"There's already an instance of Fallout: New Vegas"

[OPResetSchizoid]

I'm NOT new to modding in general but am I to modding Fallout. For now I have picked only some stability mods.

 

I'm using Ultimate Edition of the game from GoG.

 

I'm using: FNV 4GB Patcher, NVSE, NVAC, NVSR and NVEC Reduce CTD.

 

I did everything according to readme-s and any other forms of instructions that I've noticed. Game sporadically indeed launches but most of times, it displays the message above after first, unsuccessful boot no matter in which way I'm trying to launch it. Disabling processes in Task Manager and launching the thing again sometimes works but most often ends in same manner.

 

Error sometimes happened before but much more rarely. Now it happens more often than actual successful boot of the game.

 

Thanks in advance for any reply.

[Deleted53139156User]

Does task manager show two instances running? Are you using a Mod manager to launch New Vegas? Have you tried using a shortcut executable with no parameters (not running with NVSE) Does this occur with a unpatched exe?

[OPResetSchizoid]

Yes, task manager shows two instances running, No, I'm not using MM to launch New Vegas but I'll probably have to since I have a problem with bsa decompressor that I was only able to solve by running game via MM so far. From what I understand game always launches with NVSE now because of 4Gb patcher that should make NVSE run after opening it directly or via launcher according to its mod page. It occured with unpatched exe but rarely compared to now.

[dubiousintent]

You need to pin down why your first attempt to launch the game "fails", as that is the "first cause" of your problem. Why are you assuming that first launch failed? Does the game never display the initial splash screen logo or menu (and how long did you wait before attempting to launch it again)? Are you getting any error message? Have you looked at the various "log" files in the game root folder (where the FalloutNV.exe is located) immediately after that first launch attempt? Check the Windows Eventlog Viewer?

 

Are you using a shortcut created by the GOG Galaxy install, or a "classic standalone installer"? Have you checked the parameters on that shortcut?

 

Where did you install the game to?

 

Curious as to why you mention the need to run a BSA de-compressor? That is not normally needed for playing the game, and with FNV some character "graphic" aspects don't work correctly when unpacked outside of the BSA files.

 

I recommend you read the entire "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article to understand the differences between this game and others you may have experience with; especially if this is your first attempt to mod FNV or it's been more than a year since you last did so.

 

-Dubious-

[OPResetSchizoid]

Okay so when I use launcher - it displays, no problem. Then, when I click "play" - it closes and game *should* open now but it doesn't. When I look it up in task manager - there's no application open but there's an open process called "FalloutNV.exe". When I'm trying to launch the game second time without stopping the mentioned process, it displays the error message mentioned above: "There's already an instance of Fallout: New Vegas". I have waited various amounts of time with results that seem rather random but when I wait a bit longer after killing the process, there's SLIGHTLY bigger chance of successful launch. I may be simply stupid but I don't see anything in game directory that would resemble a log. There are some things related to mods that I've mentioned using but none of them seems to contain any useful information. Sorry, never used Event Log Viewer and have absolutely no clue on how to use it. I have used many ways to launch the game. Sometimes via GoG Galaxy, sometimes by Launcher (Not shortcut, the one in root folder. ), sometimes by application (Root folder. ), sometimes by NVSE (Root folder. ). Game is located on D Drive - GoG Galaxy - Games - Fallout New Vegas.

 

Lastly - I have been mainly modding Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, every of these quite heavily and I would be surprised if I really need to read that whole thing but if I'm wrong, please correct me.

[dubiousintent]

You only want to use FalloutLauncher.exe ONCE, so it detects your hardware and sets up your preferences in the INI files it then creates in your "C:\Users" folder. Every time you run it again, it thinks you are going through the same process for the first time and rebuilds those files. Don't try to play the game from the Launcher. Exit from it and then run the game from the 4GB Patched FalloutNV.exe thereafter. That should be the only executable you need to launch the game with NVSE included.

 

You should at least have a falloutnv_error.log, various nvse*.log files since you have it installed, and GameOverlayRenderer.log files. If you aren't seeing them, configure your Windows Explorer to show "extensions". Use the "details" view and sort the "extensions" column. That information is readily available on the internet. The same applies to the Windows Event Viewer. It's an essential tool when you have problems, so spend a little time learning how to access it. Anytime the game "Crashes to the Desktop" (CTD) it's typically going to generate an error message in the Windows Eventlog. Please see the "Windows Error Messages" section of the wiki "How to read most Bethesda game error logs" article.

You may not need everything in that "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article, but the point is you won't know what is different unless you do read it. And we have no way of telling what misinformation that applied to other games but not this one you may have picked up over the years. Just for instance: this game can only handle 130-140 active plugins, and you should never "clean" the game files with FNVEdit (this game's version of TES5Edit/xEdit). That article gets you on the same page as the rest of us. Permit me to assure you: rushing into this game assuming you know what you are doing based upon prior experience with other games is a guaranteed way to have problems. Oblivion was not Morrowind; Skyrim was not Oblivion. They all have quirks and foibles that took a learning curve whether you recall that or not. I came to this game from the same background (as well as 30 years professional technical support experience) and it took more than a week of solid full time reading and research to get things correct. But following it I never had a major problem from day one of playing. That article grew out of that experience, just to reduce the learning curve for others to the minimum. I've been tweaking it (and the companion "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting" guide) for the last four years, so it's as current and up-to-date as anything out there.

 

-Dubious-

[Radioactivelad]

I vaguely recall something about Windows 7 preventing games from launching because it's trying to look up title information for the "game library," which could similarly be circumvented by launching the game twice.

 

Is there a process called "Rundll" in task manager after a failed launch?

Edited January 3, 2019 by Radioactivelad