Common CTDs, Freezes, ILS and memory issues

[hishutup]

 

 

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.

 

[Gethal]

What do you mean?

Are you saying I am missing stuff?

[GrantSP]

I'm saying that in my system there are *.DLSTRINGS & *.ILSTRINGS for each ESM that is loaded: Skyrim, Update and each DLC. Which is a vanilla install only months old.

[Gethal]

I installed the vanilla 5 days ago.

I also checked my vanilla backup that I did before installing STEP and they are not there either.

Is there any way I can get them?

[GrantSP]

Is your game in English? As @Greg noted if your game is not in English or you have a mod that has text in another language and it hasn't supplied those strings, you will see that error.

Verify your game with Steam.

[Gethal]

My game is in English, I have never changes the language of it or any mod. I only have STEP: Extended installed, nothing else. I followed all instructions from the guide.

I found this file. What the heck is this hahaha

 

C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Data\Interface\Translate_ENGLISH.txt

 

When I open it:

 

$ TO PLACE     TO PLACE
$ TO STEAL     TO STEAL
$10 Mins    10 Mins
$15 Mins    15 Mins
$30 Mins    30 Mins
$360 Controller    360 Controller
$45 Mins    45 Mins
$5 Mins    5 Mins
$60 Mins    60 Mins
$Accept    Accept
$Activate    Activate
$Actor Fade    Actor Fade
$Add    Add
$Animals Killed    Animals Killed
$ARMOR    ARMOR
$Armor Improved    Armor Improved
$Armor Made    Armor Made
$Armor Rating    Armor Rating
$Arrows    Arrows
$Assaults    Assaults
$Audio    Audio
$Auto-Move    Auto-Move
$Automatons Killed    Automatons Killed

 

 

And continues on

[Gethal]

Ok that file appeared after I verified the game through Steam. The $ are now gone!! Thanks a lot man.

I still dont have those strings though, but who cares.

 

Now all I need is a fix to my CTD.

 

I have done everything in STEP and I get a CTD during loading when I start a new game.

 

This doesn't happen when I deactivate the DynDOLOD mods from MO.

 

Any ideas? A quote of my last post is below.

I have already tried adding the argument thing to SKSE in MO

 

 

Hello,

 

I just finished STEP Extended installation.

All is good except I have CTDs right when loading the game for the first time.

The guide says that the first load should take a while, and it does. After about 20 mins I get CTD.

So basically I don't even get into the game.

 

My skse.ini directory is:

C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Mod Organizer\mods\SKSE - Scripts\skse

the last folder is "skse" and then the ini inside that names skse.ini

 

My skse.ini looks like this:

 

[Memory]

DefaultHeapInitialAllocMB=768

ScrapHeapSizeMB=256

 

[Display]

iTintTextureResolution=2048

 

[General]

ClearInvalidRegistrations=1

EnableDiagnostics=1

 

 

My block log looks like this:

 

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

 

This only started occurring after the 2.N.Patches section of STEP extended was completed.

 

Also, for some reason in the main menu all the texts have a $ at the beginning... I don't think it's related but who knows. Some might say I'm made of money.

 

PLZ HALP!

Edited April 16, 2016 by Gethal

[Greg]

According to the Memory Blocks Log output, the SKSE memory patch isn't working. Given the settings you have in skse.ini, the first line of Memory Blocks Log should be 512 256. You should have these files in the Steam/SteamApps/common/Skyrim folder:

skse_1_9_32.dll
skse_loader.exe
skse_steam_loader.dll

Finally you should be launching the game from Mod Organizer by running skse_loader.exe.

 

EDIT: Also make sure skse.ini isn't named something wacky like skse.ini.txt. This is unfortunately an easy mistake if you let Windows hide file extensions.

[Gethal]

According to the Memory Blocks Log output, the SKSE memory patch isn't working. Given the settings you have in skse.ini, the first line of Memory Blocks Log should be 512 256. You should have these files in the Steam/SteamApps/common/Skyrim folder:

skse_1_9_32.dll
skse_loader.exe
skse_steam_loader.dll

Finally you should be launching the game from Mod Organizer by running skse_loader.exe.

 

EDIT: Also make sure skse.ini isn't named something wacky like skse.ini.txt. This is unfortunately an easy mistake if you let Windows hide file extensions.

All those things are correct. I have all those files in the correct place. I launch the game through MO. The file name is correct, it even says the file type is "Configuration settings" which is the correct one.

Here is a list of things I did differently when following STEP. I highly doubt they are the cause of this problem but you guys are smarter:

 

 

--Farmhouse Chimneys mod

STEP says to install v2.5 but only v2.6 is available and it includes some extra

compatibility features in the installer

 

--Staff of Magnus Hotfix-24909-1-9 mod

I replaced the files in C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Mod Organizer\mods\aMidianBorn Book of Silence - UNIQUE ITEMS\meshes\staffofmagnus

With the files in this mod

 

--Burn Freeze Shock Effects mod

Did not install

[Nozzer66]

The Staff of Magnus fix is easy and doesn't really need a Hotfix to fix it. 

 

All you need to do is add a weapons folder to C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Mod Organizer\mods\aMidianBorn Book of Silence - UNIQUE ITEMS\meshes and then move the Staff of Magnus folder into that Weapons folder.

[PlukovnikPravda]

Okay, I have searched the forums and have some specific CTD related threads to go thru, but here's my specs and a short question.

 

Toshiba Satellite

OS: Win 10
Processor: Intel Core i3-4005U @1.70 GHz brick
RAM: 6.00 GB
System: 64-bit OS X64 based processor
SSD: Western Digital 2 TB Passport Ultra
GPU: IntelHD etcha-sketch

 

Question: is this setup going to kill modding Skyrim beyond vanilla?

I used to run STEP core on my old Toshiba, on a Win 7 with AMD Radeon 6532 (?) Crimson. It worked fine...until Toshiba's AC power connector failed (it's a feature, now). With this machine, I can get a CTD on start up, CTD when running from Riverwood to the Standing Stones, or not get a CTD until later on. The memory logs when it crashed hadn't even got above 240: large crowd of NPCs, immersive patrols back-to-back, nothing. Move along the road into a new--zzzzzt! it happens on partial STEP and my more heavily modded profiles pretty much equally.

 

I'll thread more into this with logs and load order, but it appears to fail in HDT mod.

--Moe

PS - I lied, not a short question.

[Greg]

As far as I am aware, you can squeak by with Skyrim on medium settings with Intel HD 4000 graphics but I don't think you can use the High Resolution Texture Pack. I'm sure you can use some of mods on Nexus but you'll need to watch the meshes and textures closely to keep the frame rate within some semblance of playability.

[PlukovnikPravda]

Well, it seems to play smoothly enough. I get microstutter: Venetian blinds on rocks, dirt, walls, etc. But I get CTD all the time, and the HDTMemoryPatch log mostly includes an entry listing the Kernel Base or something like this (which might be the symptom, not the cause):

 

hdtSkyrimMemPatch
[04/19/16 21:11:15]INFO: Queue OK
[04/19/16 21:11:15]INFO: SKSEPlugin_Load
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Fatal error occured
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Code : 0xc0000005
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Flag : 0x00000000
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Module : E:\Games\steamapps\common\Skyrim\TESV.exe
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Address : 0x00a495b2
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Module Address : 0x00000000
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: AccessViolation, try to write 0x00000000 failed
[04/19/16 21:19:54]ERROR: Call Stack (Skyrim ignored the frame pointer register (ebp) so it may not correct) :

[DoubleYou]

Error code 5 is normally a permissions issue. Make sure it has the right security settings for the skyrim folder

[PlukovnikPravda]

Ah, I thought I had solved that by setting up the Steam folder in an SSD and running everything as Admin. Thanks, I'll see if that doesn't work.

 

:confused:

[PlukovnikPravda]

Nope. That didn't fix it. Hmmm...