After installing Windows 7, my Fallout started to crash at random points in the game. Mostly during zooming with a sniperrifle. I found out that the problem was caused by nvd3dum.dll which is a part of the Nvidia drivers.

This is how I solved (worked around) the problem.

1) http://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us and install Nvidia beta driver 181.71 (WDM 1.1) for Windows 7 and Restart.
2) http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us the lastest version of Nvidias driver for Windows Vista.
3) Change the Compability mode (on the downloaded file) to "Windows Vista".
4) Install the driver for Windows Vista (this may take a little extra time) and reboot.

Now you can play the game again...

This fixed the performance problems and crashing I was having with Windows 7. Thanks!

You, sir, are a scholar and a gentleman.

It was like unchecking "CTD every 10 steps"... I just had a 2 hour session with no crashes, with ~20 mods installed. Before, I literally (as alluded to) crashed every 10 steps. Game performs fine (though it locks up on exit).

This should be the first step in troubleshooting Win7 problems, and it points to a lot of the damage in the 1.5 patch being nVidia/MS, not Bethesda.

I've had no issues with the 8.15.11.8585 drivers on Win 7.

Did you do this trick with those, or are you still using the 181.71 drivers?

if I have an ATI card does this apply to me in any way at all?

Unlikely as the subject is nVidia drivers. But if you have similar problems with your ATI card, you could probably use a similar method to install the ATI drivers. But start out with the default method.

I can't believe how well this solution worked! I was able to play for a few hours with NO CTD's at all. This solution works for the 191.07 drivers too.

The odd thing is, it doesn't happen with any of my other games, like Mass Effect, Red Faction Guerrilla, Street Fighter IV, etc.. I wonder what it is about Fallout 3 that makes Windows 7 and the drivers poo themselves.

Lets compare, the above are Linear well coded Games.

Fallout 3 is a jumbled non linear block coded mind bogglingly scripted game. It can't even work properly on a PS3 or Xbox 360. Add to that the myriad possibility's of the PC world and you have a game of Jenga, where the slightest change or movement sends the whole thing toppling down.

I have a GeForce GTX 470 video card and no longer am able to download "beta driver 181.71". I am also using Windows 7 (64bit). Will a more recent version suffice?

My options are...

GeForce/ION Release 256 WHQL 258.96
GeForce/ION Release 256 BETA 258.69
GeForce/ION Release 256 WHQL 257.21
GeForce/ION Release 256 BETA 257.15
GeForce Release 197 WHQL 197.75
GeForce Release 197 BETA 197.75
GeForce Release 197 WHQL 197.41

Let me know, thanks