Crash on Start, Executing with -len Error

[4verageGamer]

Fallout 4 will open the Launcher, but when pressing 'Play' Steam sends a notice that the application is attempting to launch with the '-len' argument, and gives the option to Continue or Cancel.

Pressing 'Continue' simply throws this error again. 'Cancel', of course, closes the program.

I have un-installed, re-installed. Changed program parameters in Windows to launch as Administrator and run in Windows 7 compatibility mode. I have deleted all INI files and let Steam repair the program. I have tried putting my own arguments in Steam to run with this program. I have installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 - 2022 Runtime Libraries.

I have attempted to run the program with and without the new graphic DLC.

I have NO MODS.

I cannot figure out why this is happening or how to fix it. There are only a few threads out in the wild with this same issue. All of the suggestions in those threads have not worked, and I'm not sure if the OP of those threads ever got their game working.

Is there anyone familiar with this issue, know what causes it, and how to fix it? I have no issues with going in-depth to get this fixed, my background is in systems engineering and development, so throw it all at me.

Nothing is working.

Thanks!

[SlasH]

Have you looked here?
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/4361249916208537836/

Are you running Steam as admin? If so, disable it.

[cheshirm]

still a mystery what this -len is.

my 2011 win 10 desktop needed the "-len=false" in the start up options.

my 2021 win 11 desktop does not need anything in start up options.

in ...\steam\logs\content_log.txt I found this
[2024-05-22 12:59:46] AppID 377160 adding PID 1428 as a tracked process ""D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Fallout4.exe" -len"

so the game launcher invokes the game with -len

[4verageGamer]

Originally posted by SlasH:

Have you looked here?
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377160/discussions/0/4361249916208537836/

Are you running Steam as admin? If so, disable it.

Great find! I did not locate this one in my searches.

using: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Fallout4.exe" -len=false absolutely worked. This seems absolutely unnecessary. Bethesda should probably take a look a this if it is common.

[4verageGamer]

Originally posted by cheshirm:

still a mystery what this -len is.

my 2011 win 10 desktop needed the "-len=false" in the start up options.

my 2021 win 11 desktop does not need anything in start up options.

in ...\steam\logs\content_log.txt I found this
[2024-05-22 12:59:46] AppID 377160 adding PID 1428 as a tracked process ""D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Fallout4.exe" -len"

so the game launcher invokes the game with -len

Nice job locating this. I'm curious why they are triggering it with this argument? I wonder if there is somewhere we can modify this in the game files, or if this is hard-coded in the launcher?

[davinsitka]

I too tried everything and still wasn't working, but while fallout 4 was running, instead of clicking start, on the fallout 4 box with the full armor guy, I just let it run, and tried to play one of my other games in the library list, that wasn't working either, and now it's working fine. Apparently, in my case, keeping Steam open solves the problem with other games that don't work. What a trip

[davinsitka]

Follow up; I let Steam run on startup of my computer, and all my problems are solved. FINALLY !! It took me weeks to figure this out. I tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked, the problem was with Steam, not my brand new Omen laptop. Now ALL my games launch properly and I'm SUPER PUMPED !! Apparently Steam needs to stay on always, for games to run right, especially when you achieve something in game, which will crash your game if Steam in kept running in the background. At least on my beautiful new Omen 17, it works perfect now !!

[Zekiran]

You have to ... actually HAVE steam running in order to play steam games, yes.

I doubt that we'd have ever guessed that you didn't HAVE steam running to play this game, to get an error like this. Because it's a nobrainer that you must, in fact, click Steam first, and then open your games on it.

When you try using F4SE on a desktop to run a modded Fallout 4, it won't run the modded game unless the Steam client is, in fact, ON first. Otherwise it will open steam, and open the game's exe, which is exactly against the point of running F4se for modding.

Always have Steam running, if your system is going to be tapping any program from it. I'd guess that about 90% of games ON steam right now, can't run without it, and bigger games like this will invariably require it being on first.

[June]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.