Skyrim Freezing Randomly

[Greenbean9396]

When did all of you start experiencing this problem? After a mod? If so, make sure you delete all the files for it too, not just disable the plugin. Also, I'd suggest running BOSS, it might rule out some conflicting mods with textures perhaps.

[iNSPiREDS]

Yes, I forgot to mention I use BOSS too. And ofc Nexus Mod Manager.

Been in game for 1h+. Still nothing.

[LucDeveroux]

Thank you. I enabled Papyrus and I'll see how long the game survives next time I launch it.

 

I am inclined to believe that this is a Skyrim related issue simply because I don't see anything else that can be causing it.

I pretty much have a high end computer. Bought it a couple months ago

 

Intel i5 3570k with a dedicated cooler Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E

8GB DDR3 1600 Mhz

EVGA GeForce GTX 670 SC 2GB DDR5

 

The CPU is overclocked and Skyrim has ran in the past just as well as it does now, it just didn't use to freeze like this and causing me to kill it from the task manager.

This PC has the potential to pretty much multitask whatever I want but I'm usually just in game with basic programs on.

My AV is Avira and I have my Games folder in its Exceptions.

In my system tray I got the usual: Steam, NVIDIA control panel (updated drivers, ofc), printer/webcam sftware, registry cleaner, AV, sound, wireless.

 

As for sound mods, I am aware that they have been the cause of save bloats in the past, but I always read things carefully (both description and comments) to make sure I install solid working mods the right way.

I have already suffered save bloat in the past but fortunately, even with lots of mods installed now, I haven't had any save bloat issues after what I'm guessing 60h+ game.

 

This is just... something else. :P I'm hoping I'll find out about what's causing it.

It is, however, hard to identify the culprit, especially having used these mods before during my previous playthrough

 

Just to recapitulate...

 

1. You have used this same combination of mods without problems in at least one playthrough.
   
2. Your computer, while having an overclocked CPU shows no other signs of problems.
   
3. You are sure that no other process running in the BG can cause this.
   

 

Have you actually run the task manager and the resource monitor while playing?

Do you really know what is running on your computer every given time? Just to be sure most people don't.

Even on a "clean" OS install with just the necessaries running you will find processes you wouldn't expect.

What version of Avira are you running?

And especially considering freezes I found the resource monitor invaluable.

I found out that my Skyrim always froze under very consistent conditions, that where at best in periphery Skyrim and mod problems.

I found out that my browser could not work with one of the opened sides, and wanted an awe inspiring 4.5 GB of my 8 GB ram. Normally I have the browser running in the BG as it is no problem.

But in this case it brought the ground load on my ram without Skyrim up to 7 - 7.5 GB.

The page file was in overdrive.

The AV was a little bit overzealous.

And then I used a FUS RO DA with immersiv thunder active.

And had around 3 minutes to analyze what was actually happening.

Before that it took me about 2 weeks of swearing and playing mod-bingo.

 

That is the reason I sermon about the BG processes. They FU your system without you knowing. And as it is "Skyrim" that shows the strain almost everybody will pick the hell out of its options and mods to try to find the error.

Not to speak from unwanted guests...

[aveCHAOS]

I think its a Steam Error.

[iNSPiREDS]

Not even close. Everything's squeaky clean. I installed all the software on my HDD from the OS to Steam, hardware drivers, etc.

I manage all the start-up executables and monitor them from time to time just to make sure I don't have any unnecessary processes running from boot.

Either way, those are just habits from old PCs. Just checked Task Manager and everything are consuming 2,5GB without Skyrim. Even with Skyrim requiring up to 4GB, everything should be perfect.

As for bg programs: Skype, Steam, Chrome, and that's pretty much it. Sometimes the usual downloader, but not even that causes any staggering.

Just to be clear, when I say freeze, I don't mean like jags. I mean actually freezing for good, without being able to move or do anything other than hear the sound in game (like music, etc, as if the game was still running correctly).

Edited October 8, 2012 by iNSPiREDS

[Georgiegril]

I have to chime in with LucDeveroux.

 

You may feel confident about your computer, but obviously something is wrong. It is either your hardware or your mods.

The biggest roadblock to finding a solution is to dismiss possible causes without testing them.

 

If you want to ascribe it to steam or Bethesda, of course you can, but that won't solve your problem.

 

Systematically ruling out every possible cause will.

So, for example, as LD suggests-- run something to view exactly what is running on your computer during the game, and at the moment of the crash.

Close all unnecessary apps/services/programs, even if you think your computer can handle it. It could be something so simple as an update or Skype or whatever that is taking priority over Skyrim and sucking up all your RAM.

I had the kind of freeze you are talking about because my computer wanted to talk to my external HD, which I had turned off, and that took process was given high priority over everything else. It could be some little thing like that.

 

After absolutely ruling out your computer environment, then look at your mods.

If you are opposed to starting a new un modded game and adding mods one at a time, try removing a mod completely according to the mod authors instructions, one at a time, starting with those that have the biggest impact of the game (or the ones you added most recently) until you get it working smoothly.

 

If that doesn't work you may need to start all over with a clean install and unmodded game--and if that causes problems, you are more likely to have missed something with your computer. If it works fine, then it is a mod issue. Adding mods one at a time, running BOSS and playing through a bit will help isolate where the problem is.

[blitzen]

It's probably a mod or set of mods. I have this happen all the time after changing my mod configuration. Then I change it again and it goes away. And this cycle has repeated many times. It has never had anything to do with hardware, other processes, etc. If Skyrim is actually locking up like that, it's most likely Skyrim (mods) that is the culprit. I don't know why it happens, and the Papyrus log has not been much help with this problem. I do know that if a lot of junk is being logged, that my game is basically unhealthy and is more likely to do something undesirable. I start new characters regularly, since changes in the mod configuration don't work well with savegames that were made with a different mod configuration.

[LucDeveroux]

Just to be clear, I don't say that there is no problem with one of the installed mods.

 

But that is often only a relative minor problem, aggravated to the breaking point by internal conflicts and external circumstances.

 

And from what I have read here, the external circumstances are often ignored.

If you know exactly what your OS is doing, then kudos.

 

If you know rather well what it is doing, and where to look... well that is fine.

 

But in my experience, then you are in a group of at best 10% of the people who need help.

 

And I know that these freezes are... all killing. The one I wrote about?

That was the very first time I had a: the resource monitor up and running and b: enough remaining computing power to actually watch in real time at what my system was doing.

 

And that was where my resource monitor showed me in no misunderstandable terms that something is maxing out the transfer capacity of my disk.

That the one loading of the soundfile was actually the straw that broke the camels back.

 

After that I could actually do something more than randomly de-activating and activating mods and praying that it now it works.

I would advise anybody to have this here running in the background.

If I had, I would have been much faster with my conclusions, that the culprit was outside of Skyrim.

 

Also I will never simply go tell you that it is not a mod or a mod-combo that causes your problems.

I simply tell you not to disregard the rest of your system in the failure analysis.

If your system has a 80% workload in one of the critical system resources, and Skyrim then comes and adds 30% through an unfortunate combination of mods, then of course you can solve your problem by finding out what mods change the need of skyrim up by 20% and deactivating this.

And of course you will be happy that you have found the problem and solved it.

But if you on the other side find out what process is using 60% of this resource at any given moment while you play and can deactivate that, don't you think you have made the better deal?

[FightCat]

Just a heads up concerning a victim of "out-of-nowhere" mostly-within-first-10-minutes-into-the-game freeze:

 

Reinstallation solved the problem. Yeah, you wouldn't really wish for such a solution.

[iNSPiREDS]

@Luc Deveroux, Georgiegril, and everyone that has chipped in on this issue:

Thank you very much for the help you're providing. :) I don't mean in anyway to show ungratefulness or anything; I just really am not convinced the problem is non-related to Skyrim. My system is new, hardware is quite capable, I am no expert in modding or anything, but I do have some experience with computers - just like I'm assuming most of us here are - and I keep my system clean of unnecessary processes, virus, spyware, etc. Drivers up to date, Skyrim updated, used Steam to verify Integrity of game cache, etc., none of it works.

However, there is something that just occurred to me as I'm typing this post, but more on that later.

 

Here's what Papyrus log is saying:

 

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] Cannot open store for class "AdvanceSpeech", missing file?

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Unable to get type AdvanceSpeech referenced by the save game. Objects of this type will not be loaded.

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

[10/11/2012 - 11:18:39AM] warning: Could not find type AdvanceSpeech in the type table in save

(...)

 

The log goes on and on repeating that last line "Could not find type AdvanceSpeech (...)" and that's the last it recorded before I was forced to kill TESV.exe using Windows task manager.

I have already googled, but no results on this. :( ("Where is your god now?")

No idea what that could refer to. Any easy way to copy/paste my active mods/scripts list?

 

 

@FightCat

Were you able to continue playing from your previous saves (by keeping the mods, etc)? Or did you just start from the beginning?