Fallout.ini in documents/my games/fallout3

 

1. Edit menu - Search for - bUseThreadedAI=0 and change to =1

2. Directly underneath insert - iNumHWThreads=2

 

It has not been mentioned to also edit the FalloutPrefs.ini the file can be found under the fallout.ini in the same folder and do the same in FalloutPrefs.ini...

1. Edit menu - Search for - bUseThreadedAI=0 and change to =1

2. Directly underneath insert - iNumHWThreads=2

 

Since doing this I have not experienced any crashes following a sleep, wait, etc.etc. Hope this helps?

 

Amendment to above during sleep.

Sleeping for 1 - 18hrs OK no Crash

Sleeping 19 - 23hrs Crashes

Sleeping 24hrs OK no Crash

Edited March 11, 2013 by Carpella

[Zeaver]

Rastah thank you so MUCH!!! Step 3 worked like a charm

[WanderA101]

Alright, I got a CTD problem in the area around minefield, apparently it doesn't like you to enter buildings or fast traveling in that area.

 

Active Mods:

 

 

GameMode=Fallout3

00 Fallout3.esm
01 Anchorage.esm
02 BrokenSteel.esm
03 PointLookout.esm
04 ThePitt.esm
05 Zeta.esm
06 Mothership Crew.esm
07 Abbreviated Effects.esm
08 TSC Air Support.esm
09 Advanced Recon Tech.esm
0a Impervious Power Armour.esm
0b TSC Lincoln Memorial.esm
0c norepairneededv2.esp
0d Vault 101 Revisited.esm
0e SpaceStation101 v1.0.esp
0f Mothership Crew Clothing addon.esp
10 MZC - TSC Air Support Black Guard & Stormtroopers MZCCA.esp
++ MZC - TSC Air Support Black Guard & Stormtroopers.esp
11 TSC Propaganda Revised.esp
12 Sprint- and Grenade-O-Matic.esp
13 WeaponModKits.esp
14 TSC Air Support.esp
15 MZC Addon-Olympus Armory.esp
++ MZC Addon-Olympus Armory (forecefield).esp
16 MilitaryTraining.esp
17 Advanced Recon Gear.esp
18 Advanced Recon Tech.esp
19 BlackLight Mod.esp
1a betterpowerarmor.esp
1b F.E.A.R..esp
1c Spartan Armor.esp
++ Level50NoBrokenSteel.esp
1d Level50BrokenSteel.esp
1e Protec_Combat_Armor.esp
1f Prototype Gatling Laser.esp
20 T45dOverhaul.esp
21 tscvendingmachine.esp
22 Earth Base Alpha.esp
23 TSC Earth Base Alpha.esp
24 ZL-ACR.esp
25 Afro's Durability Mod + DLCs.esp
26 MM6U.esp
27 Vibroblade.esp
28 TSC Faction Reports.esp
29 RealisticBulletsTracers.esp
2a The5 Visors Mod F3.esp
2b MZC-Gear-RCSN AK47 Replacer.esp
2c Alien Aroxy.esp
2d 3EFdrg.esp
2e TSC outposts.esp
2f TSC Moon Base.esp
30 TSC Erebus.esp
31 TSC Black Guards.esp
++ Strong-EbonTek.esp
32 MZ-Strong-EbonTek.esp
++ Strong-EasyShield.esp
++ MZ-Strong-EasyShield.esp
33 Grady's Cannon V2.0.esp
34 Pip-Boy Remover.esp
35 1PipboyPDA.esp
36 Wasteland Soldier Armor.esp
37 H&K PSG-1 Sniper Rifles.esp
38 Turret Terminal Re-Vamp.esp
39 DK_BulletTime.esp
3a SteinerCombatGear.esp
3b 700NE rifle.esp
3c Skrees_BF2142.esp
3d USMC_Weapons.esp
3e DarNifiedUIF3.esp
3f DUIF3Extras.esp
40 AQFH2.esp
41 KORsUnderwaterHome.esp
42 Advanced Combat Armor.esp
43 LongRangeReconnaissancePatrolLRRPArmor.esp
44 Advanced Recon Armor.esp
45 Advanced Recon Armor-Predator Mode.esp
46 Megaton House and Theme Overhaul.esp
47 AQFH_C_103.esp
48 TSC - 101 Revisited.esp
49 M56 Smart Gun.esp
4a TSC Grayditch.esp
4b Zan_AutoPurge_SmartAgro.esp

 

 

I've done the fallout.ini but the FalloutPref.ini doesn't have the stuff to change... and I'm using a Vista machine.

[Flatchester]

My game has been experiencing crashes ever since I tried to do Tranquility Lane. I have used the iNumThreads and bUsethreaded AI trick but my game won't stop crashing. This is happening around Tenpenny Tower, and I was there before the game went bonkers on me.

 

Active Mods include FWE, EVE, MMM, Lings Pretty Things, Hairday.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Flatchester

[M48A5]

You need to go back the the Ling's Pretty Things mod page and read the whole page. You are missing some of the necessary files for Pretty Things and it also conflicts with Hairday. You need to read the whole page and the ReadMe.

[Flatchester]

<p>Sorry, I meant Lings Finer Things. I had it running for a awhile, practically most of the game. All I am getting is crashes from around Tenpenny Tower.</p> Edited May 27, 2013 by Flatchester

[marthgun]

I'm giong to post this here, when i searched the forum for a thread like this for some reason i didn't see one. maybe this will help someone else

 

 

I had used the Ini tweaks in both the main fallout3 folder and also the C:/mygames/fallout3 folder,

 

I used Windowed Mode, with the no borders mod found on the nexus.

 

I turned off vsync, AA, Anistropic filtering.

 

I have i7 3770k, gtx 670, 16 gb ram, gigabyte mobo; and still i had freezing and sometimes crashing problems.

 

I found two solutions that completely fixed my problems

 

I figured out the problem, I started the game with FWE + a few other mods I knew wouldn't break anything. Then slowly added mods like MMM. after freezes and crashes I discovered it was two things almost no one has written about on the nexus that I could find:



Right click Computer in start menu > Properties > Advanced System Setting > Click Settings under the performance header



Then untick every box except smooth edges of screen fonts under the Visual Effects tab.



Apply



And click on the Data Execution Prevention tab in the same box and make exceptions to every .exe you use for FO3



No crashes no freezes after applying all the ini tweaks and using windowed mode with no AA, vsync, Anitropsic filters. and ofc a merge patch with blackeneds patch for FWE +MMM

Here's my Load Order

 

 

Fallout3.esm
Anchorage.esm
ThePitt.esm
BrokenSteel.esm
PointLookout.esm
Zeta.esm
Alton, IL.esm
AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
CRAFT.esm
CALIBR.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esm
Mart's Mutant Mod.esm
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional VATS Halftime.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Followers Enhanced (BrokenSteel).esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Anchorage.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Point Lookout.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Mothership Zeta.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC Broken Steel.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Main File.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - DLC The Pitt.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional Restore Tracers.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - Optional Restore Tracers (automatics only).esp
GreenWorld.esp
CASM.esp
VanishingPiles.esp
Existence2.0.esp
Max Level 99 V2.esp
Dree Perks Point Lookout.esp
Dree Perks Broken Steel.esp
Dree Perks.esp
Dree Perks Requested by Fans .esp
Dree Perks Pitts.esp
Dree Perks Anchorage.esp
Dree Perks Mothership Zeta.esp
BetterGamePerformance.esp
Moon.esp
AltonAddon.esp
DLC Enemies Freedom.esp
dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - More Gore.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - More Gore Zeta.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - More Gore The Pitt.esp
FO3 Wanderers Edition - More Gore PointLookout.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Anchorage.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC The Pitt.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Point Lookout.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Broken Steel.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - DLC Zeta.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Hunting & Looting.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Natural Selection.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Tougher Traders.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Dynamic Player Scaling.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Soft Unleveler.esp
Mart's Mutant Mod - Master Menu Module.esp
Blackened FWE + MMM.esp
Realistic Interior Lighting.esp
Realistic Interior Lighting - OA.esp
Realistic Interior Lighting - BS.esp
Realistic Interior Lighting - PL.esp
Fellout-Full.esp
Fellout-BrokenSteel.esp
Fellout-Anchorage.esp
Fellout-Zeta.esp
Fellout-PointLookout.esp

Total active plugins: 65
Total plugins: 68

 

[zombieman00]

I've been mulling over this for days now and finally found a fix. My game would load but suddenly stopped allowing me to save. I tried using auto, quick, and manual saves, then switched to CASM with no luck. Here is the fix I finally got to work for me.

 

First I loaded the Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch and all of the applicable FOIP files. I also went into the Fallout.ini file and added/edited the two following lines of code.

 

bUseThreadedAI=1

iNumHWThreads=2

 

Have no idea if they actually helped because I tried them before with no results but I figured what the heck I'll throw them in this time too.

 

For the final phase I deselected all of my mods in FOMM, then deactivated FOSE and closed it. Next I restarted FOSE, activated it, then loaded my last save. Of course, there my character stood bare naked and weaponless with none of my cool mods with all of my companions wandering off into the distance. I ran to a new area and created a new save with no problem. Next I exited the game and deactivated FOSE and closed it. Finally I went back into FOMM, reloaded all of my mods, restarted FOSE, activated it, then loaded not the new save but my previous one where I still had all of my cool guy stuff. Magically I was able to save again. In my case I'm guessing it had something to do with FOSE needing a break from all of those mods to get caught up. I know next to nothing about computers and I realize my method might have been overkill but in the end I got it to work. Maybe this will work for someone else too :biggrin: !!! Hope this helps.

[AKcelsior]

Well, I guess I'll contribute to this 3 year old thread since it got bumped again. This is a terrible fix... but it may actually work for those that are desperate and have tried everything in this thread + google + windowed fullscreen + LAA. If you have not exhausted every other option then please don't turn to this fix, you'll see why.

 

So on my old desktop from 2006 I had issues with this game even after every tweak imaginable until I saw someone suggest turning OFF texture acceleration on their gpu. Yes I know, it sounds crazy, but it actually worked for me. The reason this tweak sucks is obviously other games will run slightly crappier and in FO3 you may lose a few frames. The method for applying this is slightly painstaking as well because most gpus (all?) have the option greyed out thus you can't change it without editing your registry. I know, I know, this is sounding sillier by the sentence but don't knock it till you try it :D

 

The easiest way to toggle texture accel on or off is to create a .txt file, open it and paste this:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\DirectDraw]

"DisableAGPSupport"=dword:00000001

Save, close and rename it to whatever.REG. Double click the new .reg file and your settings will be applied after a reboot.

Now that texture acceleration is off you may notice a performance drop in games other than FO3. There is no way around this other than to re-enable acceleration, so I will paste the code for how to undo the changes in case you wish to play something else. Create another txt file and follow the same steps that you did to create that .reg but this time paste this into it:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\DirectDraw]

"DisableAGPSupport"=dword:00000000

Once again you will need to reboot for the acceleration to be enabled again. I have both files saved as accelEnabled.reg and accelDisabled.reg so that I can change the setting on a whim. Let me finish by saying this tweak has no effect on my current system. No negative performance drop but also no positive gain so apparently this fix is only for certain gpus. My newer system is already stable after using LAA + Windowed so take this fix with a grain of salt. If this helps then cool, if not, I didn't do it!

Edited June 3, 2013 by akkalat85