Fallout 3 Keeps Crashing In VATS

Ok well Fallout 3 is a freaking amazing game, but i hate having to restart my game and worry about loosing progress in the game due to constant crashes. Most of the time the game will crash if i go in and out of 1st/3rd person view, if there is a lot going on, and most of the time the game hiccups when i use VATS.

Instead of the multiple targets/%'s popping up the character is highlighted solid green and then it freezes, i can open up the menu and load my last quick save, but usually crashes shortly after that, and if this bug occurs i cant use VATS at all afterwards.

I already uninstalled it, defragged my hard drive and reinstalled the game.

OS: Windows XP Pro 32-Bit SP3
CPU: E8400 3.2ghz
MEM:4 gigz 800ddr2
GPU:8800GTS 320mb
PSU: BFG Tech 750wtz
HDD:150gig Seagate Barracuda
Monitor: 1680x1050

Thats my system, so anybody have a clue what it could be? Oh, and yeah i have the latest drivers for everything, already tried that.

I was getting a lot of crashes when I used VATS at long range. If I used it at short to medium range it didn't crash as often. I suspect I was trying to use it outside the range of my weapon and it was getting confused, but I am not sure.

Also Bethesda has said that the game seems very finicky about drivers. Make sure you are completely up to date on motherboard, video, and especially sound drivers.

Good luck.

Same problem here. Crash occurs after using VATS more than once. Crashes with the message "Fallout 3 has stopped responding." I emailed bethseda tech about this. Also using XBOX 360 wired controller

AMD Phenom 9850 Blackbox
XFX 9600gt xtreme
4GB DDR2 800
Antec 900 case
Antec 850w PSU
500GB HD

Use the same hardware but running XP. I rarly had an issues with FO3. Ever since I switched to Vista its been like trying to cut a rock with a spoon as far as getting FO3 to run properly... The moment I press the VATS button it crashes. This is assuming I get as far as that as half the time it will crash on the main menu..