Fallout 3 on Windows 7 x64

[Spectro87]

I have gotten Fallout 3 to run on Windows 7 x64 before, but for some reason not this time. So far all I've tried is compatibility mode in Vista SP2 and running as admin. Any other suggestions?

 

I currently have no mods installed.

[EagleOfNexus]

Try enabling multi CPU and GPU support in the Fallout.ini file

[Herculine]

If you have another hard drive besides the default "C", try installing it there. I'm running it on Windows7x64 on my "D" drive and have never had to assign it any special permissions or compatibility modes.

[bben46]

Did you install it in a different location this time? If so, you have been clobbered by the archaic Windows Registry - when a program is installed, it places entries into the registry. when you remove a game, it sometimes neglects to remove those entries that point to the wrong locations. Usually a reinstall overwrites them. If not. Completely remove the game. Rename any folders - such as save game or data folders that you wish to keep so Windows will not automatically try to associate them with the game. Erase the folders that the game was installed in.

 

Now run a good registry cleaner - I use the FREE ccleaner available here: http://majorgeeks.co...Slim_d4191.html

 

Be sure to reboot your computer BOTH before and after running the registry cleaner.

 

Now reinstall and make sure it works before making any changes like mods or patches. Patch first. Test, then start on mods.

[Spectro87]

Try enabling multi CPU and GPU support in the Fallout.ini file

Alright, I'll try this. Thanks.

 

If you have another hard drive besides the default "C", try installing it there. I'm running it on Windows7x64 on my "D" drive and have never had to assign it any special permissions or compatibility modes.

It's a Steam game so I would actually have to move a 583GB folder to a secondary drive and my secondary HDD has less than 500GB free. :l I wish I could just tell Windows to screw off and give me 100% permissions and such.

 

 

Did you install it in a different location this time? If so, you have been clobbered by the archaic Windows Registry - when a program is installed, it places entries into the registry. when you remove a game, it sometimes neglects to remove those entries that point to the wrong locations. Usually a reinstall overwrites them. If not. Completely remove the game. Rename any folders - such as save game or data folders that you wish to keep so Windows will not automatically try to associate them with the game. Erase the folders that the game was installed in.

 

Now run a good registry cleaner - I use the FREE ccleaner available here: http://majorgeeks.co...Slim_d4191.html

 

Be sure to reboot your computer BOTH before and after running the registry cleaner.

 

Now reinstall and make sure it works before making any changes like mods or patches. Patch first. Test, then start on mods.

I actually use CCleaner regularly and I have TuneUp Utilities which has similar functions and that runs automatically on a schedule.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I'll edit my post when I try to tweak the ini file.

[bben46]

Before ccleaner can remove the registry entries they must be flagged as orphan - not associated with anything. That's why you need to remove everything first - so there will be nothing to associate with the registry entries. Then the orphan flag is not set until after you reboot. On booting up, Windows reads the registry and checks all of the associations - that's one of the reasons Windows takes so long to boot. When it finds an entry that has nothing associated, it flags that one as an orphan so it will ignore it. Then after cleaning you need to reboot again to allow windows to do some housecleaning - close the gaps where the removed registry entries were.

 

This is also a good time to do any other housecleaning - ccleaner can do a lot more than clean orphan registry entries. If you are not sure, check the documentation to be sure you are not removing something you want to keep. Like the TesNexus (and other site) cookies that allow you to log in without typing your username and password every time. Then a defrag to allow a large contiguous space for the reinstall to go a little faster.

[Spectro87]

I realize this is an old thread, but I figured it would be better to bump than to create a new one.

 

Try enabling multi CPU and GPU support in the Fallout.ini file

I remember seeing the commands to do this somewhere but now I can't find them again. Also, would there really be any point in enabling multi-GPU support if I have only one GPU?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all replies. :)

[nisen]

ithink the multi core tip is about the advice posted a few places as follows:

 

Turns out the patch for 1.1 breaks quad core support. The game can't handle 4 cores anymore. So if you have a quad core pc and you install the latest patch the game will start crashing. There are instructions on how to fix this.

 

Open up the fallout.ini file in: My Documents\My Games\Fallout3

Find the line:

 

bUseThreadedAI=0

 

change it to:

 

bUseThreadedAI=1

 

Add another line after it and insert:

 

iNumHWThreads=2

 

This will limit the game to 2 cores and prevent the engine bug from causing the game to freeze.

 

-------FOR THE PEOPLE WHO STILL CRASH--------

 

Instead of iNumHWThreads=2, change it to iNumHWThreads=1

 

.:Many thanks to plurliquid for pointing that out:.

 

 

but id also be trying the simple ini reset method first by deleting it so starting the game writes a new one, and theres general ini tweaking suggestions at tweakguides

[proconsu1]

Also, would there really be any point in enabling multi-GPU support if I have only one GPU?

 

No.