Fallout: New Vegas – How To Fix Crashing

April 30, 2024

Despite its age and numerous attempts by the developers to fix technical issues, Fallout: New Vegas fans still experience crashes and lag. Previously, it was easy to blame the specs of the computer, but even on modern PCs, crashes continue to occur. If this is your case, read our detailed guide on how to fix Fallout: New Vegas crashing.

During your journeys in Fallout: New Vegas, the weapons and armor you use will get damaged, making you more vulnerable, so here’s how to repair them.

How To Fix Crashing In Fallout: New Vegas

Various factors can be the cause of Fallout: New Vegas crashing. Thankfully, there are quite a few methods that can help you solve this problem. This guide details the most effective ones that have helped many gamers return to the wasteland of New Vegas.

Run New Vegas In Admin Mode

Sometimes, Fallout: New Vegas may not have the necessary permissions to access certain files or system resources. Often, this can lead to a crash of the game. Running the game as an administrator can grant it these permissions and potentially solve the problem. All you need to do is right-click on the game icon and select the “Run as administrator” option from the drop-down list before launching.

Check File Integrity

Missing or corrupted files can also cause crashes, especially if you’ve made any changes in the game’s folders. Luckily, Steam has a built-in option to check the integrity of game files, which you can use at any time. This process checks for any inconsistencies and automatically downloads missing or damaged files.

Launch Steam.
Go to the Library tab.
Find Fallout: New Vegas in the list of games. Right-click on the title of the game. In the drop-down list, interact with the Properties.
When a new menu opens, go to the Local Files tab.
Here you will find the option “Verify integrity of game files.” Click on it.

Next, wait for the scan to complete, and if necessary, the missing files will be downloaded automatically. Then, launch the game and check if the problem occurs again.

Split image of the hardcore mode icon and purified water to cure dehydration in hardcore mode in Fallout New Vegas

Hardcore Mode in Fallout: New Vegas is an incredibly difficult challenge. By completing the game in this mode, here’s what you can get.

Try Windows Compatibility Mode

Fallout: New Vegas was released back in 2010. With so much time having passed, crash errors can occur due to system and game incompatibility, but don’t worry — it’s quite easy to solve. Running the game in Windows compatibility mode can help it function better on modern operating systems.

Right-click on the game icon. Select the Properties option from the drop-down list.
In the Properties menu, go to the Compatibility tab.
Here, find the Compatibility Mode section and check the box near the “Run this program in compatibility mode” option.
Once you have done so, interact with the drop-down list in the same section and select Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Lastly, click Apply and OK at the bottom of the menu to save your changes.

After completing these steps, launch the game and see if the error occurs again.

Allow New Vegas On Windows Firewall

Security software, such as Windows Firewall, may mistakenly block Fallout: New Vegas from accessing the Internet. Adding the game as an exception to your firewall can give it the network access it needs to run smoothly.

Search for “Windows Security” in the Windows Start menu and open the application.
In the menu that opens, click on Firewall & network protection.
In the lower section of the menu that opens, find and interact with the option: “Allow an app through firewall.’
Among the list of programs, find Fallout: New Vegas and check the boxes next to both “Private” and “Public” to allow both incoming and outgoing connections.
Click “OK” to save the changes.

If the game is not in the list of Allowed Apps, you can add it to the list yourself by interacting with the “Allow another app” option located in the lower section of the menu.

Update GPU Drivers

Outdated graphics card drivers can sometimes cause games to crash. Updating your GPU drivers to the latest version can fix crashes caused by compatibility issues. Of course, you can do this manually, but the best method is to download the appropriate programs for your graphics cards:

When you install the program, you can let it automatically update your drivers if you’d like.