Timed Crashing: Savegame decay?

[Ethre]

About three months ago I got a nice shiny new version of GOTY.

 

Ever since then though, I have been encountering this seemingly inexplicable issue: Every time my save games approach 2:12:30 in duration, Oblivion crashes.

I have tried repeated (total) reinstalls, and have tested both with and without mods.

I also know its not an issue with the save game duration, because I can load older (>300 hour) save games with no issues (although I have not tried playing these for 2:12:30 to see if they crash after that).

It is not the animation bug either (no slow down, just an abrupt crash), although I have tried fixing the savegames for that.

 

I cannot seem to find anything similar to this on the internet.

I have encountered this issue with several different characters.

 

Does anyone know anything about this?

Would anyone be willing load a copy of one of my savegames to see if the issues in the savegame or on the system?

 

Thank you. Please comment if you can think of even the slightest possibility.

[myrmaad]

One thing that occurs to me, is the possibility that you have a background program that runs on a timed schedule, could be something like any of the following:

 

Realplayer

Google updater

your virus protection updater

Itunes updater

an instant message program

your windows updater

adobe acrobat updater

 

 

etc like that.

 

Any programs running in the background that "call" a function, especially an internet function, could result in a CTD, actually.

[dezdimona]

I agree with myrmaad.my security software would crash my game everytime it updated,I complained to the makers of said software,and to my surprize got an update that added a button for me to bypass the security program when playing a game,it lasts for a few hours and then enables itself again.

[Ethre]

I appreciate the thought - but its not that.

 

What happens is that once my save game gets up to 2:12:30 in game time, it causes the game to crash. I can leave Oblivion running almost infinitely if I don't have a save game loaded. If I do have one loaded though, the time until crash will be given by

(2:12:30 - Time I have played the save game = time until crash)

 

So if I have a savegame with 2:11:30, I have one minute of time after I load the game.

[myrmaad]

I appreciate the thought - but its not that.

 

What happens is that once my save game gets up to 2:12:30 in game time, it causes the game to crash. I can leave Oblivion running almost infinitely if I don't have a save game loaded. If I do have one loaded though, the time until crash will be given by

(2:12:30 - Time I have played the save game = time until crash)

 

So if I have a savegame with 2:11:30, I have one minute of time after I load the game.

hmmm. That's an oddity isn't it? I can't think of anything that might cause that, offhand, but if I come across anything I'll find this thread again. That's very strange, and if I understand you correctly, that means you have to start a new game after that?

 

If so, it warrants a call to Bethesda Technical Support, they may have seen it before.

[Shadowcran]

I appreciate the thought - but its not that.

 

What happens is that once my save game gets up to 2:12:30 in game time, it causes the game to crash. I can leave Oblivion running almost infinitely if I don't have a save game loaded. If I do have one loaded though, the time until crash will be given by

(2:12:30 - Time I have played the save game = time until crash)

 

So if I have a savegame with 2:11:30, I have one minute of time after I load the game.

 

Ok, I don't know if it'll help, but I suspect it might.

 

Wrye Bash is a very valuable utility for mods. It can look daunting and complex, but once you figure it out, it's invaluable.

 

It has features for save games(among a ton of other uses) that removes save game bloat, repair abomb, repair factions and repair hair. Even if you don't use mods, this can help with those save games. I suspect either bloat or abomb is your problem. With Wrye Bash's feature of this, you can repair them in seconds.

 

Wrye Bash requires these 2 programs to run. install them and then install Wrye Bash:

http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5/

 

http://sourceforge.net/project/downloading...se_mirror=voxel

 

Then Download Wrye Bash 212:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/User:Wrye

[Ethre]

if I understand you correctly, that means you have to start a new game after that?

 

If so, it warrants a call to Bethesda Technical Support, they may have seen it before.

 

Yes. I've been "reborn" I forget how many times in the last two or three months. :(

I sent off an email to tech support - even though I'm using Vista, maybe they will give me a hand.

 

Ok, I don't know if it'll help, but I suspect it might.

 

Wrye Bash is a very valuable utility for mods. It can look daunting and complex, but once you figure it out, it's invaluable.

 

I've tried that - all of the options available, even if I thought they had no relation to the issue.

I at first thought similar to what you had (that it was bloat or anbomb), but after repeatedly having the same issue at the exact same time with different savegames, and trying Wrye Bash (and another anbomb utility), I don't see how it can be.

[catmagnet]

Ok, this is a long shot, a mere guess, more gut feeling than anything else. Recently tested your RAM? Preferably by running a memtest from a live-cd?

[pedantic]

Hi Ethre, if your saved game doesn't include a myriad mods which I don't have loaded. I'll run one for you. I seem to recall you offered me similar assistance, PM or Mail me :biggrin:

[Ethre]

Ok, this is a long shot, a mere guess, more gut feeling than anything else. Recently tested your RAM? Preferably by running a memtest from a live-cd?

 

Good suggestion - may be a long shot, but long shots are the only shots I seem to have here. I haven't tested the RAM on my laptop like I used to when I was running a desktop, so thanks for bringing it to my mind. I wouldn't do it any other way than a Memtest 86+ CD.

 

I sent off an email to tech support - even though I'm using Vista, maybe they will give me a hand.

 

Update: It seems they don't bother to read Vista support messages:

We do not formally support Vista as Oblivion is not a Games for Windows title. Our internal tests -- and external tests done by outside parties -- have not found any issues with Oblivion on Vista. Should you have problems, it's not something we support or can help you with. The secured installers for downloadable Oblivion content are not compatible with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows or any version of Windows Vista and therefore downloadable content will not work with Oblivion.

Not even a mention of whether they had, or had not, heard of a similar issue before. :(

Well, I'll give them a call tommorrow and see if I can get more info over the phone.

 

Hi Ethre, if your saved game doesn't include a myriad mods which I don't have loaded. I'll run one for you. I seem to recall you offered me similar assistance, PM or Mail me biggrin.gif

 

I appreciate it. I'll send you a PM in just a moment.