Best approach to a fresh install?

[Xenobuzz]

Greetings!

 

I have greatly enjoyed playing the game through several times, and would now like to enjoy some of the excellent mods that so many talented people have made available. I recently tried a few, but I think I made a mistake with my install of the "GNR More Where That Came From" mod. The game would be ok for about a minute, and some of the polygons WENT CRAZY. Random flickering of them all over the environment, then the screen went black. I could still hear audio, but my monitor would only display the little box saying it was cycling back and forth between analog and digital, looking for a signal.

 

I took that as a sign for a fresh install, something I haven't actually done. I've copied up all my DLC content (all esm, bsa, and bik files) to a separate directory. I downloaded them so I don't have CD backups. I've disabled G4WL so that won't get in the way. However, I was wondering how I should proceed. Here are my system specs:

 

HP Pavilion Intel Core Duo E6750 2.66 Ghz 2.76 Ghz

2 G RAM

32-bit Windows Vista SP2

NVidia GeForce 8400 GS

 

I have the most recent Bethesda patch (1.7) but I'm not sure if that's the one I should use. Is the Unofficial Patch a better choice? Also, in what order should I go; game, patch, DLC's?

 

I also have some mod questions, but I'll post those in the appropriate forum once this hurdle has been successfully negotiated! BTW, I'm a TOTAL programming greenhorn/noob, so if you offer any explanations, please don't leave out any steps, no matter how obvious! :wink:

 

Thanks for your assistance!

 

Dave S.

[iFSS]

The game would be ok for about a minute, and some of the polygons WENT CRAZY. Random flickering of them all over the environment, then the screen went black. I could still hear audio, but my monitor would only display the little box saying it was cycling back and forth between analog and digital, looking for a signal.

That sounds like your graphics card overheating. Are you overclocking it (or overclocking your CPU/RAM?), if so go back to the normal speeds. Check that the fan on the card is still working, that the heatsink is attached firmly to the card, and that it isn't clogged up with dust. If the card is passively cooled (no fan), check the other fans inside the case to make sure that they are still spinning dust-free.

 

If the problem doesn't go away, either try underclocking the card (use RivaTuner), increase the fan speed (RivaTuner again), or if passively cooled - remove the side of your PC case and stick a desk fan next to it (temporary solution), or buy a new graphics card.

 

Buying a replacement heatsink/fan set for that card isn't really worth it, as you can get decent 2nd-hand graphics cards off eBay for a few pounds more.

 

(Just to note, some of the earlier NVidia 8400's had a bad problem with overheating - supposedly just the mobile versions)

 

 

I have the most recent Bethesda patch (1.7) but I'm not sure if that's the one I should use. Is the Unofficial Patch a better choice?

The unofficial patch is a supplementary patch, to be used in addition to the official patches. So definitely use the official patch.

[Xenobuzz]

The game would be ok for about a minute, and some of the polygons WENT CRAZY. Random flickering of them all over the environment, then the screen went black. I could still hear audio, but my monitor would only display the little box saying it was cycling back and forth between analog and digital, looking for a signal.

That sounds like your graphics card overheating. Are you overclocking it (or overclocking your CPU/RAM?), if so go back to the normal speeds. Check that the fan on the card is still working, that the heatsink is attached firmly to the card, and that it isn't clogged up with dust. If the card is passively cooled (no fan), check the other fans inside the case to make sure that they are still spinning dust-free.

 

If the problem doesn't go away, either try underclocking the card (use RivaTuner), increase the fan speed (RivaTuner again), or if passively cooled - remove the side of your PC case and stick a desk fan next to it (temporary solution), or buy a new graphics card.

 

Buying a replacement heatsink/fan set for that card isn't really worth it, as you can get decent 2nd-hand graphics cards off eBay for a few pounds more.

 

(Just to note, some of the earlier NVidia 8400's had a bad problem with overheating - supposedly just the mobile versions)

 

I have the most recent Bethesda patch (1.7) but I'm not sure if that's the one I should use. Is the Unofficial Patch a better choice?

The unofficial patch is a supplementary patch, to be used in addition to the official patches. So definitely use the official patch.

 

My CPU has been overclocked for years, and it's never caused me problems that I know of. I'd recently had a spate of "nvlddmkm has stopped working and successfully recovered" error messages last week, but now that seems to have stopped. It was even causing my screen to go black while the audio froze and I had to hard reboot.

 

I uninstalled the game through Settings/Control Panel/Programs & Features. I then installed the game and patched it. I then began to copy back all the DLC files and discovered to my surprise that they were all still there, along with all of the mods!! After starting a new game and getting outside, I was quite pleased to see the blue skies and bright colors of Fellout! After playing for several hours, no polygon flickering or CTD's or screen blackness reared its ugly head.

 

The only bug I have now is that the new songs provided by "GNR More Where That Came From" stutter when playing or don't play at all. The 5 songs that come with the game play fine. I searched the forums for this issue but couldn't find anything specific.

 

Would you recommend the unofficial patch?

 

Thanks!

 

Dave

[iFSS]

My CPU has been overclocked for years, and it's never caused me problems that I know of. I'd recently had a spate of "nvlddmkm has stopped working and successfully recovered" error messages last week, but now that seems to have stopped. It was even causing my screen to go black while the audio froze and I had to hard reboot.

Every time I have seen that error it has indicated a hardware problem for Vista users (different hardware problems too, from overheating to faulty sticks of RAM, probably because Vista taxes the hardware so much). Check your BIOS settings, when you were doing hard reboots it may have recovered the default settings & clock speeds. If you had warmer weather last week, then definitely check your cooling.

 

It may be worth running some stress tests/Memtest out of Windows to be sure (SystemRescueCd and UBCD are good for this).

 

* edit - forgot to note that thermal grease doesn't last forever, if you're overclocking (& therefore generating more heat) it will dry out & become ineffective quicker. Another reason to check your cooling.

 

 

The only bug I have now is that the new songs provided by "GNR More Where That Came From" stutter when playing or don't play at all. The 5 songs that come with the game play fine. I searched the forums for this issue but couldn't find anything specific.

I had problems with "GNR More Where That Came From" not playing songs, I couldn't figure out the cause, and all the other custom stations that I have work okay. I installed GNR Enhanced instead, and it works fine. There's an article in the wiki about stuttering audio if that continues.

 

 

Would you recommend the unofficial patch?

Yes, though make sure to follow prensa's guide to fix the Broken Steel bug. Some mods override some of the fixes in the unofficial patch (e.g. FWE unintentionally reverts the bug fix for bear traps and toilet traps that stops you losing your voice after being caught in one), but it's worth it for the fixes that remain.

Edited October 8, 2011 by iFSS

[Xenobuzz]

My CPU has been overclocked for years, and it's never caused me problems that I know of. I'd recently had a spate of "nvlddmkm has stopped working and successfully recovered" error messages last week, but now that seems to have stopped. It was even causing my screen to go black while the audio froze and I had to hard reboot.

Every time I have seen that error it has indicated a hardware problem for Vista users (different hardware problems too, from overheating to faulty sticks of RAM, probably because Vista taxes the hardware so much). Check your BIOS settings, when you were doing hard reboots it may have recovered the default settings & clock speeds. If you had warmer weather last week, then definitely check your cooling.

 

It may be worth running some stress tests/Memtest out of Windows to be sure (SystemRescueCd and UBCD are good for this).

 

* edit - forgot to note that thermal grease doesn't last forever, if you're overclocking (& therefore generating more heat) it will dry out & become ineffective quicker. Another reason to check your cooling.

 

 

The only bug I have now is that the new songs provided by "GNR More Where That Came From" stutter when playing or don't play at all. The 5 songs that come with the game play fine. I searched the forums for this issue but couldn't find anything specific.

I had problems with "GNR More Where That Came From" not playing songs, I couldn't figure out the cause, and all the other custom stations that I have work okay. I installed GNR Enhanced instead, and it works fine. There's an article in the wiki about stuttering audio if that continues.

 

 

Would you recommend the unofficial patch?

Yes, though make sure to follow prensa's guide to fix the Broken Steel bug. Some mods override some of the fixes in the unofficial patch (e.g. FWE unintentionally reverts the bug fix for bear traps and toilet traps that stops you losing your voice after being caught in one), but it's worth it for the fixes that remain.

 

 

Wow! Thanks again very much for all this information! I will definitely run those stress tests and check my thermal grease.

 

What's the easiest way to uninstall "GNR More Where That Came From?". I've checked the download page, but it doesn't give a short list of what actually comes in the zipped file. I've got the following files in the following folders that I believe should be deleted:

 

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data

 

GalaxyNewsRadio20[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio40[M].esp

 

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/Data

 

Fallout 3 Master Fix.esp <-- Don't know if this should be deleted or if it's in the wrong folder. Should I have a Data folder in my Data folder? :confused:

GalaxyNewsRadio60[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio80[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio100[M].esp

 

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/Data/sound/songs/radio/GNR

 

Adtracks 1-10 in dual mp3 and single mono versions

Tracks 1-20 in dual mp3 and single mono versions

 

Do I need to delete all these files, and do I need to delete the entire Data/sounds/songs/radio/GNR directory string?

 

Dave S.

[iFSS]

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data

 

GalaxyNewsRadio20[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio40[M].esp

 

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/Data

 

Fallout 3 Master Fix.esp <-- Don't know if this should be deleted or if it's in the wrong folder. Should I have a Data folder in my Data folder? :confused:

GalaxyNewsRadio60[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio80[M].esp

GalaxyNewsRadio100[M].esp

 

Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/Data/sound/songs/radio/GNR

 

Adtracks 1-10 in dual mp3 and single mono versions

Tracks 1-20 in dual mp3 and single mono versions

 

Do I need to delete all these files, and do I need to delete the entire Data/sounds/songs/radio/GNR directory string?

 

Having that extra Data folder is probably the cause of it not working for you, all of the stuff in there should be in the proper Data directory above it. Move everything in that extra directory to the parent directory. Make sure the songs are in:

"Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/sound/songs/radio/GNR"

And that only one of the GalaxyNewsRadio[...] esp's is in your "Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data" folder & activated in FOMM - GalaxyNewsRadio20[M].esp if you're only using 20 songs (delete the other esp's).

 

If GNR More Where That Came From still doesn't work, delete GalaxyNewsRadio20[M].esp and the whole "Bethesda Softworks/Fallout 3/Data/sound/songs/radio/GNR" directory to uninstall it.

Edited October 8, 2011 by iFSS

[Xenobuzz]

IFSS,

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your replies, support and info! I followed the link the Radio Stutter and checked it out. I tried a few of the codec links, but they always seemed to come with WAY too many add-ons that I needed to decline. I don't understand how they function very well so I would have been even more in the dark if they didn't work, and then I'd have even more software clogging my system! :wallbash: Lucklily, I tried doubling my audio cache and VIOLA!! Stuttering GONE. Now I can groove the 100 new songs of "GNR Enhanced" without feeling like my character has been strapped to a paint mixer! :thumbsup:

 

Also, it seems that the fresh install cured my flickering to black screen problem! :biggrin:

 

Dave S.

[iFSS]

No worries, glad you got all that sorted :)

 

I added the audio cache increase to the wiki article - surprised it wasn't in there to begin with.

[Xenobuzz]

No worries, glad you got all that sorted :)

 

I added the audio cache increase to the wiki article - surprised it wasn't in there to begin with.

 

I spoke too soon! Had another total video crash last night! :wallbash:

 

I also recalled that I did remove the fan/heatsink assembly from my motherboard a few months back while I was dusting the interior of my case. Once I realized that the fan and heatsink were one assembly, I quickly yet carefully reseated it in the hopes of causing the least disturbance. Yet, I've heard that ANY time you remove the heat sink, a new layer of thermal grease should be applied?

 

I've had this PC for a few years, so I'm sure that your assessment of the situation is correct (need=grease!). Unfortunately, my local PC support shop is closed for Columbus day. However, that will give me time to run those stress tests you mentioned. I will also search for and download CPUCool, which is a program I used awhile ago to monitor my Duo Core temp after I overclocked it. It's been awhile since I did this, so when I start the BIOS on startup, how and where should I look to determine if they're still overclocked? In the meantime, I've removed the side access panel to give the case some extra breathing room.

 

Finally, once I resolve my CPU issue, I was wondering if you might have some suggestions for me on a video card upgrade. Right now I can run FO3 on Medium Detail, but I still get some frame drop when moving quickly. I would dearly love to hit the Ultra button at some point in the near future and have the graphics flow like buttah! :biggrin:

 

My system hardware:

 

Asus IPIBL-LA motherboard w/2 Gigs RAM

HP Pavilion Intel Core Duo E6750 2.66 Ghz 2.76 Ghz (ACPI x86 based PC)

HP P/N 5188-2859 power supply

HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GSA-H60L disc drive

NVidia GeForce 8400 GS video card

SyncMaster 2494SW Digital widescreen monitor

32-bit Windows Vista SP2 operating system

 

Would you need more info than that? :biggrin:

 

Dave S.

[iFSS]

Yet, I've heard that ANY time you remove the heat sink, a new layer of thermal grease should be applied?

Yeah, it should be reapplied if you remove the heat sink. Remove the grease that's there first (if you can't get isopropyl alcohol, then plain nail varnish remover works great - just use it on the metal though), then add a new thin layer.

 

 

It's been awhile since I did this, so when I start the BIOS on startup, how and where should I look to determine if they're still overclocked?

Depends on the BIOS - either just browse through the menu to find them (shouldn't take long), look in whatever manuals you got from HP, or just clear the settings - most BIOS' have an option to "load optimised defaults" or similar, or you can clear the CMOS manually ("Clearing the BIOS settings" section).

 

 

Finally, once I resolve my CPU issue, I was wondering if you might have some suggestions for me on a video card upgrade. Right now I can run FO3 on Medium Detail, but I still get some frame drop when moving quickly. I would dearly love to hit the Ultra button at some point in the near future and have the graphics flow like buttah!

You should probably look here: best graphics cards for the money - sept 2011 (look on that site for earlier comparisons if you are going 2nd-hand).

 

You will most likely need to upgrade your power supply depending on whichever card you go for - NVidia or AMD's websites will give you the minimum recommended specs. (Your current power supply is 350 watt, +12V1 18A, +12V2 18A, no 6-pin connectors)

 

Make sure you get a good quality power supply though, even if it means getting a cheaper graphics card.

 

Browsing through sites like Tom's Hardware will give you clearer advice than I can anyway, have fun. :)

Edited October 10, 2011 by iFSS