Noting is more disappointing than a game crashing during its startup. Many gamers often complain that Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is failing to load when they start it. In this guide, I will explain some reasons that cause this issue and how you can fix them. Often it’s the corrupted saved game files that can hamper the game from loading. If the game has some codec packs missing that will stop the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion from launching.

Sometimes, the gamers install a load of mods on the game. This also interferes with the smooth startup of the game. Another reason for game crashing at startup can be due to the number of unused yet open applications in the background. When you have too many memory-intensive applications open at one time while you’re trying to load a game, it can also lead to a crash. So, you have to fix all these to start and run your Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game seamlessly. Let’s check out the troubleshooting in detail.

Fix Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Crashing on Startup

Let’s carry out the troubleshooting.

Change the Executable File’s Name

  • Right-click on Steam
  • From the menu select Properties
  • Navigate to Compatibility
  • Click the checkbox Run this Program As an Administrator
  • Go to the game directory where you have installed Oblivion and double click to open oblivion.exe
  • If the game runs smoothly then everything is fine.
  • If the game crashes during startup, change the executable file name from Oblivion.exe to Oblivionlauncher.exe

Install Missing Codec Pack for the Game

  • Download K-lite Codec [Google for it you’ll find one]
  • Install the codec file
  • Restart Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  • If it runs fine, then your problem is solved otherwise try out other troubleshooting methods.

Tweak the ini file of Oblivion

  • Go to Windows Explorer by pressing Win + E
  • Navigate to the folder where you have installed Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  • Locate the Oblivion.ini file > right-click on it
  • From the menu select Open With > Notepad
  • To invoke the search box press Ctrl + F
  • Type in MusicEnabled
  • Make changes to the MusicEnabled value, change it to “0”. It would be set to 1.
  • Now, save the file by pressing Ctrl + S
  • Also, repeat the exact process for the elements “bDSoundHWAcceleration”, “bSoundEnabled” and “bUseWaterShader”
  • Change their value to 0
  • Set “uInterior Cell Buffer” to 24
  • Similarly, set “iPreloadSizeLimit” to 262144000

Now, try to launch the game and see whether it starts up successfully or is still crashing.

Remove the Saved Game Files of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

  • Open File Explorer by pressing Win + E
  • Go to the folder Save
  • Delete all the saved game files present in that folder
  • Now, start Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and check whether it starts successfully or not

Enable Steam Overlay

  • Open Steam
  • Go to the Library
  • On the left-hand section, locate your game that is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  • Right-click on the game and select Properties
  • Navigate to the General tab
  • Click on the checkbox Enable the Steam Overlay While in-game

Close Unused Background Applications

  • Access Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del
  • Go to the Processes tab
  • Check which unused apps are consuming more memory and CPU
  • Simply, right-click on the apps that you want to close
  • From the menu select End Task
  • Open Control Panel using the Search box
  • Navigate to Programs > Programs and Features
  • From the list of installed programs and apps locate Cyberlink Power DVD 5
  • Once you locate it, right-click on it and select Uninstall
  • Then launch Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and I’m sure it will start up smoothly

Update or Disable the Mods that you have installed

If you have installed mods on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that may require an update. So, try to update the mods and check whether that fixes the issue of the game crash at the startup. Another way is to disable the mod temporarily and launch the game. Then you can enable all the mods individually. Try this method out. For some gamers managing the mods fixes the crash issue.

Reinstall Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

There is one last troubleshooting method you can try out if other fixes don’t work. You can uninstall Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and reinstall it back again.

  • Go to Control Panel
  • Then click on Programs and Features
  • Navigate to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  • Right-click on it and select Uninstall
  • Then open the Steam client for your PC
  • From the Store download the game back on your PC.

So, these are some of the most simple troubleshooting processes you can follow to fix the start-up crash issue of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game. Do share this guide with your gamer friends as well.

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