I recently bought this laptop and purchased the GOTY edition of Fallout 3 with the DLC's through Steam, but .I continue to have issues to have issues to get this game to run.... even after attempting the many fixes I have found amongst several forums but it is still to no prevail.... after each failure I undone what the (fix) asked me to do, so here I am seeking assistance from whom ever is willing to help me....

The Game will launch its opening title sequence no problem, but after I select NEW GAME it will continue to the loading screen the load bar on the bottom will spin once or twice around then I will get a message box while the game goes into a black screen windowed mode, the message box says Fallout 3 has stopped working with the option to close the program......

I list (some) of the results of the dxdiag below if you need to see it.... for device and driver purposes of-course....

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System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 8/8/2011, 11:22:05
Machine name: BLEOLAKRI
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110408-1631)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Inspiron N7010
BIOS: Ver 1.00 BIOS A11 PARTTBL
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 CPU M 380 @ 2.53GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3892MB RAM
Page File: 1995MB used, 5788MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode


---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel® HD Graphics
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel® HD Graphics (Core i3)
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0046&SUBSYS_04571028&REV_18
Display Memory: 1696 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 1632 MB
Current Mode: 1600 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: unknown
Monitor Id: LGD021D
Native Mode: 1600 x 900(p) (60.085Hz)
Output Type: Internal
Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumdx32,igd10umd32
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2182 (English)
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2182
DDI Version: 10
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 7/20/2010 09:40:34, 6544896 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-4306-11CF-1E7B-5D24B8C2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x0046
SubSys ID: 0x04571028
Revision ID: 0x0018
Driver Strong Name: oem56.inf:Intel.Mfg.NTamd64:iILKM0:8.15.10.2182:pci\ven_8086&dev_0046&subsys_04571028
Rank Of Driver: 00E60001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_C ModeVC1_B ModeVC1_C


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Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0269&SUBSYS_10280457&REV_1001
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 65535
Type: WDM
Driver Name: HdAudio.sys
Driver Version: 6.01.7601.17514 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 11/20/2010 06:44:23, 350208 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Microsoft
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX™ 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2™ Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura™ ZoomFX™: No


---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Microphone (High Definition Audio Device)
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: HdAudio.sys
Driver Version: 6.01.7601.17514 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 11/20/2010 06:44:23, 350208 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

Similar to almost all high intensity 3D games, this one requires a graphics card made by a company that undrstands games and gaming. Those two are AMD and nVIDIA. Intel doesn't count, and laptops cannot be upgraded, so you made a bad choice buying that one, sorry.

Like Gorath said above, your Intel integrated graphics cannot run the game properly. (They are good for battery life, but terrible for games)

There is a modified .dll floating around that will force the game to run on Intels video hardware.....but it may cause overheating to your laptop or stability issues with your OS.

I was having the exact same problem as the original poster. I purchased the game from Steam and it downloaded fine, but when I went to start a new game it crashed to the desktop. After I updated my video driver I get a new error from the launcher saying that "Your display does not support the selected resolution." Yet there is no option to change the resolution in the launcher, it is just a blank box.

Here are my specs

System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 6/7/2011, 11:37:07
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110408-1631)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model: X58A-UD3R
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 CPU 970 @ 3.20GHz (12 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 12288MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 12286MB RAM
Page File: 2412MB used, 22158MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled

Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 580
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Display Memory: 4058 MB
Dedicated Memory: 3034 MB
Shared Memory: 1023 MB
Current Mode: 1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: ASUS VW224
Monitor Id: ACI22AA
Native Mode: 1680 x 1050(p) (59.852Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver File Version: 8.17.0012.7061 (English)
Driver Version: 8.17.12.7061
DDI Version: 11
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 4/7/2011 23:14:00, 12934248 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-53C0-11CF-2578-0C201FC2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x1080
SubSys ID: 0x00000000
Revision ID: 0x00A1
Driver Strong Name: oem13.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1:Section028:8.17.12.7061:pci\ven_10de&dev_1080
Rank Of Driver: 00E60003
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeVC1_C ModeWMV9_C

Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (ASUS Xonar DG Audio Device)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_13F6&DEV_8788&SUBSYS_84671043&REV_00
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: cmudaxp.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0008 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 7/23/2010 03:55:39, 1261056 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: ASUSTeK
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF5F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 192000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 129, 128
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 129, 128
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: Yes
EAX™ 2.0 Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
3DL2™ Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura™ ZoomFX™: No

Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Microphone (ASUS Xonar DG Audio Device)
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: cmudaxp.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0008 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 7/23/2010 03:55:39, 1261056 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFFFF
Description: Stereo Mix (ASUS Xonar DG Audio Device)
Default Sound Capture: No
Default Voice Capture: No
Driver Name: cmudaxp.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0008 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 7/23/2010 03:55:39, 1261056 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Update

I'm having the same problem for Fallout New Vegas. The launcher tells me I need to adjust my resolution, but the resolution box under options is blank.

Ahh I see I see. I was thinking when I bought that laptop, I thought it had to have better parts than my old desktop I had that played the Fallout 3 well, that died on me.
I pieced that thing together over a time lapse of 2 months....but it lasted me for a fun long time was sad to see it go
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
AMD Athlon64 3800+
4GB Corsair Memory
XFX Fatal1ty GeForce 8500 GT 512MB (always planed on buying a second for SLI never got to it >.<)
Rocketfish 750W Power Supply

But thanks for the tip, Starforce9, about the dll. I got it to work, and no problems yet as of far.... I'll keep in mind the heat issue, but I tend to spend more time messing with the models of weapons and what not ingame and Blender. Than I do actually following the story well that and the RTS mod