Clean Install 7th Try (Completely Stumped)

[Saintsfn27]

So, I've owned the disk version of Oblivion GOTY since around 2008. However, since Thursday I've been unable to get the damn game to work, regardless of how many times I go through the clean install/uninstall process.

 

I have followed what people call the "official" clean uninstall and install process 7 times, done everything listed on this thread here. http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Oblivion_reinstall_procedure

 

I've deleted my saves and oblivion folder in my documents, i've run a registry cleaner after uninstalling to remove corrupt or unused extensions, I've done a drive wipe and a defrag, I've tried oblivion on every single setting graphically. I've checked my firewall to see if it was blocking the game, checked for incompatibility with my graphics card (it shouldn't as I've owned the game for years and was playing it as recently as March).

 

Finally as a last hope I completely removed it and forked out 25 dollars for the deluxe edition on steam assuming that something had to be wrong with my disks. After installing through steam, nothing has changed.

 

Information that might be useful:

- Game crashes before Bethesda logo

- had an install around March with roughly 50 mods that I uninstalled due to instability a few months ago

- Was able to temporarily fix the issue a few days ago (until I installed OBSE) by disabling the intro music

- I've installed in the steam folder, program files, program files(x86), and in Games in past attempts

- 100% vanilla, no mods, utilities, script extenders etc. installed, still can't get the damn thing to start up

 

Oblivion folder currently looks like this:

http://puu.sh/k35Nq/4fb3a25cfc.png http://puu.sh/k35Oe/43886924b5.jpg

 

 

Gaming Rig:

http://puu.sh/k35WS/39605419d3.jpg

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I feel like I wasted 25 dollars out of desperation.

[bben46]

The biggest problem I have seen with persistent problems reinstalling is the registry entries that Beth insisted on using then didn't bother to clean with their own uninstall. (Shame on Beth for this poor programming practice that they NEVER even admitted exists and never made any effort to fix)

 

To completely remove those, I have always used a registry cleaner. However, many people do not understand that you MUST reboot your computer both before and after using the cleaner. Rebooting allows Windows to flag the registry entries as not associated with any program so they can be removed. The second reboot is not as important, but allows Windows to do some housecleaning to clean up the gaps in the registry where entries have been removed.

 

The cleaner I use in Ccleaner. It can do a lot more, but for this I recommended only using the registry cleaner part of the program - get it here http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/ccleaner_slim.html

CCleaner has recently started playing silly games trying to get you to download the pay version so be careful what you click on.

 

If any traces of the original install remain behind, The registry entries will not be flagged because they are still associated with those files.

 

Then - some pirate versions have been known to rename stuff in the files and registry making it nearly impossible to identify those files or registry entries. :pinch:

 

After a reinstall, you MUST start the game using the default launcher ( if you want to use the steam version, that means starting it the first time using steam) With NO - absolutely NO mods not even OBSE.

After that first start, the ini is created and will be saved when you make the first save. make a PERMANENT save, while in the prison cell. One that you will never overwrite (this is for troubleshooting purposes later). Now you can use mods, OBSE and anything else. I don't recommend adding anything more than cosmetic mods at first as you will be going through a heavily scripted tutorial where you really have very little control of what happens and most mods will either have no effect at all, or interfere with the game scripting and cause wacky problems.

 

When you exit the sewer into the game world the tutorial ends ( and the graphic load jumps) Make another permanent save here before adding any mods. (This is you fall back for when things go really bad with mods) Then pile on your mods.

[Saintsfn27]

The biggest problem I have seen with persistent problems reinstalling is the registry entries that Beth insisted on using then didn't bother to clean with their own uninstall. (Shame on Beth for this poor programming practice that they NEVER even admitted exists and never made any effort to fix)

 

To completely remove those, I have always used a registry cleaner. However, many people do not understand that you MUST reboot your computer both before and after using the cleaner. Rebooting allows Windows to flag the registry entries as not associated with any program so they can be removed. The second reboot is not as important, but allows Windows to do some housecleaning to clean up the gaps in the registry where entries have been removed.

 

The cleaner I use in Ccleaner. It can do a lot more, but for this I recommended only using the registry cleaner part of the program - get it here http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/ccleaner_slim.html

CCleaner has recently started playing silly games trying to get you to download the pay version so be careful what you click on.

 

If any traces of the original install remain behind, The registry entries will not be flagged because they are still associated with those files.

 

Then - some pirate versions have been known to rename stuff in the files and registry making it nearly impossible to identify those files or registry entries. :pinch:

 

After a reinstall, you MUST start the game using the default launcher ( if you want to use the steam version, that means starting it the first time using steam) With NO - absolutely NO mods not even OBSE.

After that first start, the ini is created and will be saved when you make the first save. make a PERMANENT save, while in the prison cell. One that you will never overwrite (this is for troubleshooting purposes later). Now you can use mods, OBSE and anything else. I don't recommend adding anything more than cosmetic mods at first as you will be going through a heavily scripted tutorial where you really have very little control of what happens and most mods will either have no effect at all, or interfere with the game scripting and cause wacky problems.

 

When you exit the sewer into the game world the tutorial ends ( and the graphic load jumps) Make another permanent save here before adding any mods. (This is you fall back for when things go really bad with mods) Then pile on your mods.

 

Hi bben,

 

Ccleaner is my go to, I've run the registry cleaner upon each uninstall, restarted the computer, and so on for each reinstall. The big problem is I can't even get into the game to make a save with just the master plugin checked after reinstalling. The damn thing literally crashes regardless of if I try to run the base game without any DLC ticked, or with all of it, straight after a full clean install without OBSE or anything.

 

Both versions of the game I now own are legitimate, I'm stumped.

[bben46]

Here is something else that may help. http://s1.zetaboards.com/bbenlibrary/topic/4308518/1/#new

This shows what is in the default Oblivion folder - I don't use the steam version.

 

I vaguely remember some sound problems from a long time back - try disabling all sounds.