Fallout 3 Windows 7 crash on startup, tried patch, xlive.dll fix, ffdshow does nothing

The link is probably out of date, but if you after after the d3d9.dll  you can copy one from

your System32 folder into the games folder.

I don't know why it helps some as my game folder does not have one.

"In simple terms fallout 3 came out before windows 7 did and therefore wasn't designed to support it."

So what about the hundreds (thousands ? ) of other games developed before Win7,

that run smoothly ?  Even Oblivion with Win7  crashes less than FO3.

Were they were developed with mystical Win7 compatibility by people who foresaw

the future ?

"It does however work on some machines but for some reason that i don't know it seems to just be pot luck"

No, it's not pot luck.  As I mentioned previously. If you have a problem you should start a new thread. List the details of what fixes you have tried and include your system specifications and maybe even what in game settings, or graphics card control panel settings you are using with the game (using 'ambient occlusion' when set in Nvidia Control Panel will increase the tendency to crash) .

Earlier on in the thread it was suggested this game started development even before Vista, implying it is XP compatible only.

Where that poster got it wrong about Vista sp1 compatibility is that by the time the game was

finished it was in fact - according to the games box - Vista/XP compatible (note that they even listed Vista first).

Keep in mind that forums are where people who are having problems come, so the perspective is skewed toward the negative. Pick any hardware or software forums. They're all full of people threatening to move to Mac, or from Nvidia to ATI. HP to DELL....

You can bet the vast majority of FO3 owners can run the game with only the problems that come inherent with the game whether on XP or Win7.

I also have an XP machine and the game does still crash.

.

In the end it doesn't matter, you could have all the correct specifications on your computer for the game, but it still may not work. So it actually is just pot luck.

I watched the youtube video, went to megaupload.com to install the d3d9.dll file to get the game to work, turns out the megaupload site has been seized for racketeering, copyright infringements and moneylaundering.

How does a company like bethesda get away with releasing a game that doesn't work, and then being just to cheap or lazy to offer a patch to fix it.

koolkev posted two years ago - 

The OP's main problem was likely using Intel HD graphics of  still unknown model with a game that needs a lot of graphics power .

As I mentioned in earlier posts, this thread has people who are not contributing to the OP's question.

It is best to start a new thread when you have a problem. The situation is rarely "I have the

exact same problem" 'Exact same' is very rare with PC's and the huge variety of difference in

software and hardware. A question also needs a good description of what is, or is not happening,  a list of fixes attempted, system specifications, and whether Windows Updates, Direct X updates, graphics, and audio drivers are up to date. Not, 'I tried everything'.

The game does work on Win7 64bit, and there have been patches.

Actually one of the patches is apparently responsible for needing to use the 'quad core fix'.

BenMc - wrote earlier that getting the game to run is 'pot luck' - Nonsense, but it does

more attention to detail than most games.  If it were 'pot luck' FO3 would not run on my machine because I have horrible luck ;D .

What I said in earlier posts still applies. The problems with FO3 are not Win7, but I will repeat the following -

-Why the d3d9.dll fix works for some has always baffled me as I never put the file in

my install and the game runs as well as it can (well, I did for a while, but it made no difference).

If you do  want a d3d9.dll in your FO3 folder just copy it from - Windows \ System32 where it  lives with the other direct x files.

-Since my last post I have found that using Ambient Occlusion in Nvidia Control Panel settings

for FO3 can contribute to more frequent black-screen crashes.

FO3 is the worst game I have ever had for crashing (well over 100 games installed ) ,

even worse than Ovlivion . All Bethesda games crash. Frequent saves are necessary.

It's not because they are lazy, more to do with the scope of their games.

in-spite of this I have over 200 hrs logged on FO3 game on two plays through (nice guy/bad guy).

The best place for information about FO3 is probably on the Nexus forums-

The Nexus Forums