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Fix Fallout 3 Freezing

Fallout 3 Freezing

Is Fallout 3 game freezing suddenly while playing it on your Windows 10? Do you encounter this problem frequently and willing to fix it permanently? Don’t worry! We can provide those methods that you can use to resolve this Fallout 3 Freezing issue.

Fallout game contains different series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The latest series is Fallout 76, which was released in the year 2018.

As Fallout 3 occupies more popularity from the game lovers, but it troubles with different issues. It keeps freezing whenever we try to launch or play it on our devices.

If you are presently facing any such issue, then this technical guide is for you. Go through the post until the end and get rid of the issue easily and quickly.

 

Problem Overview

Fallout 3 is considered one of the top-best action role-playing game for Windows 10. Apart from Microsoft Windows, the user can download it on their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video-game consoles.

It is a single-player game so that the gamers can enjoy it very much while playing it on their PCs. We can download this Fallout 3 either through the official site (Bethesda) or Steam.

Millions of players all over the world have been addicted to this wonderful action game. But there are some instances where the player frustrates while playing this Fallout 3.

It suddenly freezes on our Windows computers and does not allow us to play it. We can resume our gameplay until we resolve the issue.

Are you thinking of the reasons for the occurrence of this Fallout 3 Freezing issue? Let’s check out them below.

  • Gamers who play the game in a full-screen mode can face this freezing issue.
  • Running the game with a normal account (user account).
  • Expired GPU Drivers
  • Corrupted or improper installation
  • Fallout 3 is incompatible with your Windows version.

Now, you have to find the reason that causes the freezing issue on your Windows 10. After that, execute the methods given in the following sections.

 

Related Problems

  • Fallout 3 Freezing PS3:First of all, power restart the PlayStation 3 by disconnecting the cables and reconnecting them after a few minutes. If you did not solve the issue, then check whether the disc is perfect or not. Also, update the game in order to fix the problem.
  • Fallout 3 Crashing Windows 10: The troubleshooting methods that we are provided in this post will help in fixing the Fallout 3 crashing issue on your Windows 10. Some of them are playing the game in windowed mode, updating the GPU drivers, etc.
  • Fallout 3 Not Launching: The first thing you have to do to launch the game is running it with administrator privileges. Check your Windows version is compatible with the game or not. If not, run the Fallout 3 in the compatibility mode. Detect the corrupted game files and repair them immediately.
  • Fallout 3 Not Working on Windows 10: If you encounter this problem after upgrading your Windows 10, then reset the PC to go back to the previous edition. To fix the problem quickly, then open the compatibility settings and choose any other supported Windows version.
  • Fallout 3 Black Screen on Launch: If the resolution of the PC and game didn’t match, then you might encounter this problem. That’s why you have to modify the resolution to which they both are the same. Run the game by selecting the Windows version that is lower than the current one.
  • Fallout 3 Freezing on Loading Screen: One of the best techniques to overcome this error is uninstalling the game completely. After that, delete the files/folders related to the game and reset the Windows registry entries. Finally, reinstall the game from Steam.

 

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

The basic troubleshooting techniques that will help you in fixing the problem are listed below. You can apply them one-by-one and check the Fallout 3 Freezing issue is solved or not.

  • Restart Steam and PC

Whenever a problem occurs while browsing the web or installing any app, or playing the game, you just need to close all the opened windows and restart the PC.

Similarly, we recommend the gamers to close Steam and other processes running on their PC and reboot it.

After restarting the computer, relaunch Steam and open Fallout 3. Check the freezing issue is still occurring on your desktop or not.

  • Run Fallout 3 with Admin Rights

A few video games, especially Bethesda games, need full access rights to play it on your Windows 10. It will cause several issues when you use a user account to run the game.

Let’s try to play the Fallout 3 game as an administrator by following the below steps.

  1. First of all, launch Steam on your device.
  2. Open Library and look for the Fallout 3 game.
  3. Right-click on it and choose Properties.
  4. Under the Properties window of Fallout 3, navigate to the Local Files tab and click the Browse Local Files.
  5. Check out the executable file of Fallout 3 and click the Properties from its right-click context menu.
  6. Select the Compatibility tab and enable the Run this program as an administrator by checking its box.
  7. Finally, hit the Apply and OK buttons.

Now, run the Fallout 3 game and see whether it is freezing or opens without any issues.

 

 

Steps To Fix Fallout 3 Freezing Issue

When you can’t solve Fallout 3 Freezing with the above basic steps, go through the following advanced ones. They will make your Fallout 3 game runs without any freezing issues. Read the instructions and apply them as we listed.

 

  • Step 1

Say No to Full-Screen Mode

Playing in full-screen mode thrills the gamers a lot because it occupies the entire space of your screen. But you know what! They will trouble with certain problems due to this full-screen mode.

When you are playing Fallout 3 game on full-screen, you can experience a sudden crash or freezing issue. At that time, play your favorite action role-playing video game in windowed mode.

It is the most effective method in fixing the Fallout 3 Freezing issue. To play in the windowed mode, follow the below guidelines.

  1. Launch Steam on your Windows 10.
  2. Open Fallout 3 game and go with the Options.
  3. It immediately opens a wizard, and in that, check the checkbox of the Windowed option under the Mode section.
  4. Click the OK button to save the changes.

Now, rerun the game and check the freezing problem still appears or not.

 

  • Step 2

Run your Game in Compatibility Mode

Are you facing this freezing problem while running it on your Windows 10? Then why can’t try to launch it on other Windows versions, such as Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Due to compatibility issues, sometimes, the video games like Fallout 3 will not run properly. It also causes freezing or crashing problems while playing it on unsupported Windows editions.

The only solution to this issue is launching Fallout 3 in compatibility mode. For that, you need to execute the below steps.

  1. First of all, open Steam.
  2. Go to the Library -> Look after the Fallout 3 Game -> Right-click on it -> Click Properties.
  3. The Fallout 3 Properties wizard appears on your screen. Navigate to the Local Files tab and choose the Browse Local Files.
  4. A new window is displayed, which contains several files on it. Find the Fallout3.exe file and right-click on it to select the Properties.
  5. Now, click the Compatibility tab.
  6. Go to the Compatibility Mode section and enable the Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
  7. After that, select the Windows version that is lower than the current one from the drop-down list.
  8. Click the Apply and OK.

Thus, the Fallout 3 Freezing might be resolved on your PC.

 

Also Read:- Fix Fallout 4 Keeps Crashing [Easy Troubleshooting Guide]

 

  • Step 3

Update GPU Drivers

Any video game, such as Fallout 3 or Skyrim, or others, needs the latest and compatible video card drivers. If the graphics drivers are expired or corrupted, then we can’t play our favorite games anymore.

When you are suffering from the Fallout 3 Freezing problem, once check the display adapters you are using are up-to-date or not. If you did not upgrade the drivers even though the manufacturer releases the new ones, then follow the given guidelines to update them now.

  1. Open the Run box by pressing Windows + R keys.
  2. After that, type devmgmt.msc command and hit Enter.
    Enter devmgmt.msc in the Run box
  3. The Device Manager is shown on your Windows desktop.
  4. In that, select the Display Adapters section and expand it by clicking the “>” icon.
    Click on Display adapters and expand it
  5. From the list, choose the currently using GPU drivers.
  6. Right-click on it and click the Update Driver option.
  7. In the new window that appears on your screen, choose the Search automatically for the updated driver software option.
  8. Then it checks for the latest versions and installs & updates them on your Windows PC.

If you want to finish this long process with simple mouse clicks, then install IObit Driver Booster. It automatically checks for all those outdated device drivers and updates them within minutes.

 

  • Step 4

Edit the Configuration File

Moreover, the users who are facing this Fallout 3 Freezing issue can solve it by editing the configuration file. If you want to know how to do it, then go through the below steps.

  1. In the first step, open the Steam app on your PC.
  2. Search for the Fallout 3 game in the Library -> Right-click on it -> Choose Properties.
  3. Under the Local Files tab, click the Browse Local Files option.
  4. You have to locate the file named Fallout _default.ini and open it on your PC by double click.
  5. It opens a notepad window, where you need to identify the bUseThreadedAI.
  6. Now, change its value from 0 to 1.
  7. After that, add iNumHWThreads=2 under the bUseThreadedAI value.
  8. Go to the File menu and click the Save button.

Finally, run the Fallout 3 game and see whether it freezes again or not.

 

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  • Step 5

Uninstall & Reinstall Fallout 3

If none of the techniques workouts to resolve the Fallout 3 Freezing issue, then the only option left for you is to remove the game completely. After that, reinstall it freshly on your PC.

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings.
  2. Click the Apps section.
    Select Apps
  3. Now, you have to stay in the Apps & Features tab.
  4. Come to the right-side pane and locate the Fallout 3 game.
  5. Select it and click the Uninstall option.
  6. After uninstalling, open the folder on which you downloaded it and remove any leftovers or empty files.
  7. In the next step, click here to visit the official website of Fallout 3 (Bethesda) and download it on your PC.(Even you can download it from Steam)
  8. Complete the installation process and launch it without any freezing problems.

 

Tips To Avoid Fallout 3 Freezing

  • The best tip to avoid freezing or crashing issues while playing this Fallout 3 game is to keep the display adapters up-to-date.
  • Check the specifications of the game, such as OS or RAM, before you launch it so that you will not face any issues.
  • While installing any application, be careful and follow each step properly to escape from these kinds of freezing problems.

 

Contact Official Support

I think you need to go through this section because the above-listed methods are hard enough to resolve the Fallout 3 Freezing error. You can clear the issue by using any of those tricks.

By chance, if any of you still face the problem even after following all the techniques, then the issue is very serious. In that case, you can refer to the Bethesda forum sites. You will find any valuable guidelines that help in fixing the issue.

The final method that you have is to contact the customer support team of Bethesda. They will tell you how to resolve this Fallout 3 Freezing issue.

 

Final Words: Conclusion

On the whole, game lovers who fond of playing Fallout 3 can play and enjoy on their Windows PCs. Whenever you trouble with freezing problems, simply use the given methods in this post.

We did thorough research on this technical issue and evaluated these techniques as the best ones. As far as we consider, we offered all the available methods that can solve the problem.

If you are a professional and deals with these gaming issues, then we welcome your own tricks. We hope that you got enough information about this problem.

For any queries or suggestions, or rewards, contact us by posting a message in the below box.

 

  • Post last modified:February 17, 2021
  • Post category:Games
  • Post comments:0 Comments

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