I just started playing a copy I bought a year ago for the first time. I can't use the world map at all without my screen flashing before it CTDs. Afterwards, I get a message about my video card recovering from an error. I've found a couple complaints that are exactly the same from people who have the same video card as I do, but no working solutions posted. Here's my specs:

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz

Ram: 4 GB

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 295 - Driver version: 332.21 (updated today)

I'm not running mods and don't have any DLC.

Here's what I've tried so far after browsing this sub-forum for similar issues:

Updated Steam

Updated video card driver

Made sure Skyrim was up-to-date

Verified integrity of the game cache in Steam.

Ran the 4-gig patch on TESV.exe

Changed the .ini settings to this:

Changing the map settings made it take longer for the game to crash, but it still CTDs before I can use fast travel. The screen settles down if I hit [L] to bring up the local map, which stops all the animated clouds and crap, so I'm guessing it's the damned clouds causing the problem. Does anyone have any .ini tweaks or video card settings to suggest?

Have you tried to re-generate Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini via the game launcher?

If you haven't then do this.

1. Delete Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini in the C:\Users\\Documents\My Games\Skyrim folder

2. Run Skyrim launcher and click 'OK' to continue

3. Backup the newly generated Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini files in same folder there you first deleted them

4. Launch Skyrim and hope for the best

If that doesn't help then perhaps you need to lower the settings to lowest to begin with and slowly increase the settings step by step. Otherwise you may need to buy a different video card and I hope that you shouldn't have to.

EDIT: I forgot to mention http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1302200-tweakguides-skyrim-tweak-guide-by-koroush-ghazi/ tweak thread.

In addition, are you using any driver settings? Are you clean installing your graphic card drivers? There should be a clean install option in the installer. Make sure you're running the installer "as admin".

FYI, you shouldn't have to run any 4 gig fixes on Skyrim. It comes with the address flag set already.

I would do what Leonardo say:

Delete Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini in the C:\Users\\Documents\My Games\Skyrim folder

Have you done some tweaks (changes) to your Nvidia Control panel. Revert to default settings, switch off AA from Nvidia panel and skyrim options as well.

Have you tried with an new character ???? (lower your resolution and try not to play on ultra)

Ok, I've tried all the above and the map is still crashing. And yep, I did a clean install when I upgraded my NVIDIA driver. Its settings are still the default. Here's what I've done in the exact order:

Regenerated the original .ini files, as Leonardo suggested. Tested and crashed on map.

Set game to the lowest graphical settings in the launcher, with AA and AF both off. Tested and crashed on map.

Started a new character and got to the earliest point where I could use the map. CTDed again.

I could try uninstalling Skyrim and starting over everything from scratch, but I'm not sure that'll help because this was already a clean install. Maybe I'll look through those tweaks first, because making those map .ini tweaks I spoilered in the OP was the only thing that did anything.

Is there any way to completely disable the clouds? Even the line sMapCloudNIF=0 didn't seem to remove them completely.

Try replacing the map with one from nexus. Get rid of the stock map altogether. Really strange what it's doing...

You know sometimes a new video driver may not work properly for some games, so I suggest that you could a least try to go back to an older one just to see if that helps.

Have you tried to disable FXAA in this line "bFXAAEnabled=1" in the General section in SkyrimPrefs.ini since you have already run the 4 Gb patch on Skyrim.exe?

If you have done that then remove the 4 Gb patch immediately and enable the FXAA in SkyrimPrefs.ini.

Also when you either reinstall or uninstall Skyrim then you must delete the C:\Users\\Documents\My Games\Skyrim folder and the C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Skyrim folder (the *.txt files will handle installed DLC plus installed mods) along with the Skyrim folder plus clear Windows registry just to make sure there is no trace left then reboot.

Now so that I don't forget to ask you. Do you have the High-Res Texture Pack-DLC installed (check the Skyrim launcher in the Data Files option for the HighRes??????.esp)?

If you have the free High-Res Texture Pack DLC installed then remove all HighRes.esp+HighRes.bsa usually *1.esp, *2.esp, *3.esp and re-run the Skyrim launcher just to update your currently setup of mods.

As for ini tweaks I can only suggest these.

[Papyrus]bEnableLogging=1bEnableTrace=0bLoadDebugInformation=0[Water]bReflectLODObjects=0bReflectLODLand=1bReflectSky=0bReflectLODTrees=0

Try to disable reflect LODLand in Skyrim.ini and see what happens.