Baffling intermittent freeze at title screen

[rjev]

Every now and then, firing up Skyrim results in a total system lockup. I've enabled logging in the skyrim.ini, though the logs reveal nothing about the potential culprit. The only thing that seems to fix the issue is disabling all mods. Like, leaving even a single mod enabled (even the official DLC) will still result in a total freeze. Now, here's the really weird bit: disabling all of them, starting the game, quitting, then enabling everything again works. Every mod, all 100+, no freeze. It will keep freezing time after time unless I do this, then it seems to be fine for a while until it decides to stop working again, seemingly on a whim. I've tried half a dozen different graphics drivers, and no other game does this or anything remotely like it, so I'm pretty certain it's not my system. I'm sure it's some mod to blame, or some script, or something in my 20+GB data files folder, though what exactly I cannot say, and it's driving me nuts. Reinstalling does not fix the issue, it will recur in time. It appears to be absolutely random. Has anybody else encountered anything like this? Here's my mod list, I'm sure the guilty party is in here somewhere. Any idea, even the faintest flippin' shadow of a lead, would help immensely. I am simply out of ideas. Latest patch and most current version of SKSE are installed, everything is current.

 

Mods, as sorted by BOSS:

 

Skyrim.esm

Update.esm

Dawnguard.esm

HearthFires.esm

ClimatesOfTamriel.esm

DeadlyDragons.esm

EagleEyePerk.esm

ETaC - RESOURCES.esm

Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - Main.esm

moonpath.esm

Omegared99-Compilation.esm

ClimatesOfTamriel-VanillaNights-Lvl-4.esp

ClimatesOfTamriel-Dawnguard-Patch.esp

ClimatesOfTamriel-Dungeons-Hardcore.esp

Ranger Ridge.esm

SPIKE.esm

Hideout.esm

portal2mod.esp

Brynjolf Dialogue Fix.esp

Magnus100.esp

ShadowStripingFix.esp

Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp

Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp

Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp

Better Dynamic Snow.esp

Weapons and Armor fixes.esp

Weapons and Armor fixes - Hacks.esp

StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp

Birdsofskyrim.esp

Crafting300.esp

Food and Ingredient Overhaul.esp

HorseMarker.esp

Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - RCRN Pure.esp

ShootingStars.esp

Tamriel Compendium.esp

Convenient Horses.esp

Auto Unequip Arrows.esp

Footprints.esp

WetandCold.esp

SkyUI.esp

Cloaks.esp

1nivWICCloaks.esp

DragonBoneWeaponsComplete.esp

DwemerAutoBlade.esp

EinherjarArmor.esp

HedgeKnight.esp

hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp

LoreFriendlyArmors.esp

Masters of Death - Sicarius Armor (Standalone).esp

Matys Mithril armor Enhanced.esp

Northborn Fur Hoods.esp

Omegared99-WeaponSets.esp

Omegared99-Compilation-NPC Plugin.esp

ThalmorStandalone.esp

Dr_Bandolier.esp

Smithing Perks Overhaul - Balanced.esp

Complete Crafting Overhaul - BS version.esp

300 Smithing fix.esp

DeadlyDragons.esp

RIC_Dawnstar.esp

moonpath_questdata.esp

Ranger Ridge.esp

Run For Your Lives.esp

WinterholdDestruction.esp

5_minute_candlelight.esp

AddChoices01.esp

Headbomb's Better Sorting.esp

Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp

LegionArmorVarietyOPTIONAL1.esp

lesssnowywinterhold.esp

RichMerchants_Less.esp

dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp

dD-Dawnguard-EBT Patch.esp

Thieves Guild Requirements.esp

Uncle Sheo.esp

VariousGuardReplacer.esp

ETaC - Villages Complete.esp

ETaC - Morthal.esp

Smelter_Riften.esp

Smelter_Solitude.esp

Unique Region Names.esp

dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp

Werewolf Enhancer.esp

Apocalypse - The Spell Package.esp

Ancient Spells.esp

ShoutCD.esp

BetterMagic_FULL.esp

DeadlySpellImpacts.esp

Enchanting Freedom.esp

The Dance of Death - Dawnguard Edition.esp

Soulmaster 10.esp

SpeechTree.esp

3DNPC.esp

UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul.esp

UFO - Dawnguard AddOn.esp

UFO - Heartfire AddOn.esp

Slightly Reduced Distance NPC Greetings.esp

argonianraptor.esp

SkyRe_Races.esp

WATER.esp

EzEWorldMap.esp

killable_ children.esp

1nivWICSkyCloaksNorthPatch.esp

Breezehome-hf-CTD-fix.esp

ShutUpBoutDawnguard.esp

Better Archmage's Robes.esp

Better_Restoration_Spells_Mastery.esp

Infinite Wood Chopping.esp

LeatherWeightMod(0.1)v1.0.esp

Better_Skooma.esp

 

System specs:

Q6600 @3.2

8GB DDR2 1066

2x 6870 1GB (crossfire disabled for Skyrim) with latest official drivers

Foxconn MARS mobo

lots of HDDs of varying size and brands

Corsair 750W PSU

Edited January 31, 2013 by rjev

[ripple]

Can you post your BOSS log instead (and enclose it in a spoiler tag so it doesn't clutter the screen). It will contain the load order as well as relevant messages about the plugins. Include the list of mods not recognized by BOSS.

 

Just a preliminary glance of your mods, I can see some issues:

 

1) You need to download Wrye Bash and generate a Bashed Patch to merge the conflicting leveled lists from all the 'add more stuff to NPCs' mods you have (e.g. immersive armour, cloaks of skyrim, etc.).

 

2)

Headbomb's Better Sorting.esp

This original plugin was made with a pre-CK tool and contain error records. You would need to have the update fix patch for this mod if you don't have it already (or alternatively, just use another sorting mod that isn't outdated).

 

3) 'Moonpath....' has been reported to cause problems. The author's recommendation is to enable it only when you want to play the quest, and disable it afterwards.

 

4)

killable_ children.esp

<-- causes children to increase to adult sizes. Don't use it, use 'Non-essential Killable Children' instead (which prevents child races from interacting with adult furnitures).

 

Will give it a more thorough look after you post the BOSS log.

Edited January 31, 2013 by ripple

[rjev]

Awesome, great advice so far. I've ditched moonpath and better sorting, and have replaced the old killable children mod with the one you recommended. Just updated BOSS to the latest version and ran it, here is the log.

 

 

Skyrim.esm Active

Update.esm Active

Dawnguard.esm Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

HearthFires.esm Active

ClimatesOfTamriel.esm Active

DeadlyDragons.esm Active

Note: Obsolete. Upgrade to 4.2.1

EagleEyePerk.esm Active

Note: Use only one EagleEyePerk esm

ETaC - RESOURCES.esm Active

Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - Main.esm Active

Omegared99-Compilation.esm Active

Ranger Ridge.esm Active

SPIKE.esm Active

Hideout.esm Active

Warning: Original file was released before the CK (07 Feb. 2012) a compatibility patch fixed and cleaned with TES5Edit can be obtained here. (Compatibility Patch)

portal2mod.esp Active

Brynjolf Dialogue Fix.esp Active

Magnus100.esp Active

ShadowStripingFix.esp Active

Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp Active

Better Dynamic Snow.esp Active

ClimatesOfTamriel-VanillaNights-Lvl-4.esp Active

ClimatesOfTamriel-Dawnguard-Patch.esp Active

ClimatesOfTamriel-Dungeons-Hardcore.esp Active

Weapons and Armor fixes.esp Active

Note: For 'WAF+SPO+CCO' users. No conflicts with 'Smithing Perks Overhaul' and 'Complete Crafting Overhaul'.(checked in FNVEdit)

Weapons and Armor fixes - Hacks.esp Active

StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp Active

Birdsofskyrim.esp Active

Crafting300.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

Food and Ingredient Overhaul.esp Active

HorseMarker.esp Active

Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - RCRN Pure.esp Active

Note: Use only one Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One esp.

ShootingStars.esp Active

Tamriel Compendium.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Relev}}

Convenient Horses.esp Active

Auto Unequip Arrows.esp Active

Footprints.esp Active

WetandCold.esp Active

SkyUI.esp Active

Cloaks.esp Active

1nivWICCloaks.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Relev}}

Incompatible with: Cloaks of skyrim, get the compatibility patch in the WIC optional files.

DragonBoneWeaponsComplete.esp Active

DwemerAutoBlade.esp Active

EinherjarArmor.esp Active

HedgeKnight.esp Active

hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

LoreFriendlyArmors.esp Active

Masters of Death - Sicarius Armor (Standalone).esp Active

Matys Mithril armor Enhanced.esp Active

Northborn Fur Hoods.esp Active

Omegared99-WeaponSets.esp Active

Omegared99-Compilation-NPC Plugin.esp Active

Warning: File is now obsolete. See optional files to update.

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Relev}}

ThalmorStandalone.esp Active

Dr_Bandolier.esp Active

Smithing Perks Overhaul - Balanced.esp Active

Complete Crafting Overhaul - BS version.esp Active

Note: Will conflict with mods that modify existing recipes.

300 Smithing fix.esp Active

DeadlyDragons.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Delev, Relev}}

RIC_Dawnstar.esp Active

Ranger Ridge.esp Active

Run For Your Lives.esp Active

WinterholdDestruction.esp Active

5_minute_candlelight.esp Active

AddChoices01.esp Active

Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp Active

LegionArmorVarietyOPTIONAL1.esp Active

Note: Use only one LegionArmorVariety esp

lesssnowywinterhold.esp Active

NonEssentialChilds.esp Active

RichMerchants_Less.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Relev}}

dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp Active

dD-Dawnguard-EBT Patch.esp Active

Thieves Guild Requirements.esp Active

Uncle Sheo.esp Active

VariousGuardReplacer.esp Active

ETaC - Villages Complete.esp Active

ETaC - Morthal.esp Active

Smelter_Riften.esp Active

Smelter_Solitude.esp Active

Unique Region Names.esp Active

dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp Active

Note: Ragdolls will conflict with other mods that change the skeleton.nif. Check Custom Skeleton Replacers for compatibly with other skeleton.nif.

Werewolf Enhancer.esp Active

Apocalypse - The Spell Package.esp Active

Ancient Spells.esp Active

Bash Tag suggestion(s): {{BASH: Relev}}

BetterMagic_FULL.esp Active

DeadlySpellImpacts.esp Active

Enchanting Freedom.esp Active

The Dance of Death - Dawnguard Edition.esp Active

Soulmaster 10.esp Active

SpeechTree.esp Active

3DNPC.esp Active

UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul.esp Active

Note: For safe install need dismiss all your followers, save, delete all included mods, load again, save and install UFO. For safe uninstall or update see special instructions on mod page.

UFO - Dawnguard AddOn.esp Active

UFO - Heartfire AddOn.esp Active

Slightly Reduced Distance NPC Greetings.esp Active

argonianraptor.esp Active

SkyRe_Races.esp Active

WATER.esp Active

Bashed Patch, 0.esp

EzEWorldMap.esp Active

 

UNRECOGNIZED PLUGINS

 

1nivWICSkyCloaksNorthPatch.esp Active

Breezehome-hf-CTD-fix.esp Active

ShutUpBoutDawnguard.esp Active

Better Archmage's Robes.esp Active

Better_Restoration_Spells_Mastery.esp Active

Infinite Wood Chopping.esp Active

LeatherWeightMod(0.1)v1.0.esp Active

Better_Skooma.esp Active

 

 

I'm perplexed about the message regarding hideout.esm, since it is in fact the latest version (0.9.2?) and was made well after the CK. Note that I do have the compatibility patch for WIC/cloaks of Skyrim, it's amongst the unrecognized plugins. Thanks!

[ripple]

I'm perplexed about the message regarding hideout.esm, since it is in fact the latest version (0.9.2?)

 

As long as you download and install the update fix patch for that mod, it should be fine.

 

I don't see anything in that load order which would cause a system lockup (and by that I infer you to mean you can't ctrl-alt-del and stop processes, but actually need to do a hard PC reboot). Are you running XP or Win7?

[rjev]

Yeah, that's what's puzzling, everything should be okay. You'd think that if it were a single mod/combination of mods causing the issue, disabling them would fix it, enabling them would break it again--but it doesn't go that way at all. Your inference is correct, absolute hard-lock of the system, hard reset required. I'm running Win7 64-bit.

[ripple]

You mentioned you did a reinstall, and it didn't fix the issue. Did you start a new game after the reinstall or continued with the existing save game. The issue might be trigger by whatever has been baked into the save games.

 

Are you using any mods that don't need an esp, like HD texture replacers, that sort of thing?

Edited February 1, 2013 by ripple

[rjev]

You mentioned you did a reinstall, and it didn't fix the issue. Did you start a new game after the reinstall or continued with the existing save game. The issue might be trigger by whatever has been baked into the save games.

 

Are you using any mods that don't need an esp, like HD texture replacers, that sort of thing?

 

I continued with an existing save. I guess it's conceivable that something in one of the save files is making the game crap itself, but the freeze occurs long before I'm able to select any of them. I'm using countless texture/mesh replacement mods--my data files folder is 20+GB, like I said, and the lion's share of that is probably texture replacers etc. I'd rather give up the game entirely than play it with vanilla textures/meshes, and given the sheer size of these folders and the staggering number of files contained within, I'm not even going to attempt troubleshooting that way. Even if I did start excising my custom textures, it might be weeks before the game starts to crap itself again, making the process unbelievably arduous, hence why I haven't tried a new game--I might be dicking about for weeks with a new character that I have no desire to play, so then what would be the point? I neglected to mention that I was using scriptdragon and the shoutcombat mod, which I have deleted along with the others I removed today. It's working now, but will it keep working? Your guess is as good as mine.

[gamefever]

I'm starting to have trouble reading all these mods aggg

 

Ok

 

Well sounds like you narrowed it down some.

 

Consider using this

 

Zip your Textures folder,

 

Then use this http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/12801

 

But it sounds like your never going to be back so shucks dude.

 

yes the learning curve for modding is really quite high.

[rjev]

Yes, I remember similar growing pains with Morrowind, Oblivion, and the Fallouts at around the 100 mod mark. The joy of knowing that when something goes wrong, there are a lot of things that could have caused it. Giving the texture compressor a shot, cheers.