Desperately need help with game start issues

[tekmagika]

As in, my game won't start, and I really am desperate for help!

The issue started about nine (edit: now ten) days ago. Click on the green Play button in Steam, the game acts like it's getting ready to start, the Play button switched to blue and says "STOP", the game list on the left says "Fallout 76 - Running", the task manager says that Fallout 76 is an active process (but with 0's across the board as far as CPU/Memory usage). Then a minute or two later, it all switches back to how it was before clicking Play and the game never starts.

I have played the game nearly daily for the last year and have never experienced this issue before. I have poured over the internet and, although I've found others reporting similar issues as long as 2-3 years ago (and some more recently), I have not found any hard fixes.

I have a ticket in with the Bethesda help desk, but they have not replied in four days and have yet to offer any actual fixes.

I have tried the following:

Restarting computer.

Uninstalling Fallout 76 (including deleting every single F76-related file I can find on the computer), and reinstalling.

Verified game files through Steam.

Verifying that Fallout 76 is listed in my firewall exceptions.

Adding Fallout 76 to my port forwards in my router.

Run it in Admin mode.

Made sure I'm not running any overlay apps.

Made sure I'm not running any antivirus software.

Made sure I'm running the latest drivers and DirectX.

Run it in Windows 8 (and 7) compatibility mode.

Run it with all browsers closed.

Made sure UAC is enabled. or disabled. tried both.

Made sure Windows 10 was updated.

Reset my DNS and set a static IP.

Checked other Steam games to make sure they will run. They will (Fallout 4 included).

Verified that the line 'bSteamEnabled' in Fallout76.ini = 1.

Probably some other things that I have forgotten about.

I am running Windows 10, have an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 and a Radeon RX 580 Series graphics card. The only things I haven't tried are rebooting in safe mode, and reinstalling Windows 10. I have a feeling it's something really really simple but just overlooked (as they often are).

Please, please, please, if you have any idea what could be causing the issue, chime in. Or if you're just really knowledgeable and can offer some suggestions on possible fixes or things to try. I'll take any help I can get. Thanks in advance.

[SaltMaster]

Definitely got all Windows updates and related DirectX / Visual C++ runtimes etc?
I know it sounds daft but I run this game on Ubuntu (not supported) flawlessly, I'd say there will be some software config on your computer that's affecting it

[ARMRARR]

gonna ask again... did you check the windows logfiles?

[tekmagika]

SaltMaster - To my knowledge, yes. Windows 10 and DX are all current.

armrarr - sorry, I thought I had answered that previously. Yes, assuming you mean the Event Viewer?

[Krumbleskin]

Opprinnelig skrevet av tekmagika:

Unfortunately not ... looks like I only have one saved, from earlier this morning.

Beginning to think that I might be screwed. Was going to be building a new system this year anyway. Might be a forced break until I'm able to do that!

Are you sure it was the only one? Perhaps it was just most recent that was offered. Unless you custom set how much space was allocated should be a few.

[ARMRARR]

Opprinnelig skrevet av tekmagika:

SaltMaster - To my knowledge, yes. Windows 10 and DX are all current.

armrarr - sorry, I thought I had answered that previously. Yes, assuming you mean the Event Viewer?

yes the event viewer. no worries, there are so many here that try to help out so understandable that you missed the message.

[4mysou1just1]

Right.
Theres an option to see more restore points.
Usually 4-5.

[tekmagika]

Krumble - it's the only one that was showing up in the list of selectable items?

armrarr / 4mysou - I admit that I've never done much with the Event Viewer before now. Does it go as far back as eighteen days? I guess it depends on settings? Since I've never used it before, I assume it's set for whatever the standard Windows 10 settings might be.

[4mysou1just1]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3238219729

System saves 3-5% drive space. Can be months of points.

[tekmagika]

How do you get to that screen? This is what mine looks like. https://i.imgur.com/pfAE7kd.jpeg

[4mysou1just1]

Um, screen shot.
Photo editor...
Still, what's your mother board?¿?

[tekmagika]

Ha, no, I meant that my system restore window looks different than yours, and I wondered how you got to that particular screen.

My motherboard: ASRock AB350 Pro4 AM4 AMD Promontory B350 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

[4mysou1just1]

Hmmm?
You've got onboard graphics...
You can install M.2.
You could get an SSD for OS.
Put 76 on M.2.
I say this because you can't direct access the M.2 from OS.
So you need SSD to help.

Your screen shot was before the access to see the next screen with "select more restore points) .
Move forward in selection to get that option.

[tekmagika]

Found this recent thread on Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/fo76/comments/1cgxbyg/fallout_76_wont_launch/

The OP had a similar issue and said that they fixed it with the following: Went into Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings > selected Ethernet > Disable this network device. Then I enabled it and tried Fallout 76. Didn't fix the issue. Still won't start.

[tekmagika]

OH SWEET BUTTERY JESUS I GOT IT WORKING

After disabling and enabling the Ethernet didn't work, I ran the diagnose function on Ethernet and it said that the ethernet didn't have a valid IP configuration.

So I googled it and found this thread - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-i-fix-ethernet-doesnt-have-a-valid-ip/b52da946-eede-49b7-8d65-0924d6490516

I scrolled down to the bottom and followed these instructions to reset network connections:

"Try to reset network connections: Open PowerShell or CMD and run as administrator, copy and paste the following commands by pressing enter at the end of each command line:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
netsh advfirewall reset
ipconfig /flushdns

Restart the computer at the end of all commands. (** I only restarted when the command prompt asked me to, which were commands 1, 2, and 4 **)

If it doesn't solve it, come back here and specify the model of your ethernet network adapter, you can find it from Device Manager>network adapters."

After the third restart, I opened Steam, hit play, and Fallout fired right the ♥♥♥♥ up.

IMMENSE SIGH OF RELIEF

I don't know if the above steps will help anyone else, but you never know! I certainly exhausted nearly all other options!

Thanks to everyone for your help. See you in Appalachia!

[4mysou1just1]

Gave ya couple awards!
U earned it.
Fellow dweller!!!