Windows 11 Fallout 3 GOTY wont run.

[Violentname]

Downloaded, installed, run off steam opens main launcer click play and it does nothing. Lost here could use some help.

[Taylor Swift]

Originally posted by Commanders Crossing:

Downloaded, installed, run off steam opens main launcer click play and it does nothing. Lost here could use some help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDTViZGRhJo Give this a go. It worked for me.

[Edopardo]

didn't work for me, i get an d3dx9_42 error, I try to reinstal direct x but nothing, manually downloading the d3dx9 file an putting into the system 32 folder but still nothing

[952kes]

Originally posted by BranZ is dying:

Originally posted by mcaries3:

I tried downloading mods, changed compatibility settings, run as admin and nothing worked until I found this youtube video which solved my issue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV71FYGD2eE All you have to do is add Fallout 3 to Graphic Settings

Wonderful, this one did it for as well. Had tried the run-as-admin tricks, but they didn't solve the issue on their own.

[kdodds]

Select you GPU in Windows 11, it's a problem with the on board GPU.

[WhateverWorks]

All this insanity. Have literally none of the people having problems ever played Oblivion with a GPU that's newer than like 2008? Oblivion and Fallout 3 don't pick up on your GPU automatically if you have both a dedicated card and onboard. Oblivion sets my Ryzen 7 RTX 3060 system to "medium". I don't have to force Oblivion to use my GPU, but Fallout 3 in my experience won't automatically detect and use your dedicated card in a system that has both. It'll just crash sometime between launching the game and naming your character. You set up a profile for it in the Nvidia Control Panel (I never got it working on my last AMD system, this issue was probably why but I didn't know then). I'm sure AMD has some equivalent option somewhere, I just haven't used AMD cards nearly as much.

.ini files can get corrupted also, especially when installing mods incorrectly, or uninstalling them incorrectly. Deleting the .ini is a very common fix for Oblivion crashing on launch, stands to reason it's always worth TRYING the same thing in the post-apocalypse-nuclear-role-playing-game that uses the exact same engine though.

That's been the most significant hurdle other than the GFWL nonsense as far as getting this game running.

[Carinth]

One thing to note: If you have run the game in the past, you could have older ini files that need deleted first. If this is the case, first delete all files in the "documents/mygames/fallout3", all but the save game folder.
Then do the following.

First check the windows settings to see that you have set the GPU correctly.

Go to Windows Settings, System, Display, Graphics settings
Click Browse and goto the game folder
Steam: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 (goty)
GOG: C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Fallout 3
Epic Games: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\fallout3\Fallout 3 GOTY English
Select the Fallout3.exe

Once selected Fallout3.exe will appear under the "Browse" button.
Select it and click "options", select your secondary GPU you will be using and save.
This will set the GPU for you. (Set to AMD or Nvidia, intel will require Intel Fix)
You can do the same for any other games you have.

Second add your d3d9.dll file

If you have an intel only, add the intel fix
http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/17209/?
Use the d3d9.dll only and place it in the game folder.

If not an intel then add your OS d3d9.dll found here
Goto C:\Windows\SysWOW64
Copy the d3d9.dll and paste a copy in the game folder
(Copy/Paste - Do Not Move the original file)

Steam: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 (goty)
GOG: C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Fallout 3
Epic Games: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\fallout3\Fallout 3 GOTY English

Try running the game and check it.

Lastly,
If the game is now running simply add the 4gb multi core threading fix to fix the games stability and playback
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/21888

That's it
Outlined here
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=616529928

[Cellmember]

Originally posted by ✟The Gent✟:

thats what you get for upgrading to Win 11

I think you meant downgrading.

[HardcoreDoug]

Originally posted by kdodds:

Searching works wonders.

This thread was the first googled result I got, and then this was the first reply I got. Really cool.

[Brother Devastus]

Originally posted by CursedPanther:

Have you tried to follow this guide?
https://steamcommunity.com/app/22370/discussions/0/828937546147175081/

Getting the game to work on 11 should be very similar to 10.

no, nothing works anymore that game is dead they broke it with the patch so they can sell their horrible ♥♥♥♥

[WhateverWorks]

It's working fine for me and always has since the removal of GFWL

[saturn1]

Originally posted by Violentname:

Downloaded, installed, run off steam opens main launcer click play and it does nothing. Lost here could use some help.

Same thing happened to me. It wouldnt launch until I forced it to use my discrete card in the nvidia control panel.

[TroyTactical]

Originally posted by mcaries3:

I tried downloading mods, changed compatibility settings, run as admin and nothing worked until I found this youtube video which solved my issue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV71FYGD2eE All you have to do is add Fallout 3 to Graphic Settings

now the game ALMOST opens before it crashes for me. Any other ideas?

[TroyTactical]

deleting the 2 .ini files and that other one worked!

[TroyTactical]

Originally posted by Demonslayer5054:

https://youtu.be/84qxZCHmxvU

cheers! this worked

[Panic]

Originally posted by WanderingSoul:

For the fat dude:

Originally posted by Fat dude 95:

Someone should make a guide about this , i'm sure it would help a lot of people who struggle to launch the game.

Win 10/11 directions (for immediate crash to desktop issue)

TL:DR up front: Fallout 3 looks to be dumb or missing some library so it can't use your graphics card unless told about it. Add Fallout3.exe to the nvidia or windows graphic settings to force it to use your graphics card instead of...whatever else.

My best guess as to why this works is that when you add and set a preference for fallout3 in windows or nvidia, it tells fallout3 to use your specified graphics card instead of the default / integrated graphics chip. It's like the Intel bypass mod[www.nexusmods.com] but the non-mod way of doing it. Also, I'm guessing why some people are just able to launch fallout3 and it just work is due to them having a compatible integrated graphics chip, my mobo doesn't.

NOTE: While this allows Fallout3 to work, it does not let you use mods.
ANOTHER NOTE: Any google'd articles about setting the fallout3 executable to run as administrator or in compatibility mode (I'm looking at you Bethesda[help.bethesda.net]) will not work (at least in my case).

Whether you like playing with mods or not, enjoy :)

Via windows graphic settings

These directions are straight from the 1.7.0.4 (how to fix) youtube video

1. Left or right click on the windows start button
   
2. Select 'Settings'
   
3. In the 'Find a setting' search bar, search for "Graphic Settings" and click on it
   
4. In the 'Graphics Performance Preference' section (at the bottom of the window) make sure "Desktop app" is selected then click on 'Browse'
   
5. Navigate to your steam fallout 3 folder: <Drive>:\<path to steam>\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty
   
6. Select Fallout3.exe and click 'Add'
   
7. Back in the 'Graphics Settings' window, select Fallout3 then select 'options'
   
8. Select the 'High Performance' option in the 'Graphic Preference' window then select 'save'
   
9. Close the graphics settings window
   
10. Launch Fallout 3 from steam and it should work now

Via nvidia control panel (my preferred way)

I tested this by removing Fallout3.exe from the windows graphics setting and added it to my nvidia program settings and it launched without a hitch.

1. Open Nvidia control panel
   
2. Click on 'Manage 3D Settings' (on the upper right side of the control panel window)
   
3. Click on the 'Program Settings' tab
   
4. Click "Add"
   
5. If fallout3 is listed (may need to scroll down to find it), select fallout3 then click 'Add selected program'
   
6. If Fallout 3 isn't listed, click "Browse", Navigate to Fallout3 executable: <Drive>:\<path to steam>\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty, select fallout3.exe, then click 'open'
   
7. Either way, check to make sure Fallout 3 (fallout3.exe) was added to the nvidia program settings
   
8. Launch via steam and enjoy.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dude, ive been trying to get it yo work for a long time time on win11 did all the downloading/ editing the files/ i even went through my pc settings and added it to high def settings, but it only worked when i went through nvidia