Okay, so I've asked everything I can about making mods work. I've tried alot of things, too. I can't get mods to work even with FOMM. I've tried using as administrator but then I don't know what to do, anything I try doesn't work. The menu that opens after running as admin. doesn't list any downloaded mods, only DLCs. I practically need a step-by-step sort of walkthrough on how to get this stuff to work.

Reinstall outside of Program files. This way you don't have to worry about the UAC, and running as Adminstrator. Just make a new folder called...Games, Fallout 3, ding dang dong(It doesn't matter), in the C: drive. Then work from there.

Are you on Vista or Windows 7, and installed the game into the default location? If so, you unfortunately made it very hard to install mods at all, and it may be easier to reinstall (in a location like C:\Games\Fallout, so you don't run afoul of the special handling of the Program Files folder).

See the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/972878-fallout-3-mods-faq/, which has a good step-by-step.

I'm on Windows 7, when I installed I didn't manually pick where it went, just put it at a default I guess.

Yeah, thats the Programs folder, which is a big no-no for games in Vista and 7 since they think mods are hacking the game. Just uninstall and reinstall to a different location not in the program files. Like I have My Fallout installed to my D drive.

So, it's downloaded and entered in the Fallout 3 folder but when I try opening it in FOMM the mod isn't showing up anywhere, even where I put it.

what file is it? esp/esm or fomod?
esps belong in fallout's data directory
and fomods into \mods

if you checked the option to register fomod's file endings with windows you can also start the file via the explorer. FOMM should then start and copy the fomod into its directory.

Okay, I'm lost.. I downloaded the file and saved it to Fallout 3. I went to Fomm and clicked Add New but couldn't find the file in Fallout 3.. I have no idea about esp/esm and there's no file named fomod.

well then.. what did you download?
try to list the contents of the zip or whatever you got there

Clearly you are going about installing the mod all wrong. FOMM can only open .fmod files. Tell us what you downloaded and we can assist you with the proper installation method.

Okie, I just downloaded http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5728.

It is a RAR file. You need either 7zip or WinRAR to open it. Once open, extract the contents into your Fallout 3 folder. Then, open FOMM and check off the esp for the mod.

First, have you understood what has been said about modifying anything installed to the Program Files folder? The gist of it is that you can't do so, not reliably, and not with mods.

If you didn't specify a folder when you installed the game, it installed to Program Files, and now you have fallen into Microsoft's Program Files Virtualization trap. In short, you cannot successfully write other files into Fallout 3's folder, so you cannot install mods.

What's worse, applications (like WinRAR) that do write into that folder appear to succeed, but they actually write into a virtual folder that isn't that folder at all.

Other applications that don't know about this obscure "feature" of Vista and Windows 7 cannot find the files, so they do not show up in FOMM or in the game.

If you want too much detail, you can read a good explanation at http://www.hanselman.com/blog/VistasShowCompatibilityFilesAndTheScrumptiousWonderThatIsFileVirtualization.aspx

If you do not want endless trouble with the game, you should:

1. Uninstall.
2. Reinstall. When asked to specify the install location, do not give a location under Programs or Program Files. Give a location like C:\Bethesda\Fallout3.
3. Install mods to the proper folders under your actual install location.

Do either cost money to download? If so, are there any good mods that aren't RAR? Dogsbody, thanks for the info I'll try reinstalling soon.

ok... here a detailed guide on installing mods like these:

install 7zip (it can handle rar-files as well) http://www.7-zip.org/
extract everything to a location outside of fallout 3 (your desktop or whatever you like)
read the readme!
then search for the necessary files in the folder tree (in this case go into PolishArmyBeretsv1\Data\)
and copy the contents of data, not the folder itself to the data-directory of fallout 3.
if you're being asked to overwrite anything: say yes.

next would be to start FOMM in order to activate your newly added mod.
just make a tick at PolishArmyBeret.esp (your new mod)
start the game and profit.

7zip is free. But for the love of whatever you believe listen to Dogsbody. Plus Fomm can do that through the package manager I think.

Okay, I can't reinstall or anything right now, all downloading of programs/uninstalling requires a password which I don't have, may be a while.

It is actually better NOT to copy the mod's files into the data directory, since that makes it more difficult to remove. Just use the FOMM to add the achieve. I have my own detailed mod installing instructions http://amito.freehostia.com/Fallout/FO-tips.htm#FOMM

Good point, and those instructions are excellent. Highly recommended.

What about stuff I made in the GECK? And how do I save something I made in the GECK?

Assuming you have the GECK in the right place, just click save and you save it as a new .esp, and check it off in FOMM.


Me, I've got Fallout 3 installed in Program files with Windows 7 without a hitch. Then again everything was set to run as admin and eventually turned off UAC for other reasons. Worked flawlessly both ways.

You should really learn how to make mods work before you start fooling around in the GECK. You're biting off way more than you can chew right now, take it one step at a time.

If you made it and saved it while you were installed in the default location, the files are probably in your "virtual store" (the blog I linked earlier tells you where to find it).

Once you have installed in a more suitable location, anything you save from the GECK goes straight into your Data folder, where it will be accessible to the game.

This thread actually helped me with the same problems I was having. Thanks all.

I've reinstalled Fallout, so my next step is to get the mod out in FOMM, right?(I'm about to download 7zip, so I'll be able to use the mod that I showed)