Common CTDs, Freezes, ILS and memory issues

[hishutup]

 

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Basic requirements to follow this FAQ

Use the following utilities and have some idea of what they do.

• ENBoost: This extension moves the DX9 texture cache to a different 64 bit process. This reduces the chance of filling up the 32 bit process with textures causing random CTDs.
• Crash Fixes: This is an SKSE plugin that helps catch some issues that cause skyrim to CTD, freeze or hang. 
• Some form of memory fix:
  • SSME: Made redundant by SKSE memory tweaks.
  • SKSE memory tweaks: This changes the initial heap size to make it larger. This avoids the issue where skyrim will not increase the heap causing it to CTD, freeze or hang. This method requires some input for the correct size. This can be found by using Memory Blocks Log. This is a workaround to an issue.
  • Crash Fixes OSAllocators: This is a fix for the same issue that SKSE memory tweaks workarounds. This is a true fix but has its share of issues.
  • Crash Fixes CustomMemoryBlocks: This is a fix to some of the issues caused by OSAllocators. By breaking the heap into smaller blocks, the memory can be allocated and freed as needed. This method requires some input by observing how high you need to set the blocks size. This can be viewed in the console if the toggle is enabled.

 

Info that is typically useless:

• Papyrus logs: These are NOT crash logs. Typically, the last entry could be several minutes before you even experience a crash. Any useful info is typically debugging code in scripts, this is usually removed/disabled before a mod is released. This is a very helpful tool to modders, but not to users.
• Windows logs: These are rarely of any use to a user.

 

Issues caused by SKSE memory tweaks:

Problem: I randomly CTD.

Solution: Check the size against the memory blocks log. If the last element is close to the max size then you may need to increase heap 1 by some amount(~128 MB increments is accurate enough). Heap 2 doesnt need to be increased as it spawns more like it should.

 

Issues caused by Crash Fixes OSAllocators:

Problem: I get "Skyrim has failed to allocate memory"

Solution: This is caused by memory fragmentation and there isn't really a solution for this. Its suggest to use the custom memory blocks instead.

 

Issues caused by Crash Fixes CustomMemoryBlocks:

Problem: Stuff isn't loading in as expected.

Solution: Check to make sure the size is appropriate.

 

How to read and interpret Crash Fixes crash log:

I don't know, I'm curious myself. The hex given isn't a formid, its a memory location by my understanding.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the easiest solution to the memory issue.

 

Install this manually into the "Skyrim" folder(with the TESV.exe)

SKSE Plugin Preloader

Install this manually by moving the SKSE folder into the "Skyrim\Data\" folder

Crash fixes

 

Then open the "Skyrim\Data\SKSE\Plugins\CrashFixPlugin.ini"

Modify the "UseOSAllocators=0" to "UseOSAllocators=1"

Save.

 

You should be good now.

 

I'd recommend removing the old methods of heap modification, ENBoost is fine.

 

[spoiler=Old Post]

I made this sticky because there is a sudden up-rise in CTD relating to the memory tweaks not working. It is flooding The General forum and has kind of spread to the memory blocks log mod topic. 

 

If you are curious how the memory tweaks work, there is an amazing post by keith over here.

 

There are several reasons for one to CTD or freeze but the most common one is that the SSME/Memory Patch 3.0/SKSE memory tweaks are not applying for some reason.

NOTE: SSME is no longer needed and should be removed and replaced with the SKSE Memory Tweaks.

Safety load is also not needed anymore and may cause unexpected issues.

 

 

First, please copy and paste the following into your SKSE.ini file

Make sure your ini is located as such ...\Skyrim\Data\SKSE\SKSE.ini

If you follow STEP check this out.

[General]
ClearInvalidRegistrations=1

[Memory]
DefaultHeapInitialAllocMB=768
ScrapHeapSizeMB=256

To find out if your memory tweaks are working correctly, download and install Memory Blocks Log.

Run the game through MO, I would recommend fully loading into the game but the main menu will suffice. After which close out of the game and open MO again if it closed on you. Go to the overwrite folder and navigate to the "SKSE\plugins\" folder and open up the memoryblockslog.log.

 

Your log should look similar to this:

logging of blocks enabled
logging max values only
Timer disabled
Block1 Block2
512MB 256MB

However, people that experience a lot of crashing will have something like the following:

logging of blocks enabled
logging max values only
Timer disabled
Block1 Block2
256MB 256MB

The most common "fix" is to open the "Modify Executables" window by clicking the gears on  the top part of MO and select the SKSE executable and add the Argument 

-forcesteamloader

It should then look something like this.

After which, click the modify button and then relaunch the game through MO then close it and make the comparison again. 

 

If your results did not change then make a post below, otherwise search for topics that already exist in the General forum. If your particular issue does not already exist then make a new topic and there will be someone to answer your questions.

 

[Zegorzalek]

Well... after all the working, tweaking, and load checking... wife looks at me tonight and asks, "why are you still NOT playing???" And I say, "Because the damn game keeps crashing every time I hit Whiterun."

 

My memory blocks are 256/256.

 

I have checked my extensions (no text file, made my own INI... skse 1.07.02)

 

[General]
ClearInvalidRegistrations=1

[Memory]
DefaultHeapInitialAllocMB=768
ScrapHeapSizeMB=256

[Display]
iTintTextureResolution=1024

 

 

I added "-forcesteamloader" to my SKSE executable

I tried the option from poster #2, putting the skse.ini into the main skyrim folder where the loader is...

 

Still getting MB 256/256 for blocks one and two.  Any ideas?

 

What beats all hell, is I had this working in NMM before swapping to MO and STEP by following the instructions in Gopher's video and I rarely ILS'ed anywhere, or CTD between cells. And that was with a jacked load order.

 

So I KNOW the fix works, just not sure why it is not being properly applied in my system.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Nozzer66]

Don't put it where the loader is. Put it back where it's supposed to be first.

 

Then check you haven't done the old SKSE.ini.txt trick by ensuring you're showing file extensions in Windoze.

[keithinhanoi]

  On 3/16/2015 at 8:18 AM, Zegorzalek said:

What beats all hell, is I had this working in NMM before swapping to MO and STEP by following the instructions in Gopher's video and I rarely ILS'ed anywhere, or CTD between cells. And that was with a jacked load order.

 

So I KNOW the fix works, just not sure why it is not being properly applied in my system.

 

Thanks in advance.

Have you installed the SKSE scripts folder as a managed mod in Mod Organizer?

 

This is a suggested benefit that includes the benefit of helping to leave your "real" Skyrim /data folder completely untouched.

 

A bonus also is that you can put your skse.ini file into the folder the Mod Organizer makes, and then you KNOW it's in the right place.

 

I'll skip the explanation for how to get the SKSE scripts into MO as a mod, and just go right to showing you where the skse.ini file goes, inside MO's folder that you make for SKSE:

 

 

When you install the skse.ini file this way, you can also use MO's built-in .ini file editor to view / edit it, without having to open up an external text editor:

 

 

Now if all that still doesn't work, then consider looking at where you have Skyrim, Mod Organizer and SKSE installed. Are any of them in a directory with UAC (user access control) or specific permissions, such as Program Files? Then that may be preventing SKSE from being able to read the skse.ini file. Move all of them into a directory which does not have restricted file access, and you can rule that out as a possible reason.

 

Personally, even though I've got Steam installed on my C: drive in Program Files (x86), I set up an additional Steam Library Folder (Steam > Settings > Downloads > Content Libraries) on a different drive (D: in my case), and Skyrim is installed using Steam in there, and all of my modding utilities (including MO) are in the Skyrim directory. All of that works perfectly, and I've never had any issues with the skse.ini file not working as expected.

[Zegorzalek]

  On 3/16/2015 at 1:43 PM, keithinhanoi said:

Have you installed the SKSE scripts folder as a managed mod in Mod Organizer?

 

 

 

A bonus also is that you can put your skse.ini file into the folder the Mod Organizer makes, and then you KNOW it's in the right place.

 

 

 

 

 

If I could send you a coffee for this picture, I would.  I did have scripts installed through MO... but for some arcane reason had my skse.ini in the base folder along with the meta file. No separate "SKSE" sub folder. Not sure where I missed that in the instructions, and frankly, and not going to pour back through that 45 minute video again today... because it WORKS!

 

Bottom line... made SKSE sub folder in the MO managed directory as above... and I get:

 

block one 512, block 2 256

 

*joy*

 

 

edit* --- Oh... going to have to make an output folder in left side of MO in order to clear the overwrite directory... named mine "SKSE Mem Blocks Log Output" and checked it.

 

as an addendum... looking at the "data" pane on the right side of MO... down in SKSE>plugins.... there are a lot of items directly loaded into the plugin directory... moreHUD, FuzRoDoh... and my SKSE ini is now showing up over there.

 

**edit #2** just got to do some testing... loaded up all the followers, AND JK's all in one cities...(which was unplayable previously at about 1fps) and tore around Whiterun at speedmult 400... not a stutter... AMAZING. Went outside, set speedmult to 1000, tgm and tcl... picked up aggro from every fort and settlement between whiterun and windhelm... and finally locked screen on the far east side of windhelm docks... MB Log was still only 408 and 197~.  < color me a HAPPY camper.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Zegorzalek

[hishutup]

updated OP to include skse location instructions.

 

  Quote

 

First, please copy and paste the following into your SKSE.ini file

Make sure your ini is located as such ...\Skyrim\Data\SKSE\SKSE.ini

If you follow STEP check this out.

 

[phalen]

hi again.   been having a blast tonight (finally got to play).  after about 2 hours of play and finding the golden claw, i decide its time to go back to first town via fast travel.

 

i pressed M for map, and had an immediate CTD - no error message from windows saying there was a problem etc.  just - poof - gone.

 

i searched the site, and tried to do the forcesteamloader thing in the skse launcher argument - didnt work.

i tried the injector version of enboost - didnt work.

MO manages my SKSE

 

i installed memory block and this is what i get:

 

 

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logging of blocks enabled

logging max values only

Timer disabled

Block1 Block2

512MB 256MB

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i cant seem to find anything else that could help me fix this - ideas?

Edited March 20, 2015 by phalen

[hishutup]

what is the [MEMORY] in ENBlocal.ini

[phalen]

should be as directed by ENBoost guide in the STEP.

 

 

ExpandSystemMemoryX64=false

ReservedMemorySizeMb=512

VideoMemorySizeMb=18432     

AutodetectVideoMemorySize=false

 

 

CALCULATION OF VideoMemorySizeMb

 

;64-bit users with >= 8GB system RAM, set to formula: [VRAM] + [system RAM] - [2048]

 

vram = 4096 

system ram = 16384 (16gb)

 

total = 4096+16384-2048 = 18432

 

vram = (system/inspectors says 4gb, but card specs say 2gb: https://www.gigabyte.co.za/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4663#sp)

 

 

so i am not too sure what to do about the VideoMemorySizeMb, if i have the right number or not.

[phalen]

here is the rest of my enblocal.ini [MEMORY] section

 

[MEMORY]

ExpandSystemMemoryX64=false

ReduceSystemMemoryUsage=true

DisableDriverMemoryManager=false

DisablePreloadToVRAM=false

EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=false

ReservedMemorySizeMb=512

VideoMemorySizeMb=16384

EnableCompression=true

AutodetectVideoMemorySize=false

[phalen]

a further update - my SKSE.ini is in the correct MO folder > SKSE

 

it is still not working.   

 

can nobody help me with this?

[GrantSP]

Why not just try reducing the figures for your memory?

 

Use 2048 instead of 4096 for VRAM and reduce your system RAM down to half of what you have now.

If it works with those settings, which are still pretty decent figures, then at least your game can continue.

[phalen]

i have tried that, didnt work.

 

game runs fine - but as soon as i open the map it crashes

[hishutup]

do you use any map mods/tweaks, if you do can you list them.

[phalen]

i have only used the mods in the step guide - core & extended

[DanimalTwo]

Reinstall you map mods/tweaks to make sure you did them correctly.