Difference between revisions of "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting"

From Nexus Mods Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Issue: GECK doesn't automatically select FalloutNV.ESM or some DLC)
(Added 'Issue: ENB texture disappears or turns shiny/black')
Line 1,188: Line 1,188:
 
If you play in "windowed" or "borderless windowed" mode:
 
If you play in "windowed" or "borderless windowed" mode:
 
* EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=true (may help, but only for those modes).
 
* EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=true (may help, but only for those modes).
 +
 +
=== Issue: ENB Texture disappears or turns shiny/black ===
 +
Occurs after passing rapidly between interior/exterior cells several times, such as through a doorway repeated times.
 +
*Cause: A few ENB "pre-sets" have disabled the "EnableCompression" flag.
 +
 +
:* Solution: Make the "enblocal.ini" file "[Memory]" setting "EnableCompression" flag to "true".
  
 
=== Issue: ENB Transparency/Translucency problem ===
 
=== Issue: ENB Transparency/Translucency problem ===

Revision as of 04:56, 23 June 2017


Contents

Overview

This a collection of specific common problems and solutions, along with a general checklist of things known to contribute to problems, collected from around the web. The "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting" thread in the "Fallout New Vegas Mod Troubleshooting" forum is for questions, suggestions, and discussion of this article's contents.

The article is organized around various generic topics, with specific mod conflicts or issues that don't fit into the other categories under "Solutions to Miscellaneous problems".

If you haven't already, it is suggested to read the wiki article FNV General Mod Use Advice first to understand basic terminology as used here and differences in FNV from other games you may be used to modding.

Troubleshooting is a logical process of elimination. If all logic fails, you have to revert back to a vanilla game and slowly re-install mods, testing each one thoroughly before adding the next. It is a trade-off of "time" versus "effort". Where that tipping point lies is up to you. This is why you are always advised to follow a slow "install and test each mod one at a time" procedure when first setting up your game. Then you know specifically which mod is causing your problem, which saves time.

The How to ask for help wiki article applies to any game. Read it before posting your next problem in the forums to speed up getting to the correct solution. The time you are wasting otherwise is not just your own.

Checklist

Standard list of things to ask yourself about your current FNV problem:
00. Did you install Steam under the default location of the "C:\Program Files" tree? This causes many "strange" problems not otherwise explainable. As painful as it may sound, read the wiki article Installing Games on Windows Vista+ and move at least FNV. That article has a link to the official Steam Procedure (a good indication that they now recognize the need to correct this). This should be the first solution you try. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time and effort trying other solutions, and still have to move the game files in the end anyway.

Note that the GOG DRM-free version of FNV default install location is "C:\GOG Games\Fallout New Vegas". It does not have this issue, in addition to already being 4GB memory enabled.

01. Are you getting an error message? What is that pointing to as the source of the problem: the game, Steam, or Windows?
02. What most recently changed (as far as what you have deliberately done to your game is concerned: New, updated, or removed mods or plugins)?
03. If you have recently "verified local files" or "re-installed" the game, try renaming both the INI files in the "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder, and let the game rebuild them. (There might have been some unexpected changes.) Rename to anything you choose. I usually just add to the extension: from "<filename>.ini" to "<filename>.ini.old". The purpose is to be able to examine the old files for things you want to be able to replicate in the new versions of the same file.

Before you make any changes to the game INI files, please make backups and put them in a safe place. See the Game INI files section of the "FNV General Mod Use Advice" article for details.You have been warned!
If you make any changes to any of the game INI files, remember to change it in all three files (after you have backups of the originals): the "Fallout_default.ini" in the game root folder (which only gets used to recreate the other two when they are not found), and the two in "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder ("FALLOUT.ini" and "FalloutPrefs.ini"). Otherwise you tend to lose track of which you actually changed if you have to "verify files".
Note that if you are currently or have used "Mod Organizer", MO uses its own copies of "Fallout.ini" and "FalloutPrefs.ini" (from when the MO profile was created), located in the "<Steam install path>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Mod Organizer\profiles\<Your Profile Name>" folder. These files need to be changed as well.

04. Does the most recent mod change use New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE) or supplemental plugins like JIP NVSE Plugin or "Lutana NVSE Plugin"? Check that log (in the game's root folder: i.e. "<Steam install path>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas"). OR, in game to confirm if it is installed properly you can open the console (default is the "~" key), enter 'GetNVSEVersion', and it will return the version number. The same check for supplemental plugins is 'GetPluginVersion "<plugin name>"', where <plugin name> is the string "Extensions for NVSE" (NX), "JIP NVSE Plugin" (JIP), and "lutana_nvse" (Lutana).

NVSE and related plugins must be manually installed because most mod managers assume everything in them needs to go into the "Data" folder instead of their respective specific locations. Check their documentation carefully.
When installing New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE), the nvse_loader.exe file should be in the game root folder: i.e. "<Steam install path>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas"), so it's along with the FalloutNV.exe file. However, just unpacking the NVSE archive package to the "Fallout New Vegas" folder may not create a "Data\NVSE" folder or the "Data\NVSE\Plugins" sub-folder upon installation unless you tell it to include sub-folders when doing so. If not, you will have to do so manually. It definitely does not create a configuration file (in the "NVSE" sub-folder), nor automatically enable it's log files (which will be found in the game's root folder). You need to do so yourself, using any plaintext editor such as Windows NotePad. Supplemental NVSE Plugins such as JIP, Lutana, MCM, NVAC, or NVSR should go into the "Data\NVSE\Plugins" folder; along with their configuration/INI files.
  • If not present, manually create folder "NVSE" under the game "Data" folder (at the same level as the "Meshes" and "Textures" folders), and then "Plugins" under the "NVSE" folder.
  • Make sure "hide known file types" is disabled in Windows/File Explorer's "Folder Options" menu, or your new INI file in the next step will have a hidden ".txt" extension which you don't want. (The DigitalCitizen.life article 8 ways to open the Folder Options window, in Windows (all versions) will show you how to access that.)
  • In the folder "Data\NVSE" create a new text file and name it "nvse_config.ini".
  • Copy and paste the following into "nvse_config.ini":
This will enable the game's error log the next time you run it, which will then be found in your FNV root folder (where you put the NVSE executable files). There will be at least three files: "falloutnv_error.log", "falloutnv_havok.log", and "nvse.log". The first one is very useful for finding broken stuff in mods or the cause of crashes. Not everything in it is an error so keep that in mind; some are just warnings. The "nvse.log" is helpful to identify problems with NVSE itself, and plugins that rely upon it.
The warnings are supposed to be written by the game engine in "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV\warnings.txt", but this may be dependent upon the "log level" in the "nvse_config.ini". The default is level "1" and there is no "warnings.txt" file created; but it goes up to level "5" (debugging) with increasing verbosity. However, it appears this "warnings" file feature was never actually implemented for FNV, but have been restored by the GECK Extender Plugin for NVSE.
  • To activate the "Sheson patch", Add the following before the "[Logging]" section of the "nvse_config.ini" file:
Using a size of "240" or "256" is suggested if you are not using FNV4GB or some other means to utilize the maximum ~4GB of game memory. Too small or too large a heap size causes problems. Keep it under "500" (i.e. "496"), and in multiples of 16. Skyrim SKSE users may be aware of a "scrapheapsizeMB=" setting. This is carried over to NVSE, but is not used in the FNV game engine. Remember, nothing is "free memory". Everything you assign to a "heap" is no longer available to the game itself.
For help interpreting an error log, please see the How to read most Bethesda game error logs wiki article.


05. Did the mod need to be added to Mod Configuration Menu (MCM)/One HUD (oHUD)/User Interface Organizer (UIO)? (Those mods need to see it when they are installed. See the wiki article HUD-UI-Menu issues and re-install them.)
06. Is your version of Windows 32 or 64-bit? (32-bit may require BOOT.INI changes to use more than 2GB of memory. See this 2-4GB game memory limits and solutions article.) FNV is a 32-bit game, so you need the 32-bit versions of any downloadable tools or libraries, like "C++ Runtimes" or "DirectX drivers" installed on your 64-bit system. 32-bit libraries are not interchangeable with 64-bit versions. They install to different locations. There is a reason MS makes both versions available.
07. Are you using a FNV4GB Loader such as 4GB Fallout New Vegas Updated or an LAA flag Patcher like FNV 4GB Patcher? (Increases available memory. But see the previous question about 32/64-bit Windows. It's related.)
08. Are you using an ENB preset? (Alters the graphics environment, including INI changes.) If you aren't sure, then probably not. This is a "third party tool" you would have to manually add. You should wait until you have a stable game before adding a "post-processor" like it to the mix.
09. Are you using Reshade/SweetFX? (Alters the graphics environment, including INI changes.) You should wait until you have a stable game before adding a "post-processor" like it to the mix.
10. Check the game graphic & ENB/SweetFX options do not conflict with video driver settings. (Anti-aliasing, ambient occlusion, anisotropic sample size, v-sync, anything else that is mentioned.) If you didn't install either of these then the question does do not apply.
11. Are you using LOOT to sort your mod "load order" (LO)? (Reduces mod conflicts.) If you don't like LOOT's results, or wish total control over your LO, see the wiki article Load order and you for an approach to organizing the LO and creating a "merge patch" file to manually resolve conflicts.

It's always useful to post your "Load Order" (LO) with your problem description. (Use the "Special BBCode" button in the Forum "Reply" menu bar as the third icon from the left in the top row, next to and left of the "Font" pick-list field to put the LO in "Spoiler" tags.) Screenshots are not the best way to convey your LO, because they usually can't include everything in one image and (depending upon where you took the shot) may not show the actual "load order". LOOT can copy your LO into a list suitable for posting on forums. (It's under the ":" with three dots to the extreme right in it's menu bar.) Most "mod managers" have a similar "LO List" capability. But the total number of mods you have installed in the DATA folder is also important, because even inactive plugins are counted against the so-called "140 cap". LOOT provides both numbers: active and total installed.

12. Do you have more than 130 active plugins in your LO, or more than 140 plugins installed (active or not) in the game DATA folder? The game can have problems with anywhere from roughly 130-140 active, or too many installed, depending upon your system. This may manifest in any number of strange ways to include apparent missing meshes and textures that were there before, along with CTDs.
13. If you are having a "red icon" problem, see the ArchiveInvalidation (by Manager) sub-topic.

  • When in doubt, it will never harm things to try toggling "ArchiveInvalidation" off and then on again.

14. Are you missing any of the "game fixer" mods? See the Issue: Vanilla game bugs sub-topic for a list of specific recommendations.

15. If any LOD files (distant landscape terrain) have been added, re-run TES4LL (from Nexus Oblivion or GitHub). TES4LL is used to "fix up" LOD/VWD mesh files, and works along with FNVLODGen. (See the TESTG site for a glossary of terms and descriptions of/links to these and other utilities. The VWD/LOD Overview page includes a basic batch file for assistance in automating the process.) Edit in the following parameters in the "tes4ll_make_..." files for FNV:
... _gamemode=FalloutNV _worldspace=WastelandNV _worldspaceid=894758 _worldspaceidhex=000DA726 ...

16. If the LO has changed, re-run FNVLODGen after LOOT. (Rebuilds LOD quadrants (quads), which are "load order" dependent.)
17. Use FNVEdit (loading the entire LO) to check for Masters that are missing or loading after Dependencies. See the wiki tutorial Missing Masters. There is full documentation of FNVEdit (for both FO3 and FNV) in the FNVEdit Training Manual.
18. Are you using a Wrye Flash Bashed Patch or a manually created "merge patch" file? (Resolves record level conflicts.) See S.T.E.P. Merging Plugins Guide which covers both approaches, or the video Making a Merge Patch by Roy Batty for the "merge up" approach. (Use of "Mod Organizer" is not required.) Use the Wrye Bash Pictorial Guide to quickly get functional with "Wrye Flash", which I think is the easier approach for a novice modder.
19. If you are using "Wrye Flash" to create a "Bashed Patch", have you gotten all "green" checkboxes for all your mods? See the first post in the pinned thread Fallout New Vegas Beginners guide to modding by gromulos.
20. Was there an update to a mod that has been included in a "merged plugins" or "merge patch" file? Rebuild the "merge" file.
21. Did any system or driver updates occur? (Third party processes might be the cause if nothing else changed.)
22. Does your hardware meet the game's minimum requirements?
23. Have you tried running the game in "windowed mode"? This has been known to unexpectedly fix CTDs and "out of memory" errors on some older hardware. If you prefer the "borderless" version of "windowed mode", install New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE) and use the One Tweak for FNV mod.
24. Try turning off any unnecessary background processes, such as "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" programs (unneeded if you are running your game in "offline" mode), multiplayer "overlays" like "OverWolf" (this is single-player after all), the Steam overlay, etc., at least on a temporary basis to see if they are interfering.
25. Finally, the problem might be an overheating hardware component. This usually shows up after a period of time which is typically fairly consistent but unpredictable as to when it manifests. Try installing and keeping an eye on a temperature monitor, such as Speedfan (freeware). Your motherboard manufacturer probably has one available as well. And it never hurts to clean out any dust collecting in the computer case. Be sure to block any fans from rotating when you blow it out, so they don't send any unfiltered power surges through the system.

ArchiveInvalidation (by Manager)

"ArchiveInvalidation" (AI) is a method by which the game is told to look for "loose files" in preference to those in the vanilla BSA files. This is the reliable method to get a mod's own texture and mesh files utilized, assuming you have properly installed those "assets". This post on manual invalidation explains the problem and history quite well.

Check you have "ArchiveInvalidation" (AI) enabled. You may need to "toggle" it off and then on again.

  • Open your mod manager.
  • Mod Organizer (MO): Select your "Profile". Turn on "Automatic Archive Invalidation" in the "Configure Profiles" dialog. Close the mod manager.
Some have found "AI" more difficult to get working in MO. In these cases the following steps are suggested:
1. In MO Settings 'Workarounds': uncheck 'Force-enable game files'.
2. Get a copy of "Fallout - AI!.bsa" (From FOMM or NMM) and copy it to your "Data" directory.
3. Go to the 'Archives' tab in the right MO window. Make sure MO is managing BSA files. Move the "Fallout - AI!.bsa" to the top of the list.
4. Try "Automatic Archive Invalidation" in the Profile both OFF and ON.
  • Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM): Depending on the version you have, find "Archive Invalidation" either under the tools tab or find the button "Toggle Archive Invalidation".
  • Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) or the newer Fallout Mod Manager - Forked (FOMM-Forked): if there is a "check mark" shown next to "Archive Invalidation", remove it and close the mod manager. Open the mod manager, open the "Tools" and place a "check mark" next to "Archive Invalidation".
    If there is not a "check mark" next to "Archive Invalidation", place one there and close the mod manager.
  • Wrye Flash (WF): click on the "Installers" tab, then right-click on the "Package" column header (gray bar) and click to place a "check mark" on the "BSA Redirection" context menu entry. Then right-click on the "Package" column header again and select "Anneal All".
  • If you don't use a "mod manager", you should. But there are mods out there that provide the same "BSA Redirection" functionality (the currently more effective form of "ArchiveInvalidation") as an addon.
  • If a mod manager's AI doesn't seem to be working, check the INI files under "[Archive]" for the "bInvalidateOlderFiles=" setting. Try switching the value between "=0" and "=1". (Some seem to need it one way, and others the opposite.)
  • For other texture problems, see the TESTG Troubleshooting section.

Mod Conflict Isolation

If you have to isolate a mod conflict, try first "disabling" half your mods, and testing. If the problem disappears, then you know the mod conflict lies in the "disabled" half of the mods. Re-enable half of the "disabled" half of the mods (i.e. now down to 1/4 of the total) while disabling the entirety of the other (previously enabled) half, and test. Keep repeating this "halving the remainder" process until you have narrowed it down to the mod that causes the problem only when it is active. This is the quickest way to isolate a problem mod.

Whenever you "disable/deactivate/uninstall" a mod, make a "clean save" file before testing the result. For FNV a "clean save" from an existing game save seems to be just a "full save" file (not a "quick save") that has been loaded, displayed the "missing content" message for the disabled plugin(s), and you continued on into the game; and then waiting about 10 seconds for scripts to initialize before saving again. This is a minimal clean save procedure. (If you appear to still have "residue" remaining after trying this procedure, try the more complete process laid out in the Tes4Mod:Clean_Save procedure for Oblivion.) However, it is usually preferable to test using a "new" game "full save" file from just after you create a "new" character with a different name. This avoids the possible issue of any corruption or problems "burned into" the save file.

If disabling mods does not pin down the culprit, then you have to uninstall them to completely remove their influence, because they overwrote something which is causing the problem. You can use the same "halving" technique but often it will be quicker to just uninstall everything and start over from a "vanilla" game that you have tested has no problems.

If you uninstalled and re-installed the game but even without mods it crashes on startup, likely you forgot to clear out your "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder. The game places your specific versions of the Fallout and FalloutPrefs INI files there, along with your "save games". Try renaming the "Users" folder INI files first. I usually just add to the extension: from "<filename>.ini" to "<filename>.ini.old", but it can be anything. The purpose is to be able to examine the old files for things you want to be able to replicate in the new versions of the same file. Then if that fails: move the "saves" elsewhere, delete that FalloutNV folder's content, and re-install again. If you have to re-install again anyway, be sure to install to a folder that is not under the default "C:\Program Files" folder tree. See Installing Games on Windows Vista+ for the rationale and guidance. (Actually, you should move your game from the default location regardless, but I realize this is unwelcome advice to most people. It is still the single best "fix" you can do for yourself. Read that article.)

When the above is not sufficient to resolve your problem, please report what steps you have tried so we don't waste time suggesting you repeat something. In such cases, report the actual steps: not just "I followed the guide". We need to know you didn't miss or misinterpret something.

It's always useful to post your Load Order (in "Spoiler" tags. Use the "Special BBCode" button in the Forum "Reply" menu bar, just to the left of the "Fonts" pick-list). Screenshots are not the best way to convey your LO, because they usually can't include everything in one image and make it difficult to determine if you have too many plugins. LOOT can copy your LO into a list suitable for posting on forums. (It's under the ":" with three dots to the extreme right in it's menu bar.) Most "mod managers" have a similar "LO List" capability. But the total number of mods you have installed in the DATA folder is also important, because even inactive plugins are counted against the so-called "140 cap".

Towards Game Stability

  • If you want a stable game, don't make any changes to your setup once you start playing and making "save game" files. Even updates to current mods run the risk of making things unstable after the point they are added. If you do update, ensure you know which save to revert to prior to that update if it goes wrong.
  • Removing a mod that has stored some elements in a "save file" will leave residue (even with a "clean save") that can cause problems down the road. In particular you have to watch out for mods that use scripts to permanently change form and leveled lists (such as, purely as an example, Millenia's Weapon mods). This is not, in and of itself, a bad thing as there are compatibility advantages to using this "script" technique. Such mods usually point this out in their description. But it is something to pay attention to when experimenting. It's better to find out what causes problems before you start to play in earnest.

Solutions to Starting the game problems

Issue: Application load error(s)

  • Cause-1: Specifically error codes: "5:0000065434" or "P:0000065432" indicate the Steam Client is not loaded.
  • Solution-1: The "Steam Client" may be in "Offline" mode and minimized, but must remain running while launching the game, even with "nvse_launcher" or "fnv4gb".
Note that the "Steam Client" is what displays the "Library", "Store", etc. It is a separate piece of software from the "game" and performs the authentication that your copy of the game is legitimate.
  • Cause-2: For some people, the game will not run without "Multi-threaded AI" enabled.
  • Solution-2: In all three INI files, under the "[General]" section set the following values:
bUseThreadedAI=1
and add the line:
iNumHWThreads=
and set that to however many cores your processor has. Note this added line is not a "performance" tweak (the game does multi-threading by default and the "iNumHWThreads=" setting may restrict it) and is not recommended for everyone in general. Some people have experienced adverse effects. Use with caution and test the result. When in doubt, start with "2".
  • Cause-3: Error message "Application was unable to start correctly", and Windows "Event Viewer" Application Error: "Exception code: 0xc0000005".
Generally this error code means the program is trying to access protected memory or outside of the space allocated to it. It's one of the most common OS errors seen. In this case the game is failing to start as a result.
  • Solution-3: The Nov 2016 Win10 updates should fix any WDDK based issues with video drivers or previous updates. Try applying system updates first. If not running Win10, or system updates do not fix the problem, see the article How to fix error code 0xc0000005 under "application was unable to start correctly" for other things to do to fix it.

Issue: GOG DRM-free, non-steam version of FNV compatibility

On 01 Jun 2017, GOG.COM, the on-line game store that licenses DRM-free versions of games released their versions of "Oblivion", "Fallout 3", and "Fallout New Vegas". As "DRM-free", they do not communicate with Steam. They have been modified to work with the GOG Galaxy client, which is similar to Steam's Client for an online community.

Thanks to vulchor and pixelhate on the Nexus "New Vegas Technical Support" forum for quickly assisting with the following information:

  • By default, GOG installs the game to "C:\GOG Games\Fallout New Vegas". This avoids the problems with Steam's default location under the "C:\Program Files" tree.
  • GOG provides a customized set of INI files. Be sure to backup the "Fallout_default.ini" file before making any changes as a precaution.
  • Includes new line "STestFile2=FalloutNV_lang.esp". This file's function has not been determined, but removing the file itself does not prevent the game from running. It's removal may be related to the warning about content no longer being present, listed below.
  • 4GB patching attempts don't work, but this is because that feature is already incorporated into the GOG versions of the games (and GECK). Patching is not required. They already will use up to 4GB of memory for the game.
  • "NVSE" v5.0b3 (Stable) installs and works without modification. Problems reported are most likely due to attempting to install by way of mod managers. See Checklist item #4.
  • "LOOT" v0.11.0 works without modification.
  • "xEdit/FNVEdit" should work, but might have trouble locating the GOG game folder until updated if not installed there.
  • Warning message "Unable to start steam automatically. Your game may not launch correctly" is given when starting the game through FOMM (which has recognized it automatically). This warning can be ignored.
  • Trying to start a save after installing NVSE v5.0b3 will prompt "This save relies on content that is no longer present. Some object may no longer be available" even for the first save after the Doc Mitchell "chargen" sequence, with no mod installed at the time. This warning can be ignored.
  • The "G.E.C.K." is pre-installed, but has the original GECK.INI file. This needs to be modified to enable loading multiple masters. See Issue: GeckCustom.INI file.
  • The "GOG Galaxy" support, however, requires Windows 7 so this has "broken" XP and Vista support by default. A post on the GOG forum says their tech support responded:
There's a workaround for getting functional on systems older than Windows 7 that is reported to be effective involving taking a "steam_api.dll" from any Steam game, renaming it "GalaxyWrp.dll" and replacing the one in the GOG FNV folder with the renamed Steam file. Or you can simply delete (suggest rename by adding something to the extension) if you don't need the additional languages that file provides. Doing this will break "GOG Galaxy" integration, but since Galaxy doesn't run on older Windows versions any longer anyway, supposedly that doesn't matter to you. However, if you care about achievements, "local file verification", and cloud saving, those are "GOG Galaxy" only features as well. Suggest burning your downloaded files to a CD/DVD/Blu-ray in case you need to reinstall again and have a slow internet connection or are worried about losing access to the GOG servers. Check the game release thread on the GOG forums for more info.
The "workaround" has been confirmed to work on Windows XP.

Issue: Vanilla game CTDs on startup

Uninstalled and re-installed the game but even without mods it crashes on startup.

  • Cause-1: Likely you forgot to clear out your "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder when you had Steam "verify local files". The game places your specific versions of the "Fallout" and "FalloutPrefs" INI files there, along with your save games. These are not replaced when you verify/re-install the game if they are found to already exist there.
  • Solution-1a: Try renaming the "Users" folder INI files first. Recall that the "Prefs" INI file gets created only when you run the original "FalloutNVLauncher.exe" and identify your hardware under "Options" on the first menu. Subsequently if that fails move the "saves" elsewhere, delete that "Users" FalloutNV folder's content, and re-install again. If you have to re-install again anyway, be sure to install to a folder that is not under the default "C:\Program Files" folder tree. See Installing Games on Windows Vista+ for the rationale and guidance.
  • Cause-2: A third-party program running in the background is interfering with the game.
  • Solution-2: Try turning off any unnecessary background processes, such as "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" programs (unneeded if you are running your game in "offline" mode), multiplayer "overlays" like "OverWolf" (this is single-player after all), the Steam overlay, etc.; at least on a temporary basis to see if they are interfering.
  • Cause-3: In mid 2016, nVidia and AMD driver updates and some Windows 10 WDDM updates started to cause CTDs upon startup to previously trouble-free games. This was determined to be caused by changes to the "Windows Device Driver Kit" (WDDK) at that time.
  • Solution-3a: Win10 November 2016 updates have fixed these issues. Make sure you have applied your system updates.
  • Solution-3b: The "New Vegas Anti-Crash" (NVAC) mod as of v7.5.0.0 (released 25 Oct 2016) has been reported to fix the conflict with the broken video drivers from nVidia and AMD.
  • Solution-3c: Rolling back to nVidia drivers 368.81 or 368.69; or AMD driver 16.8.3 have been reported to successfully resolve the problem with Win10. In general, avoid upgrading your video card drivers unless the latest fixes a particular problem you are encountering. (Support and testing for older games can get dropped in newer versions.) To prevent Win10 automatically doing such upgrades to any drivers in future updates, see this article on Taking back control of Windows 10 driver updates.
  • Solution-3d: Depending upon the nature of the Windows update (all updates provide a link to a MS Knowledge Base article explaining the update in detail), reverting to the "system restore point" prior to the update may be a reasonable temporary solution if this occurs in the future. However, in the long term this might prove to be a security risk, so be sure to report the problem and track the status of the update for possible fix and re-release.

Issue: Vanilla game Hangs on startup

When you open the launcher, it functions as it should with the music in the background. Also have audio by the time the main menu loads. Whenever you load a game, the loading screen with the roulette wheel has no audio and this screen will freeze for one to two seconds (as evidenced by the ball in the roulette wheel stopping). Screen will then go black for a few seconds, and the game will load, but have no audio at this point and there is severe lag.

  • Cause-1: Win10 has DirectX12 drivers, but the DX9 driver the game is expecting is not being found.
While Win10 comes with DirectX12 installed and is backwards compatible with older DX versions, older games do not know that and are looking for specific versions of DX library files (i.e. d3d9_32.dll) and not finding them. So you need to install the appropriate "DirectX End-User Runtimes" as well: ones which are compatible with Win 8.1+.Note that you need the 32-bit version for 32-bit games. I make it a practice to always download both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions of any libraries I manually install, so I am covered either way. (There is a reason they published a version for both 32-bit and 64-bit. They are not "interchangeable", and are separate installs going into different locations.)
(Games that used DX7 and 8 are murky territory. Many will run on OS's newer than XP, but may require fixes/tweaks. Always use the latest available "runtime" versions of those DX libraries.)
Some games try to install an older DX version they come bundled with. Those versions may not be compatible with the later versions of Windows, which is why you should manually install the version you know is compatible. Then those games will see that DX version is already installed and not try to install their bundled version causing incompatibility problems.
  • Solution-1: For DX9, manually install the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) which is Win 8.1+ compatible. Download the full runtime package. DO NOT use the "Web Installer" version.
  • When the DX installer asks where to install the files to, you choose any folder you like, but generally have it unpack the files to a folder on the desktop or one dedicated to that purpose anywhere, because this folder can be deleted or emptied after the final install is done. (DirectX does not actually get installed at this point. The files are only 'unpacked' from an archive)
  • Once the files are unpacked to this folder you open the folder and locate DXSETUP.exe (the actual installer).
  • Run this installer (as an Administrator) to finalize the DirectX re-installation.
  • When the installer is finished delete this folder.
Each game uses a specific DX file, or files, (e.g. d3dx9_32).
A newer game may use two DX files (e.g. d3dx9_42 and d3dx10_42).
See the MS article How to make Win10 run DirectX 9.0 for more details.
  • Cause-2: The game is not finding all the asset and resource files it requires. Especially under Windows 10, some files upon installation can get "black listed", which means they get deleted immediately without the installer realizing it.
  • Solution-2a: If you haven't already, move the game out of the default "C:\Program Files" folder. See the wiki article Installing games on Windows Vista+ for instructions.
  • Solution-2b: If your graphics card is an "Intel" brand or on-board graphics chip, you need to install the mod Intel HD graphics Bypass package (from the FO3 section of the Nexus mod site but it works for FNV as well). This "by-passes" an issue with those chips by placing an expected DLL file in the game root folder.
  • Solution-2c: If you are still having problems, then you need to determine which assets are missing. Install the 32-bit version of the Dependency Walker tool. Then run "Dependency.exe", pointing to the game EXE to examine. You are looking for red entries which signal "missing assets", which means it is not finding files the game requires. Some of these will be Windows system files (typically 32-bit versions if you are running a 64-bit system; which is expected). Initially you are looking for missing game files. If there are none, then either the game files are corrupted or the "load order" needs to be fixed.
  • If you have more than a few "missing assets" (i.e. files from Steam for Windows compatibility), then fire up the game with the Steam Client in "online mode" and launch it from the Steam Library (so it will install those assets it considers "temporary" while in game that it installs upon launch. If you can get to the main menu in "windowed mode", use <Alt+Tab> to switch out of the game and then run "Dependency.exe" again against the game EXE file (while it is loaded into memory). You should now find all or most of those "red" entries are now "black".
  • If you still have "missing assets" from the game the files may be corrupted (in which case you can try to re-install or "verify local files"), or they are getting "black listed", in which case you may need to install them while in "Safe Boot" mode.
  • Otherwise, make note of which are missing and seek assistance on the New Vegas Technical Support forum. Be sure to include your version of Windows, hardware specs, where you have the game installed, and what steps you have already taken.

Issue: Modded game CTDs on startup

  • Cause-1: If the CTD occurs before you get to the Main/Pause Menu, likely it is a "missing master file" required by a mod plugin.
  • Solution-1: Load your entire "load order" into FNVEdit and see if it reports any "missing master" errors for any plugins. See the wiki article Missing Masters for a tutorial on how to determine the missing file and fix this problem.
  • Re-check the mod download page for any required files you may have missed or removed.
  • Cause-2: If the CTD occurs during an initial loading screen after you get past the Main/Pause Menu, likely it is a plugin that is sorted in the wrong order.
  • Solution-2:
  • Re-check the mod download page for any required files you may have missed or removed.
  • Try sorting your "load order" with LOOT. You may need to make some manual adjustments to meet mod requirements to the "load order".
  • Remove any unused plugins (ESM or ESP extensions) from the "Data" folder. They count against the "plugin cap" and the game loads all that it sees in that folder before determining if they are part of the "load order". As a result, even "Inactive" plugins can cause a "Missing Master" error.

Issue: Vanilla game bugs

Most that have been officially patched or are XBox or PS console only are available on the Wikia Fallout Portal: Bugs page.

  • Solution: Community "game fixer" mods. The following are specifically recommended, though their effectiveness varies by system. Install and test individually in the following order:
    • New Vegas AntiCrash (NVAC) (Essential: solves most common CTDs).
    • New Vegas Stutter Remover (NVSR) (requires NVSE. The 5.0 beta versions are stable. Check version requirements of other mods when choosing which version of NVSE to use.)
      • Core processors prior to I5 or I7 are suggested to use NVSR_4-1-32 (simpler options) with the nvsr_older_processors file of INI edits from the first post on the linked TTW page.
      • Those with later processors are advised to use NVSR_4-1-36 or later with the nvsr_newer_processors file of INI edits from the first post on the linked TTW page.
(The only differences for 4.1.36 should be removing the overrides for previous versions as they aren't needed.)
These INI edits are advised as performance settings suitable for FO3, FNV, and TTW.
    • "Sheson memory patch" for NVSE. (Increases "heap size". Use either the "heap replacement" feature of NVSR or this. Both together do not conflict (different "heaps"), but seem to be "overkill" at the cost of almost 1GB of game memory.) See the Issue: CTD without warning, "out of memory error", or stops responding sub-topic for simple but detailed instructions for enabling this feature.
    • Yukichigai Unofficial Patch (YUP) (and the various optional patches for it and other mods. Highly recommended. There are other YUP patch files than on that page you may have to search out for other mods).
    • Mission Mojave Ultimate Edition - FNV Community Patch (MMUE) (and it's various optional mod compatibility patches). Use either YUP or MMUE, but not both as they overlap considerably and cause unresolved conflicts. YUP is more actively updated.
    • New Vegas Enhanced Content (NVEC) (optional: Notice it has separate "bugfix" modules if you don't want the "complete version" with enhancement mod inclusions).
    • Better Game Performance (optional: some reports of minor slowdowns. It removes "unessential" things that some mods or quests might rely upon).

Issue: Black Screen on startup

  • Cause-1: Usually if the game "freezes" but doesn't CTD during the loading screens, it's due to a missing or incorrectly referenced "master file". Usually this is a file with an ESM extension, but less commonly might be one with an ESP extension. (It is a "flag" internally in the file header that makes a file a "master"; not the extension.)
A "missing master" problem can result just from a plugin being in the wrong sequence in the "load order".
  • Solution-1: Use FNVEdit (loading the entire LO) to check for Masters that are missing or loading after Dependencies. See the wiki article Missing Masters for more detailed instructions.
In general, make sure all your ESM files are loaded first with the game ESM (FalloutNV.ESM) as the very first file and those of the DLC next in the order they were released:
  • FalloutNV.ESM
  • DeadMoney
  • HonestHearts
  • OldWorldBlues
  • LonesomeRoad
  • GunRunnersArsenal
    and then the "pre-order packs":
  • ClassicPack
  • MercenaryPack
  • TribalPack
  • CaravanPack
Mod EMS files should follow.
Use LOOT to get a basic sorted mod order. Note that some mods have ESMs that use the ESP extension, so if LOOT sorts them into the ESM group, leave them as it is determining that from the file headers and they really are flagged as ESMs.
  • Cause-2: A Black screen but you can hear sounds and the game seems to be running usually means you have too many plugins active. You can start to have problems anywhere with between 130-140 active plugins depending upon your system. Here "plugins" refers to both ESM and ESP files that are active in your "load order", or present in the game "Data" folder even if not active.
  • Solution-2: Try temporarily disabling enough plugins to get under the cap and see if that gets your screen back. If so, then you need to look into permanently reducing the active plugin count by means of a "bashed" or "merged" patch file, and "merged plugin" files. See the wiki article Merged Plugin Guidelines for Personal Use where the subject is discussed.
  • Cause-3: A Black screen but you can hear sounds and the game seems to be running could mean you have corrupted a HUD-UI-Menu XML file, or have installed a mod that overwrites one. This can usually be confirmed by loading the game without any active mods or "save game" (i.e start a new game). If the screen remains black, you have an XML file issue.
  • Cause-4: A Black screen with CTD during the loading screens is usually an indication of a mod conflict or a dependent plugin (i.e. an ESP) loaded before a master plugin (i.e. ESM for the same mod). See the wiki article Missing Masters for more detailed instructions to check for these problems.
  • Solution-4a: Check the date/timestamp on the files in question. Even LOOT can occasionally set the times too close to each other when sorting. They need to have at least a full minute difference to not be considered "the same time" by the game. The ESP must have a later time than it's related ESM. You can use a "file properties" tool like Attribute Changer (freeware) to manually adjust any or all three timestamps (created, modified, accessed) on the files, or try manually moving files around in your mod manager. Note that no two files should have the same "modified" date/timestamp in your "load order" or other problems will arise.

Issue: Problems point to Steam as the source

Errors such as a "Preparing to Launch" message loop, or nothing apparently happening when you click to start any Steam game, or system error messages ask to troubleshoot Steam.

  • Cause: A corrupted "ClientRegistry.blob" file.
  • Diagnostic: First, confirm this is a Steam problem with the following steps.
    • Use the "verify local files" option in the Steam Library.
    • Ensure the launchers (FalloutNV.exe, FNV4GB.exe, nvse_loader.exe, nvse_steam_loader.dll, etc. as appropriate) are up to date.
    • If you have the game installed in the default Steam location (under "C:\Program Files"), ensure the initial launcher or the shortcut used is set to "run as administrator". (All other files will be launched using this launcher's environment and credentials.) If you are having problems with the game installed elsewhere, try setting the launcher to "run as administrator" as a test.
    • If all this fails, and if this problem is happening with all of your Steam games, then you have a "Steam Issue". The fix is simple.
  • Solution:
    • Ensure you have completely closed down (as in "log out" and wait for it to close) the Steam Client.
    • Locate your "Steam" (not the game) folder (i.e. "C:\Program Files\Steam") and delete the "ClientRegistry.blob" file. (Though you could try just renaming it.) This How to FIX Steam Preparing to Launch Loop other Steam Problems 3.5 minute video shows you how to do exactly that if you are better with visual explanations.
    • Now when you try launching your game the issue should be solved (or at least you should get a different error).

Issue: How to disable the Steam Overlay

Sometimes it is necessary to turn off the Steam Overlay in the Steam Client in order to resolve a conflict.

  • Cause: The Steam Overlay uses a technique that can conflict with other applications or tools using a similar technique. This solution assumes disabling the Steam Overlay is the preferred method of resolving this conflict.
  • Solution:
    • Open the Steam Client.
    • Select "Steam | Settings" from the top menu bar. This will open a "Settings" window.
      • Select the "In-Game" option.
      • Disable (uncheck) the "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game" option.
      • Click on the "OK" button to close the "Settings" window.
    • (Optionally) Select "Go off-line". Without the Overlay, there is no real reason for the processing overhead of being "on-line" to the Steam Server. This will require restarting the Steam Client, but will thereafter remain in effect until you choose to change it again.
    • Minimize the Steam Client. (Even in "off-line" mode, it is necessary to start the Steam Client for the DRM licensing engine to enable play.)
    • Launch your game from a shortcut on the desktop.

Issue: Regional Non-English language version of the game displaying English dialogue

Why are my DLCs in English instead of my Regional language?

  • Cause: You should have "<DLC>_lang.esp" files for your Regional language installed, but they are not "active". There should be corresponding "<DLC>_lang.nam" files, but aren't. Even when present the "*_lang.esp" files cannot normally be "made active", as the default "*.nam" files force the game to load the "INT (English)" versions of the DLCs instead.
  • Solution: Remove the incorrect language code "*.nam" files.
  • If these "*.nam" files are not present, try to "activate" the "*_lang.esp" files. Then engage in conversation with a DLC NPC to verify you are now getting the dialogue in your Regional language.
  • Otherwise, contact your Regional Steam provider about the problem.

Issue: Regional Non-English language version of the game won't load NVSE

Example: Various methods to start the "enplczru" version of the game (Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia) with NVSE gets Steam error: 65432. Normally this error indicates the Steam Client app is not running, but in this instance it is merely the closest guess by the game as to the cause of the problem.

  • Cause: NVSE does not accept "language" parameters on the command line.
  • Solution-1: NVSE should be launched indirectly from 4GB Fallout New Vegas Updated or FNV 4GB Patcher, which will accept a language (i.e. "SteamAppID") parameter, and then launch NVSE. Each regional version of the game has a unique SteamAppID. Here is how to identify what this AppID is and apply it:
  1. Right click your FalloutNV.exe file in the Steam game folder, and create a shortcut to the desktop.
  2. Right click the newly created desktop shortcut and open "properties".
  3. It should say something like "steam://rungameid/22490". Copy that last number, that is the game's SteamAppID.
  4. Right click the 4GB launcher shortcut, and open "properties".
  5. In the "Target" text box, change the number in " -SteamAppId 22380" to your actual SteamAppID number (i.e. "22490").
Note that because the path to the game contains embedded spaces, the entire path needs to be placed within quotation marks (i.e. "<path>") everywhere it is used in the shortcut. The AppID parameter goes outside of the quotes, on the "target" property line ... as in ("E:\Games\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas enplczru\fnv4gb.exe" -SteamAppID 22490) without the "(parentheses)".
  • Solution-2: Some people reported early success by renaming their regional version named game folder (i.e. "Fallout New Vegas enplczru" to "Fallout New Vegas": the English version name). It is not reported if this causes issues later on with language specific patches, which is why it is the secondary solution.

Solutions to Performance problems

Issue: Game in slow motion

The foundation of game performance is to first optimize your system for gaming. The wrong settings can actually hurt performance, and the defaults are very conservative.

Queued, the author of the NVAC mod, reports in the NVAC support thread:

'I looked through New Vegas code as I was making that list to determine if they read the setting and then if they actually used the variable set after reading the setting, so I'm fairly confident in the "Does nothing" notes in particular. Aside from INI settings, there is also a crazy amount of Game Settings (set via esp / esm / script / console) that also are never used by the game.'

The "list" he mentions was from the tool New Vegas Configator, which outside of that program must be translated to settings in the INI files as described in "Tweakguide's General Fallout game guide". It follows with Queued's comments on the values (which are not recommendations) used by someone having CTDs, given in "("parentheses")" for reference only:
  • Fullscreen (OFF) - No problem.
  • Anisotropic Filtering (8) - No problem.
  • Antialiasing (8x) - No problem, though 8x is ridiculously taxing; traditional MSAA is crazy inefficient and slow.
  • Shadows (ON) - No problem.
  • Shadow Quality (2) - No problem.
  • Shadow Filtering (2) - No problem.
  • Max Shadows in Interiors (12) - No problem.
  • Full Scene Reflections (ON) - Probably fine; I'm not sure which setting this maps to as the Configator made up descriptive names.
  • Water Reflections Width (2048) - No problem, though is Height also set to match?
  • Object fade distance (15) - No problem.
  • Item fade distance (15) - No problem.
  • Actor fade distance (15) - No problem.
  • Tree LOD fade (80000) - Technically no problem, but as far as I'm aware, vanilla New Vegas doesn't use the Tree LOD system and Tree LOD models are part of Object LOD instead.
  • Object LOD fade (100000) - No problem.
  • Land Quality (1.5) - No problem.
  • Threaded Morpher (ON) - Does nothing; the game reads the value but never uses it.
  • Threaded Blood (ON) - Does nothing; the game never even reads this value.
  • Threaded Particles (ON) - Does nothing; the game reads the value but never uses it.
  • Threaded AI (ON) - Possible cause of crashes; use at your own risk.
  • Models Cloned in Background (ON) - Does nothing; the game never even reads this value.
  • Load Files in Background (ON) - Likely safe; however, use at your own risk.
  • Load lip files in background (ON) - Unknown impact; use at your own risk.
  • Havok Threads (7) - Does nothing; the game never even reads this value.
  • Grids loaded (12) - LEAVE THIS AT 5. This needs to be an odd value (5, 7, 9, etc.) and the game has code that only works properly when this is at the default of 5. Turning this up drastically increases memory and processor use. Also, this is probably why you're crashing outdoors.

Added: Note that 'uGridsToLoad=' is directly linked with 'uInterior Cell Buffer=' and 'uExterior Cell Buffer=' values. Best to leave all three alone.

  • Pre-Emptively Unload Cells (ON) - Possible cause of crashes; use at your own risk.
  • Unload cells on fast travel (ON) - Possible cause of crashes; use at your own risk.
  • Use hard drive cache (ON) - Unknown impact; use at your own risk.
  • Preload Size Limit (223) - Dumb setting; this is the data buffer for Bink video.

Others who have looked at the code do not disagree with Queued.
As system components vary, only experimentation will tell which values will improve your performance.

  • Cause-1: Fallout INI files are configured with wrong (too high) an "iFPS=" setting.
  • Solution-1: Set the "FPS" setting to a maximum of "=60".
Note that too high an FPS over 60 can cause a "havok physics" problem with objects falling from clipping through geometry.
Make backups of the INI files before changing them.
  • The Fallout INI files have an "iFPSClamp=" setting under the "[General]" section. Do not set this to other than "=0" if you have NVSR "bManageFPS = 1".
  • New Vegas Stutter Remover (NVSR) "Data\nvse\plugins\NV_Stutter_Remover.ini" has to have "bManageFPS = 1" under the "Master = {" section before the setting "MaximumFPS = 60" under the "FPS_Management = {" section will take effect. Check that the "MinimumFPS" setting is not higher than the maximum; something like "= 20" is noticeable while still playable. If NVSR is managing FPS, do not leave the three Fallout INI files with a setting other than "iFPSClamp=0".
  • Cause-2: For some people, the problem is New Vegas Stutter Remover (NVSR) "Data\nvse\plugins\NV_Stutter_Remover.ini" has "bManageFPS =" set to something other than 0.
  • Solution-2: Edit the "NV_Stutter_Remover.ini" setting to "bManageFPS=0" and have the three Fallout INI files use "iFPSClamp=60" or less.
Make backups of the INIs before changing them.
  • Cause-3: Many mod scripts running, especially during mod initialization. If specifically in Goodsprings, be aware that the "Weapons.of.the.New.Millenia" "cache cabinet"/"cheat chest" is known to cause this, but only in Goodsprings.
  • Solution-3: Review your mods and reduce the number that initialize only in that specific area.
  • Cause-4: This seems to be a general problem with the FO3/FNV Gamebryo engine over time. The exact cause has not been pinned down.
  • Solution-4: Reboot your computer. This seems to restore things to normal frame rates, at least for a time.
  • Cause-5: You are running Windows 10. Win10 is not the best platform for running older, 32-bit games. It flat out says it is incompatible with FO3 for instance. It is easy to demonstrate that even in various "compatibility modes" it is not performing the same as under previous versions. One report went from 10-15 FPS (or less) with Win10 on a high-end desktop box to 30-40 FPS with Win7 on an older laptop.
  • Solution-5a: If possible, use a dedicated computer with an older OS such as Win7 for your 32-bit games.
  • Solution-5b: For advanced users: If you have a Windows 10 Education, Professional, or Enterprise edition you can use the included Win10 Hyper-V system and try running the game in a Win7 "virtual machine". A "virtual machine" can get around some OS incompatibilities even though it is running on the same hardware due to the different drivers in use. See HyperV on Windows compatibility for the hardware requirements and a walk-through of the installation process. Note this requires you to have or obtain an ".iso" file of the desired OS install media. (If none of this option makes sense, you probably don't want to mess with it. Otherwise, educate yourself as it is beyond the scope of this wiki.)
  • Cause-6: Your hardware can't cope.
  • Solution-6: either reduce game settings for texture quality and/or screen resolution to less demanding levels, or invest in better hardware. Specific component upgrades recommended are (in order of effectiveness for the price):
  • System RAM,
  • Video RAM,
  • Faster CPU processor (number of cores is much less important for 32-bit games like FNV; but this option will often require a motherboard and/or power supply upgrade as well, typically making it more expensive than any other options overall),
  • Faster disk drive. (This is the slowest solution; even an SSD, though that is the best choice for this option.)

Issue: What INI edits seem to be most beneficial to performance

  • Cause: There are many INI settings you can adjust across many utilities, but it can be difficult to tell which are most helpful to improving performance in general.
Solution: The information provided in the Tale of Two Wastelands (TTW) Performance Guide covers specific INI settings for a number of different utilities such as the three game INI files, NVSE, the correct version of NVSR to use depending upon your processor, and some nVidia card specific tweaks. These setting seem to be equally helpful for both FNV and FO3 as well as TTW.

Issue: Lag or "micro stutters" even with "New Vegas Stutter Remover" installed

  • Cause-1: Companions impose heavy script processing penalties. More than two companions, while possible, will definitely cause lag according to the game developers. The game is unable to tell if a vanilla companion is "actually with you" or merely "befriended" but sitting elsewhere (such as in the Lucky 38 suite).
  • Solution-1: Release ("part ways" from) unused companions to return to where they were recruited. If you are not informed you have lost the Perk granted by that companion, you have not actually "released" them. There are "companion dismissal terminals" found in the game to help with this for companions, even those not currently with you. One is found in the Lucky 38 Casino by the Casino floor elevator and another in front of the Gun Runners HQ shack outside Freeside's East gate.
  • Cause-2: Use of NVSR setting "bHookLightCriticalSections=1".
  • Solutions-2: Disable NVSR hooking Critical Sections ("bHookLightCriticalSections=0)" if you are experiencing heavy stutter.
  • Cause-3: The stutters can come from the game looking for control inputs from the attached game controller device first, then the keyboard/mouse though both are enabled.
  • Solution-3: Disconnect the controller if you are not using it. Regardless, in the "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV\FalloutPrefs.INI" file look for "bGamePadRumble=" and ensure it is set to "0".
  • Cause-4: Video card settings are not optimized for the game.
  • Solution-4a: nVidia - There is a third-party tool called nVidia Inspector. (The author's blog page is in German, but does not appear to have been recently updated.) There is a Increase nVidia GTX performance with nVidia Inspector video covering the basics of how to use the unintuitive interface. If you are launching the game from any renamed executable other than the vanilla name (i.e. "FalloutNV.exe", which MO renames to "FalloutMO.exe"), you need to add it to the nVidia profile so it will recognize that name as "the game" and adjust it's performance settings accordingly.
  • Solution-4b: AMD/ATI - AMD Catalyst Control Center has game settings for CCC as well. While not as full featured as "nVidia Inspector", there is also Radeon Pro which still works well even though development stopped in 2013 when it's author was hired to work with AMD Gaming Evolved's Raptr.

Issue: Radio station music doesn't play

The music of some radio stations isn't audible. The announcer voice (i.e. "Mr. Vegas") can be heard, but not the music itself.

  • Cause: There is an audio "codec" conflict between what you have installed under Windows and what the music in question requires, or a necessary "codec" is missing. (A "codec" is a "DirectShow filter", and there is a chain of them in the registry establishing which order to try them in to determine which to use. "DirectShow" is a component of the DirectX (DX#) API system used by games running under Windows.)
  • Solution-1: Win10 has DirectX12 drivers, but the DX9 driver the game is expecting is not being found. See "Cause-1" under Issue: Vanilla game Hangs on startup.
  • Solution-2: Some have found that installing a third-party "DirectX: DirectShow" "codec" resolves the problem. There are a number available on the internet. The K-Lite Codec Pack is often mentioned especially for older versions of Windows. Be sure to get the 32-bit version, as FNV is using 32-bit libraries.
  • Solution-3: Not all "codecs" are created equal, and sometimes Windows versions and specific games are very particular. Codec uninstall routines often fail to completely remove all signs from the registry, and the residue can create problems. The mod DirectShow Filter _Codec_ Reset by Blade FireLight is designed to "reset" the chain of "codecs" to the defaults used by Windows 7. HEED THE WARNING ABOUT CREATING A 'SYSTEM RESTORE POINT' FIRST! Anything affecting the registry has the potential to turn your computer into "a brick", unable to do anything but sit there. A power outage can happen to anyone at any time.

Issue: Ambient music skips/jitters/hiccups/pops/stutters

The ambient music is choppy in both vanilla and modded games. This doesn't happen to the radio music during normal gameplay, but does during loading screens or transitioning between tracks (i.e. going from ambient "explore" music to "combat", or entering new locations with different music).

  • Cause: Advice for FO3 was to uninstall "ffdshow", a codec mainly used for decoding of video in the MPEG-4 ASP (e.g. encoded with DivX or Xvid) and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video formats, but it supports numerous other video and audio formats as well. (The user configures ffdshow's audio and video settings by launching the "ffdshow video decoder configuration program" independently of any media player.) Alternatively one could try to add FO3 to it's "exception" list.
  • Solution-1: FNV appears to require at least some of the codec features provided by "ffdshow". If needed it can be re-installed as part of the CCCP codec pack or directly from the ffdshow tryouts website. (Alternative codecs may also provide the needed features.)
  • Remove falloutnv.exe and falloutnv4gb.exe programs from the list of "ffdshow" exceptions.
  • Solution-2: De-fragment your disk drive and reduce background programs to the essential minimum.

Solutions to "Crash To Desktop" (CTD) problems

Issue: CTD on interior/exterior/"fast travel" cell change

  • Cause-1: Most crashes on cell-change are caused by the autosave feature choking because it's trying to write data into a save it corrupted the last time you changed cells. Note this may mean your last several saves are corrupt. "Auto-saves" are dangerous because they are seldom able to tell when the game is in the middle of doing something else critical.
  • Solution-1: Most importantly, completely disable all manner of autosaves in the game options. The CASM and CASM with MCM mods attempt to provide more control over such situations. Simple Saves provides timed interval "full saves" without all the features of CASM, but only keeps 5 versions before it starts overwriting older files after the 5th save. They are all better than the built-in mechanism, but don't rely upon any auto-save exclusively. Manual "full saves" after waiting about five seconds with nothing happening are still safest. Also, you can use Clean Quick Saves to create a new "quick save" file every time, which is safer than overwriting an existing file. You will need to periodically clean old ones out (they count against the total number of save files you are allowed), but the purpose of a quick save is as a "temp" for safety's sake rather than a place to resume the game session from. They do not save as much data as a "full save". QSaves are best reloaded when you are still in the same cell (preferably in the same position) as when you saved.
  • Cause-2: Crashes on cell transition will happen more often the more mods you have that affect NPC's & levelled lists.
  • Solution-2: You can't run different mods like that, reliably, without a "bashed" or "merged" patch. See S.T.E.P. Merging Plugins Guide for a description of both approaches.
  • Cause-3: The default game "heap size" is too small for some modded games.

Issue: CTD without warning, "Out of Memory error", or stops responding after the Main Menu

Happens without error messages, as if the game runs out of memory, or the OoM error message.

  • Cause-1: By default 32-bit games can only use 2GB of RAM not matter how much is installed, even if you are running a 64-bit version of the Operating System (OS).
  • Solution-1a: If you are on a 32-bit OS system with at least 3GB of RAM, see this 2-4GB game memory limits and solutions article on configuring to use the maximum memory you can before implementing the next solution. 64-bit OS systems usually do not need to alter their configuration, but that article covers them as well.
  • Solution-1b: You need to be using a FNV4GB Loader such as 4GB Fallout New Vegas Updated or an LAA flag Patcher like the more recent FNV 4GB Patcher. This will give the game access of up to 3.8 GB of memory. (The remainder is used by the system.)
  • Cause-2: The vanilla game's default "heap size" is very conservative and can easily be exhausted by a modded game. There are a couple of distinct types of "heap" and it is not clear which is running out of memory. One is used in programming to implement a data structure such as a priority queue, and another in memory management as an area for dynamic memory allocation and swapping code around. Both types are commonly used.
  • Solution-2: Increase the heap allocation size. Initially it's recommended to enable the "New Vegas Script Extender" (NVSE) "Sheson memory patch". If that does not resolve the issue, you can try configuring "heap replacement" in "New Vegas Stutter Remover" (NVSR). The current NVSR (v4.1.36) "heap replacement" can also run into "out of memory" errors regardless of the algorithm chosen in some situations. It's effectiveness varies among users and systems. Both can work together, as they are not attempting to change the same heap allocation, but their combined effect with the suggested sizes is to use up almost 1GB of game memory (out of 2-3.8GB) for this purpose. NVSR's current "heap replacement/allocation" routines have problems and should be used with caution.
  • Solution-2a: Activate the "Sheson memory patch" (unknown type of heap) in NVSE.
When installing New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE), the nvse_loader.exe file should be in the game root folder: i.e. "<Steam install path>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas"), so it's along with the FalloutNV.exe file. However, just unpacking the NVSE archive package to the "Fallout New Vegas" folder may not create a "Data\NVSE" folder or the "Data\NVSE\Plugins" sub-folder upon installation unless you tell it to include sub-folders when doing so. If not, you will have to do so manually. It definitely does not create a configuration file (in the "NVSE" sub-folder), nor automatically enable it's log files (which will be found in the game's root folder). You need to do so yourself, using any plaintext editor such as Windows NotePad. Supplemental NVSE Plugins such as JIP, Lutana, MCM, NVAC, or NVSR should go into the "Data\NVSE\Plugins" folder; along with their configuration/INI files.
  • If not present, manually create folder "NVSE" under the game "Data" folder (at the same level as the "Meshes" and "Textures" folders), and then "Plugins" under the "NVSE" folder.
  • Make sure "hide known file types" is disabled in Windows/File Explorer's "Folder Options" menu, or your new INI file in the next step will have a hidden ".txt" extension which you don't want. (The DigitalCitizen.life article 8 ways to open the Folder Options window, in Windows (all versions) will show you how to access that.)
  • In the folder "Data\NVSE" create a new text file and name it "nvse_config.ini".
  • Copy and paste the following into "nvse_config.ini":
This will enable the game's error log the next time you run it, which will then be found in your FNV root folder (where you put the NVSE executable files). There will be at least three files: "falloutnv_error.log", "falloutnv_havok.log", and "nvse.log". The first one is very useful for finding broken stuff in mods or the cause of crashes. Not everything in it is an error so keep that in mind; some are just warnings. The "nvse.log" is helpful to identify problems with NVSE itself, and plugins that rely upon it.
The warnings are supposed to be written by the game engine in "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV\warnings.txt", but this may be dependent upon the "log level" in the "nvse_config.ini". The default is level "1" and there is no "warnings.txt" file created; but it goes up to level "5" (debugging) with increasing verbosity. However, it appears this "warnings" file feature was never actually implemented for FNV, but have been restored by the GECK Extender Plugin for NVSE.
  • To activate the "Sheson patch", Add the following before the "[Logging]" section of the "nvse_config.ini" file:
Using a size of "240" or "256" is suggested if you are not using FNV4GB or some other means to utilize the maximum ~4GB of game memory. Too small or too large a heap size causes problems. Keep it under "500" (i.e. "496"), and in multiples of 16. Skyrim SKSE users may be aware of a "scrapheapsizeMB=" setting. This is carried over to NVSE, but is not used in the FNV game engine. Remember, nothing is "free memory". Everything you assign to a "heap" is no longer available to the game itself.
  • Add the following before the "[Logging]" section of the "nvse_config.ini" file:
[Memory]
DefaultHeapInitialAllocMB=496
Using a size of "240" or "256" is suggested if you are not using FNV4GB or some other means to utilize the maximum ~4GB of game memory. Too small or too large a heap size causes problems. Keep it under "500" (i.e. "496"), and in multiples of 16. Skyrim SKSE users may be aware of a "scrapheapsizeMB=" setting. This is carried over to NVSE, but does not seem to be needed: which is why it is not a default setting. If added, this cannot exceed "128" without causing problems. Remember, nothing is "free memory". Everything you assign to a "heap" is no longer available to the game itself.
  • Solution-2b: Optionally, the mod New Vegas Stutter Remover (requires NVSE) contains both an adjustable heap size and alternative heap algorithms (unknown type of heap). These are disabled by default for maximum stability, so it is necessary to read the provided NVSR documentation and edit the "sr_New_Vegas_Stutter_Remover.ini" file, which is under the "Data\NVSE\Plugins" folder.
  • A larger heap size of 450(MB of RAM) is suggested, but Intel processors work more efficiently when they align with multiples of 16 bytes, so I suggest using a heap of 448, 464, or 496. Keep it under 500, which seems to be the limit for NVSE.
  • There are several "heap algorithms" and only some experimentation on your part will tell you which works best for your system. This is documented in the INI file as well as the download page.
  • The current NVSR (v4.1.36) "heap replacement" and algorithms can be reliably demonstrated to increase the number of CTDs and "out of memory" errors under certain circumstances, so only testing will tell if it is a solution for you. However, many have success with it in typical modded games.
  • Other features of NVSR are still of practical use. Some people have found that disabling NVSR's heap ("Heap Replacement=0") solves their "out of memory" CTDs.
  • Solution-3: Enable two "purge cells" options in the three "INI" files:
[General]
bPreemptivelyUnloadCells=1
and
[BackgroundLoad]
bSelectivePurgeUnusedOnFastTravel=1
  • Solution-4: See the sub-topic Issue: Is ENBoost for everyone? in this article about an option to increase available memory for rendering video related objects.

Solutions 1-4 can safely be combined, but those with less than 4GB of system RAM need to exercise caution and only implement one at a time, as they will come at the expense of memory otherwise needed by the game and OS.

Issue: CTD upon completion of DLC

For example: 'Fallout New Vegas keeps crashing to desktop, every time I complete Old World Blues. In the "Think tank" after having the last conversation with Dr. Klein, and then exiting the think tank... It crashes to desktop. I can tell it's the end of Old World Blues, because of the fact that sometimes it will play music for a second, (like it does at the end of the other DLCs, along with your video ending). But it just crashes to desktop.'

  • Cause: According to Bethesda Softworks Tech support - This only happens when playing in "Hard Core" mode and your character is the least bit hungry.
  • Solution: Simply feed your PC until they are full before the final exit from the DLC.

Issue: CTD upon quitting a modded game

  • Cause: This is a common problem with the game engine when enough mods have been added to the game.
  • Solution: New Vegas Stutter Remover (NVSR) has a "fast exit" option that fixes this problem. DO NOT install with a Mod Manager unless it recognizes that NVSE based plugins like NVSR need to go into the "Data\NVSE\plugins" folder. Follow the "manual install" instructions instead. Then edit the "sr_New_Vegas_Stutter_Remover.ini" file in the same location from "bfastexit 0" to "bfastexit 1".

Issue: Removing a Project Nevada Implant freezes the game or CTDs

This is particularly evident when removing a "skill-based" one (i.e. raises the Sneak skill).

  • Cause: It appears that, by design with this mod, not only are there distinctions between individual doctors (all are not equally skilled; some need the "cybernetic surgery" book before they can install implants), but it also tracks which installed a particular implant. More investigation is needed into the untrapped error that is causing the freeze or CTD itself.
  • Solution: It seems the only safe way to remove a PN implant is to use the same doctor who installed it, especially with "book trained" doctors like Doc Mitchell.

Solutions to Control problems

Issue: Can't open the game console under Windows 10

  • Cause: The "key binding" to open the console is hard-coded in the game and apparently this binding is broken under Windows 10. There is no game provided mechanism to change this.
  • Solution: A mod Console Rebind uses NVSE as a workaround that may help in this situation.

Issue: How to remove a game controller's default button bindings

  • Cause: The game lacks a "User Interface" or "Menu" option to change the default keys assigned to console-game type controller buttons.
  • Solution-1: If you are using "Lutana's NVSE plugin", you can call it's GECK: DisableButton function from the console (default toggle key "~"), which will ignore the input from the specified controller button but still permit scripts to function. You can put a series of console commands into a "batch file" and call that to execute them all at once. See the "Batch Examples" section of Gamebryo Console Commands.


  • Solution-2: Edit the "FalloutPrefs.ini" file in your "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder as follows.
  • Find the [Controls] section
  • For the last 4 characters of each control that you want to unbind, put "FFFF".
(ex: "Use=00FF0011" becomes "Use=00FFFFFF".)
  • Save FalloutPrefs.ini
  • Now you should be able to use a controller-keyboard mapper program like Xpadder to assign new keys to the buttons.

Issue: HUD-UI-Menu messed up, unreadable, or missing

  • Cause-1: You are using an HUD-UI-Menu mod such as DarNified UI (DarnUI) which requires fonts other than the vanilla provided ones to display properly.
  • Solution-1: DarNified UI comes with a set of "DarN" fonts which must be added to the INI files, but there are other fonts available such as:
DarnUI instructions to edit the "Fallout_default.ini" file come from the DarnUI support thread, but it is recommended to edit all three INI files to be sure ("Fallout_default" in the game root folder and the two in the "Users" folder). The mod DarnifiedUI Configuration is a script to automatically make the edits to the default INI file.
Manual edit instructions are to replace the existing [Fonts] section with the following:
[Fonts]
; sFontFile_1=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_1=Textures\Fonts\DarN_FranKleinBold_14.fnt
; sFontFile_2=Textures\Fonts\Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_2=Textures\Fonts\DarN_FranKleinBold_16.fnt
sFontFile_3=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_Medium.fnt
; sFontFile_4=Textures\Fonts\Monofonto_VeryLarge02_Dialogs2.fnt
sFontFile_4=Textures\Fonts\DarN_Sui_Generis_Otl_10.fnt
sFontFile_5=Textures\Fonts\Fixedsys_Comp_uniform_width.fnt
; sFontFile_6=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_VL_dialogs.fnt
sFontFile_6=Textures\Fonts\DarN_Sui_Generis_Otl_13.fnt
; sFontFile_7=Textures\Fonts\Baked-in_Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_7=Textures\Fonts\DarN_Libel_Suit_Otl_24.fnt
sFontFile_8=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Futura_Caps_Large.fnt
sFontFile_9=Textures\Fonts\NVFont_Test.fnt
Note a semi-colon (";") at the beginning of a line "comments out" that line so it is not read but remains for reference. Other alternative fonts can be used in place of the "DarN_<style>_<size>.fnt" entries, but in that instance it is recommended to add them and comment out the DarN fonts as well. The "<size>" portion of the name is the number of "points tall" for that font. A large number equals a larger character size, so "6" is very small (short) and "24" is quite large (tall). Either "10" or "12" is normal for most text.
  • Cause-2: An XML file is missing an expected element. Usually this is caused by a mod installation overwriting the XML file in question.

Issue: Keyboard and/or mouse don't work with a game controller installed

  • Cause: The game checks for it before the keyboard, and if detected ... disables the use of the keyboard. Merely being connected can cause the game to ignore the keyboard and mouse. Game controllers usually do not have the ability to be programmed to send key strokes and mouse buttons to the game interface. FNV requires a controller (such as the XBox 360) which is "Xinput" compatible. Some mods will require DirectInput/"DInput" emulation to work with a controller. (See this DirectInput Wikipedia article for an overview and comparison of the two Device Input APIs.)
  • Solution-1: Third-party controller adapter software. There are others, but the most commonly referenced is:
  • Xpadder ($9.99) - maps keyboard keys and mouse button actions to your game controller buttons.
Xpadder also allows you to map the mouse pointer to your game controller sticks.
Xpadder can also handle combinations, sequences, toggles, triggers, shift sets, multiple controllers and more.
Note that you will lose rumble/vibration on your controller since you will have to choose the "keyboard" input device in the game options menu. Xpadder essentially treats the controller like a secondary mouse & keyboard.
  • Solution-2: The "Lutana NVSE plugin" provides DirectInput (aka "DInput") emulation modes (as opposed to the newer, more current DirectX Input (aka "Xinput") mode) which enable controller input with mods that normally require the keyboard, such as Project Nevada. See the mod download page for instructions. As this plugin also provides many other additional functions, it is often required by other mods.


  • Solution-3: A "Keyboard/Video/Mouse" (KVM) switch that mechanically let's you switch those devices between one computer and another MAY be a possible solution if your game controller will connect to it and you can disconnect the controller from the computer by means of the switch instead of unplugging it.
  • Solution-4: Disconnect your controller and use only the keyboard.
  • Disconnect the game controller from your computer.
  • In the game's Main Menu, select "Settings" and then "Key Mappings".
  • In the bottom right corner click on "Device" and change it from "controller" to "keyboard/mouse".
  • Then exit the game and restart it from the vanilla launcher. (This is necessary so it will update the hardware settings in your INI files.)

Issue: Logitech Mouse doesn't highlight or select menu choices

This issue occurs with the vanilla game and no mods installed. It may have worked fine with older versions of Windows, but now fails with the latest.

  • Cause: Logitech drivers have a long history of problems working with Windows games if any of their "advanced" driver features are used.
  • Solution-1: Obtain the latest version of the Logitech "SetPoint" driver, and disable any advanced features like "snap to default button", etc. If there are "game compatibility" options, select those.
  • Solution-2: Uninstall all Logitech drivers and add-on software like "SetPoint". Reboot, and install the bare bones "Microsoft Mouse compatible" driver and any updates instead. If the Logitech mouse won't work with a bare bones MS certified driver, use a different more compatible mouse.

Issue: Mods don't seem to have controller support

Some mods don't seem to work with a game controller, even though the game works fine in general.

  • Cause: Select mods do have controller support, others require an addon such as the "Lutana NVSE plugin", and still others (like Project Nevada) don't have explicit support but can be used with Lutana's "DInput emulation" which maps controller buttons to keys on your keyboard. What they all have in common is that they require NVSE, another third-party tool. There just isn't any provision for modders to add controller support to their mods, or even custom keyboard hotkeys, without these community toolsets.
  • Solution-1a: Install the New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE) plugin. Note that this has to be installed at the game root folder, so your mod manager may not be able to deal with it properly. Best to install manually.
See Checklist item #4 for how to followup installation and determine the plugin is loading properly.
  • Solution-1b:
See also Issue: Keyboard and/or mouse don't work with a game controller installed. This plugin must be installed to the game "Data\NVSE\Plugins" folder. Your mod manager may not recognize that location, and manual installation may be required.

Issue: Mouse sensitivity is off, weapon aiming is off, etc.

Monitor is set to a higher than 1920x1080 resolution.

  • Cause: FNV was designed for monitor resolutions common prior to 2010. "In 2010, 27-inch LCD monitors with the 2560 × 1440-pixel resolution were released by multiple manufacturers including Apple." - Wikipedia on "Display resolution". "High Definition" (1920x1080, 16:9 aspect ratio) "FHD standard" was generally considered "high end" for gaming. Newer monitors may have a higher default resolution.
  • Solution: Use a lower, more standard (in 2010) display resolution. (Note the LED/Plasma monitors have a default resolution according to the screen size and "aspect ratio". Lower resolutions may not fill the screen, resulting in "black borders" (e.g. "letterbox style"). "Windowed mode" may be a way around this visual problem.) See the Wikipedia article quoted above for more on the subject, including a table of "resolution standards".

Issue: Remapping the "ammo swap" hotkey from < 2 >

The issue revolves around the fact the game control configuration permits you to remap the "ammo swap" key from the default < 2 > hotkey to something else.

  • Cause: Contrary to expectations, this ability to remap "ammo swap" to a different key does not enable you then use the < 2 > key like the other number hotkeys. You cannot get the use of the < 2 > key as an 8th hotkey. Once you unassign the < 2 > key, it won't ever seem to function again. The game control configuration menu simply ignores any attempts to remap < 2 > to any command; not even back to "ammo swap" again.
  • Solution: Edit the "FalloutPrefs.INI" file (located in the "Users" folder).
  • Locate the "[Controls]" section.
  • Find the "Hotkey2" entry; which is called "AmmoSwap" instead.
  • To restore "AmmoSwap" back to using the < 2 > key, change the value to "0003FFFF".
  • There is an optional ability to consolidate the 7 hotkeys to the number key sequence "1-7", and move the "swap ammo" function to the number "8", as follows. (Everything after a semi-colon is a comment which should not be entered.) This one won't re-order the icons in the inventory, but it'll still work. In the inventory, if you press the < 2 > key, it'll basically light up slot 8, is all.

Issue: Unable to add either of two "weapon mods" to a weapon

  • Cause: The mod The Weapon Mod Menu (WMM) only checks the first of 3 possible mod slots. If this is blank, it assumes there are no mods available.
  • Solution: Edit the "Items | Weapon" entry with GECK so the first and second "Mod Info" tab slots under "Game Effects" are not empty. Typically this will mean moving the second and third slot entries up by one. Be sure to make the plugin containing the Weapon in question the "active" one, as that is the plugin that will get saved. Note this edit will only work if there are already weapon mods available for that weapon. Adding weapon mods that do not already exist is a more involved "customization" process.

Issue: Unable to draw weapons, fire, or crouch

Also related: Sunny Smile's initial greeting dialog is actually that from a later stage:

Initial greeting: "Cheyenne, stay. Don't worry, she won't bite, unless I tell her to."
Later greeting: "Yeah alright. Let's just get done with this first and we'll talk later. Preferably somewhere I can get a stiff drink and Cheyenne can cool down".
  • Cause: Removal of all "tumbleweeds" from the game. The first "tumbleweed" seen upon exiting Doc Mitchell's house after creating a character is scripted. It's absence (i.e. a mod to remove all tumbleweeds also removes that script event) breaks the game.
  • Solution:
    • Temporary: Move to somewhere you know you should be able to use all those functions, open the in-game console (<~> key), and enter "EnablePlayerControls" (without the quotes) and hit <Enter>.
    • Permanent: Uninstall any mods that remove all tumbleweeds before creating a new character. Often this functionality is incorporated into "performance" mods, so if it isn't mentioned in the description some testing may be required. However, once the character has stepped outside of Doc Mitchell's so the scripted "tumbleweed" event occurs, they may be installed.

Issue: WMM "The Weapon Mod Menu" won't let me add a weapon mod in game

  • Cause: There are a number of unspoken assumptions by The Weapon Mod Menu (WMM) that, when verified/resolved, are the usual solutions.
  • Solution-1: You are trying to "modify" the currently equipped weapon when you hit the "x" key.
  • Solution-2: You have a "weapon mod" that is appropriate for that specific weapon. Most "weapon mods" only apply to very specific weapons. There are (to the best of the collective knowledge) none that apply to ALL weapons. So you have to check the name of the mod very carefully as the differences in the names are subtle. The easiest way to determine the correct mod for a weapon in game is at the "green vending machines" provided by the additional mod Weapon Mods Expanded (WMX), which are generally found at all the "Gun Runners Arsenal" (GRA) storefronts.
(There are a very few instances where WMM will refuse to add weapon mods. See Issue: Unable to add either of two "weapon mods" to a weapon entry, but it will require you to look at the mod plugin internals in either FNVEdit or GECK to verify.)
  • Solution-5: If none of the above are the problem, see if you can find anything in the "fallout_nv_error.log" file. (See Checklist item #4.)

Issue: WMX loses my existing weapon mods to the 'Weathered 10mm pistol'

  • Cause: This weapon has an unfortunate (seemingly hard-coded) bug that means that any weapon mods applied to it will not be visible on the weapon.
  • Solution: Weapon Mods Expanded (WMX) detects that you have equipped the 'Weathered 10mm Pistol'. The WMX menu (in the Pip-boy "Inventory" screen for the selected weapon) allows you to swap the defective original Weathered 10mm Pistol for a fully-functional duplicate of it. Doing so will effectively erase any weapon mods already applied to the weapon, so it is recommended to remove them first using The Weapon Mod Menu (WMM). When you are ready to proceed, select the 'Swap Weapon' button. Select 'Cancel' if you are not ready to proceed (this menu will appear again when you next equip the bugged Weathered 10mm Pistol).

Solutions to Graphics problems

Issue: Character is suddenly invisible in both 1st and 3rd person views

Upon opening a save, the player character is suddenly invisible except for their shadow. NPCs act like the character is present. Loading an earlier save doesn't have the problem.

  • Cause: Unknown, but might be related to use of the game "Auto-Save" feature.
  • Solution: In the game console (default toggle key "~") enter the following commands (where "14" is the RefID of the player):
prid 14
enable
and close the console.

Issue: Custom "Body Type" Replacement

Problems getting various custom body replacements, such as "Type 3" and "Type 6", to work correctly.

  • Cause: Install failures, usually from not understanding what is involved.
  • Solution: This is a general guide to what is involved in replacing the vanilla body of one gender with a "Custom Race" one for the Player Character Only. Mods for NPCs are separate. There are separate mods for Males and Females or other Custom Races. Refer to the specific body mod install instructions for specific details appropriate to that mod. But understanding what is involved will make it easier to understand those options. For a more detailed explanation, see the Body Replacement Basics section of the "FNV General Mod USE Advice" article.
Replacing the vanilla body involves two different sets of files: "meshes" and "textures", which usually come as separate mods. Mods labelled "body type" are actually "meshes" that have a different shape (proportions) in some regards to those used for the vanilla body. They are generally going to be found in the Nexus site New Vegas Models and Textures category.
The vanilla body "texture" has underwear included, so it is not removable. Custom body textures may have both a "nude" option and an "underwear" option texture. These are "all-or-nothing" choices: everyone is nude underneath their armor and clothing, or everyone wears underwear. Select a custom body texture mod that is designed to be compatible with your custom body type (i.e. the mesh) mod. Otherwise you may have apparent "black bands" around the groin area or huge scars on the breasts because the vanilla texture (used by default) doesn't fit correctly to the adjusted body mesh. Toggling "ArchiveInvalidation" off-and-then-on again as with other texture replacements may be necessary.
As a consequence of these custom meshes, vanilla clothing and armor will have "clipping" issues where body parts show through or don't seem to "fit" correctly leaving gaps or seams. Some "clipping" is minor, but often it is major enough that you have to also install mods for clothing and armor that are made specifically for that body type. Note that armor usually has it's own "body mesh" included, avoiding this clipping. ( This is not true for "accessories" that go on sub-sets of the body: such as gloves, bracers, and clothing.) This means armor ignores the underlying "body" shape and instead that you can choose among those using the same texture UVmapping based upon the same base model (i.e. Type 6M, Type 6, Type 3M, Type 3F, and Type 3). As a consequence, your Type 6 naked body can "wear" a Type 3 armor, but will appear to be Type 3 in proportions until it is taken off.
"B-n-B" or "Bouncing Breasts and/or Butts" mods are meshes based upon a different "armature" or "skeleton" rigged with added "bones" (i.e. "breast bones") and weights to support the "bouncing" parts. They will either provide or tell you to use a specific "skeleton" in order to work correctly. Without that customized skeleton, the "bouncing" parts will not bounce and may appear "deformed" (i.e. stretching out to the horizon). There is only one skeleton used by each race in the game, so it will not adversely affect any "non-bouncing" meshes which will just ignore the added bones they don't know about. As a consequence, in order to see the "bouncing" effect in clothing and armors, you may need to install mods with those "bouncing" features enabled. Sometimes special animations for certain actions (i.e. walking, sneaking, jumping, swimming, dancing) are also available. Not all mods can use the same specialized skeleton, so check the description/documentation for each carefully. This "skeleton" choice can easily limit your options.
Because the head is separate from the body, that means it too can have custom versions of it's mesh and textures. In all other regards it is similar to but independent of the body. As the head (hair and face) is a separate component from the rest of the body, custom meshes often have a problem with a visible "seam" where the head mesh joins with the body mesh. It is just a fact of life you will have to live with; nothing the mod creators can completely eliminate. There are "seam concealer" mods that provide necklaces and similar to hide this seam.
Some features, such as scars and tattoos, are part of the texture and not a separate addition. Others have to use specific body part slots, which are broken down into "Body Data", "Face Data", and "FaceGen Race". Only one mesh can be assigned to each body part. For instance, "Face Data" has only "Eye colors" and "Hair styles". Which in turn means you can have "hair" or a "hat/helmet" but not both. If there is hair showing under a hat or helmet, it is part of that "hat" mesh. FNV does not have a separate slot for "facial hair" (i.e. beards, mustaches, "mutton chops", etc.). Mod authors have to cannibalize the use of a different slot for the purpose, or make the facial hair part of the texture itself.
Because they use a slot on the head, custom "Hair" and "Eye" mods can get complex to install. Sometimes they require using the GECK to add their mesh and textures to the "head" mod. Read their installation instructions carefully before choosing.
FAQs:
Q: What are the common male body replacers? Female ones?
A: This is subject to change, but as of this writing these "meshes" are often mentioned and can be found in the "New Vegas: Models and Textures" category unless otherwise indicated. As they are often in the "Adult" section of the site, no links are provided but with the full name AND authors you should easily find them using the "search" feature:
Males:
  • Breezes New Vegas Males by sesom.
  • Roberts Male Body FNV by Nivea and Favoredsoul.
Females:
  • DIMONIZED TYPE3 female body by dimon99 (Copied from FO3 section unmodified. Not ported, so clothing portion doesn't work. See FO3 version for full description.)
  • Type3 Body and Armor replacer by Exeter.
  • Type3 Narrowed Shoulder BerryHD Acup body by ChunchunMARU.
  • (FO3) Type3 F Body Replacer by Exeter. Not ported to FNV.
  • Type3BG by digimonkey.
  • Type3M Body Replacer by MAK.
  • (FO3) Type V Dimonized Female Body Variant and Complete Armor Replacer by Luchaire. Not ported to FNV.
  • Type 6 Modification (T6M) Body NV by Izumiko.
  • skims Athletic Female Body by skims.
  • Athletic Body Type Bouncing BNB by Tattooedillusions via Skims.
  • Muscle Girl Project - NV by zomb_killer and Tigersan.
  • SKINNY 6 Body BNB by tattooedillusions via Humannature66
NPC overhauls:
  • NVCE - New Vegas Character Expansions by Machienzo.
  • Fallout Character Overhaul by Drumber.
  • Fallout New Vegas Redesigned 2 by Dracomies.
  • Fallout New Vegas Redesigned 3 by Dracomies and Weijiesen.
Q: What is the difference between Body Type 3 and Body Type 6M, etc?
A: It's a matter of personal preference in "shape": breast, hip and/or butt size. All are potentially weighted differently ("bounce" effect). Type 6 has an "apple bottom", Type 3 are thinner "waifs". Apparently T3 originated in Fallout 3 along with Type V; Type 6 (another variant of Type 3) came along when NV came out. Why do they have numbers? Your guess is as good as any. Any that have T3 in the name are derivatives of the original Dimonized Type 3 set from Fallout 3 (variants: Alice, Berry, Cali = A Cup, B Cup, C Cup).
  • HD versions have more polygons, which place a heavier demand on the video memory.
  • Hentai versions have puffy nipples and are based on T3F.
  • It's best to use clothing and armor specific to the particular body type or they won't render properly. And it's not simple to "fix".
Q: Can Body Type6M (or T6, Type V/T5, T3BG, or T3M) can be used with textures for Body Type3?
A: Yes, if they have the same UVmapping. However, the dimensions of the armor will not change from the Type3 to the others. The armor contains it's own body mesh. (See the next question.)
Q: What about clothing and armor compatibility between body types?
A: Compatibility is a problematic term to use in this case. Generally, the only thing that is needed for the body types and associated armors to work together is for them to share the same UVmap. Any mesh that shares a UVmap can also share textures. And generally the ones that are variations on Type3 do. There are more choices for Type3 bodies than any others.
"BnB" is a little more complicated. Basically, in order to use BnB you have to have the skeleton. So you can't just take an individual BnB outfit and have it work unless you've downloaded the skeleton from the main file. The reason is because the outfit will have two reference bones (left breast and right breast) that aren't in the normal skeleton, and that causes glitches or crashes. But you can have the BnB stuff installed and still use other non-bounce outfits, because those outfits don't need the extra bones.
Now, if your idea of compatibility is for your character's body to stay the same size no matter the outfits, then you're out of luck. For the time you're wearing an outfit, your body will be that size, for most things. This is because virtually all major outfits include their own body meshes as part of the outfit. The exception are accessory-type items like individual shirts or shorts or whatever. Those are usually fitted to a particular body that is NOT included in the mesh file, and in this case if you're not using the right body then the clothing will clip badly. As always, read the documentation carefully.
Q: Can I use a different body type for my companions (and NPCs) than for my character?
A: Yes, as long as they have their own male/femaleupperbody.nif file.
In summary, you can expect to need "Body Type", "Body Texture", "Clothing and Armor", and possibly "Head", "Hair", and "Eyes" mods that are all compatible to work together.

Issue: Type 6M Body Replacer?

Problems getting this body replacer to work correctly.

  • Cause: You need, in addition to a Type 6 body replacer, the correct body texture and "clothing and armor" mods. Such mods usually need to be installed MANUALLY. Read their documentation carefully.
  • Solution: Type 6 bodies are based upon Type 3 bodies. This makes many Type 3 based mods compatible with Type 6. (An "M" suffix just means it is slightly modified from the base Type body in some dimension. This is usually not enough to make it sufficiently different to cause problems.) Keep in mind the meshes are separate from the textures, but the meshes contain the path to the texture files they use. Common choices that work are:
Don't forget to toggle "ArchiveInvalidation" off-and-then-on again after installing new textures.

Issue: FCO or FNV Redesigned3 characters have pink faces or clean bodies with dirty faces

  • Cause: While FCO and FNV Redesigned3 (FNVR3) can work together, there are often difficulties such as pink/magenta faces or fiends/raiders who normally are "dirty" looking suddenly having "clean" bodies with dirty faces depending upon the options chosen for each mod.
  • Solution: While the FNVR3 recommendation is to install it after FCO, the proper solution is a "compatibility patch file" between the two mods. Finally there is one specifically to address this issue. Make sure you have all patch files provided by either mod installed first. Then install the mod Fallout Character Overhaul Pink Faces fix by Fheese. See the comments for additional information.

Issue: Fog effect around the Vegas Strip

  • Cause: The area around New Vegas (outside the strip itself) uses the "NVWastelandHazy" weather type which includes the same effect that the distance fog does, but it's set as if the distance is nothing (-10) causing it to be present right where you are. Apparently it's there to give everything a sort of dirty/dusty appearance, as if lots of sand and dirt has been kicked up by the amount of human activity around Vegas. The weather that does that nasty looking fog is "NVUrbanClear [WTHR:00173564]".
  • Solution: Forcing the weather from "NVUrbanClear [WTHR:00173564]" to "NVWastelandHazy [WTHR:00100A4E]" will remove the fog. "NVWastelandClear [WTHR:000FFC88]" doesn't "fog".
Looking at NVUrbanClear, it has FNAM - Fog Distance Day & Night "- Near fog" set to "-10". ("NVWastelandClear" does as well), although during the night time it doesn't fog your eyes.
So essentially to get rid of the fog using FNVEdit/xEdit, you would expand the "Weather" Object category, select "NVUrbanClear", and then scroll down to "FNAM - Fog Distance" and change "Night - Near" from "-10" to "2000"; and also for "NVWastelandClear" change both "Night - Near" and "Day - Near" from "-10" to "2000". Any Fog setting that is "-10" should be set to "2000" if "Near", and "200000" if "Far", to get rid of the foggy effect.

Issue: Disable Map Markers?

Desire to remove visible map markers in a mod that appear before the site has actually been visited.

  • Cause: The map marker in GECK (an "M" in a box with a large circle around an area in the Render window) has been flagged as "visible".
  • Solution-1: This is much easier with FNVEdit if you apply a filter to only show map markers.
  • Start FNVEdit and load your current load order (selected by default).
  • When it's done loading, right-click somewhere in the left panel and select "Apply Filter".
  • In the "Filter" dialog, check the option titled "Base Record EditorID contains" and in the field below it type "MapMarker".
  • Confirm by pressing "Filter" and wait for a minute or two while the program is working.
  • Find the map marker you want to disable.
  • Find the "Record Flags" sub-record (in the right panel, almost at the top). Right-click the sub-record and select "Edit".
  • At this point you may be introduced to a warning. Accept it.
  • When the "Edit Value" dialog pops up, check the "Initially disabled" option and press "OK".
The sub-record is now shown with a bold font, indicating that it has been modified.
If the map marker is in "FalloutNV.esm" or one of the official DLC, you need to save your change as an "override" in a new plugin. It may also be prudent to avoid modifying mod plugin files directly unless you fully grasp the consequences of the changes you're making. Saving your change to a new plugin makes it easy to revert.
  • Right-click the record and select "Copy as override into...".
  • In the dialog that opens, select "<new file>" and enter a name for your new plugin.
Selecting the record will now also list the override from your new plugin in the right panel.
  • Proceed from step 6 (Find the "Record Flags" sub-record ...) in the previous set of instructions, but apply them to the record in your new plugin.
  • When you're all done, close the FNVEdit program. You will see a list of all the plugins that has been modified in your current session. If a plugin is listed that you did not intentionally modify, deselect it. Press OK to save your changes and close FNVEdit.
  • Solution-2: Click on the marker in GECK to bring up it's "reference" interface window (see GECK: Reference page), and then check it as "initially disabled" so the marker will only appear when you actually discover the location. Then click the "OK" button, and save the file.
  • Solution-3: If you wish to unset the "visible" flag (in the "Marker Data" section of the GECK: Reference window) instead of disabling the marker, that can be done in "FNAM - Flags" (near where the name and location type is also defined.) If the visible flag is set, it'll be listed below and you can right-click the entry and select "remove" to unset it.

Issue: Distant terrain/LOD flickers rapidly

This problem seems to occur more frequently with high-end systems, but across all sorts of platforms and video cards.

  • Cause: Known as "Z-fighting" or "stitching", this is a complex problem in 3D rendering where two or more "primatives" such as "layers" have similar or identical values in the "z-buffer", so they essentially occupy the same space. The result is the pixels from each layer "fight" to be the one displayed on screen, especially when the point of view changes. This causes a flickering, noisy display of first one then another color pixel. See the "Z-fighting" article from Wikipedia for the full technical description.
  • Solution: There is no single solution that applies to every system, and some of these effects cannot be resolved by the player. See the S.T.E.P. Project Guide Z-Fighting for examples of the issue and some INI tweaks that may help. An FNV user tried some similar suggested in Gopher's "Mountain Flicker and Z-Fighting" video and had the most success with adjusting the "fNearDistance=" value under [Display] in the "FalloutPrefs.INI" file. He reports that anything above "10" results in clipping with arms and weapons in first person mode, but a balance can be reached with some testing.
Tweaks to create "Fog" in the distance to mask Z-Fighting: The following are derived from the TweakGuides for Fallout. Page numbers refer to that document.
  • [GRAPHICS] (Page 9)
  • "BlockLoadDistanceLow=" (default: 50000; corresponds to [Distant LOD] "Object LOD Fade" in INI /In-Game settings (page 7), but more extreme.)
  • "fTreeLoadDistance=" (default: 40000; corresponds to [Distant LOD] "Tree LOD Fade" in INI /In-Game settings (page 7), but more extreme.)
  • See also "fSplitDistanceMult=" in this section, though this is less likely to be effective if you are trying to increase the "fog" effect.

Issue: First person camera is off center

  • Cause: Your problem might be a result of changing the "Field of View" (FOV).

From TweakGuides:

fDefaultFOV=75.0000 - Shows the default Field of View in degrees for the game, which is 75 degrees. Changing the Field of View using this variable doesn't seem to work properly as it is not applied when the game starts, so instead you will need to use the FOV console command (See Console Commands section) each time you start them game to set a different field of view.
Update: It has been discovered that by inserting the line fDefaultWorldFOV=75.0 at the bottom of the Display section of the Fallout.ini file, and assigning it a value equal to the FOV you want, you can now permanently change the default Field of View in the game. Remember however that if you change the default FOV, you may also need to change the FOV for other screen elements - see the fRenderedTerminalFOV and fPipboy1stPersonFOV commands below. Note also that you can alter the fDefault1stPersonFOV=55.0000 value to alter how much of your body/weapon is shown in front of you (Fallout.ini).
  • Solution: Other than adjusting the various FOV settings, try tweaking the following default values (which set the camera position relative to the head node in 1st person view) in the INIs [General] section:
    Make backups of the INIs before changing them.
fCameraPosX=0.0
fCameraPosY=9.5
fCameraPosZ=6.0
bUseThirdPersonArms=1
bTPArmsEnableIronSights=1

Issue: Floating objects

Some objects in a cell "float" above ground level.

  • Cause: More than one plugin is changing the same thing, causing a record level conflict.
  • Solution-1: Use a "compatibility patch" file to resolve the record conflict. See the Oblivion: Creating Compatibility Patches - Worldbuilding - TES Alliance article for basic guidance on creating one.
  • Solution-2: Edit each floating object in the "console window" (typically toggled with the "~" key), and then save the game. The result would persist from that save game point onwards. However it will re-appear if an earlier save were loaded, or a new game started, or a new mod added which also conflicts: so it is only a temporary solution to that specific conflict. The edit would consist of:
  • Click on the floating object.
  • Use the "getpos [x|y|z]" commands, where "x"= is the horizontal, "y" is the vertical, and "z" is 'the height above the water table (AKA "ground level")' axis location in the cell. Each axis must be retrieved individually, i.e. "getpos x", "getpos y", and "getpos z". Record each result.
  • Use the "getangle [x|y|z]" commands in the same manner. Record each result.
  • Use the "setpos z 0.00" command to reset the height of the object to "ground level". Note the floating decimal number value.
The record of "getpos" and "getangle" entries will enable you to restore things with the appropriate "setpos" or "setangle" commands if anything goes wrong.
  • Repeat the above steps for each floating object as needed.
  • Make a "full save" to a new "save game" slot.

Issue: Full-Auto Iron Sights animation jump

With "full auto" weapons, when aiming down the "iron sights" in 1st person and firing (even with "JIP Select Fire" set to single shot) the whole weapon seems to jump down so that the iron sights are below the actual aim point. When you stop firing it returns to normal.

  • Cause: When you fire it starts the full-auto attack loop and screws up aiming through the scope or iron sights.

Issue: Mod makes the Sun too bright off surfaces

Note this is not "sun glare", which is when you look directly at the sun in game. Be aware that there is a "light dome effect" around the New Vegas strip which is quite visible from a distance at night. Daylight surfaces within this dome area are blindingly bright from some angles on default settings. This appears to be by design.

  • Cause-1: Lighting mods make adjustments to various lighting values, resulting in uncomfortably bright reflections off some surfaces. Sometime these are by way of tweaks to the INI file, and sometimes controlled "in-game".
  • Solution-1a: Only use one lighting mod for exteriors, and one for interiors. Read their documentation carefully for recommendations on where to position them in your load order.
Some mods intend you to use hats and sunglasses to mitigate the effect. Changing the facing direction may also have an effect.
INI tweaks depend upon which surfaces and where they are located. See the Tweakguide's General Fallout game guide (specifically for FO3 and FNV) for the effects of particular settings.
  • Solution-1b: The mod Dynavision 3 incorporates (saving a plugin slot) The Imaginator which "allows you to separately control visual elements like Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Light Output, Depth-of-Field, Focus, Motion Blur and Tint all from within an easy-to-navigate PIP-BOY menu". Dynavision 3 now works with UIO instead of requiring it's own installer.
This is a recommended alternative to ENB and other "post-processors". However, Dynavision has a persistent and annoying bug which frequently causes NPCs to go invisible. Some people recommend using the older "Dynavision 2" + "Imaginator" instead, but the same "invisible NPCs" bug was reported with it. A patch file to fix this issue in "Dynavision 3" was posted in mid 2016, but there are no comments regarding how effective it is.
  • Solution-1c: INI Lighting tweaks. The following is derived from the TweakGuides for Fallout. Page numbers refer to that document.
  • [View Distance] (Page 7)
Specularity Fade: This slider controls how shiny reflective surfaces appear to be. In practice the only obvious impact of changing this setting is that some metallic objects will lose their shine. However you can also manually adjust the value of this setting by editing the INI "fSpecularLODStartFade" variable, and if you want to disable specularity altogether, either to further boost performance, or if you believe the game world is too shiny, then see the "bDoSpecularPass" variable covered on page 9.
  • [Display] (Page 7)
Brightness: This gamma slider controls how bright or dark the overall screen image will be. Adjust it so that at night the image is visible but not washed out. It has no impact on performance, so set to suit your taste. If you need to increase gamma to be much brighter than the maximum on the slider allows (e.g. on very old monitors), see the "fGamma"-related variables on page 9.
  • Solution-1d: Sometimes "post-processors" like the ENB Series can compensate, though remember that these often impose a penalty upon your "frames per second" (FPS). The first resort in these cases is often choosing a different "preset", but if you want to adjust settings yourself, see the S.T.E.P. Project ENBSeries INI Guide page which "is intended as THE comprehensive reference to the functionality of all parameters found within enbseries.ini as it evolves." Suggest you start with the "[BLOOM]" and "[REFLECTION]" sections.
The Guides to Creating and Customizing Your ENB's thread is another ENB settings resource.
  • Cause-2: Your monitor brightness/gamma is too high.
  • Solution-2: Use the LCD monitor test images web site as reference to adjust your monitor calibration to what you desire.

Issue: Playing at greater than 1920x1080 resolution

  • Cause: By default the game hardware setup options only permit a maximum of 1920x1080 resolution. This is a factor due to it's age. It simply didn't know what later advances in screen sizes would establish as standards.
  • Solution-1: In the "FalloutPrefs.ini" file under the "[Display]" section (near the bottom) are two entries where you should specify your desired game screen size to match your default/native monitor resolution:
However, these only work if you have the "bFullScreen=1" setting enabled so the game starts in "full screen" mode. In "windowed mode", the game will revert back the maximum of 1920x1080 that it knows about.
  • Solution-2: If you prefer to run the game in "fake fullscreen windowed mode" so you can get to other programs or screens, then you need to use a setting of "bFullScreen=0" (windowed mode), along with the above "iSize" settings, AND a NVSE mod which handles the "fake fullscreen" effect while recognizing the larger screen resolutions. NVSE knows and can read the INI setting and override the game. These are reported to do so:

Issue: Scope zoom distortion problems

Playing with widescreen (16:9) and high resolution (1920x1080 or higher) and have a problem with scope zooms (white square edges or just edges in the reticle and the scopes have an outstretched circle).

  • Cause: Game masking that is automatically applied to scopes.
  • Solution: add the line "fScopeScissorAmount=0", in the "[Display]" section of all 3 INIs.
    Make backups of the INIs before changing them.
When you make any changes to the game INI file, remember to change it in all three files: the "Fallout_default.ini" in the game root folder (which only gets used to recreate the other two when they are not found), and the two in "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder ("FALLOUT.ini" and "FalloutPrefs.ini"). Otherwise you tend to lose track of which you actually changed if you have to "verify files", and they may not appear to "take".

Issue: Screen brightness gets darker as the game progresses

  • Cause-1: Conflict between ENB and SweetFX settings.
  • Solution-1: Identify the conflicting settings in the INI files and choose one.
Make backups of the INIs before changing them.

From TweakGuides:

fGamma=1.0000
fGammaMax=0.6000
fGammaMin=1.4000


The above variables are useful particularly for those with older monitors. They are the same as the in-game Brightness slider, however here you can adjust both the overall brightness level with fGamma as well as altering the upper and lower limits allowed, in case you need to adjust Brightness beyond the limits allowed in the game (FalloutPrefs.ini).
  • Cause-2: Don't ignore your monitor's role. Monitors are like TVs: they react to the ambient light levels in the room. Do not play in a completely dark room.
  • Solution-2: You need a source of steady light level (a non-flourescent lamp) to prevent your monitor reacting to changing game light levels.
  • Amelioration: A mod that gives you more control over lighting in-game: The IMAGINATOR. This might be useful to confirm some mod is the culprit, by loading it near the end/bottom of the LO.

Issue: Somehow, without changing anything, my character is "glitched" oddly

  • Cause: Unknown.
  • Workaround: Something that's always worth trying is blowing yourself up or otherwise get killed: i.e. throw a grenade against a wall so it bounces back and kills you. Then let the game reload. Sometimes that can clear oddities. However, it doesn't address any underlying cause, so it's only useful as a temporary solution. Try to see if you can reproduce a reliable set of circumstances to re-create the problem.

Issue: Weapons/Fists are displayed off-center in 1st Person

3rd Person view displays correctly.

  • Cause: This is the result of a bug with the mod "A Familiar Friend", or with "Readius PipBoy" mods.
  • Solution: Uninstall and start a new game. It's hard to get the bug out of an existing game. If you still wish to attempt this, be sure to follow the specific mod's uninstall instructions carefully.

Solutions to Mesh (Red "!" icon) or Texture (solid color) problems

Issue: What are these Red "!" kite icons in the game?

This Red "!" kite icon is the "missing mesh" indicator.

  • Cause-1: You added meshes as "loose files" that replace the vanilla versions in the BSA files, but the game engine doesn't realize it needs to use them instead.
  • Cause-2: Your load order is not sorted correctly.
  • Solution-2a: Check that you have the vanilla game and Official DLC ESM files in the correct sequence. Please see the "Vanilla "Load Order" section of the FNV General Mod Use Advice article.
  • Solution-2b: Use LOOT to sort your "load order". Like most automated tools, LOOT is not 100% accurate; yet it is infinitely better at determining a correct load order for a large number of mods than anything other than manually examining each mod in an editor like FNVEdit (a generic tool called 'xEdit' which is renamed for working with specific games) and building such an order by hand (each time you add or remove a mod). (There is a FNVEdit Training Manual specific to both FO3 and FNV.) LOOT works by examining the file header of each plugin and working out all the records each modifies, and determines the relationships between those mods. For the beginning mod user, it is essential to resolve most fatal mod conflict problems. LOOT does provide the "metadata" mechanism that allows you to customize it's sorting to preserve such adjustments as you determine necessary. Read it's documentation to exploit all of it's capabilities.


  • Cause-3: Different texture/mesh replacement mods can conflict with each other. The "install order" can be the cause of the "missing mesh" indicator suddenly apearing, especially where things had been fine before adding the new mod.
  • Solution-3: As a general rule, install replacement mods that predominately affect the "background" on the horizon or mountains first, then those that affect the mid-ground (like billboards and trees/flora), with those affecting things you normally don't see well until in the mid- to foreground (like creatures) last. Some experimentation with the "install order" may be necessary.
Remember that "view while distant" (VWD) objects require "_far.nif" files and rebuilding of the ".lod" quadrants for landscapes with [ http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/58562/?FNVLODGen] after updating the "load order". See the TESTG "VWD/LOD Overview" page to understand the issues and for details on resolving them.

Issue: Find the source mod of an item in-game

This is often desired to determine the source of a missing texture (solid color) or mesh (the White "!" on a Red background symbol in game).

  • Cause: The only way to identify a "Reference Object" (one that has been placed into the game world) is to use the console to identify an object in-game. "Usable objects" that can be picked up must have the object in an Actor's (the PC {your character}, an NPC, or a container) inventory. "Static objects" like signs or billboards that are not movable can be targeted directly.
  • Solution:
  1. Open the in-game console (default is the <~> key).
    • For "static objects", < Click > on the target. This is all that is needed.
    • For "usable objects", < Click > on the PC, NPC, or container and enter "showinventory" in the game console.
  2. The FormID will be displayed at the top of the screen. See this article Help:Form IDs for an explanation of how to interpret the FormID. In short, the first two characters are the "load order index" (in hexadecimal, starting with "00"). The "load order index" tells you the source mod.
    Note that a "00" "load order index" means it's from the game master file (i.e. FalloutNV.ESM). The "FF" index means it is a "spawned" character or item, which happens when you drop the item to the ground.
  • If you have the "Lutana" or "JIP LN" NVSE Plugin installed, you can use it's console command search "<item name>" (double quotes required), which will show you a list of matching items with FormIDs.
  • If you have NVSE installed, then you can use the console command GetModIndex "<pluginname>.ES<M|P>" (double quotes required) to get "load order index" in-game (i.e. GetModIndex "DeadMoney.esm").
  • The NVSE console command "gbo" (GetBaseObject) after selecting the item will return the "base object id". The FormIDs listed in the Object window of GECK are "Base IDs". A "Base ID" is only associated with an object template in the editor, never with an instanced object in-game. Note: Will return the leveled character/creature form if called on references spawned by one. Use "gbf" (GetBaseForm) to return the NPC/creature base form instead. Source: GECK Wiki.

Issue: Pink Screen or textures

  • Cause-1: Usually this means you are running out of graphics VRAM (the physical memory on your video card); typically from too many High Resolution Texture replacement packs. These pink textures can show on faces, hands, and hairs, but also can happen with entire loading screens. When you start seeing this "pink stuff", a CTD is just around the corner.
  • Cause-2: If you are on Windows 10 the game can handle less "High Quality" / "High Definition" textures than in Windows 7 due to how Win10 handles DirectX 9 games. The video RAM gets locked at 4GB maximum (even if you have a TitanZ card with 12 GB on board), thanks to Microsoft's implementation of DirectX 9 games in their latest OS (Win10 at the time of this writing). So in short, if your game ran fine in Win7, it will and cannot handle as many textures as it could before upgrading. This can cause your symptoms of pink textures or worse a CTD if you had more than 4GB total of video memory loaded under Win7.
  • Diagnostic: You can see if reducing the in-game "texture quality" setting from "High" to "Low", or if reducing your screen resolution down to 800x600, or both, makes any difference to confirm the above are the cause.
  • Solution 1-2: There are several things you can try, individually or in combination, in order of effectiveness:
  • Implement "ENBoost" (which is NOT the "ENB Series" graphics post-processor with it's attendant FPS hit) if you have more than 4GB of system RAM. See the S.T.E.P. ENB Guide and S.T.E.P. ENBoost QuickStart pages.
  • Uninstall some HD texture replacement packs.
  • Run the game at a lower screen resolution.
  • Reduce the texture resolution down by half each time (i.e. from 4096x4096 to 2048x2048, 1024x1024, or 512x512). See the Utilities "DDSOpt" and "Optimizer Textures" on the TESTG Utilities page.
  • Upgrade your video card. However, note the limitation in Windows 10 in "Cause-2" above.
  • For advanced users: If you have a Windows 10 Education, Professional, or Enterprise edition you can use the included Win10 Hyper-V system and try running the game in a Win7 "virtual machine". See HyperV on Windows compatibility for the hardware requirements and a walk-through of the installation process. Note this requires you to have or obtain an ".iso" file of the desired OS install media. (If none of this option makes sense, you probably don't want to mess with it. Otherwise, educate yourself as it is beyond the scope of this wiki.)
  • Cause-3: When this occurs with faces, you may need to adjust profile settings in Fallout.INI, FalloutPrefs.INI, and Fallout_default.INI. Note some Character overhaul mods change the mesh for faces as well and may require additional setting adjustments. Read their documentation carefully.
  • Solution-3: Set
 [General]
 bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles=1

Issue: "ShowRaceMenu" / Changing Character / Uninstalling a "custom race" problems

Example: Uninstalled "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO) in mid game, but forgot to switch to a vanilla race first and got stuck in the ground and constantly have to use the "tcl" console command to rise up vertically. Tried re-installing FCO and using the "ShowRaceMenu" console command but it CTDs upon loading.

  • Cause-1: Failure to provide a "replacement" for fundamental features the game is expecting (such as switching to a vanilla "race" prior to removing a "custom race" mod) will cause a CTD, similar to a "missing master" problem.
  • Solution-1a: Basic troubleshooting on the "CTD upon loading" symptom in the example case identified that the re-installed plugin was not enabled as an active plugin. (This permitted the use of the "ShowRaceMenu" command.)
  • In general, uninstalling any mod from an active game is going to cause problems. Many will not be fully resolveable by simply re-installing the mod. Anything that has a "FormID" with the plugin index of the removed mod will be purged when the save game is loaded (the "missing content" message), but some elements such as scripts might not. Understand what you are getting into before attempting. Safest is to go back to a "save game" file from before the mod was installed.
  • Solution-1b: It's been reported using the "ShowRaceMenu" console command can have harmful side effects, especially after "level 5". You can safely change "face proportions" and "hair". Changing the character's race will "deactivate" your stat related Perks, Traits, and Implants. They will still be listed in your Pip-boy, but the effects supposedly won't be active any more. There are safer, more specialized alternatives to "ShowRaceMenu": such as "SexChange", "ShowPlasticSurgeonMenu", and "ShowBarberMenu".
  • There is a mod Safe ShowRaceMenu that let's you "Revise your character no matter what level you are, without resetting your stats, skills, traits and perks simply by activating a mirror". However, read the comments for some known issues before plunging ahead.
  • The mod Fallout NV Cheat Terminal Redux that allows, among other things, the removal and addition of Perks, Traits, and Implants. This can be used to "fix" those deactivated by changing race.
  • Cause-2: Switching custom races causes a CTD in the "RaceMenu".
  • Solution-2: It is also reported you can avoid the crash in the "RaceMenu" when switching between "custom" races by first switching from the old custom race to a vanilla one, and then switching to the new custom race. No need to save; just switching to vanilla first and then to the new race is enough for the menu to avoid the problem.

Issue: Skin tone mismatch between head and body

This commonly occurs when using a body replacement like "Type 3 Body" or facial overhaul like "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO) or "Fallout New Vegas Redesigned 3" (NVR3). The most obvious symptom is a Caucasian head on an other racial body.

  • Cause: The vanilla game by default assumes only vanilla races for matching skin tones. Various forms of replacement to either the head or body fall into the general category of "custom races".
  • Soution-1: The "bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles=" setting needs to set to "1". This line may be missing from the three INI files, in which case it should be added to the "[General]" section just before the "[Display]" section.
  • Solution-2: Make sure if you have more than one such mod installed that they are compatible. Check to documentation carefully for version numbers and install instructions.
  • Other, less likely suggested solutions if the first two are not sufficient:
  • Toggle "Archive Invalidation" on and off several times.
  • Ensure FCO is installed before NVSR3 and the FCO plugins are disabled (per instructions, you only require the FCO assets).
  • If you haven't already, create a "merged/bashed patch" to resolve any potential record level conflicts. If you have one, rebuild it.
  • Use the "showracemenu" console command to switch to a vanilla race on a test character, and then to your custom race, and save. Then reload your the test save file several times until the character head and body skin tones match. Once they do, try loading your normal game save file and see if the skin tone matching carries over. This "work-around" may only last for that game session and need to be repeated the next time your play.

Solutions to Post-Processor (ENB/SweetFX et. al.) problems

Issue: Problems using ENB/SweetFX alongside FNV4GB

The install instructions of "post-processors" generally don't anticipate the use of "indirect game launch" programs like FNV4GB.exe to enable the LAA Flag so the game will use more than 2GB of system memory. (See the wiki article 2-4GB game memory limits and solutions for more details about the "LAA Flag" subject.)

  • Cause: FNV4GB.exe is a "launcher" designed to work around issues with Steam checks for modified (i.e. "corrupted") EXE files by moving the original EXE file to another folder and internally launching it from there. It does a fine job of this, but if you are going to use "post-processors", their installation instructions have to be adjusted to accommodate it's changes.
  • Solution: The simplest solution is to switch to the newer FNV 4GB Patcher mod (by the same authors), which doesn't require moving the game EXE file to another folder, and thus let's you follow the originally provided install procedure for either ENB or SweetFX.

Issue: Managing Post-Processor (ENB, SweetFX, FXAA) configurations

First you must recognize that any "post-processor" is going to have an adverse impact upon your game performance. They all add an "overhead", and often can cause some designed game and/or mod effects to no longer function. The choice is up to you, but remember that there are always trade-offs between "prettier" and "performance".

Some suggestions (thanks to s0cke of the Nexus FNV Forums) for those new to ENB and post-processors in general.

  • Use an ENB Manager (below) if you plan to try out different "presets".
  • In the "ENBSeries.INI" file, use the "[PROXY]" section with the following entries to add a DLL injector proxy library from another post-processor (like Reshade-SweetFX). See Issue: SweetFX not working "Solution-4" for instructions.
  • Check which version of ENB you are using. Some people find the "v01xx" series performs better than the later "v02xx" versions, even though they are less refined, do not have "ENB Boost", and have some transparency issues.
  • When searching on the web, pay attention to which version the advice is directed towards.
  • Some people find "ENB Boost" causes stuttering and performance issues when moving the camera around quickly. Experiment with it turned off ("DisableDriverMemoryManager=false").
  • If disabling Ambient Occlusion (SSAO), consider turning off "ubersampling" or decreasing the sampling range and quality instead.
  • If disabling detailed shadows in the ENB config helps your performance, consider either making a choice between the two (SSAO and shadows) or looking into the variables for detailed shadow quality (set it to low, there is little to no difference on that one).
  • Look at the "anti-aliasing" options: Turn off any temporal/accumulative/edge based AA here and use "Dynamic Super Resolution" (DSR: nVida)/Virtual Super Resolution (VSR: AMD/Radeon) to sample from a higher resolution instead. Also, turning down the ENB "enforced anisotropic filtering" a little, say to x12 can provide you with another 2 to 3 frames in some places.

The following management tools are intended primarily to allow you to keep track of and switch between different "preset" configurations, but may provide other capabilities. Most are for ENB, but one recognizes three different post-processors. Some provide the ability to include "in-game" changes in your own configuration files or back into the original preset. Read their download page descriptions carefully. Most are posted in the "Nexus Skyrim Mods" section, but are not specific to that game. Their ability to detect and work with other game folders is something to check. These are limited to Bethesda's Oblivion, FO3, FNV, and FO4 as well as Skyrim.

  • ENB Manager and Changer by Legend Aeternus. Requires Java v7 (v8u45 jarfix seems to be the latest that will work according to comments). Last updated 15 Dec 2014. Supports FO3 according to comments, so likely others but not stated.
  • ENB Man - An ENB Manager by Casmithy. Requires .NET Framework 4.5. Last updated 20 Jun 2016. Comments indicate support for FO3 and FNV, at least, so likely others but not stated.
  • ENB Organizer by Breems. Requires .NET Framework 4.5. Last updated 24 Jul 2016. Multi-game support of at least Skyrim and FNV; others are likely but not stated.
  • ENB FXAA SweetFX Manager and Remover by volvaga0. No requirements given. Last updated 09 Jun 2016. Supports all five games.

Issue: Is ENBoost for everyone?

ENBoost is a memory management feature of the ENBSeries to address some of the limitations of 32-bit games. In the context of that very general statement it is similar to the 4GB LAA flag fix (i.e. FNV4GB) that enables 32-bit games to use more than 2GB of RAM. However, it works differently by providing dynamic caching of video object geometry in system memory when the video adapter runs out of room, instead of CTD. This most commonly occurs when higher resolution texture mods are used. (For a more detailed explanation, see the S.T.E.P. Project Guide:ENB article.)

ENBoost is a stand-alone component called "enbhost.exe". It is not involved with nor require the post-processing, so it does not impose the FPS loss that the ENBSeries is known for. Therefore, it is recommended for all users. See the S.T.E.P. Project ENBoost Quickstart Instructions on how to install and configure for only this feature. If you have installed ENB correctly you should see on the loading screens (in the upper left corner) something similar to: ENB Load Screen. Note the "available texture memory" line at the bottom. This should not be increased over the size reported before installing ENBoost by the VRamSizeTest tool available from the ENB download site.

Issue: ENB is not working

or only partially.

  • Cause-1: Almost always this is due to faulty installation.
  • Solution-1a: ENB expects the vanilla shader files. If you are using any custom ones, or have included any from other post-processors, you can expect problems. First, try disabling them and using just the vanilla shaders to see if that resolves the issue. Questions regarding how to use other specific shaders with ENB are best addressed to the ENB Series Support Forum.
  • Solution-1b: General instructions for installing the ENB series (read everything first). In the event of conflicting instructions, go with those provided by ENB for the specific game.
  1. Download the latest ENB series Graphic Modifications version file for the game in question (i.e. FNV will be used as an example), along with any "Patch" file that may exist. This is explained in the description on that "Downloads" page, so please take the time to read it to avoid confusion. The files are in separate sub-sections lower down on the same page.

    Note the "Installing" section contains important instructions regarding the placement of certain files, including specific versions of DirectX files. See "Cause-1" of Issue: Vanilla game Hangs on startup and the ENB download page for details. Copy these files if necessary. Failure to heed this is the second most common cause of failure.

    • Scroll down to and select the game (i.e. "Fallout 3/New Vegas") under the "Graphic Modifications" section. This will take you to the game version page, where you should select the latest version. (At the time of this writing it's v0.278 for Fallout.) If you intend to use a specific ENB preset, check that it does not require an older version first. If it is merely suggested, then try the latest version anyway.
    • Clicking on a version number will take you to another page that provides a one-line summary of the changes for each version EXCEPT for the version you selected. (This is how you know you are on the correct page.) Scroll down to the bottom of the page and "click" on the "<down arrow> download" button's icon to start the download process of the version you selected on the previous page.
    • If there was a patch file for your game listed, return to the "ENB Series Download" page, scroll down to the "Patches" section, and click on the Patch file (i.e. "Fallout 3/ New Vegas").
    • This will take you to another page with the patch file. Select the "description" of the patch underneath the word "Download" on this page to start the download process. (The patches have their own numbering system independent of the "Graphic Modifications" file series.)
    The other "Tools" and "Converters" files are not needed for the Fallout games; though the "VRamSizeTest" tool can be useful when looking into the VRam requirements for various games which do not have ENB installed. (ENB will report the same VRam size information when properly installed.)
  2. Once you have downloaded the ENB Series files, follow the instructions you noted earlier from the "Installing" section on the "Downloads" page. Inside the "Graphic Modifications" version archive file, you will find two sub-folders: "wrapper" and "injector". Choose between either the "wrapper" or the "injector" method of installation. It is suggested you try the "wrapper" method first. If that fails, uninstall ENB and install the "injector" method instead. Failure to uninstall the "wrapper" method files first will result in confusion about the correct method files to place and edit. If you have installed ENB correctly you should see on the loading screens (in the upper left corner) something similar to: ENB Load Screen
    I recommend you unpack the ENB version file archive to a folder outside of the game. Then copy the CONTENTS of the "wrapper" folder to the game root folder (i.e. "<Steam install path>\common\Fallout New Vegas"). (Do not drag the "wrapper" folder itself, only the files and folders inside of it.) This way you will be able to refer back to tell exactly which were copied over if you have to uninstall them.

    If you do uninstall, be sure to remove the provided D3D9.DLL file. However, do note that it is required to use the ENBoost feature, which is separate from the post-processor effects.

    (Those needing to use the "injector" version may be interested in the mod ENBAuto for automatically opening and closing the injector with any game.)

    Users of the older version of FNV4GB.exe called 4GB Fallout New Vegas Updated and similar should note that the "D3D9.DLL" file from ENB "wrapper" method needs to be placed in the "Fallout New Vegas\exes" folder, along with the "FalloutNV.EXE" file they moved there when installing that executable. This does not apply to the "injector" method, which requires the "D3D9.DLL" file to remain in the game root folder. The suggested ""<steampath>\Fallout New Vegas\FNV4GB.exe" -laaexe .\FalloutNV4GB.exe" shortcut forces the "FNV4GB.exe" file to be called "FalloutNV4GB.exe" instead when it loads into memory, and does *not* create a directory called "exes". This is suggested so that any files added to the game root folder (like ENB or Sweetfx) will work properly without any further work on the users part. The executable filename following the "-laaexe" switch can actually be anything to which the "LAA" flag has been applied. The parameter is optional and can be skipped if you do not need the filename changed upon loading.
    Note that none of this is required with the newer "FNV 4GB Patcher" version.

  3. Choose and download an ENB "Preset" configuration from the Nexus or other download site. For examples: the author of ENHANCED SHADERS - ENB by tapioks is focused on achieving a Balanced and Playable preset, while the author of Bone Fide ENB (Great Performance ENB) by Charmareian wanted a preset being "true to vanilla, had realism, and wasn't so crazy that the game becomes a screenshot simulator rather than an RPG!" Others are often focused on creating particular "atmospheres", but read their descriptions carefully. Expect that you may need to try several before finding the one best suited to your preferences and system performance. Again, unpacking the preset outside of the game and copying it's contents over will provide a means of determining what needs to be uninstalled if necessary, OR see the sub-topic Issue: Managing Post-Processor (ENB, SweetFX, FXAA) configurations on tools to manage multiple presets.
    Follow the installation instructions of that preset, which usually consist of placing it's contents in the game root directory (i.e. "<Steam install path>\common\Fallout New Vegas"), or wherever the game's original executable resides.

    Such presets (along with ENB itself) generally cannot be installed successfully using a mod manager, because mod managers assume they belong in the game's "Data" folder. This is THE most common error. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

    Note that some presets make use of files that appear in the game "load order". Such files go after any "bashed/merged patch file" unless the author specifies otherwise.

  4. Now you need to make certain adjustments to the game "Graphics Settings". (Note: this part is specific to FNV. Other games may require other means to access these setting or the specific settings to be altered.) Use the original game launcher (not FNV4GB.exe or "NVSE_Launcher.exe" if you have them installed), and select "Options" to get to the "Graphics Adapter and Resolution" window.
    • Turn off "Antialiasing".
    • Turn off "Anistropic filtering".
    • Enable "Screen Effects: HDR".
    • Click on the "Advanced" button and select the "Water" tab.
      • Disable (uncheck) the "Water Displacement" check box.
      • "Close" the "Advanced" window.
    • Click on the "OK" button to close the "Options" window.
    • Select "Play" to proceed to the Main Menu so the game will save the changes to your settings.
    • Now "Exit" the game without proceeding any further.
  5. Now check the video card controller to ensure you have also disabled any of those same settings for the video card.

    Make backup copies of any INI file before editing or overwriting.

  6. Usually an ENB preset will have already made specific edits to the default ENB INI files, which it will overwrite. However, this is not considered "best practice" because only about a third of the ENBLocal file is related to the preset and the remainder is specific to your system. Instead you should use their file as a guide to edit the ENB settings in your own files. You can choose to edit those settings either "in-game" (using the "<Shift+Enter>" key combination to enter and exit ENB "edit" mode), or by directly editing the ENBLocal.INI (or ENBInjector.INI) file, or other files as directed. See the Warning about ENBLocal.INI entry of the S.T.E.P. Project ENBseries Guide for specifics.
  7. If you want to adjust settings yourself, see the S.T.E.P. Project ENBSeries INI Guide page, which "is intended as THE comprehensive reference to the functionality of all parameters found within enbseries.ini as it evolves."
  8. See the sub-topic Issue: CTD without warning, "Out of Memory error", or stops responding for other settings that ENB users need to include.
  • Cause-2: Unexpected CTDs (such as when attempting to use the < Shift+Enter > key combination to enter the ENB Editor) can be due to programs running in the background, such as "anti-virus", "anti-malware", Video Card configuration control programs, overlays like the Steam Overlay, etc.. Many of these use the same techniques to "hook" the key presses to determine if their functions are being called.
  • Solution-2: Try turning off any unnecessary background processes, such as "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" programs (unneeded if you are running your game in "offline" mode), multiplayer "overlays" like "OverWolf" (this is single-player after all), the Steam overlay, etc., at least on a temporary basis to see if they are interfering.

Issue: ENB Performance (FPS) drops

The foundation of game performance is to first optimize your system for gaming. See the sub-topic Issue: Game in slow motion.

ENB will cause a drop in "framerate per second" of around 30-50 FPS in it's default configuration. How much will vary depending upon hardware, mod texture resolutions (game normal is 512x512), and ENB INI settings. In order to increase performance (i.e. FPS), you HAVE to give up some graphic effects: either by reducing texture size or disabling some ENB settings. Which trade-offs matter to you the most is a very personal thing. What is presented here are merely a collection of setting others have recommended, primarily from the ENBDEV Performance Forum site.

Performance is reduced by two factors: 1) number of textures created in video memory; 2) total size of textures created in video memory. When there is not enough video memory, ENBoost begins deleting resources by their usage priority; it also removes unused after 5 seconds. Make sure the game video settings (i.e. "Low"=512x512, "Medium"=1024x1024, "High"=2048x2048, "Ultra"=4096x4096) match the highest texture resolution you are using so it deals with them efficiently. All your texture replacements should be of the same resolution. There are tools that will let you adjust them to other resolutions if needed. See the "Optimizer Textures" tool description under "Utilities" section of the TES Texture Guide (TESTG) site.

Do not try to use ENB without a PCI-Express ("PCIe") video card. This means no "integrated video on the motherboard". According to the author, ENB requires high bandwidth for a certain amount of VRam, which depends upon the screen resolution. When this amount goes above the internal on-GPU fast memory much slower system Ram is used which in turns drops the FPS.

(Note this generally means "no laptops" not specifically designed for games.)

The following are other peoples suggestions that have helped them.

For extremely low FPS (~10 or less), try setting the following in "enblocal.ini":

  • ExpandSystemMemoryX64=false
  • ReduceSystemMemoryUsage=false
  • DisableDriverMemoryManager=false (configure the "[MEMORY] parameters as well.)

If that doesn't help, check if a lower resolution affects performance. If it does, then it's the GPU as described above. Make sure these parameters are also set:

  • WaitBusyRenderer=false
  • EnableFPSLimit=false

ENB performance under Windows 10 is acknowledged to just be bad. The ENB author hasn't switched to it and can't really help with whatever is causing the issues. It is known, for instance, that the Win10 DirectX 9.0 drivers can't handle video memory greater than 4GB regardless of how much is on the card, whereas it wasn't a problem under Win7. These were design decisions by Microsoft and not much can be done until they address them.

  • For advanced users: If you have a Windows 10 Education, Professional, or Enterprise edition you can use the included Win10 Hyper-V system and try running the game in a Win7 "virtual machine". See HyperV on Windows compatibility for the hardware requirements and a walk-through of the installation process. Note this requires you to have or obtain an ".iso" file of the desired OS install media (i.e. Win7). (If none of this option makes sense, you probably don't want to mess with it. Otherwise, educate yourself as it is beyond the scope of this wiki.)

Please refer to the S.T.E.P. Project ENBseries Guide pages for each ENB INI file for information regarding the purpose of each setting before electing to make such changes. It is easy to forget the changes to all files when testing various presets. There are separate S.T.E.P. guides for each of the ENB INI files as well as Troubleshooting tips. Each game version of the ENB Series "Graphic Modifictions" file also documents settings in it's "readme" file.

If you are using the ENB Memory Manager (DisableDriverMemoryManager=false), be sure to configure it's "[MEMORY]" section properly or it will frequently fill all available VRam (which is bad). Use the "VRamSize" value displayed when ENB initializes in the game; or from the VRamSizeTest tool.

Changing other settings will have an impact upon the final visual result. Expect one tweak to lead to others. For this reason it is advisable for novices to search out other presets emphasizing performance and try them first.

ENB settings under "[EFFECT]" that most affect performance for all games:

  • Ambient Occlusion (aka SSAO). "EnableOcclusion=0" to disable; or adjust "[SSAO]" section for tweaks.
  • Shadows. "EnableShadow=0" to disable; or adjust "[SHADOW]" section for tweaks.
  • Depth of Field shaders:
    • UseWaterDeep=0 (under "[WATER]").
    • UseIndirectLighting=0 (under "[SSAO]").
    • ShadowQuality=2 (under "[SHADOW]").

Other tweaks:

  • LimitFPS to a lower value. Too much over 60 FPS can cause rendering issues. Remember that TV and Movies are shown at a fixed 30 FPS which is all the eye needs to see a smooth transition from one frame to another.
  • If "DisableDriverMemoryManager=false", be sure to configure the "[MEMORY]" parameters in "enblocal.ini".
  • Try reducing these two settings to the following, in "enbseries.ini":
    • SizeScale=0.5
    • SourceTexturesScale=0.5

If you play in "windowed" or "borderless windowed" mode:

  • EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=true (may help, but only for those modes).

Issue: ENB Texture disappears or turns shiny/black

Occurs after passing rapidly between interior/exterior cells several times, such as through a doorway repeated times.

  • Cause: A few ENB "pre-sets" have disabled the "EnableCompression" flag.
  • Solution: Make the "enblocal.ini" file "[Memory]" setting "EnableCompression" flag to "true".

Issue: ENB Transparency/Translucency problem

See through some weapons, walls, or the ground in some locations with ENB enabled.

  • Cause-1: Conflicting settings. ENB has better support for nVidia than AMD, as that is what the developer uses so bear that in mind. AMD users may need to use "work-arounds".
  • Solution-1: Check the settings in both the GPU (video card) control panel AND the game options/INI. The following are separate solutions that have reported success, in order of popularity.
  • The "anti-aliasing" option should be turned off in both.
  • The "anistropic filtering" option should be turned off in both.
  • "Water displacement" in the game options should be "off", and "HDR" should be "on".
  • Set "iMultiSample=0" in your INI.
  • Don't use the "Steam Overlay". Launch the game from a desktop shortcut after running the Steam Client, or go to Steam Options (in-game) and uncheck "Steam Overlay". Other DX overlays may also have a similar effect.
  • Adjust ENB settings (in-game use "Shift-Enter" from the game's Main/Pause Menu to access the ENB menu; or edit the ENBLocal.INI file directly):
  • Disable "Ambient Occlusion".
  • Disable "Detailed Shadows".
  • Save the changed settings, (and if in-game use "Shift-Enter" to return to the game and check the result).
  • Cause-2: ENB incorporates a "Fix for Transparency bugs. From some people, this "fix" causes the problem instead.
  • Solution-2: Use the in-game editor (or in the ENBLocal.INI file); locate the "[FIX]" section (at the bottom of the INI file) and change the "FixTransparencyBugs=true" line to "=false". Save.

Issue: ENB Nights are too dark, even with "nightvision"

Specifically with combination of "darker nights" from Nevada Skies, preset ENHANCED SHADERS - ENB by tapioks and nightvision from Project Nevada, but possibly other mod combinations.

  • Cause: Preset is not designed with non-vanilla lighting in mind.
  • Solution-1: Check for a version of the "pre-set" in question specifically designed for the lighting mod.
  • Solution-2: The preset ENHANCED SHADERS - ENB by tapioks has a version specifically for darker nights of the "Night Skies" mod. Use a program like the free Notepad++, WinMerge, or ExamDiff to compare that preset with yours for the differences in "lighting" settings to your tastes.

Issue: ENB Weather effects near water are 'off color'

Specifically, whenever entering a cell near the Colorado River, a strong purple hue affects the lighting and scenery.

  • Cause: ENB preset is amplifying some weather effect color.
  • Solution: Adjust the ENB settings values for:
  • NVHooverDamWeather
  • NVWastelandClearEast
to exactly mention the regular wasteland weather. Include ambient light, fog, sky, etc, for all times of day.
This will take trial and error experimentation. See Issue: Managing Post-Processor (ENB, SweetFX, FXAA) configurations for preset managers that can incorporate your changes into your preferred preset.

Issue: SweetFX not working

  • Cause-1: Attempted to install with a mod manager.
  • Solution-1: Similar to ENB, SweetFX needs to place it's files in the game root folder, or wherever the original game executable resides. Do NOT attempt to install with a mod manager (they assume files need to go into the "Data" sub-folder).
  • Cause-2: SweetFX uses much the same trick as overlays like FRAPS, Overwolf, and the Steam Overlay do; so they can conflict. It does have some allowance for working with the Steam Overlay, but this is not always successful.
  • Cause-3: Can't SweetFX be used with FNV4GB?
  • Solution-3a: Place the SweetFX DLL files in the "Fallout New Vegas\exes" folder, along with the original "FalloutNV.EXE" file moved there when installing the FNV4GB executable.
  • Solution-3b: Switch to the newer FNV 4GB Patcher (by the same authors), which doesn't require any alterations to the installation instructions (such as moving the original "FalloutNV.EXE" file).
  • Cause-4: Can't find "CreateDXGIfactory".
  • Cause-5: Can't SweetFX be used with ENB?
  • Solution-5: Note that both SweetFX and ENB have their own D3D9.DLL files. It is necessary to enable both to be used. Reshade/SweetFX doesn't provide a "ProxyLibrary" mechanism, but ENB does. The following procedure assumes both post-processors are installed separately and are not packaged as a single combination archive.
  • Uninstall any previous installations of both SweetFX and ENB.
  • Install SweetFX and it's preset first.
  • Configure it according to it's documentation.
  • Open the game.
  • Use the "<Scroll Lock> key" to toggle SweetFX on and off.
  • Enable the "monochrome" setting to confirm visually that SweetFX is working correctly.
  • Close the game.
  • Rename the Reshade DLL file to either "d3d9_something.dll" (for DirectX 8 or 9 games), or to "dxgi_something.dll" (for DirectX 10 or 11 games). This filename is what you put in the "ProxyLibrary" line of the "ENBSeries.INI" file. In this example we rename it to "d3d9_SWEETFX.dll".
  • Now install the ENB files: both the main series "Graphic Modifications" and any applicable patch, and the chosen preset files. See sub-topic Issue: ENB is not working for general installation instructions. If planning to test more than one preset, consider an ENB Manager (see sub-topic Issue: Managing Post-Processor (ENB, SweetFX, FXAA) configurations).
  • Configure ENB and check that it is working correctly.
  • Exit the game.
  • Now, edit the "ENBseries.INI" file (in the game root folder: i.e. "<Steam install path>\common\Fallout New Vegas") with the following:

[PROXY]
EnableProxyLibrary=true
InitProxyFunctions=true (some say this needs to be "false".  If you have problems, try switching it.)
ProxyLibrary=d3d9_SWEETFX.dll (or whatever.)

and save.
  • When you start the game now you should be able to see effects from both post-processors. Look for the ENB message on the title screen, and use the "<Scroll Lock> key" to toggle SweetFX. You don't need to load a save to see the effects of both. If all appears well, then try loading a save game and check the results.
  • If the game crashes, try temporarily disabling one or both of the effects.
  • For ENB, use "<Shift+F12> key" to toggle entirely; or "<Shift+Enter>" to enter the editor mode and disable the "use effects" checkbox.
  • For SweetFX, use the "<Scroll Lock> key" to toggle it's state.

Issue: Get ENB to work while in GECK

  • Cause: By default the ENBSeries is configured to not load when the GECK is started.
  • Solution: To get GECK to work with ENBSeries loaded so you can see ENB's effects while in the editor as well, try the following.
In the "enblocal.txt" file located in the game root folder (i.e. <SteamInstallPath>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas"), set:

[FIX]
FixGameBugs=true
FixTransparencyBugs=true
IgnoreGECK=false ;<- set "false" from "true"

And get ready for GECK to take >20 seconds to load on startup. But it'll look pretty.

Solutions to "Garden of Eden Construction Kit" (G.E.C.K.) problems

Issue: Where to obtain the G.E.C.K.?

  • Cause: The Construction Kit is a separate download and not automatically installed by Steam. (It is with the GOG DRM-free version.)
  • Solution-1a: You can download the "GECK. - New Vegas Edition" through Steam. It's under the "Library | Tools" tab in the Steam launcher.
  • Solution-1b: Download from the GECK Main Page.
  • Recommended: The community developed "GECK 1.4 Power-Up" is an optional NVSE plugin supplement to GECK, and considered essential due to the additional diagnostic messages (especially for scripts that won't compile) it displays.

Issue: GeckCustom.INI file

The "GeckCustom.ini" may not get created in the "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder until you save your first modified file; not merely close GECK as some have reported. NOTE that as you have to run GECK as an "Administrator", the "C:\Users\..." folder with the INI file will be for the "Administrator" account. This can cause confusion as to where to look.

Common Customizations:

  • In order to load multiple master (i.e. ESM) files into GECK at once, you need to edit the "GeckCustom.ini" file to add:
  • To enable more than one copy of the GECK (or both the FO3 and FNV versions) to be open at one time, edit the "GeckCustom.ini" file to add:
  • Disable the editor interface from hearing sounds by changing the following to "0", but a re-edit back to "1" will restore the ability when you need it. While not completely eliminating all frustrations, it seems to increase the amount of trouble-free edits between CTDs to multiple hours at a time.
  • You may find many things are invisible when viewing an interior cell in the New Vegas version of the GECK. Change the following from "1" to "0".
  • To get GECK to work with ENBSeries loaded so you can see ENB's effects while in the editor as well, try the following. And get ready for GECK to take >20 seconds to load on startup. But it'll look pretty.
  • In the "enblocal.ini" file located in the game root folder (i.e. <SteamInstallPath>\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas"), set:

Issue: How to get GECK to load with NVSE?

  • Cause: "New Vegas Script Extender" is an addon library of functions developed after GECK was "finished", so it doesn't know about the addon.
  • Solution: You must launch GECK by way of the "nvse_launcher" if you do not use the "Power-Up" version.
  • Create a shortcut to the GECK. Name it something to reflect this is for the GECK + NVSE (i.e. "GECK with NVSE").
  • < Right-click > on the shortcut and select "Properties | Shortcut".
  • In the "Target:" field put the complete path to the NVSE launcher, and add the parameter "-editor" after it (i.e. ["C:\Games\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\nvse_loader.exe" -editor]; without the "[brackets]". The quotes around the path and executable are necessary because the full path contains embedded "spaces").
  • Select the "Advanced" button on the same "Shortcut" tab, and enable (check) the box "Run as administrator" on the window displayed.
  • Click the "OK" button until the shortcut window closes.

Issue: Where to start in creating mods?

  • Cause: The GECK is only part of what you need to create mods, and it doesn't have a training manual.

Issue: GECK crashes upon editing a weapon

"Every time I attempt to use the GECK to edit a weapon it crashes, even when only the main NV master file is selected."

  • Cause: This has been traced to the presence of a specific file that is overwritten by "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO): eyebrowm.nif in: Data\meshes\characters\hair.
  • Solution-1a: Remove the troublesome file when using GECK, and restore it when playing. If you put it into a batch (.cmd) file such as the following to launch GECK you won't forget.
@echo off
cls
::REM As GECK has to be run from an 'Administrator' account, you should launch it from a
::REM   shortcut (.lnk file) that has that "run as" setting in the 'Properties'.  This will
::REM   be run in a separate sub-process window.  Otherwise the 'start' command won't WAIT
::REM   until GECK is done before continuing with this script.
::REM Change the 'set runpgm=' line to point to your GECK shortcut.
set runpgm=C:\Users\Public\Rec\FalloutNV\GeckPU.lnk
::REM Change the 'set gamedir=' line to point to your game install folder.
set gamedir=E:\Games\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas
::REM Nothing else below this point should need to be changed.
set tgtdir=%gamedir%\Data\meshes\characters\hair
 
pushd "%gamedir%"
if exist "%tgtdir%\eyebrowm.nif"  ren "%tgtdir%\eyebrowm.nif" eyebrowm.nif.hld && @echo SCRIPT: Removed file [eyebrowm.nif]
 
@echo SCRIPT: Manually close the separate window GECK is launched in.  When you do, DO NOT
@echo SCRIPT:   select to 'Terminate batch job' (answer "N") or you won't restore files properly.
start "GECK" /D "%gamedir%" /WAIT cmd /k "%runpgm%"
if exist "%tgtdir%\eyebrowm.nif.hld"  ren "%tgtdir%\eyebrowm.nif.hld" eyebrowm.nif && @echo SCRIPT: Restored file [eyebrowm.nif]
 
:DONE
pause
popd

Issue: GECK crashes upon starting

  • Cause-1: You don't have the correct permissions for running GECK.
  • Solution-1: GECK must be "run as administrator".
  1. Navigate to the program folder of the program you want to run (i.e. FalloutNV game root folder).
  2. Right-click the program icon (i.e. the "Geck.exe" file).
  3. Choose Properties.
  4. On the Compatibility tab, select the "Run This Program As An Administrator" option.
  5. Click OK.
  6. If you see a "User Account Control" prompt, accept it.
Now each time you run GECK you will be prompted to enter an "Administrator" account password. If you enter it wrong, GECK won't start.
  • Cause-2: There is not enough available memory in the default 2GB allocated for 32-bit programs. GECK needs to have the LAA flag enabled in order to take advantage of more than 2GB of memory.
  • Cause-3: GECK seems to be overly sensitive to the correct "system compatibility" mode when run on versions of Windows after Vista SP2.
  • Solution-3: Set the "Properties | Compatibility tab" to "Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows Vista (Service Pack 2)" for both the GECK.EXE and the (PowerUp) GECKPU-NV-14.EXE files.

Issue: GECK doesn't automatically select FalloutNV.ESM or some DLC

Normally, when starting GECK and opening the "File" menu it has automatically "checked" (enabled) the DLC ESM files for loading, but not the "FalloutNV.ESM".

  • Cause: This is controlled by the presence of the "*.nam" files, which by default are present for all the DLC (but not for "FalloutNV.ESM"). If any are not found, that DLC is not automatically selected (enabled) either. These files cause the game to load those DLC even if they are not "active" in the "load order". (It is recommended you rename rather than delete them if you don't want a particular DLC to be loaded.)
  • Solution: The "nam" file contains nothing more than the common name (i.e. "Dead Money") of the respective DLC. When a plaintext "FalloutNV.nam" file (which does not exist by default) with "Fallout New Vegas" as content is created, "FalloutNV.ESM" will be automatically checked (enabled) in GECK's "File" menu just like the DLC.

Issue: GECK hates me in general or how to get started working with it

  • Cause: The GECK is frustratingly buggy. It is not intuitive to use. The GECK website makes assumptions that you understand concepts introduced in earlier game Construction Kits (CKs).

Issue: GECK won't tell me what's wrong with my script

  • Cause: The GECK does not report problems with scripts, and won't allow a script with errors to be saved.
  • Solution-1: the GECK 1.4 Powerup mod comes in a "standalone" version for the "vanilla" GECK functions, and one for GECK with NVSE functions. It fixes and improves some issues while providing the missing messages when the GECK compiler finds an error or warning, and lets you save a script without compiling it. Considered "essential" by mod creators.
  • Solution-2: The CIPSCIS Script Validator allows you to quickly indent your script while simultaneously checking it for several errors, many of which are not picked up by the GECK's compiler. It works with Skyrim, Fallout 3, and Fallout New Vegas. Includes it's own tutorials.

Issue: GECK is missing text in fields

GECK seems to be missing the text associated with certain columns of dialogue information (Editor ID, Topics, etc.). Typically this is a "list box" type field.

  • Cause: This occurs in the GECK for both "Fallout 3" and "New Vegas". The problem originally appeared following the installation of Microsoft Knowledge Base article 3000850 (a Win8.1 "rollup update"), was fixed by rolling back that update, but then the problem got "baked in" to Win10. The issue causes the column's right border to be shifted to the far left of the field so the column text is not visible. (See the "Conditions" field in the Collapsed Text Field Figure.)
  • Temporary Solution: Place the mouse cursor in the top left corner of the "blank" field that is missing text until it changes the cursor shape into a "+" (column resize) cursor. Left-click and hold while dragging to the right, and the missing text should be displayed. Continue dragging to the right until everything is shown or the mouse cursor is no longer the "+" shape. When you release the mouse button the display field should be corrected. However, this "fix" may not persistent from one GECK session to another.
  • Workaround: there is a Windows "hotkey" for expanding all columns in the currently active window of Windows Explorer and some programs (including GECK).
  • First you have to select a field with the problem (i.e. the "Conditions" field in the Collapsed Text Field Figure) in the window,
  • Then press "Ctrl" and the "+" key on the cursor/number-keypad. (The "+" key on the regular keyboard won't have this effect.)
Now all columns should be expanded fully by themselves.

Issue: GECK crashing on weapon edit

This also occurs when "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO) is installed.

  • Cause-1: GECK needs to have the LAA flag enabled in order to take advantage of more than 2GB of memory.
  • Cause-2: A specific file included in FCO is known to cause this CTD.
  • Solution-2: Remove the file: "Data\meshes\characters\hair\eyebrowm.nif" installed by FCO.

Issue: GECK Render Window shows a large gray square in new world space

Created a new world space and set WastelandNV as parent, using land and map data from the parent. Everything seems to be working fine except for a huge gray square covering most of the render window when trying to view the new world space.

  • Cause: The gray square is the water table.
  • Solution: Go to your 0,-0 point, zoom past the gray till you can see your land, and then add a static. Close, save, and then open your world space in GECK again and your land surface should now be visible.

Issue: How do I configure the GECK to do "< something >"?

Please see the GeckCustom.INI entry in the "Getting started creating mods using GECK" article.

Solutions to Miscellaneous problems

Issue: Corpses disappear too quickly

This is not a bug, or something that can be "fixed". It takes some understanding of how this necessary game "garbage collection" works.

  • Cause: Corpses count against the number of actors in a cell. All actors (dead or alive) have scripts running against them which affects your processor load. Too many can crash your game, so the game runs "garbage collection" routines to remove them.
  • Mitigations: Could not find a vanilla INI setting for this, but the "Bashed Patch" (BP) from "Wrye Flash" (WF) has an adjustable "Combat: Max Actors" setting. The BP also has a "Max Active Actors" setting, and a multiplier of that for the number of "Dead Actors". Someone claimed you could have about 80 actors max, and about 50 before taking an FPS hit. "Your mileage may vary."
    • Corpses with a Quest marker never disappear (perma-corpses). Named NPCs (like "Joe Cobb") usually have this marker.
    • Normal corpses disappear in exterior cells when the cell respawns or is purged (i.e. fast travel or switching to an interior cell), so you need to loot first.
    • Corpses in an interior cell don't disappear because such cells don't respawn. (Note that does not apply to "containers" which are flagged to respawn.)
    • You can't "carry" (<grab> key) a body through a door or fast travel with it.
    • Adding an item (even one that was originally in it's inventory but removed) to a corpse turns it into a "container", causing the corpse to persist through a cell respawn.

Issue: Weapon quick key binding fails unexpectedly

While previously working, suddenly the quick key binding for weapons no longer functions, and cannot be rebound.

  • Cause: Unknown. Circumstances are uncertain, but at least one report was after exiting the "Dead Money" DLC, while another had not played any DLC as yet.
  • Workarounds: The following have worked for some, but not others.
    • Load a recent save game from prior to the point of failure to bind. Now rebind the keys to the weapons, and see if playing forward doesn't retain the key bindings. In a DLC that removes your equipment (i.e. "Dead Money"), this should be after you have had your original equipment returned, but before you have actually exited the DLC setting to the Mojave.
    • Travel to some point where the weapons are removed from your possession (like a casino); and immediately upon exiting the location and the weapons are restored to your character see if binding the keys works again.

Issue: FOMM/FOMOD 'Invalid Field' error

Using NMM to download mod files and FOMM to install them, the latter reports an invalid field in the file "InstallLog.xml" and then exits to the desktop without installing.

  • Cause: NMM is inserting some fields into your mod archive's "fomod.xml" file upon installing them.
  • Solution-1: Re-download the mod(s) "manually" and install with the last version (0.14.11.12) of FOMM-Forked.
  • Solution-2: Use the "Custom" version 0.14.11.13 of FOMM. This version provides support to undo NMM changes, along with bug fixes. (Note: The download site is "adults only 18+" and requires registration to download, but the linked page has no "adult content". FOMM is licensed under GPLv3.)

Issue: 'Difficulty' setting causes Player and NPC damage to be 'unbalanced'

Desiring a damage mechanism to work the same for both.

  • Cause: According to this article the "difficulty" setting causes the damage inflicted to be inversely proportional between the Player and NPCs. "Hardcore" mode has no effect on damage calculations.
DIFFICULTY affect on DAMAGE inflicted
Difficulty iDifficulty= by Player by Opponent
Very Easy 0 200% 50%
Easy 1 150% 75%
Normal 2 100% 100%
Hard 3 75% 150%
Very Hard 4 50% 200%

"iDifficulty=" setting is found in the "FalloutPrefs.ini" file in the "C:\Users\<YourAccountName>\Documents\My Games\FalloutNV" folder.

  • Solution: Adjust "Difficulty" to "Normal" for the same damage calculations to apply to both sides.
Note you can change difficulty "on the fly" in game, so you should be able to easily test what works best for you with any combination of mods.

Issue: How to eliminate the 'bullet sponge' effect?

As in: a critical hit to the head should generally kill a human. A few (1-3) bullets to the torso should knock a human out of the fight. Can't shoot through openings in railings, bridges, vehicles, etc.

  • Solution-1: Adjust "Difficulty" to "Normal" for the same damage calculations to apply to both sides.
  • Cause-2: The designers appear to have chosen the rather simple approach of using 'difficulty' to determine how much health ('hit points' or HP) each opponent has, but in a non-linear manner. This, combined with the inverse calculations of the "difficulty damage calculations", tends to create "bullet sponges" ... opponents that soak up multiple hits before appearing to be effected.
  • Solution-2: There are mods designed to 'correct' the balance between the player and other opponents in the game. These tend to proclaim themselves as "more realistic".
Some popular ones (but not all available) include:
  • Realistic Weapons Damage - New Vegas (RWD) - modifies Body Parts Data to make fights more tactical. (Your enemies won't be able to take 5 shots in the head and stand still, same thing for you...) Fights are deadlier.
  • Realistic Headshots (RHS) - A shot to the head for most opponents is almost always an "instant kill".
  • Bleed - designed to change the way that ballistics, energy, explosives, poison, fire, electricity, plasma and shrapnel inflict damage and other effects in a challenging and more deadly way. BLEED provides enhancement to all forms of damage, and also provides more realistic knock down mechanics.
According to one of the authors does essentially the same thing as RWD (and possibly RHS), but without the CTDs of RWD due to weird edits, and the two mods (Bleed and RWD) will conflict with each other. Use either RWD or Bleed, but not both.
  • Project Nevada - Extra Options (PNO) - enables you to turn the level multiplier down for endurance and level. Set them to 0 so they don't get the game default of exponential HP scaling. You must have the PN "Rebalance" and "Rebalance Complete" modules for this. This will also affect how the "enemy artificial intelligence" acts. Turn on the helmet DT requirement, too.
  • Cause-3: Objects and terrain in the game world have "collision boxes" around them so "actors" don't walk through them. Often these boxes are larger than the player might desire and cause the blocking of projectiles from passing through apparent "openings".
  • Solution-3: Collision Meshes fixes some of the worst collision meshes in the game! It allows shooting through the obvious gaps in and between vehicles and bridge struts for example.

Issue: My Steam Achievements have stopped working

  • Cause: Most likely you used a console command (like "tcl") during a play session. This will automatically stop "Steam Achievements" as an "anti-cheat" measure.
  • Solution: Save and exit the game to the desktop. Upon reloading, Achievements will resume automatically.

Issue: Restore vanilla animations

You tried some animation replacement file(s) and want to go back to the vanilla version.

  • Cause: Animations, like most "replacers", either place loose ".kf" files in the appropriate folders, or overwrite any that are already there. The vanilla version of the animation files are in the "Fallout - Meshes.bsa" file under the path "("Data\Meshes\Characters\_male\Locomotion", so any "loose files" found under that path are "replacements".
  • Solution: First see if uninstalling the mod cleans up the issue.
  • Otherwise, examine the archive package of the "replacer" mod you are removing to determine the folder structure where the mod places it's files. These should be under "Data\Meshes\Characters\_male" and "Data\Meshes\Characters\_1stperson", but may or may not be placed in deeper sub-folders.
  • If this was the only set of "animation replacement" files installed, then simply delete the "Locomotion" sub-folder if it exists. (The game will use the vanilla animations from the BSA file.)
  • Some mods place their files directly in the "Data\Meshes\Characters\_male" and "Data\Meshes\Characters\_1stperson" instead of a "Locomotion" sub-folder under them. Those folders are used by many mods, so rather than deleting the folder, you should delete "*.kf" files only.
  • If you wish to try to preserve other replacements, then examine the archive package of the "replacer" mod you are removing, and delete any matching file names from the corresponding "Data\Meshes\Characters\_male" and "Data\Meshes\Characters\_1stperson" paths and sub-folders. However, if any other replacement files were overwritten, then you will need to re-install the other replacers as well.

Issue: Is my game the latest version?

Wondering if the problem might be because it doesn't have the latest patch?

  • Cause: I bought the game before more recent versions like "Ultimate", which I know have the latest patch.
  • Solution: Steam will automatically patch the game, but if you want to check for yourself:
  • Navigate to your "FalloutNV.exe" file in the game root folder using Windows Explorer,
  • right-clicking on the file to bring up the context-menu, and
  • click on "Properties".
  • Look under the "Details" tab for the game "Product Version".
The last patched version is 1.4.0.525; dated 27 Nov 2015.

Issue: Children can't use that

Unable to perform actions like harvesting plants or use a campfire because the game thinks you are a "child".

  • Cause: Occasionally the game gets your character's size wrong, and that makes it think you are a "child".
  • Solution: Use the console (toggle key "~") and command: "player.setscale 1" to reset your size to default. If that doesn't work, you can also try "player.IsChild 0" to tell it you are not a young person without adult supervision.

Issue: Adjust or eliminate limb dismemberment and body explosions chance

Is it possible to reduce or eliminate the "gore" factor?

  • Cause: The basic formulae is:
  • Large edged weapons dismember.
  • Powerful laser weapons dismember.
  • Blunt weapons explode.
  • High powered rifles and pistols explode.
  • Powerful plasma weapons explodes.
  • Explosives explode. (Strangely not allowed in vanilla)
By this it seems nothing can change the fact a lead pipe can cause an arm to explode.
Many effects are scripted to occur, so simple settings will not affect them. Some gore is the result of combat, while some is placed in the game world for atmosphere.
  • Solution-1: Changing the setting "bDisableAllGore=" to "1" in the three INI files reduces limb dismemberment, but not completely.
  • Solution-2: : While there are several mods on Nexus for tweaking Gore for various weapons, most seem unable to eliminate it completely.
  • No Combat Gore No Environmental Gore "is dedicated to eliminating all gore from the game. The gore from fighting, the extra gore added from the Bloody Mess perk, environmental gore that is piled in areas and even scripted gore such as your head exploding due to Dead Money's many radios setting off your collar."
  • Project Nevada - Rebalance lets you adjust the chances of bodies to dismember and explode.
  • Solution-3: You can try to make changes in the GECK for yourself.
  • In the GECK, the "defaultbodypart" setting (and other bodypart settings) are all found in "Actor | Data/Body | Part | Data". Just double click on the region you wish to disable gore on and uncheck the boxes for "Severable" and/or "Explodable". This applies to Actors instead of the weapons, and prevents scripts from dismembering/exploding them.
  • There are two settings in the GECK for each weapon that control the Gore chance:
  • iCombatDismemberPartChance (default = 50%)
  • iCombatExplodePartChance (default = 75%)
You can try to edit these settings for each weapon more to your liking.

Issue: Corpse in 'T' (crucifix) pose

The corpse unexpectedly remains upright until 'bumped' by the player. This 'havok' collison will cause the corpse to drop to the ground and sprawl out.

  • Cause: The actor's ACHR (Actor Reference) record did not have the "Starts Dead" flag enabled when it was placed in the "world" (Render window). This flag has the "uint32" data field value of "0x00000200" when set. See also the sub-topic Issue: Floating objects which points out that more than one mod affecting a cell may also cause this.
  • Solution-1: The YUP mod fixes this for some vanilla game actors.
  • Solution-2: The mod Ragdolls, which fixes havok collision for most skeletons, may help. It now includes a small script called "Havok Bounce" designed to automatically "poke" every corpse everytime you change cells.
  • Solution-3: Inform the mod author of the problem.

Issue: CTD traveling from Cottonwood Cove to Fortification Hill (Render Unto Caesar quest)

The game attempts to autosave or "load screen" and crashes before arriving at Fort Hill.

  • Solution-1: Disable "auto-save" and use either of the CASM or CASM with MCM mods instead. "Timed saves" are not recommended because they can't detect if something critical (like a script processing) is going on in the background. "CASM with MCM" allows you to fine tune when it saves.
  • Cause-2: You failed to trigger all prior stages of the quest.
  • Solution-2: Be sure to speak with the guard who halts you when you enter Cottonwood Cove after starting this quest. Do not bypass him.

Issue: "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO) not working or conflicting

  • Cause-1: Usually the problem is not understanding or following the installation instructions.
Note that FCO is a "high resolution" texture replacement of characters and NPCs. These will place additional demands upon your video system. Not all older systems will be able to handle the challenge.
  • Solution-1: Make sure you have complied with the following requirements:
  • Install the latest version of NVSE (currently 5.0b3).
  • Install User Interface Organizer (UIO).
  • Have the official "Old World Blues" DLC installed and active.
  • Use one of the mod managers recommended by the author, or understand enough to be able to manually install it yourself. If you can't or have to make a choice then use of Fallout Mod Manager - Forked (FOMM-Forked) is recommended as FCO has an install wizard written for it.
  • Only install optional components of FCO you actually need. When in doubt, don't. You can add them later.
  • Toggle your "ArchiveInvalidation" off-and-on again after installing FCO, as it is replacing texture files.
  • Start a new game either upon installing or uninstalling FCO. The changes it makes to characters are such the effects upon a game in progress are not supported.
  • Cause-2: "Fallout Character Overhaul" (FCO) v3.01 has some bugs that can make it unplayable if you don't understand how to correct them yourself.
  • Solution-2a: The author recommends the authorized patch FCO Bugfixes by Lunarion Silver to correct these issues.
  • Solution-2b: Other mods may also have their own patches for FCO. Be sure to check the download pages for any mods already installed for "compatibility patches" for FCO. Be careful as to which version of FCO each patch is designed to work with.

Issue: FCO/FNVR Eyes rolled to the side

Commonly seem with Fallout Character Overhaul (FCO) (designed to remodel NPC faces) in combination with various other character mods and mods that affect appearance, especially eyes. This often is related to attempts to use both FCO and "Fallout New Vegas Redesigned" (FNVR; similar goal) in combination.

  • Cause-1: Mod conflict with FCO. Note the older version (v2.3.1) is available on the same download page under "Old Versions".
  • Solution-1: The current version of FCO is v3.01, which has new eye textures.
  • Cause-2: According to the author of all FNVR versions, with FNVR3 the correct approach in conjunction with FCO3 is to use one or the other. 'Although FCO will "technically" work with New Vegas Redesigned 3, it's best not to. It's best to use one or the other. But not both. This makes it so that you will get New Vegas Redesigned 3's faces instead of the ones in FCO and it leaves the characters I left alone (ie. Lt. Monroe), etc. alone.' A more detailed expanation can be found in the FNVR3 forum thread.
Note there are separate mod download pages for FNV Redesigned 2 (FNVR2) and FNV Redesigned 3 (FNVR3).
  • Solutions-2: As FCO3 does not work well with "Fallout New Vegas Redesigned" (FNVR), despite the author's advice people have had some success (with the same caveats as listed in the post above) using FCO2 instead of FCO3 in combination with FNVR2. Any one of the following may also be required to resolve the "eye roll" problem.
  • Hi-Res Eyes Replacer by Zenl for FCO2.
  • Try reinstalling and not using the "child eye fix".
  • Do you use a Bashed Patch and tag "FCOMaster.esm" with "Eyes"?
  • Possible conflict with another mod that affects eyes, such as "Beauty Pack PLUS -Project Mikoto- Hair - Eyes - Presets by Matteius" or various "Project Mikoto for <specific companion>" mods.

Issue: Disable the "death scene" splash of blood across the screen?

"When I die, I like to see what happens to my body. But this is usually hindered by all the [omitted] blood on the screen and I can barely see what's going on."

  • Cause: Default game setting.
  • Solution: Edit all three of your Fallout INI files by setting the following (at the bottom) from "=1" to "=0".
[ScreenSplatter]
bScreenSplatterEnabled=0

Issue: Background Noise bug?

Occasionally hearing a rapid "thumping" or "slow buzzing" sound, like something is vibrating or falling off shelves.

  • Cause-1: Companions are clipping into the ground or NPCs are clipping into the chair they are sitting in, or similar. This often happens when explosives were used in combat. NPCs/Companions stay in semi-ragdoll mode (even if they weren't knocked down) that freak out when you're not looking at them. If you have a "custom race" with a tail or some additional appendage, that might also be causing the sound. Sometimes "actors" like "creatures with wings" become trapped in the scenery and similarly clip.
  • Cause-2: If you are finding items that appear to have fallen from shelves, tables, or the walls, then you have a "havok (aka "ragdoll") physics" problem where objects placed on shelves or walls but not properly "grounded" with collision get triggered and fall when you enter into range.
  • Solution-2: This has to be corrected by editing the placement of the objects or adding collision, and should be reported to the mod author.
  • Cause-3: With "uncapped FPS", the higher your "frames per second" (FPS) gets the more likely the "havok physics" will go crazy and clip through the geometry of other artwork in the cell. This is not to say you can't play with higher FPS, just that the game engine was simply not designed for more than 60 FPS. If you have problems, try scaling the cap back.
  • Solution-3: Set the "FPS" setting to a maximum of "=60".
Make backups of the INI files before changing them.
  • The Fallout INI files have an "iFPSClamp=" setting under the "[General]" section. Do not set this to other than "=0" if you have NVSR "bManageFPS = 1".
  • New Vegas Stutter Remover (NVSR) "Data\nvse\plugins\NV_Stutter_Remover.ini" has to have "bManageFPS = 1" under the "Master = {" section before the setting "MaximumFPS = 60" under the "FPS_Management = {" section will take effect. Check that the "MinimumFPS" setting is not higher than the maximum; something like "= 20" is noticeable while still playable. If NVSR is managing FPS, do not leave the three Fallout INI files with a setting other than "iFPSClamp=0".

Issue: Can Timescale adjustments break certain quests, etc.?

The default Timescale is a "30:1" = "Game Time":"Real time" ratio. "Units of measurement" are the same on both sides of the equation: "seconds:seconds", "minutes:minutes", etc., i.e. default is 30 game minutes = 1 real minute. So "Timescale: 6" equals "6:1" ("6 game minutes:1 real minute" or "60 game minutes for every 10 real minutes").

  • Cause: Setting too high or low a ratio can break AI packages; and anything other than the default "30:1" can cause crashes in some quests which jump the time forward or during the "sleep/wait" command. "Hardcore mode" can be especially problematic, and certain main quests in both TTW/FO3 and FNV can consistently break if any timescale other than "30:1" is used. This appears to be a vanilla bug. Results vary with some users reporting no issues over multiple replays with adjusted timescales in "normal mode" despite others able to reliably reproduce the issue on multiple play-thru and save-game reloads.
FYI: FNV Game start date = 19 Oct 2281.
  • "Hardcore needs" decrease their current state at a rate based upon "game time", while their recovery is based upon "real time". See Hardcore mode "Status Effects" on The Vault Fallout wiki.
Reported quest problems if timescale is other than "30:1".
In FNV:
  • Cutscenes.
  • "Dealing with Contreras" (stuck in "I'm not ready yet, come back tomorrow").
  • "Young Hearts" (Janet never makes it to Nellis Base).
(Personally had both of these quests succeed using a timescale of "6:1", but they did take some hours of gameplay to complete. Some "stuck" issues may simply be a lack of patience/forgotten need for the increased time required.)
In FO3/TTW:
  • "Finding the Garden of Eden".
  • "Take It Back".
  • "Death from Above".
  • "Head of State".
  • "Temple of the Union" (slaves never make it to The Mall).
  • Adjustment mechanisms: (Not solutions; use with care.)
  • The "Bashed Patch" (BP) global "Timescale setting" gets baked into saves, but each BP rebuild gets reset.
  • "Project Nevada" has a global "Timescale" setting.
  • Timescale adjustment mods:

Issue: Recommended "Project Nevada" master file load order?

While only a few of the many "Project Nevada" (PN) plugins require more than the "PN-Core.esm" as a master, the order in which the master files are listed can cause some "master file" conflicts ("orange boxes" in Wrye Flash). The usual resolution is to get such plugin "masters" sorted to conform to the overall "load order", using xEdit. However, the difference in how xEdit loads files from the game's sorted "load order" (i.e. by LOOT) can make this more difficult than expected, because PN has two ESP "master" files that are "false EMS flagged".

  • Cause: According to Zilav 27 Apr 2017 06:19 in "TES5Edit Support Forum":
The file's "Modified Data" is used for sorting. For some unknown reason, the "PN-Extra Options.esm" file always gets loaded in xEdit immediately after the "PN-Core.esm", regardless of the date/time stamps even if "PN-Equipment.esm" is placed before "PN-EO".
  • Solution: Even though the PN download page doesn't recommend a specific load order, placing the PN "master" files in the following sequence seems to eliminated conflicts when using xEdit to "sort masters" of PN-related ESP plugin masters to conform to it. They do not need to be "contiguous" or immediately next to one another.
  • PN-Core.esm
  • PN-Extra Options.esm
  • PN-Equipment.esm
  • PN-Cyberware.esp (ESM flag)
  • PN-Rebalance.esp (ESM flag)
  • Other PN ESP files simply must load after any "master files" in their xEdit "File Header".

Issue: Missing Pipboy after uninstalling the Readius mod

  • Cause: The "Readius" is an handheld piece of "equipment" replacement for the "Pipboy" glove ("apparel") automatically provided by Doc Mitchell. The glove is "unequipped" but should remain in your inventory when the "Readius" is installed. Upon uninstalling the "Readius", the glove is not automatically re-equipped.
  • Solution: If you can't select it under the "Apparel" tab, use the console command to equip the "Pipboy glove" from your inventory:
 player.equipitem 15038
If the glove is missing from your inventory, first add it with:
 player.additem 15038 1

References

(Generally in order of first appearance within the article.)

Refs: Overview

Refs: Checklist

Refs: ArchiveInvalidation (by Manager)

Refs: Mod Conflict Isolation

Refs: Solutions to Starting the game problems

Refs: Solutions to Performance problems

Refs: Solutions to Control problems

Refs: Solutions to Graphics problems

Refs: Solutions to Post-Processor (ENB/SweetFX et. al.) problems

Refs: Solutions to "Garden of Eden Construction Kit" (G.E.C.K.) problems

Refs: Solutions to Miscellaneous problems

Nexus wiki articles referred to by this article



Nexus wiki articles that refer to this article: