I just upgraded my PC to Windows 7 and also reinstalled Fallout 3. When I update the game to 1.7 I can no longer start the game, it simply crashes to the desktop. If I do not update the game I can play just fine, but I want to get my downloadable content that I purchased loaded back up again. I believe in order to do this I need to first update to version 1.7. Is there a step that I'm missing to get this to work properly. I do not have the GOTY version.

Did you make sure to delete the Fallout.ini located in My Documents>My Games>Fallout3?

I just did that and it still won't start up. I get the intro page (when inserting the CD) and click Play, it starts to load but crashes before getting anywhere.

When I load up the Fallout 3 Launcher and click Play, it starts to load then crashes. A windows pop-up lets me check online for a solution or close the program, by viewing the problem details it says this:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Fallout3.exe
Application Version: 1.7.0.3
Application Timestamp: 4a40f18b
Fault Module Name: Fallout3.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.7.0.3
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a40f18b
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00227180
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Post a dxdiag.
XP: Go to Start->run, type “dxdiag” and hit enter. Click the Save All Information button near the bottom right. This will save a Dxdiag.txt in C:\ by default. Then open the dxdiag.txt and copy/paste the information into your post.

VISTA/Windows 7: Go to Start->Search, type “dxdiag” and hit enter, click the Save All Information button near the bottom right. This will save a Dxdiag.txt in C:\ by default. Then open the dxdiag.txt and copy/paste the information into your post.

I'm having the same issue. Windows 7 (64-bit, if that matters), Steam version of FO3, downloaded and installed the 1.7 patch. It seems that I can either run the patch installer (which launches the game after completing) or deleting he FALLOUT.ini text file to get the game to launch, but after that, the launcher crashes immediately. I'll check back in tomorrow, and if tallica hasn't posted a dxdiag, I'll see if I can. Current problem details:

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: FalloutLauncher.exe
Application Version: 1.1.12.0
Application Timestamp: 48e251b4
Fault Module Name: GameOverlayRenderer.dll
Fault Module Version: 1.14.66.23
Fault Module Timestamp: 4e2da6a9
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0002e237
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789