My fix (I think) for constant crashing/freezes immediatly upon resuming your game save

[RetroMythologist]

The internet is complete with problems with this game crashing/freezing. Please see the sticky on this forum. If that isn't exactly fixing your problem (if similar to what I describe next), then try what has seemed to work overnight for me (after a completely UNPLAYABLE problem cropping up for me).

BASIC SPEC:

• Windows 8.1
  
• nVidia GTX 780ti overclocked
  
• Intel 4770k overclocked
  
• 32gb RAM
  
• 2x Samsung SSDs
  
• Using onboard audio and LAN
  
• Every updated driver; nothing installed on PC except Steam games, Razer Synapse 2.0, Razer Cortex, Logitech Gaming Software, nVidia GeForce Experience, Dropbox, FRAPS, and Chrome browser
  
• I am running in fullscreen mode 1920x1080 with vsync and frame buffer effects turned ON

PROBLEM:
Started on the bridge on Ostegar when heading to the tower on the Grey Warden initiation quest. Ever since, the game 95% of the time crashes/freezes within 1 to 15 seconds after resuming a game save from the game main menu. At 35 hours into the game, I still get this problem and have spent hours screwing around with it. The following got me through a few nights fairly well. Without them I'd been completely stuck after about an hour.

MY FIX:
1. Set all graphic settings down (from the launcher go to config) - that's Graphic Detail, Anti-Aliasing, and Texture Detail

2. Create the following .bat file on the desktop to use for starting your game:

start steam://rungameid/47810
TIMEOUT /T 10
PowerShell "Get-Process daorigins | Select-Object ProcessorAffinity"
PowerShell "$Process = Get-Process daorigins; $Process.ProcessorAffinity=1"
PowerShell "Get-Process daorigins | Select-Object ProcessorAffinity"
pause

3. Restart your PC.

4. Load your game (using the .bat file)

5. After playing a 20 seconds or so, go to options and turn up Texture Detail

6. After another 20 seconds or so, go to options and turn up Anti-Aliasing

7. After another 20 seconds or so, go to options and turn up Graphics Detail. **NOTE** at this point, it sometimes freezes for me, and 'usually' a CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring focus out of the game and then bringing it back once or twice fixes that.

8. Whenever you're going to close your game, go to options and turn all Video settings back down (as in Step #1, but from within the game)

9. Next time you load your game, start with Step #3 above (with the PC restart)

ONE QUICK NOTE
If at any point it simply crashes/freezes again, restart the process at #1 (obviously can skip #2 after doing this once).

ANOTHER NOTE

QUICK SAVE CONSTANTLY !!!!!!! Use F5. Reload is F9

ANOTHER ANOTHER NOTE

For me, a couple spots required leaving the Graphical Detail setting down: When crossing that bridge in Ostegar (with all the scripted war stuff, catapaults, etc.), in the Fade, Denerim Market, 'sometimes' in camp. You can see the specs above, these crashes are clearly due to a fault in the game. Apparently no way around it, just need to turn settings down for certain parts; then can turn them back up later.

LAST NOTE
If the above doesn't work for you, I'm sorry, for all I know 100 people may have 100 different reasons for this same problem.