So, I installed Fallout 3 with all the DLC's at the same time. After I got out of 101, the game confirmed all the DLC's loaded. I'm playing along, I get all the way to Take it Back, just before I'm going to enter the purifier. I activate the purifier and it plays the ending, then, goes back to the menu. It doesn't recognize that Broken Steel is installed (meaning that the game is over, doesn't wake my character up at the Citadel) so I'm ripping my hair out because I forgot to make a save before I started TIB, the closest save I have is right before I enter Vault 87. I might have explained this terribly but I need help!

Is this the GOTY version? If not, did you install the latest(http://fallout.gamesas.com/eng/downloads/updates.html) patch?

It is the GOTY edition, and I indeed patched it.

And you are sure that the Broken Steel .esm is checked in the Data Files section of the launcher? It never hurts to double check. Also, are you using any mods?

I am having the same problem with Fallout 3 GOYE get all the way to the end of the main quest. I activate the purifier then the cut scenes come up then that infernal blip and nothing just the main screen again.
FalloutFTW do you think we are thick or something the GOYE comes with 1.7 patch already and automaticly patches it. should we patch the already installed 1.7 patch with the same 1.7 patch again.
does anyone have a solution to this problem.

I hope someone can help me (us), I don't want to be stuck without the final mission/quest done...

Sorry for the massive, massive bump, but I'm still having this problem. Now it crashes after the cut scenes when it returns to the main menu.

Are you running any mods that could conflict with it?

If you're not running any heavy mods you could backup your save and try a reinstall of Fallout, if that doesn't work then it probably means your savegame has been corrupted somehow, which would mean trying a savegame from quite a while before reaching Vault 87, it could be a pretty annoying process.

*edit*

Not that you can't reinstall if you've got lots of mods, it just means spending hours instead of minutes on the reinstall, then you have to deal with the rage of time wasted when it still bugs out.

Everything else from Broken Steel is there. Hellfire troopers, etc..

But still, are you running any mods at all?

Well that could be your problem. The GOTY edition is already fully patched, you may have screwed something up trying to install 1.7 to it afterwards. Try a fresh install and don't patch this time.