How to Fix the Infinite Loading Screen Problem in Fallout: New Vegas. (Loading Saves)

One intermittent problem that remains in the Steam version of Fallout: New Vegas, however, is an an infinite loading screen. When this happens the actual game will not launch and game play cannot continue. Here is a simple solution found online to hopefully resolve this issue.

How to Fix the Infinite Loading Screen Problem in Fallout: New Vegas

A simple work-around for this problem is to start a new game. Note that you’ll want to retain any saves you may have to this point. You’ll wake up Doc Mitchell’s house where you’ll once again be guided though creating your character. It doesn’t matter whether you create the same character or not. When Doc Mitchell is done with you and you’ve regained control of your character create a hard save at this point. Now, next time you encounter a loading screen that goes on forever, restart the game and load that save. Once in the game you can simply reload one of your old saves.

Alternative work-around.

• Load your original first save file.
  
• Once loaded into the game, open your menu screen.
  
• Load your original, latest save.
  
• The game should now load you back in.

If this works for you, I would recommend then saving a couple of times through the main menu again, to provide some further backup save-points.

Original source material & credit

Andy Scott found at iceflatline[www.iceflatline.com]
Posted on April 30, 2020
Additional formatting and steps provided by myself.

[Lord Dougan]

You are a beauty, yes you are. You just saved my evening and my save that I'm oh so in love with.

[Peter]

Tysm this has been the most helpful post ive come accross

[Sly Bandit]

2/2

But I am almost fanatical about it, if I load an autosave more than once or twice I feel like the file is diseased and it's only a matter of time before it corrupts. So always save in new spots and delete old saves after a while and try very hard not to load an autosave unless EDE or a follower dies on you or something and you don't want to let them go. If you are still reading this and you have been lazy or thought modding is hard, I'm telling you the script extender, nvac, 4gb patch and unofficial patch like others have said make the game crash about 95% less. It is so worth it and honestly these are easy mods to install, you don't have to any crazy file work.

[Sly Bandit]

1/2

This is a good tip to put out there. I thought infinite loading screen meant I had lost many characters to corrupted saves and deleted them before I learned this worked a couple years ago. I am also terrified of loading autosaves now, I noticed when I overwrote old saves with new saves or loaded auto saves often I would encounter the infinite loading screen waaaaaaaay more than I do now.

[Quantum Rush]

Better answer is get script extender, nvac, 4gb, and unofficial patch it helps out more in the long run.

[TrickyTrav]

Nice, was having the same issue and worked out loading a old save from novac works everytime like the dude below me said

[deadsmoke]

This mainly happens when you try load a save in a new area for the first time.
A safe place to load is Novac so if you load an old save in Novac it will always work. That gets you into the game, then all you have to do is load your latest save.
It is much the same as starting a new game but it's a lot quicker.

[amperage]

Thanks! Works in Linux and Windows

[Epic Gamer]

can confirm this works. my roommate had this problem like 2 years ago and i did this exact thing, i think i named the character 'load this if no worky' or some stupid shit, and it works to this day

[Oyff]

Danka