Crash fix for quad core and/or Vista users

EvaUnit02 on 18/3/2009 at 17:00

((http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=823588) source)

Apparently Fallout 3 in some circumstances doesn't like quad core CPUs and may crash a lot.

Here's one possible fix.

Quote:

A way to fix this is to tell the game to only use 2 cores (if you have a quad):

Open up the fallout.ini file in: My Documents\My Games\Fallout3
Find the line:

bUseThreadedAI=0

change it to:

bUseThreadedAI=1

Add another line after it and insert:

iNumHWThreads=2

If you're using Vista and the game is still crashing after trying the above fix, then try installing the following MS hotfix.

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953186) KB953186: Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 hotfix that resolves certain system and application crashes on computers that have multi-core processors

Microsoft makes you jump through hoops to download hotfixes. Here's a hassle free mirror.

(http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?showtopic=11094) Vista x86 (32-bit)
(http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?showtopic=11095) Vista x64

MrTrip on 26/4/2009 at 05:19

So, I'm running Windows 7 (7100) and I have run into this neat little problem...

If I have my Pipboy light on, and I...oh...you know...look at this traffic light right by Rivet City? Fallout bombs to desktop, no error, nothing, just craps.

Tried the .ini fix, I guess I'll see if it lets me do the hotfix...haha probably not...I might be just SOL here.

I have a few mods installed, does it with vanilla Fallout too.

[edit] So dropped it down from Ultimate to High graphics settings....well thats some crap. Works fine now. *groans* and it ran so nice on Ultra in Vista too...ughhhh

Xenith on 26/4/2009 at 07:55

Don't worry it will find a way to screw itself again. :rolleyes:

Not that I'm pessimistic...

I tried to use that fix some time ago even though I have neither a quad or vista. Didn't do anything, no surprise there, but I was really desperate at the time. :nono:

MrTrip on 26/4/2009 at 19:34

Quote Posted by Xenith

Thanks jerk, because it sure did find a way to screw its self.

Go to Rivet City, walk across the bridge, look up, pow crashed.

Xenith on 26/4/2009 at 21:19

I'm not going to say I told you so, but...

Fallout 3 has the "random-as-hell-crashing" syndrome, which goes from "exception" type errors to simple face-slap-ctd. So whatever fix you try using, be sure that after some time of confident, pleasurable playing you'll get another punch in the guts that will send you looking for another fix. (that sounds more like looking for meth shots... ...:cheeky:)

EvaUnit02 on 26/4/2009 at 23:52

(http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=918428&topic=46808460&page=1) Fallout 3 audio-related crash fix

Also Windows 7? Christ, the amount of people that I run into on the web who expect their games to work flawlessly in a PRE-RELEASE TEST builds of an UNSUPPORTED OS is mind blowing. Get a clue and drop the unrealistic expectations already.

MrTrip on 27/4/2009 at 08:04

Quote Posted by EvaUnit02

Um, excuse me jerk off but when did I ever state that I expected it to work flawlessly? I never once stated that the game should work flawless. I have run it on XP, I have run it on Vista, and I have run it on 7. NONE of them work flawless, they all have their problems.

Next time you want to come down on somebody because of the OS selection read the fucking thread first. You will sound a hell of a lot more intelligent.

For the rest of us::

Solved my problem, started a new fresh game and everything is working proper. I have changed around OS's enough I finally had to just drop my Fallout 3 folder from "Documents\My Games" to get a fresh save file.

Also, I rolled back to 181.71 drivers from the 181.72 drivers that come with Windows update. (Windows 7)

Works fucking "flawless" now. I have run 9 hours without a hiccup. Running on Ultra graphics settings again.

[edit] Oh and by the way, that audio fix has all ready been added to the standard ffdshow settings. Its old news. Do your homework.

Quote Posted by Xenith

Haha nah, it was my own fault in this matter. I had a really messy save file. Cleaning up the save file fixed a lot, backing down to the older drivers also fixed the rest of the problems I had left over.

I'll hold out on updating my drivers again now. I guess having the latest drivers doesn't always mean having the best eh? Reminds me when NVIDIA crapped on System Shock 2 and ShockEd. I couldn't run the editor for the longest time :(

foldy on 7/5/2009 at 18:26

Thanks for this. I happen to have Vista and a quad core, and while crashing wasn't too much of an issue, I found that every time I'd play the game, my internal fans would go crazy to the point where I was worried that I was doing damage to my computer by playing. Typing that stuff into the .ini really helped the situation, and now I don't have to get paranoid about my computer blowing up when I play the game.