Fallout 3 not launching

[Count von Schwalbe]

So I grabbed Fallout 3 on the Epic giveaway the other day. Installed it fine (on my laptop under system specs) and went to play - the game-specific launcher opened. It automatically detected my hardware (Intel HD 630 & Quadro M620 Mobile) and set settings to Ultra. I then clicked the nice big play button and a few seconds later, the Epic Games store opened. For anyone who does not use Epic, when you close a game launched through their store, it opens back up.

I then attempted both the FO3 launcher in the game folder and achieved a similar result, but without the Epic store opening (as it was not open to start with), and opening the game executable directly did exactly nothing.

Hearing somewhere on TPU that FO3 does not like Intel iGPUs, I disabled mine through Device Manager - this achieved nothing, as did re-enabling the Intel and disabling the Nvidia.

Now for the questions:
1. Has anyone gotten the EGS version to work under any circumstances?
2. Has anyone gotten FO3 to work on a laptop at all (aka hybrid graphics)?
3. Is disabling a video adapter through Device Manager sufficient to hide it from a game, or do I have to uninstall the driver entirely?
4. Do I have to install the mod that allows it to run on iGPU?

 

[Vayra86]

I can't answer all questions, but is there even support for this game on your Quadro? Detection does not mean driver bits, and this is an old game, that's definitely using some form of compatibility bits.

After all, it basically crashes the moment it wants to show output from the application, you can get exactly up to that point. I think its either going to be driver related OR you can fix it with a mod for FO3 itself.

I would certainly install a mod manager so you can tweak and look into the load order of fallout components, that way you can also see if the error is somewhere in handling those files.

Another option is checking the version number of the Fallout used on EGS, and see if it matches with those on Steam etc.

 

[bug]

I would try running the FO3 executable in Win7 compatibility mode. At least that was supported by the game.
Failing that, watch Windows' Event Viewer, maybe you can get a clue about what's going wrong.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

is there even support for this game on your Quadro?

Dunno. It's a Maxwell card, roughly a GTX 750 with 2GB of memory and 25% less clockspeed. I've run everything from Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory to Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Borderlands 3 on it. Never had an issue with drivers before (other than trying a specific GeForce driver for an unrelated issue with AC: Origins, which actually fixed itself in the end). Running whatever driver Windows sees fit to install, as I can

I would try running the FO3 executable in Win7 compatibility mode.

Well. I went to try that, over AnyDesk as I am not at home right now, and it launched fine from both the Launcher.exe and FalloutLauncherEpic.exe without trying Win7 compatibility confused:).

I will try again when I get back (probably will be a few hours) and make sure that it wasn't some strange remote desktop wizardry. I have no idea what would have made it suddenly work.

Update: it works fine now. No idea why.

 

[Vayra86]

Dunno. It's a Maxwell card, roughly a GTX 750 with 2GB of memory and 25% less clockspeed. I've run everything from Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory to Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Borderlands 3 on it. Never had an issue with drivers before (other than trying a specific GeForce driver for an unrelated issue with AC: Origins, which actually fixed itself in the end). Running whatever driver Windows sees fit to install, as I can

Well. I went to try that, over AnyDesk as I am not at home right now, and it launched fine from both the Launcher.exe and FalloutLauncherEpic.exe without trying Win7 compatibility confused:).

I will try again when I get back (probably will be a few hours) and make sure that it wasn't some strange remote desktop wizardry. I have no idea what would have made it suddenly work.

Update: it works fine now. No idea why.

LOL. Maybe this applied

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Welp, I stand corrected. It now launches. It also now crashes when I attempt to start a new game. I have tried Windows 7, XP SP2, XP SP3, and 8 Compatibility modes. I found this handy guide, and attempted to adjust the config files as suggested. Nix.

 

[Vayra86]

Welp, I stand corrected. It now launches. It also now crashes when I attempt to start a new game. I have tried Windows 7, XP SP2, XP SP3, and 8 Compatibility modes. I found this handy guide, and attempted to adjust the config files as suggested. Nix.

Maybe its trying to turn itself off and on again?

j/k aside...

Intel HD graphics Bypass package

use this bypass pack to set up your fallout 3 game files to play on an intel graphics card.

www.nexusmods.com

Looks like its back to scratch for you. You had the start up working... is this fix still in place? If not, enable.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/y96x67 Might also be worth a look (and check of version number)
I would certainly check out that reddit anyway because lots of people seem to struggle with the EGS version, and not always in the same way as Steam.

My experience with Bethesda games is you need ALL of the shitty fix mods and how'to's to finally get a semblance of a gaming experience. The times I ran FO3 it was with a different version and on an earlier Windows, but same stuff applied.

 

[qubit]

@W1zzard post 1 is missing from this thread. It starts at 2.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

@qubit You cannot see the post linked below?

So I grabbed Fallout 3 on the Epic giveaway the other day. Installed it fine (on my laptop under system specs) and went to play - the game-specific launcher opened. It automatically detected my hardware (Intel HD 630 & Quadro M620 Mobile) and set settings to Ultra. I then clicked the nice big play button and a few seconds later, the Epic Games store opened. For anyone who does not use Epic, when you close a game launched through their store, it opens back up.

I then attempted both the FO3 launcher in the game folder and achieved a similar result, but without the Epic store opening (as it was not open to start with), and opening the game executable directly did exactly nothing.

Hearing somewhere on TPU that FO3 does not like Intel iGPUs, I disabled mine through Device Manager - this achieved nothing, as did re-enabling the Intel and disabling the Nvidia.

Now for the questions:
1. Has anyone gotten the EGS version to work under any circumstances?
2. Has anyone gotten FO3 to work on a laptop at all (aka hybrid graphics)?
3. Is disabling a video adapter through Device Manager sufficient to hide it from a game, or do I have to uninstall the driver entirely?
4. Do I have to install the mod that allows it to run on iGPU?

 

[W1zzard]

@qubit Maybe user ignored?

 

[delshay]

I have this game in my library but it's going to be some while for it to download. I'm using win 7 on DDR2 motherboard.

I like to point out there are small issue with some games using the EPIC launcher. I think it effects some older CPU/motherboards. Here's a small list of games not working with EPIC launcher.

"Metro 2033 & Last Light Redux": Both start but can't get into the game. GOG version works zero issue "same computer"

"Rage" does not start. Steam version works zero issues "same computer".

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Thanks for y'all's help, it works now! It was the iGPU in the end.

 

[delshay]

Thanks for y'all's help, it works now! It was the iGPU in the end.

Great I can stop the download.

 

[bug]

Welp, I stand corrected. It now launches. It also now crashes when I attempt to start a new game. I have tried Windows 7, XP SP2, XP SP3, and 8 Compatibility modes. I found this handy guide, and attempted to adjust the config files as suggested. Nix.

Did you keep an eye on the Event Viewer, in case it says anything about what crashes?

Nevermind, ninja'd.

 

[qubit]

@qubit Maybe user ignored?

Yes, inadvertently. Apologies, hamfisted mouse / keyboard use.

My policy is not to ignore anyone, so I've removed the ignore now and can see post 1.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Yes, inadvertently. Apologies, hamfisted mouse / keyboard use.

My policy is not to ignore anyone, so I've removed the ignore now and can see post 1.

Ouch!

 

[Chrispy_]

I would try running the FO3 executable in Win7 compatibility mode. At least that was supported by the game.
Failing that, watch Windows' Event Viewer, maybe you can get a clue about what's going wrong.

IIRC this is what I had to do last year when I finally got around to playing FO3...