Please, can anybody help?

[3rdtryguy]

*sigh*

Where to begin?

 

Okay, about 4-5 months ago I suddenly couldn't play Fallout3 anymore due to some maddening configuration error. I tried everything to fix it, ( lots of possible causes and cures ) but it just wan't fixable.

 

Last week i finally got fed up with it and installed a clean new WinXP installation on my other HDD, and then installed Fallout, and it worked! I played up to level 16 and all was well, but then I realized that i wanted to add the DLC before the game ended.

 

I already had Point Lookout and Broken Steel, and used them back when the ame worked the last time, but I wanted the other DLC's as well. So I bought the GOTY edition and loaded up the DLC's.

It didn't work.

The game crashed and flatly refused to run anymore, complaining of some missing dll file.

GRRRR!

 

So, I deleted those DLC's, but the game wouldn't run anyway, this time due to... would you believe it, that SAME configuration error from last time!

I deleted the whole game and made sure to clear all the bethesda bits from the windows registry as well, and then rebooted and reinstalled.

 

No good. Same error.

 

So... I started all over yet again. Format/reinstall of Windows again, and reinstall of Fallout.

 

SAME ERROR!! IMPOSSIBLE!!!

 

WHY????? HOW????

 

Where is it coming from? How is this happening? How can I fix it??

 

I am about to do the format/reinstall windows thing again.

 

The only thing I can think of is that the first time i got it to work I used my original copy of Fallout, while this second time it failed when using the GOTY copy. Is that a possible factor?

Will attempting to mix the original with the GOTY's DLC disc result in automatic failure again?

Is my GOTY defective?

 

This time I will use my original fallout disc to install in the hope it at least works a little, and I'll be exchanging my GOTY copy for a new one in case it's defective ( missing dll, remember )

 

Please, I need to know anything you guys can think of; has anyone finally figured this mess out after all this time?

 

I tried the bethsoft forums, but I can't get them to work. By that I mean they won't load for me. Irksome.

[Fonger]

update games for windows live --- look in microsoft!!!

 

its the under-documented requirement for the 1.7 patch that comes with goty.

[3rdtryguy]

Well, I finished the format/reinstall, and then I called Bethsoft tech support.. They told me the same thing.

 

It turns out that the original disc didn't have this requirement, so that's why it works, but the GOTY disc won't work without the download.

 

That sounds all fine and dandy, but now I have a huge new problem-> I can't get to microsoft.com.

Actually, there are a number of websites, including my OWN, which I can simply no longer access for no apparent reason. I've often heard about various fixes for this... available on the sites I can't reach.

*sigh*

What did I ever do to deserve this? I had hoped that all this format/reinstalling business would have fixed it, which is the real main reason I did it, but it hasn't fixed it at all.

 

So, I'm boned. I can go back to playing vanilla +Point Lookout+Broken Steel, but I can never run Zeta, Pitt or OA.

 

Well, thanks anyway! I'm glad you were here to give me swift and accurate info when I needed it.

[Fonger]

or you can download the GFWL file (as found on google) on a friend's comupter

 

then install it on yours.

 

or

 

re-install

 

and install any DLC you like except Zeta

 

then upgrade to 1.6 instead of 1.7

 

or

 

re-install your operating system from scratch

[3rdtryguy]

I like that second option.

 

So far I have the game running just fine with BS & PL, which puts me at 1.6.

I've also got a folder full of good mods that I know used to work, so I'll be adding them later.

 

Question--> When I installed the DLC disc last time, it gave me no options to pick and choose which DLC's to install, simply loading them all. Is there a way to manually add only Pitt & OA?

 

Better question--> In my data folder, the DLC's were appearing just like they should. Could I drag & drop the parts for OA & PItt, (esps, bsa'a etc ) FROM my bad game's data folder TO my good game's data folder and make them work? If I'm already at 1.6, then just adding the 1.5 stuff to the data folder shouldn't make it try to downgrade to 1.5, right?

Hmmm....the tricky part would be the new mesh & texture files, though, wouldn't it? Rats. They wouldn't be separate, but would be already merged with the main folders. I've never actually looked at it and tried, but maybe the required parts can be sifted out again?

 

Well, I guess I have some experimenting to do.