Hai guyz

I have this problem. In anticipation for Skyrim, I got Oblivion for my PC (Previously, I've had it on Xbox, but I traded it in, i don't really know why) and for one or two months, everything tagged along fine.

Now, I love the game, but a week ago, I started experiencing that my system froze at random if I accessed my inventory. It's almost like I got a BSOD, just that it isn't. How do I know? The first time, I actually managed to alt+tab. It's a normal CTD (well, normal. hum.) which seems to make the whole system stutter. If I'm in skype with someone at the same time, I can actually hear the person talk, only in a horribly slow, stuttering sound. It's like oblivion decides to eat my CPU and take everything else with it. Like I said, It's almost always when I bring up the inventory screen and highlight something.

My system:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad @2.83 ghz (4 cores)
GPU: Geforce GTX 560 TI
RAM: 7 GB DDR2
PSU: 550W corsair
OS: Win7, 64bit

Other games work fine, amongst them Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV, which run on the same engine. Game is patched and up to date Steam version (GOTY, nine dlc and shivering isles). It worked fine the two months I had it installed before last weeks' problems started.

I've yet to rule out corrupt saves, since after the first save continuously shut down, I created a new one, which managed it fine. Until I loaded that save the very next day. It once again had the same problem.

Last thing's last. Since Skyrim is coming up and I want my system to be at it's top (disregard overclocking for now) I reinstalled the system on my computer. The system isn't as sluggish as it was, but the Oblivion-specific problem persists. Has the madgod gotten hold of my computer? :S

PS: I run with everything at highest, but prefer HDR in front of Anti-aliasing for this one.

Try renaming the oblivion.ini located in my games\oblivion. The game will generate a new one when you fire it up again. (and you will have to reset your graphics options.)

Running any mods?

Well, damnit. I was going to say I wasn't running any mods in the first post, but obviously, i forgot to tell. I'll try the .ini thing, but let me get this clear. I re-installed my system inbetween the rounds and the problem persists.

Did you wipe everything that was there before? Did that include wiping the game??

Everything went and was eventually installed again. I backed up the most important files, but none were related to oblivion. However, the saves did get saved in the steam cloud.

Is steam installed to the program files folder? That might be at least part of the problem. Nothing really strange is happening when you go to inventory, most of the game pauses while a menu is open. Running the vanilla game, I really can't come up with a reason why this is happening.... unless maybe there is something going on in the background that is interfering? One would think that would also affect other games on the same engine though..... Try doing a http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796, and see if that doesn't make a difference.