[semperfi1977m]

Hello, I just bought a new laptop with Windows 7 home Premium 64bit on it. I only play one game and it's Fallout 3...but it just freezes up after you choose if you want your character to be a boy or girl. I ran it as an Admin and in Vista Service Pack-2, but this problem hasnt resolved itself. Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Processor: Intel CoreTM i3 370M (2.4GHz/3MB cache)
Hard Drive: 500GB 5400rpm
Memory: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3
Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD550v, 64-Bit, 1GB, DDR3 64Mx16x8pcs
Sound Card: Integrated High Definition Audio 2.2
15.6 Inch High Definition (720p) LED Display with TrueLife

If any more specs are needed, I am happy to provide them...I dont know what exactly is required to help diagnose this glitch.

[semperfi1977m]

I forgot to mention that I also checked my permissions for the save folder, "documents", "My Games", etc and set them to all users and able to do everything

[ezeht]

Hi

Is your i3 dual core. You may have to do this.

Open up the .ini file located in My Documents>My Games>Fallout 3. *Do not alter the one in the actual game directory in Program files labeled Fallout_Default_ini*.

This file is where the save games etc are at. You might have to turn on show hidden folders or extensions, but it is 1 of the files as soon as you open my games- fallout 3.

Look In the FALLOUT.ini find the line

bUseThreadedAI=0
change the 0 to a 1

then below it add the line

iNumHWThreads=2

What version of the game are you trying to play plain retail- goty- retail with added 1 each dlc's- steam- other?

Fo3 seems to have probs with intels multi core cpus in Windows 7 or something i3 i5 i7 etc. I was having random crashes for no reason, but did not really start until I was out the vault. Does not mean it can not start acting silly at any time tho.

you play the game so you know it can be naturally glitchy it is a bethesda game and can crash every so often for no real reason other than it likes to do it..

I have the retail collectors ed but not played it in Windows 7. I have been playing my steam fo3 goty in Windows 7. So I had no probs with install. I can not really understand why folks have to go through so many changes trying to install any game in Windows 7 other than -install as admin from the start- Of the games I have installed retail I have not once had to install 1 in compat mode ever. I wonder if some folks are doing all of that from the start and messing them self up. Saying they from the start set for compat etc before they ever tried to install the games normally and if have probs then start doing all the extra stuff. As a fact You may have wanted to pick xp sp3 and not vista in compat. I do not know.

Also I think you said you are trying to play it on a lap top- Half the probs here are folks trying to game on lap tops. I would never do so my self but I do not want folks flaming me either for saying so. But lap tops easy can suffer from heat probs. I know it is a selling point but so is a con or false advertisements etc. Just being able to start a game on a lap top and actually playing it for long periods of time is another. Being the games can start on a lap top I guess protects them from lawsuits or something maybe.. These games are not 5 card draw or pong.

Try and do what I posted maybe it will help ya. I hope so. I am not sure what else to tell ya. Maybe delete and reinstall it. Maybe next time just install as admin and let it go and see if it installs with out probs if not then try and set compat to xp sp3 and try it. But seems to me Windows 7 gets glitchy some times and will not let you install stuff right or read discs right or even install patches after the games have been installed. A few weeks ago I spent 17 hours trying to patch my stalker soc game- game installed fine but it would not let me patch it until I moved the patch off of my c: drive to my e: storage drive bamb it installed normally. Windows 7 can make me hate it sometimes. I never had any not 1 probs ever using xp sp2 and used ei6 the whole time too- until forced to another browser I am using chrome and it is crap compared to ei6 in my opinion and no I will not use ff and never used ei7 and do not use ei8 either.

Also if trying to use gfwl junk can cause ya probs too. If trying to use it maybe you should try and patch it before trying to run the game. Also are you playing just the main game no goty or dlc's if so patch to only 015 it was the best patch and last real fix patch. all other patches just helped the game take the dlc's and each new patch caused more probs. You only have to patch past 015 if using the dlc's or if you are on steam or something then it might auto patch to the last one and maybe more head akes..

Another thing folks around here seem to not understand- They seem to think because they have some awe powerful system spec wise they do not have to tweak their systems for gaming. Like I never use uac what ever it is. And I turn off areo glass and turn off all my security other than my firewall. I do not use messengers and normally do not use anything like xfire- if using xfire try and turn it off it can cause probs and or lag etc. Different stuff like speed optimizers or download managers or even java can cause probs- Turn all that crap off or delete it maybe. Ha ha some around here seem to think pc min specs in read me what ever do not matter either- the game box or read me plain says min specs for cpu memory and vid card. Maybe the games and or Windows 7 is bugged and does not see turbo boost- something. What can ya say ..

Heat extra back ground stuff can cause probs today just like 6 years ago and even on monster 1366 rigs with 18 video cards and 100 gigs of memory- It is just the facts.. Most games only use no more than 2 cpus and 4 gigs of memory- All the extra means nothing to the games and extra stuff in the back ground can cause probs. Common sense stuff..

Sorry if I sound mean or anything I am not trying to be so. I am just trying to help.

Sorry I can not help more. Good luck man..

[ezeht]

Sorry

Welcome to seven forums.

Windows 7 can get on my nerves sometimes- but I can say it runs all my games really good. DX10 can be a lil hard on my old vid card- I just up the fan speed some solves that tho..

If I can help more I will. Good luck..

[semperfi1977m]

thanks for your reply!...I will try changing the lines mentioned. Yes, heat is an issue with laptop gaming; I had a couple heat-related crashes on my old, cheap HP laptop when playing FO3. Obviously since Im not even getting past the baby stage of the game...thats not this issue haha. I tried reinstalling multiple times with different settings applied also.

I find your comments about Windows7 having loading glitches very interesting. I had alot of trouble getting FO3 to even load properly (it wasnt actually loading the program to my program list). Yes, this is a store-bought version, the "Game of the Year" one. My second disk does not read well and hasnt since I got it...I need to contact Bethseda. It has to be put in the drive mutiple times before it is read and loaded correctly (this has happened with both my laptops). I will try what you mentioned and let you know how it worked. Thanks alot for your time and your lengthy description!

[ezeht]

Um

A week or so ago I installed my postal2 stp and awp- the game was give to me a bud did not want it any more the disc is a lil messed up but works fine in xp. It would not let me install it - kept saying the disc might be dirty clean it or might be damaged etc. but from computer was showing as in the drive- I just right clicked it then click open got into the files and double clicked the set up exe it installed normal and you have to use the disc to play the game and did so fine.

I installed aw and can use only its disc to play the game and avoid the stp disc and playing the awp mod I can play either the normal game or just the weekend game or 7 day game from the aw disc. So any time you have disc probs you might be able to try that if it is showing in the drive from computer.

[ezeht]

Ya I talk a lot man I am sorry- Its just I try and add all the info I can think of and in 1 post instead of 5 and others might be posting between. Thing is most folks do not or will not read over 1 word or sentence or 3 like paragraph. And they talk to ya same way. If they can not answer in 1 sentence they will not or I will say many any way..

But If you do not post enough info when you have a prob- and some back ground they are asking you 5x for more info- but if all in one post they hate ya and your walls of text- What can I say man..

I am normally gaming- I do take a break some times and get to posting and can talk my butt off at that. But really I love this site its some great folks here all nice and will help ya. Ha ha and they put up with my poor typing 2 finger typing poor grammar spelling etc. This is one of the best sites I have ever been on. Most sites are 98% smart asses or fan boys. Seven is a great place..

[semperfi1977m]

I thank you very much!!! I just played it for an hour and a half without a glitch! It said it quit working when I saved and quit the game...but it works! I cant thank you enough :-)

[ezeht]

Um thinking about your game probs again. I can not understand why try to install so many times and troubles.

When you delete the game do you after go to program files and delete any left over fo3 folder and go to save game area if not in same program file area. I can not remember now, but delete all that left over junk too. If you did not have gfwl already installed for some other games check programs add and remove and delete that too and check and see if any left over folder in program files or c where ever it puts its self, delete every last bit of it. Then reboot you system then try to reinstall it..

In fact after install you should reboot then patch reboot- update gfwl reboot - make any changes as in my first post for the multi cores then try to run the game.. When you put your disc in to install, the pop up if I remember Say yes permissions and or install as run as admin. It should work.. Or maybe when you go to install the game when you get the pop ups to install what ever close all the crap out and go to start /computer right click your drive with game disc in it and click open and look for the set up exe right click it, look near the top click run as administrator. It might install better or right for ya. Do your other discs for fo3 same way..

Have you tried to post at beth forums- it is their game they might help ya faster. I think I have read seems more folks have troubles with the retail disc games- like said I have it but playing my steam goty it installed and works fine or after I did that multi core fix..

Is you system all nice and neat defrags etc. being you have tried and deleted and tried a few times You might want to defrag before your next try. Make sure all the junk extra folders are gone like I said before and you have rebooted, reboot after you defrag too. Might fix ya up man.. Another thing I learned long ago. Most folks always just reboot his system- maybe turn it completely off let it sit off least 3 minutes then power it back on- it like almost resets stuff or something- but being a lap top I guess you turn it off any way- seems common sense- ya Sorry I know you do not leave it on all the time etc- my bad. But still might help ya to turn it off leave it off 3 to 5 minutes.

I am afraid to use such things in Windows 7 maybe you have used the cc cleaner what ever it is before? Maybe you can run that and clean stuff up fix the reg what ever.. But any time I install games I turn off all my security. I turn it off working on videos and stuff too- I only have it on if going to surf the net or normal use etc. Even then I might reboot first so to feel safe it all did load and is running right. Some times turn off stuff and just turn it back on it is not all on or right or might not have the real time protections what ever- but rebooting you can feel pretty safe and waiting 5 minutes or something like that for everything to laod and check for its updates and until all Windows 7 lil crap on your task bar is showing. You know the lil flag etc that tells ya you got updates what ever. Some times all that crap can take 5 or more minutes.

I might watch my hdd led what ever if it is blinking etc it is doing something, but it will normal blink at a slow pace when doing nothing. But if blinking fast etc you know it is doing something in the back ground.. Do not try installing games or nothing for a few minutes after reboot maybe wait like 10 minutes then try, see if your hdd lead is blinking. Well I do not know if lap tops have such things, sorry. That way nothing may be trying to do its business in the back ground and jam ya up. I swear man, Windows 7 can be a mess, I like it and all, but liked my xp pro sp2 more. I can game better in Windows 7 I have more system and 8 gigs of mem now- tho as said most games only see 2 cores and 4 gigs mem.

I do hope you get it worked out- I will beat out my brains and type ya a book trying any way. Try asking google some questions- like this-> why does my [so and so] lap top crash when trying to play fo3 [version etc retail pc goty etc etc]. I use [] etc etc because I do not know your laptop model or game version etc- I guess you understand that, but you can ask google questions- You do not have to use it 1 word search at a time, But you might get lots of hits and read some of them and might bamb find your answers faster..

I hope so, I will help if I can- I wish ya the best..

[ezeht]

Oh cool Its working- Um I would turn off all auto save crap it can jam ya up too.. Use quick save in game if you like but I always just hard save me self- click esc then save.. Many games can have probs with quick or easy save.. But in fo3 help files etc It will say turn that extra auto junk off and often make some hard saves and not just quick saves.

As siad in my first post- Even if all perfect the game can just crash some times- and normall just turning around or walk up to something to check for loot etc. Its flipping stupid but true..