Fallout 3 GOTY edition crashes upon start of new game

[lepoopdepon]

ok i have been all over the internet all day trying to get this worked out. no luck yet so im going to ask directly. i got the game installed (dvd game) and downloaded the patch and jumped thru 40 different hoops, but still cant get past the title screen. everything works fine until i try to start a new game, then the screen minimizes, my mouse tards out, and the game crashes. im working with windows 7 (im kind of a tech tard to bear with me, please) ASUS cm5671. Pentium dual core cpu E5500 @ 2.80GHz 2.80GHz. 4.00 GB RAM (3.75 usable) 64 bit system. as for graphics i have (again, please bear with me) intel g45/g43 express chipset 1759 MB available graphics memory, 128 dedicated. directx10. any ideas? im pulling my hair out here!

 

[FlappJack]

lepoopdepon,
Did you get your game to work - I am having the same problems with similar hardware, windows7/64, etc...tried different ways to get this to work, but to summerize, the following reflects my repeated experience trying to install GOTY.

1. Installed without the expansion disk first and it works fine.
2. Installed add-ons on disc 2 and crash when game start (As you described).
3. Uninstall game and then install (this didn't remove add-ons) I didn't remove saved games.
4. Game worked with big red squares with exclamation points in them for expansion items.
5. D/l patch - back to crash at start up.

I found that the Bethesda site has limited (or hard to find) information on this...

 

[rocky41]

intel g45/g43 express chipset???
then the problem is obvious....get a new card for you.
And as for dx 10 ,it wont be able to play any game big game on dx 9 it self.

 

[Guest]

lepoopdepon,
Did you get your game to work - I am having the same problems with similar hardware, windows7/64, etc...tried different ways to get this to work, but to summerize, the following reflects my repeated experience trying to install GOTY.

1. Installed without the expansion disk first and it works fine.
2. Installed add-ons on disc 2 and crash when game start (As you described).
3. Uninstall game and then install (this didn't remove add-ons) I didn't remove saved games.
4. Game worked with big red squares with exclamation points in them for expansion items.
5. D/l patch - back to crash at start up.

I found that the Bethesda site has limited (or hard to find) information on this...

i get on press play loading screen comes up then boom it crashes

 

[venjhammet]

You need a dedicated videocard. Don't rely on the on-board graphics it won't cut it.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

^+1 you need a video card, not onboard. something like a gt240 or ati 5670 or better.

 

[Guest]

I'm having this issue, going to have to save for a new card.

If anyone comes up with a workaround or something like that in the next week please pm me or something.

RPG index: http://rpgindex.blogspot.com/

 

[cburke82]

I'm having this issue, going to have to save for a new card.

If anyone comes up with a workaround or something like that in the next week please pm me or something.

RPG index: http://rpgindex.blogspot.com/

did you try dropping to the lowest possible settings?

 

[HEXiT]

if he doesnt have a dedicated video card he wont be able to get the game working at any settings. although the game isnt hugley demanding it does have a minimum of a 6600gt there is no onboard chipset on the 775 socket that currently comes close to that spec. even if he got it to run it would be a slideshow.
the reason the dlc is causing the crash could be it hasnt been installed properly even if it has its suggested that you dont select them all to on when you start your game.
basically if your not gonna play that mission then don't enable it in the mod enabler. also i found the game more stable if i left the tick box for loose files or what ever its called at the bottom of the selector panel unchecked...
1s you have finished a dlc addon go back to megaton if you havent blown it up with fast travel. and save. quit your game and select a new dlc pack and un-check the 1 you just finished.
reload from your last save and you should be ready to rock and role...
you can leave all skins packs and weapon packs enabled at all times, just be careful with the missions.

 

[cburke82]

if he doesnt have a dedicated video card he wont be able to get the game working at any settings. although the game isnt hugley demanding it does have a minimum of a 6600gt there is no onboard chipset on the 775 socket that currently comes close to that spec. even if he got it to run it would be a slideshow.
the reason the dlc is causing the crash could be it hasnt been installed properly even if it has its suggested that you dont select them all to on when you start your game.
basically if your not gonna play that mission then don't enable it in the mod enabler. also i found the game more stable if i left the tick box for loose files or what ever its called at the bottom of the selector panel unchecked...
1s you have finished a dlc addon go back to megaton if you havent blown it up with fast travel. and save. quit your game and select a new dlc pack and un-check the 1 you just finished.
reload from your last save and you should be ready to rock and role...
you can leave all skins packs and weapon packs enabled at all times, just be careful with the missions.

I was think of getting Faout 3 GOTY to play again ( I had it on x box) But if you have to do all that and cant just load all the DLC its not worth it. Is this game really that unstable with all the DLC loaded on a PC? If so why would it be so hard to do on the PC what the xbox did just fine for me?

 

[hieronymos]

Fallout3 GOTY with all DLC's works just fine for me on PC (Vista), even with 150+ mods--as long as an extended mod list installed&ordered with care to avoid conflicts. FOMM (Fallout Mod Manager) a must if more than a few mods desired. Best site for all FO3 mods, utilities: fallout3nexus.com

Fallout New Vegas is a Steam joint--for better or worse. Quite a few very good mods available for it now; but nothing like the selection available for FO3. By the time FONV GOTY disc comes out, the modding selection for it should be amazing: falloutnewvegasnexus.com

Both games--with heavy modding--are totally awesome, and have happily devoured weeks of my life.

 

[enigmus]

I'm using the Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics chipset on a laptop, and it runs Oblivion (DVD version) and Fallout 3:Las Vegas (Steam version) perfectly and is even passable on high detail specs. But I also just tried to install the original Fallout 3 from DVD and I also got a crash on new game, just as mentioned by the thread post. I had a similar problem with the DVD install of Oblivion, except it was a crash upon start, before the main menu, and it turned out to be a software conflict with some crapware that had been preloaded by the OEM. I suspect the installation of Fallout 3 has a similar odd conflict rather than inadequate processing power.

I saw one post elsewhere that suggests there is a fix for this, the problem supposedly having to do with a minor conflict with the intel graphics chipset. There was a .dll download, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm still looking for anyone with other leads as I am betting it may be some other conflict. Don't these Bethesda games use the same graphics engine? I'd think if one worked, so would the others.

 

[hieronymos]

My understanding is that FNV uses just a slightly upgraded engine as FO3, and is more GPU-hungry than FO3, not less.
If your OS is Vista, then create a folder for FO3 directly off your C: drive, not in Program Files.
The fact that you can operate w/o problems Oblivion and FNV--but not FO3--smells like an install/data corruption issue.