Hi, I'm running Windows 8 64 bitt with 8 GB RAM. I have a Radeon HD-7750 video card with 1GB memory. I've installed all the latest drivers and Windows updates. I have Fallout New Vegas installed with all the updates, including the DLCs downloaded from Steam. The game worked well for about a month after installing the DLCs. After that, I started having problems when loading a Save game. The roulette wheel would spin continuously. I searched and found several suggested fixes for this condition, but none of them fixed the problem. That is, I tried starting a new game, I removed all but a few of the recent saves, I disabled auto save, and several times I verified the integrity of game cache in Steam (that didn't correct anything). In my research, I noted that some players had various issues with the game after installing the DLCs. I then tried unchecking all the DLC stuff in the Data Files option when launching the game. After unchecking them, I could load saved games. So, my question is: How can I keep the DLC items from interfering with loading saved games? Thanks.

I think you'll probably have to live with it. Part of the problem is the game engine itself. These games have always had some sort of issue when it comes to loading up areas, which is one thing that happens when you're loading a save. It's trying to load up the cell you were last in. Even transitioning from the exterior to an an interior can sometimes cause a problem as well. I've been seeing this sort of thing happening since Oblivion, and I haven't seen any mention of a fix.

Yeah, you may have a point there. After making my prior post, the game again started having problems loading a save game, after working properly loading them several times. It looks as if the DLCs likely have not been the cause of the problem after all. I played Fallout New Vegas through on my former computer running Windows 7 with no issues loading saved games.

This is my first time playing the game in my new Windows 8 computer. Interesting that the game functioned properly before, but now displays this inability to always load save points. Also, as you state, sometimes the game refuses to transition from an interior to an exterior location, like through a gate or a door. I never had this problem while playing the game in my former Windows 7 machine. I hate it when this happens. It makes the game frustrating to play.

For me, the only way out of this type situation is to restart the computer. Bringing up Task Manager doesn't work either when this happens on my computer. When I bring up Task Manager, it's hidden under a black screen. The black screen can't be removed, so restarting is the only option left to get going again. One can spend an inordinate amount of time fiddling with this problem. Anyone else?

In my research on the issue, I noted a comment that suggested saving game points on an external thumb drive. That type save is supposed to fix this problem, according to the person making that suggestion. I'd like to try that option to see whether that approach is a solution to this problem. However, I don't know how to set the game so that it will save to a thumb drive. Can anyone provide the information on how to do that?

The suggestion I saw didn't include the information on how to save to an external drive. I hate it when people tell others to do something but not tell them how to do it. I see that all the time.

Well like I mentioned, I've had that problem now and then with Oblivion, Fallout 3 and New Vegas.


Believe me, I understand your frustration. I've had to do that many times over the years, I've just written it off as a glitch of the game engine. Though it does seem to happen more often with New Vegas. In fact, the problem seems to occur more often with each successive game. With Oblivion it usually just resulted in a crash to desktop rather than a hang. I think I prefer the crash frankly.

What mods are you running? I played this game with all the DLCs vanilla for a long time and never experienced this issue.

Corrupted saves can cause this effect, and turning off those features resolves that issue.

Moderator (Cat herder), I'm only running the official add-ons (Caravan Pack, Mercenary Pack, Classic Pack, Dead Money, Gun Runners Arsenal, Honest Hearts, Lonesome Road). I've tried unchecking those items in the Data Files options, but that fact didn't correct the inability to load saves. Sometimes a save will load, but many times they will not. I've tried all the suggestions others have posted who have had this problem (see my first post). Yeah, I know corrupted saves can cause this effect. What corrupts them? What to do about it? Thanks, Fritz

What anti-virus do you have? You can try adding falloutnv.exe and falloutnvlauncher.exe to the exceptions list.

There's a number of things that can corrupt them, like the game crashing when you're in the middle of a save etc. As for what you can do about it, you could try out a mod like CASM (Cipscis Automatic Save Manager) It will allow you to save at a time frame of your choosing and you can have up to different 50 saves, I think it is. First of all, cycling through a number of saves reduces the chance of them getting corrupted as constantly overwriting seems to be a factor. And if something does go wrong with a save you can just load another that was only 5 minutes back from the last one. So you won't lose as much of your game as you would if you simply relied on the game's autosave.

All, My anti-virus is Microsoft Windows Defender (bundled with Win8). FalloutNV is included in the exceptions list, and always has been. I'm about a third of the way through this game. The game worked properly until recently. Something happened recently to cause the issue, but I have no idea what. I've never had the game crash during a save. Anyway, if it I did crash during a save, I likely wouldn't question why the save wouldn't work. I can figure that situation out by myself. Also, the "save not loading" problem occurs whether I overwrite or not. I have many single manual saves that don't load. I don't depend on automatic saves and never have. I've learned that when I save in my "home base," a house in Goodspeings, that save will always load (so far). I'm still playing the game, though. My workaround to this problem is to fast travel frequently to my Goodsprings house to save. In any case, some saves (not the Goodsprings saves) will sometimes load and sometimes not. I never know whether it will load until I try it. It's a hit or miss thing. Typically, the game won't load (except in Goodsprings house). That's the bottom line. I'm not familiar with the mod CASM (Cipscis Automatic Save Manager). I don't need automatic saves, though. The game already does auto saves. Also, I already save at a timeframe of my choosing. Is there a reason why the game would save and load properly using this mod? What I've seen so far here is all just basic stuff that I already know about. I'm not a novice, despite the noob moniker.

There are only two reasons why you get the endlessly spinning wheel. A corrupted Save or a Mod issue.

Now, if the Autosave features are active, then a corrupted save will never let you get past the loading screens. Loading manual save slot from a Autosave that is getting corrupted is not going to help anything. If you can start a new game and not have this issue, or load a earlier save and not have this issue, then the latest saves are corrupted.

Mod issues, you say you have no mods now, but did you ever in the past on this game?

The only other alternative, and this is a long shot, is a background app is interfering with the game. This would be a new app that you installed since you last played. However, this usually results in Lock Ups and CTDs, not endless cell loads.

Finally, if you have an ATI card, Steam may have updated your video drivers to an unstable version for this game, but that is unlikely as I have not seen reports of recent driver updates causing problems.

Moderator, I have had no mods installed, ever. I clean installed Fallout New Vegas in December, 2012 when I put together my new Win8 computer and installed Win8, clean. I understand that saves may be corrupted. However, note my comment that I can always load a save when saved in my Goodsprings home base. Why don't saves get corrupted at that time? Also, after I load a save in my Goodsprings house, I can then select and load any other save available (so far). Why is that if they are corrupted? Note that I can't load a save at startup, usually, unless it was saved in my Goodsprings house. After that (loading save made in Goodsprings house), I can select some other save and load it, but normally I wouldn't do that since it would take me back in the game. I've only tried doing that (loading previous saves) to see what happens. However, I can only do this once; that is, if I proceed to play after loading an older save, and then save again, and try to load another save, it won't load, usually. If I save outside my Goodsprings house, get killed, and then try to load a previous save (not in Goodsprings house), it won't load. However, at that point, I can load a save made in my Goodsprings house. I know this is hard for an outsider to follow. it's also hard to put into the written word. I have this "loading save" problem whether auto save is on or off (see my first post). Regarding background apps, my Startup folder in Task Manager (Win8 has this in Task Manager) shows two apps running: Realtek Audio and Tiny Spell. I know Windows has many other system processes running in the background. I don't think Steam changed my video drivers. I installed the latest drivers available when I put together my computer in December, 2012. I'm also playing Fallout 3, and I don't have any problems with that game. I haven't installed any programs in a long time. I don't do much with programs. I don't do pictures, movies (CDs or DVDs), music, and other stuff like that. I have very few programs installed. I do games, though. Why can't I make paragraphs in these posts? The Enter key does nothing.

That's not always the case. Sometimes the game will load up but you end up back in Goodsprings, near Victor's shack IIRC, and all your active quests will be missing.

One of the reasons why saves get corrupted is the constant overwriting of the autosave. Using CASM, you can cycle through a lot more saves rather than just the single default autosave, so there's less chance of one of them getting messed up. So if your latest save is no good, then you can go to a previous one from 5 - 10 minutes before and not lose too much of your game.


Are you referring to a manual save? Because there's no way to set up a time frame for autosaves in the default program. It will only do so when you fast travel, or move from an exterior to interior cell, or vice versa.


CASM saves can become corrupted as well, but then you can just load up one from a short period before, and not lose hours of gameplay.

There is no player home in Goodsprings, unless you took one over. But I thought all the houses were marked owned in that town...

Saves don't become corrupted until they are written over a bunch of times, although New Vegas is better about this. I doubt the save in Goodsprings could have gotten corrupted that early.

One final question, does a brand new character have this issue? If it does not, then just delete these other saves if they are not working for you.

If you can't get a brand new character to work, then reinstall the game, because that is about all you have left to do.

Easy Pete's place is not owned, neither is Victor's shack or Doc Mitchel's place.

Forgot about Victor's place, but there is so little storage in there that it only works for that town. I don't like taking over homes that people already own, unless I kill them. What bothered me were the generic Good Springs Homes that are marked owned. Easy Pete should be Owned, Doc Mitchell, well that's the Genesis so it can't be owned. Well, it can, but it does not fit the opening to do that.

Make sure both executables are included (falloutnv.exe and falloutnvlauncher.exe) in your firewall and any other anti-malware scanners that run in the background. Make sure you have the right credentials. Have you tried compatibility modes? Also to truly disable your DLCs, you have to uncheck them and remove the associated .nam files from the data directory (deadmoney.nam, oldworldblues.nam, etc).

You aren't alone in this issue. It's a tough one to pinpoint. No a common problem but not uncommon i'd say. Tough to reproduce and tougher when it isn't a persistent problem.
Unfortunately no one here works for Bethesda or Obsidian. Just gamers helping gamers. Some of us have troubleshooting experience.
You can contact Bethesda just follow the link. http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1120441-please-read-before-posting/
Don't be surprised if they mention "hasn't been tested on Windows 8".

Ill try to check around and see if anyone has some luck with this.

Yeah, I've tried all the compatibility modes. The firewall exception list shows "Fallout: New Vegas." It doesn't list executables, as such.

No, I only unchecked the DLCs, and I didn't remove them from the associated.nam files. I didn't know about that.

I just took over a house in Goodsprings. Calling it "home base" is just my term. Why would it matter? Starting a new game, with new character, does not eliminate the problem. The problem persists whether I manually install in a new slot or write over. I've removed all but a dozen or so of my old saves. The problem persists regardless.

I can still play the, however. See my previous post about saving in Goodsprings in order to get good and loadable saves. This approach makes the game still playable.

Would reinstalling the game wipe out all my progress? I've spent a lot of time, effort and thought getting as far as I have. This game has a lot of if, ands and buts, and interdependencies (complicated), making it a shame to lose it all. It must have been a real tough job programming this game.

What happened? I can now make paragraphs. The Enter key works!

Fritz

Because there is a mod called "Goodsprings Home" so by you calling it that, I was making sure that you did not have any mods.

If you can't start a new character and get past this problem, then a game reinstall is the only thing you have left. But, do yourself a favor, don't install in any of the Program Files locations, instead make a directory called C:\Games\New Vegas and install it there. But, I will say that Windows 8 has some issues with older games. Some can make it work easy, some have to tweak the crap out of it, some just can't ever get a specific game to work right.

Your saves are stored in My Documents/My Games/Fallout New Vegas/Saves so you can back them up before you reinstall.

Your saves should be safe in my documents (path CCNA posted). Back it up to be sure. Deleting local content shouldn't include saves.
Make sure to manually delete the new vegas folder in steam directory before you reinstall if you try it.

OK, clear enough. Fritz

I agree, which is why I went into the editor and added ownership to those two homes, along with Victor's place. It just didn't seem right to be able to clean out characters that had helped me stay alive.

After my recent um...freak out over this issue, I found a solution. Not a permanent solution mind you, but it resolved my problems a lot. I turned off Auto-Save. I know that sounds...weird. But it substantially increased my performance. Like, I crash or lock up only about 1/10 as often as I did before. You could always give it a shot. Even if it doesnt work, it cant really hurt anything.

Even if it does not improve in game performance, turning off Autosaves is the best thing you can do for your game experience.