Windows Fallout 3 crash to desktop

grishenko45 · 6 Jun 2009

Hi all

Fallout 3 crashes to desktop after 1 min of gameplay!!! only just got it

ive got the v1.5 patch, lastest nvidia drivers.

my rig is more than capable of playing it

im on xp

ive tried it with aa and af, without aa or af - makes no difference!!

i get flickering at the bottom right of the screen where my taskbar is on the desktop - dont know if this is anything??

please help

thanks

crosshair · 6 Jun 2009

What's your memory?

grishenko45 · 6 Jun 2009

4gb ram - with a harshly oc'd 9600gt - 100% stable - so no issues on stability - i also tried the game with gpu @ stock - still the Crash to desktop

Infection · 7 Jun 2009

Fix 1

Fallout 3 does seem to have a conflict with FFDShow codecs. You have to either uninstall them from your system or add fallout3.exe to FFDShow audio and video decoders exceptions list. Although you may not know it, FFDShow codecs may be present on your system if you have installed codec packs such as CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack).

How to add Fallout 3 to FFDShow decoder exceptions list

1. Launch the ffdshow video decoder configuration window. You may access this through the start menu. If you have installed any codec packs, check the start menu entries of those. If you can�t find it on the start menu, right click the ffdshow video decoder (red) icon that appears on the taskbar when a supported video file is playing, and select �ffdshow video decoder� option from the menu. ffdshow_icon

2. Tick the �Dont use ffdshow in� checkbox if not already checked

3. Press the edit button that is next to the text field. A new dialog box will pop up. Press the Add button. The �Add incompatible executable file� dialog box will be displayed. Browse to the Fallout 3 installation directory and locate fallout3.exe file. Select it and press open. Close all dialog boxes currently open by pressing ok.
(OR you can simply type fallout3.exe at the end of the text field next to �Dont use ffdshow in� checkbox)

4. Repeat steps 2-3 in ffdshow audio decoder configuration (the blue icon in taskbar) window as well. It is important that you add fallout3.exe to both ffdshow audio and video decoder�s expections list.
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Fix 2

What seems to have fixed me up is actually unistalling and then reinstalling .NET Framework 3.0 (I then did a service pack too I think). You can download this from Microsoft. This replaces the Beta version installed by the Fallout installer.
Click to expand...

And this is just an interesting bunch of information,

I have found the primary issues causing the CTD and other crashes. I’ve sent 3 e-mails to Bethesda and no responses. My Computer Science Engineering department took a shot it. I purchased 320 copies and gave them the weekend to figure it out. Here are some of the results;

1.) Fallout 3 Installer installs an older version on C++ Visual 2005 that appears to affect the way the vidcard driver communicates with the game.

2.) Fallout 3 Installer installs a Beta release of DOTNETFX3.0 (.NET Framework 3.0). For users of .NET Framework 3.0 SP1 or even SP2 (Service Pack of the Framework not the OS), upon restarting their system (when changes take place), their game will be quite unstable.
Users of .NET 3.5 or Vista should have even more random crashes.

3.) Fallout 3 Installer installs a non Plug’n Play DRM device manager (not driver but a manager) that doesn’t like any 3rd party codecs (ie K-Lite, WinAMP, etc) and will usually see a CTD when a Hardware codec comes online. This usually occurs when interactive audio (client controlled speech) initializes (ie baby walking to daddy).

4. Fallout 3 Installer installs SecuROM Root kit as well as 8 hidden non Plug’n play virtual drivers. Owners with more than one Optical drive or a sata drive may encounter random drive access issues. Also, Imaging software or any software that may use its own ASPI drive (ie NERO, Roxio, Daemon, ISO, etc.) will have one of the 8 virtual drivers causing the system to do a random CTD. Reason why clients using a cracked EXE don’t experience the same volume of CTD as those who bought the game. However, the SecuROM root kits are still on the system and active. Once the SecuROM is also purged from the system, 60% of the crashes disappear. Unfortunately, they must remain on the system in order to play the game as they are part of the EULA.

5.) Fallout 3 also has its own built in MP3 codec coupled to its DRM to protect MP3’s on the DVD (in game). Unfortunately, the codec was never tested fully with hardware decoders like those of an X-FI. This can be varied by the lack of a hardware audio switch in the game options.

6.) Fallout 3 has 14 memory leaks that we found. Most are small, but there are a few that are quite large. Some areas of the map, the memory counter just spins at over 100 MB/sec. Most memory leaks are around 5 to 10 MB/sec.

7.) Fallout 3 video graphics buffer needs to be adjustable in the options and an automatic cache purger installed for cards over 512 MBs as well as linked buffers from SLI and crossfire cards. I’ve seen areas where names on the screen start to disappear and all you see are “Input Text Here” instead of V.A.T.S. or range or etc. The cache doesn’t get dumped on some maps. Most games dump their cache when a map reload occurs. This can be noticed when fast reloads occurs from map changes. Most users will just see their graphics card run out of memory (CTD and stuttering).

8.) Most games were fault free with a basic XP Pro SP2 reload, and only Critical updates and latest stock drivers. Installed the game and played it error free for nearly 4 days. Upon a system restart, lots of errors showed up. This means that Fallout 3 significantly changes the operating system. Far beyond reasonable accounts as all you can do with the system in not to play MP3’s, watch movies, make a CD or DVD, or play other games.

Hopefully, Bethesda will address the issues more than 100,000 people are having.
Click to expand...

grishenko45 · 7 Jun 2009

ive already added it to the fddshow exceptions list audio and video - i still get these crashes!!

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Windows Fallout 3 crash to desktop

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Windows Fallout 3 crash to desktop

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