Fomm stopped working

[necromunchy]

http://i54.tinypic.com/b6ee52.png

 

This has been happening pretty often.

All of a sudden too, as it seems. It doesn't matter if i played the game 10 times that day, or turned it on for the first time, or even just decided to restart it without any changes.

The solution until now has been a system restore, but today, i've found out that there were no restore points available.

 

Game works fine, launcher works fine.

I've seen this issue being mentioned quite a few times, but not a single solution was given.

Is there anything that can be done?

[proconsu1]

Cannot be 100% sure, but that looks like a .NET error. If so, those are usually caused by an incompatible component or incomplete installation of the .NET framework that app is written for. "And what usually causes that?", you might ask if you could you get a word in, which you can't, so I will ask it for you, and then answer, "Windows automatic updates." Sounds like it may have done an automatic update that installed some new "fix" files for .NET and broke its compatibility. Not sure how to fix that in your case, perhaps by rolling back recent updates that were installed...? I long ago disabled the stupid automatic updater, cuz it causes more problems than it fixes by installing countless regression bugs bundled with its fixes. So as you might imagine I don't have much experience with undoing the damage it can cause.....assuming that is even the cause here. For me a "Disable" button full of prevention has been my cure. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

 

Edit: you might try downloading and installing the redistributable packs for .NET versions 2.0, 3.0. 3.5 and 4.0, in that order. That should force your .NET structure back into compliance with 3rd party .NET apps regardless of which version they were written for.

 

Edit; if you try the reinstalling of .NET, it is vital that you use the redistributable packages, not standalone or patchfile versions. Redistributables are the ones that are used in app development, so they are the only ones that are pretty much guaranteed to be compatible with 3rd party apps (as much as anything that comes from Microsoft is EVER guaranteed to work!)

Edited March 15, 2011 by proconsu1

[necromunchy]

Thank you for replying.

Sounds like it may have done an automatic update that installed some new "fix" files for .NET and broke its compatibility.

I am already aware of this, and even though my automatic updates are off, it keeps happening.

Unfortunately, the suggestion concerning framework didn't help, and after i checked on the updates, it seems that the last one was installed in February last year.

Could there be an update that doesn't show on the 'installed updates' list?

 

[Edit]

I've came to the conclusion that it's an issue of .net framework 2.0.

The only possible solution is reinstalling it, but, since i have vista sp2, it's embedded and said to be impossible to reinstall.

Currently searching for an alternative method.

Edited March 15, 2011 by necromunchy

[proconsu1]

Unfortunately, the suggestion concerning framework didn't help, and after i checked on the updates, it seems that the last one was installed in February last year.

Could there be an update that doesn't show on the 'installed updates' list?

 

Yep. Some of the files used by .NET are considered "shared" according to Windows, meaning something could update one or more of them without regard to the fact that it could break .NET. And nothing would show except that Buggy_IE_plugin13.1 from "trusted" source Microsoft.com had been installed by Internet Explorer - but no mention that it overwrote three files critical to .NET 2.0, two files critical to PowerDVD and one file critical to Nero, all with incompatible versions.

 

I've came to the conclusion that it's an issue of .net framework 2.0.

The only possible solution is reinstalling it, but, since i have vista sp2, it's embedded and said to be impossible to reinstall.

Currently searching for an alternative method.

 

You might reinstall SP2 itself, or if that fails you could...(shudder)....reinstall Windows. :sick:

 

Edit: I must add, over a full year is a long time for an installation of Windows to last without a catastrophic meltdown. You are to be simultaneously congratulated and warned against impending disaster.

Edited March 15, 2011 by proconsu1

[necromunchy]

Thank you for replying, once again.

 

Reinstalling sp2 definitively didn't help, as well as uninstalling the last few system updates.

However, there's a line on the NV fomm page, where the author states how they're "actively working on a replacement".

Hopefully it'll manage to function despite the mentioned issue, so i'll try to wait for it.

[proconsu1]

In the meantime I would advise that you get familiar with Wrye Flash. It is a bit more powerful than FOMM, but has a steeper learning curve. But most important, at least for your situation, it is not a .NET application. If you go that way and need any help getting it working for you (instead of the other way around) just lemme know.

[necromunchy]

I'm eager to try Wrye Flash, as it held my attention for a long time now.

It would be much appreciated if you could just help me get started with it, since i've yet not had any experience with it.

Should i... send you a private message?

[proconsu1]

Here is some help getting started with using Flash to replace FOMM:

 

WryeFlash - manual available here:

 

Get and install both Wrye Python 03A and Wrye Flash, in that order.

 

For installing with BAIN (the installer tab of Wrye) you just need to locate the folder where you told Wrye (when you installed it) you were putting your mod archives, and then the folder off of that called "Bash Installers". This is where you put the zipped up (or rar'ed or 7zipped, whatever) archive files that you downloaded from here at the Nexus or from wherever. BAIN can recognize their internal file structure most of the time and figure out what goes where without any help. Where it will run into trouble is mods that put an extra folder layer at the top that is not part of the normal \\Fallout 3\Data\...\ folder structure, such as body replacers that have multiple installation options bundled in a single archive. For these it is easiest and best to just extract them to a separate folder, isolate just the installation option you want and then zip up just those files, leaving out any folder layers that don't conform to Fallout 3's naming convention. Example:

 

bodyreplacerxyz.rar contains three different replacement body types in folders with this kinda structure:

 

\\pick_one_folder_only_and_extract_to_data_folder\

\body_type_a\meshes

\body_type_b\meshes

\body_type_c\meshes

 

You can see that the first folder layer that conforms to FO3 naming is the sub-subfolder "meshes", so if you wanted to install type B bodies you would rezip just the "meshes" folder from that body type's folder, and then put that new archive into the Bash Installers folder. BAIN would scan it and immediately recognize that "meshes" is a subfolder of \\Fallout 3\Data\, and would therefore know how to handle that archive.

 

Wrye also has another useful feature that FOMM lacks: the ability to selectively install mod components from within an archive. Say, for example, you are installing a big overhaul like FWE. It has 4 required esms, 1 required esp, 5 plugin esps for DLCs, and about a half dozen optional plugins, a couple of which are paired options where you are only supposed to run one or the other but not both. When you select that archive in Wrye's installer tab it is going to a show a list of all those esms and esps in a separate panel in the lower right portion of the window, with checkboxes next to each of them. You can just uncheck the ones you don't want to install right there and BAIN will leave them out when you click the "Install" option. But it will not lose track of them, so if you later find you want to add in one of those, then you just go back and select that same archive, put a checkbox back in that one component you had left out, and then this time click "Install missing". BAIN will then compare your selections now with the selections made when you installed that mod before and only extract and install those bits that it hadn't already installed. Conversely, if you find that one optional component you installed is jacking things up and you want it gone, then just go back and UNcheck it in the installer, and then click the option "Anneal" which tells BAIN to remove any already installed bits that don't match the current selections. Personally I love this ability, since it prevents accidental activation of unwanted or even incompatible mod components, makes certain they don't get bundled into a merged patch, and it also cuts down on clutter in my actual Fallout 3 installation folder tree. And that last bit cuts down on drive thrashing, since the game engine has a tendency to repeatedly scan every single esm, esp and bsa file it can find, without regard to whether they are active or not.

 

There is one thing, however, which FOMM does that Wrye does not do: archive invalidation. Well, actually Wrye can do it, but its method is inferior. So you will want to download and use "Archive Invalidation Invalidated" if you aren't already using it.

 

And then there is Wrye's superior (to FO3edit) merged patch capability....lemme know when yer ready for that little novella. :unsure:

[necromunchy]

First of all, accept my humble expression of virtual love.

I haven't been able to reply immediately because of actually playing the game.

 

Now that everything works i'm ready to go further and learn more!

Please teach me everything you can :D

[proconsu1]

First of all, accept my humble expression of virtual love.

 

Errr.....'kay..? :unsure:

 

I haven't been able to reply immediately because of actually playing the game.

 

Sweet victory!

 

Now that everything works i'm ready to go further and learn more!

Please teach me everything you can :D

 

Okey dokey. Here is the sequel to that first novel. This one is called "Wrye Flash - Bash Patching"....catchy, huh? But the plot is even more boring, be warned. I cut and paste this...again...from a post to another friend who was getting his feet wet up to his neck. I know you have already done the first coupla steps, but the rest should get you into bash patching in no time.

 

1. Get and install both Wrye Python 03A and Wrye Flash, in that order.

 

2. Run the WryeFlash program: note that it's executable will look odd; the filename to run is "Wrye Bash Launcher.pyw" . It will open a screen that lists all your installed mods, with their names color coded, check marks by the active ones and so on. It will look similar to FOMM's load order screen except in color. I strongly recommend that you click on the column labeled "Load Order" to arrange your view based on this field. Otherwise things will list in a different order than what they will actually load in, and that can be very confusing. Note also that when you arrange based on load order you may see that some inactive mod components appear higher in the list than some active ones - this is normal, as they are listing in the order they would load in if they were all active.

 

3. BOSS - along the bottom of the WryeFlash window there is a row of small buttons on the left hand side. One of those is for BOSS. Click it to launch BOSS from within Wrye and have it sort your load order prior to making your patch. Note that this requires that you must already have downloaded and installed BOSS.

 

4. At the bottom of the now sorted load order you should see a file called "Bashed Patch, 0.esp". Right click on this file to open the context menu and click "Rebuild patch..."

 

5. It will almost certainly open another dialog window that lists some of your esps, says that they are mergeable, and asks if it is OK to deactivate them. Take note of which files it names and then click "Yes".

 

6. Now it will bring up a window with a bunch of options listed on the left side and an empty frame on the right. The second option listed on the left will be "Merge Patches". Select it and click to put a check in the checkbox next to it. You should now see a list in the right hand panel which names all those mods that were listed in step 5. Check the boxes next to all of them.

 

7. Click the button at the bottom of the window that says "Build Patch". A status window should appear to confirm that the patch was built successfully. You should also see "Bashed Patch, 0.esp" still at the bottom of your load order and now activated (if it wasn't already activated).

 

8. Now close Wrye, launch FOSE and test it out.

 

Just lemme know if you run into any snags or need any other info.

Edited March 22, 2011 by proconsu1