Problem with corrupted save game

[FAX printer]

Hello (I don't speak English, so I'll use the translator, if there's any mistake in my text, I apologize), I don't know if anyone is still alive here, I have a problem with the game, I've been playing Oblivion for years, like 8 years ago I stopped playing it because of an error that caused that when I wanted to save in automatic, quick save and manual, the game would crash for no apparent reason, years later I play the game again, but the same error occurs again, but at this point I can't save in any way, even using the console, can someone help me solve this problem? How do I do so that I can save normally without a crash? Is there a solution for this problem today? Is there any way to prevent this error in the future? If in any case I can't do anything about it with my current game and my character, I will have to start another new game from scratch, but I'm afraid that the same error will happen to me again, and if that happens again, I will definitely stop playing Oblivion.

[DedZedNub]

Depends on what version you might have been playing.

If I remember correctly, Oblivion at one point had an issue, as did Skyrim later for a while, where you'd run out of memory addresses for items and loot. It hit after you did a certain number of saves, often hitting after maybe some 40 hours in game or so. Actually, to be more accurate, it hit when enough items and actors exceeded a certain memory usage, and since the game started overriding the memory, things either began to disappear in your inventory or the saves became corrupted -- both critically bad.

That was patched out eventually, so it is possible that the Steam version, with the latest built-in Bethesda patches will not have the issue.

Another thing that might help if that does not, perhaps would be the various Unofficial Patches, or also wrapping the exe in a 4 GB patcher. Basically, this pertains to how much memory the Game can use for code and addresses. Well, originally this game probably could only use 2 GB of the 4GB limit. You can find reputable free converters, that will flag the DLC to access a full 4 GB of memory when running, and this will give it more memory to access, about twice as much. This also helps with games like Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 3, just so you know.

it is possible that was your issue. It was a commonly known and very irritating bug -- insidious because it would occur well into a playthru or campaign. But it was fixed, supposedly. I remember they also allowed for named saves, I think, and ordered the saves differently as well in either patches before that or at the same time.

But this is long ago, and I'm depending on a very old memory. Point is, might work fine for you now. It was a common issue and there was a patch and some additional workarounds.

[lonetrav]

More information please. Like do you use mods? Does saving a new game crash? Do you frequently use the console? ....
Advice based on insufficient information is guesswork at best.

A few general comments:
Try to verify your game files in Steam (fixes missing and corrupt files).
Don't expect corrupt savegames to work out of a sudden.
Don't expect savegames to work or be saveable, when you change your mod configuration (even when you can load the game).
Corruption of auto- and quicksaves has been reported (search this forum), but I don't know what causes them or what you can do to prevent this kind of corruption, except saving manually only (highly advisable).
Using the console comes always with a risk (unless you know exactly what you do).

[FAX printer]

Hi, here's more information about my case.

I'm using the Steam version, the Goty Deluxe Edition (1.2.0416). I don't use the console regularly, except to open a door in Calindil's shop in the Imperial City, which always has a bug that prevents the shop from opening. Other than that, I don't use the console often enough to put the game or my save at risk. I don't go to that shop often, only when I need soul gems, to buy furniture for the wizard tower, or some other spell, so every time I go there, the bug is always there. Only in those cases do I use the console.

I don't use any mods, I play completely vanilla, nor have I used any glitches or bugs that benefit me in any way. The only mods are the official Bethesda DLCs, but I don't see the possibility of that affecting the game in any way, at least from my point of view. If so, is there any DLC that causes this?

The exact moment this error occurred was when I was trying to do the last mission of the Mages' Guild, right when I was in the Echo Cave. After killing the necromancer guarding the entrance, I was left in front of the entrance along with a summoned withered ghost that lasted 120 seconds. Afterwards, I made a quick save and then the game crashed. After trying to load my save, I got the announcement that my save was corrupted (I was level 14, but I had already done a lot of things).

I tried several techniques to recover my save, such as changing the .bak file to .ess, and using the 4GB RAM patch, but nothing worked. I was able to access my save, but I still can't save. I can't even save using the console.

When I create a new save from scratch, this error doesn't appear, so it's only my save that has this error.

I checked my Steam files. I even used Steam's tool to download missing internal files. I've uninstalled and installed the game twice, but the error still persists.

Did I do something in my save that somehow messed up everything?

Is my save completely ruined? Or can it still be saved somehow?

What should I do to prevent this type of corrupted game errors in the future? I have no problem starting a new game, it will be frustrating, but I'm afraid that this same error will happen again in the same mission in the same situation or at some other time. If it happens I will definitely stop playing Oblivion and go cry in a corner :( .