Probably not the greatest, and way too long
This is what I can add to the "infinite first-run" loop.
Ok, after putting a brand new comp together, new os installed, and spending all night messing with Fallout 3, I have solved my woes. As elegant as this may NOT be, here's my answer to get around the loop.
The problem for me was that the launcher was ID'ing the video card wrong in the preferences. To tell you the truth, I have not an idea as to how to get the launcher to stop it's "first run" loop. I can play the game with no problems though. I think it may be a registry entry that can be changed, and I'll get back if I can fix it.
I opened the dxdiag in the system32 folder {c:\Windows\System32\Dxdiag.exe}
Click "Save all information" and click save. This will put the info in a text file on the desktop.
Open that text file, and find "Card Name" under "Display Devices" Mine was: {ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series (Engineering Sample – WDDM v1.1)}
Copy the card name. (See my example^^)
Navigate to the "FalloutPrefs.ini" file {C:\Users\<{YOUR USER}>\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\FalloutPrefs.ini}
Right-click and "Edit"
I noticed that the {sD3DDevice="ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series (Engineering Sample ? WDDM v1.1)"} didn't match the Dxdiag screen.
So, Paste the name from the text file into the falloutprefs.ini accordingly. Yes, copy and paste from the text file. The dash in the card name is not a normal minus sign.
Save and close the ini file.
BEFORE you can go play, you MUST start the game once, and set your video options. Get your vid options set all the way you want them. I know that if you need to change something later it will be a pain. Try to be conservative with the graphics so you don't have to re-set the options. (I haven't tried this part yet, so I don't know if the launcher will actually save to the ini file or not yet. IF the launcher will save the prefs. then this is how it will HAVE to be done. Other wise, we will be stuck manually editing the ini. Which shouldn't be THAT hard. It's pretty much plain English.)
DO THE NEXT STEPS EXACTLY.
So, Start the launcher, and get your prefs. set.
WHEN YOU CLICK PLAY THE GAME SHOULD START BUT.....
DO NOT QUIT THE GAME, LEAVE IT RUNNING.
We need to tab out so we can go write protect the ini file from the launcher.
Hopefully, you left the folder with the ini file open, but if you didn't, nav to {C:\Users\<{YOUR USER}>\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\}
Right-Click the {FalloutPrefs.ini} and click properties.
Click the security tab at the top.
Click "Edit"
Click your username.
Click the {deny} checkbox next to "Write"
Click "yes" on a popup asking about the change, click ok on the properties.
The only thing left is to make sure Fallout is running as your user, and not the admin.
Nav to the FalloutLauncher.exe I did a custom install to {c:\Users\Public\Games\Fallout3\}<-public folder The default is {C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3\} <--secure folder
Shouldn't matter.
Right-Click "FalloutLauncher.exe", and click properties.
Click on the compatibility tab at the top, and make sure "run as administrator" is UNCHECKED.
As far as I know you don't have to set the compatibility mode.
Do the same thing for fallout3.exe. (R-click, properties, compatibility, UNCHECK admin.)
NOW, you should be able to tab back to the game, quit, and restart it.
It WILL tell you it's going to automatically set the prefs. again everytime you start the game, but the launcher will not be able to write to the .ini file. Nothing will change, and the game will now start with whatever you set in the .ini file manually. If you want to manually change the .ini file, you will have to remember to give your user write permissions again to be able to save the file, and remember to write protect it again when you are done.
Hey, you can play the game now right?
The short story to how to get the launcher to save prefs again...
Go back to the ini file, restore write permissions, restart the game, set your prefs, "play" the game, tab out, deny write permissions again, u're done.
(honestly, with the way I've set it up, you should be able to just R-click the FalloutLauncher.exe and run as admin to re-gain write permissions on a "that-run" basis. IF YOU DO IT THIS WAY, YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE VIDEO CARD NAME IN THE INI FILE AGAIN LIKE ABOVE. Any time the launcher is used to re-write the .ini file it's going to change your card name back to the ? version instead of the - version.)
Have fun, and good luck.
-Dan
