Fallout 3 is considered the best game in the series, as well as the best RPG ever made. However, many people don't play it because of the Fallout 3 store page saying "Fallout 3 is not optimized for Windows 7 and later." However, I'll show you how you can prove that message wrong and play it without any problems! Also, I would like to note that this ONLY works with Windows 8+8.1, not Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, nor Windows 10. I am extremely sorry of this situation, and will still try to help those if I can find a solution for any of these other operating systems.

1. FIRST, install either Fallout 3 or Fallout 3: game of The Year Edition. It's unconfirmed if you don't need to download it first or if you can do it while it is downloading, so if you do these steps while it's downloading, It will not be my fault for what happens.

2. Go to your hard drive (Which ever one you have Steam games on)

3. If you have a 64-bit Windows 8 or 8.1 device, open the folder "Program Files (x86)"
If you have a 32-bit Windows 8 or 8.1 device, open the folder "Program Files"

4. Open the folder "Steam"

5. Open the folder "SteamApps"

6. Open the folder "common"

7. Open the folder "Fallout 3"

8. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "FalloutLauncher" (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "FalloutLauncher.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows 7" (That's correct WINDOWS 7) and then exit out of FalloutLauncher Properties.

9. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "Fallout3" (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "Fallout3.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)" and then exit out of Fallout3 Properties.

10. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "Fallout3 - Garden of Eden Creation Kit" (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "Fallout3 - Garden of Eden Creation Kit.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows 7" and then exit out of Fallout3 - Garden of Eden Creation Kit Properties.

11. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "GDFInstall" (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "GDFInstall.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" and then exit out of GDFInstall Properties.

12. Open the folder "VCRedist" Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "vcredist_x86" (It's could be named something else for Windows 8 or 8.1 32-bit devices) (NOTE: It sometimes is named "vcredist_x86.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows Vista" and then exit out of vcredist_x86 Properties.

13. Open the folder "DotNetFX" Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then Right click the Application called "dotnetfx3_x64" (For 32-bit users, it's called "dotnetfx3". It should still be the same as what to do for the 64-bit users, but if not, I'm sorry) (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "dotnetfx3_x64.exe") Choose the option "Properties" Click on Compatibility and change the Compatibility mode to "Windows 7" and then exit out of dotnetfx3 Properties.

14. Now, go back and open the folder "VCRedist" and this time, double click on "vcredist_x86" (I don't know what it's called for a 32-bit Windows 8 or 8.1 device, but I would guess either "vcredist or "vcredist_x86") (NOTE: It's sometimes is named "vcredist_x86.exe") and allow it to install to go onto your hard drive

15. Now, go back and open the folder "DotNetFX" and this time, double click on "dotnetfx_x64" (For 32-bit users, it's called "dotnetfx3") (NOTE: It's sometimes called "dotnetfx_x64.exe") and allow it to install onto your hard drive.

Congrats! You are done with the FIRST part of changing you game files. We have some other things to do before we need to do more things in the game files.

1. Go to http://www.xbox.com/en-IE/Live/PC/DownloadClient and download the Games For Windows Live Client. (If you don't trust me on this and think I want to give you a virus, search Games For Windows Live Client on the internetand you'll find the same thing) Luckily, for at least me, you DON'T HAVE TO SIGN IN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO PLAY, unless you want achievements, gamer score, etc., where you will not be able to do that, unless you have a physical copy.

2. Look and the bottom of your internet page and it will ask if you want to install it, where you will click on install.

3. Allow it to make changes to your hard drive and it will install.

If when you launch Fallout 3 it keeps opening Games For Windows Live, then here is a possible solution.

1. Go to http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/1086/? and download it.

2. For easiest convinence, put it to your desktop screen. If you can't for some reason, then it still shouldn't be that hard.

3. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then right click and extract it.

4. After having it extract, double click on it so it will open.

5. Click "Disable G4WL" and exit it. (NOTE: JUST EXIT! DON'T CLICK ON "Move DLC's" or anything else!)

Congrats! You have finished the second part! We are getting close to being able to play Fallout 3 or Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition.

1. Go to the file folder "Fallout3" in the Folder "Fallout 3" (NOT THE APPLICATION!) and click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK!) then right click "FalloutPrefs" (NOTE: It's sometimes called "FalloutPrefs.ini") and this time CLICK COPY. (This is just in case you screw up so you can have another chance at doing it)

2. Paste what you copied (NOT ON on the FalloutPrefs, but in the same folder) and then you'll be ready for the next step.

3. Copy All of this:


[Display]
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=10
iTexMipMapSkip=0
iWaterMultisamples=4
bTransparencyMultisampling=1
fSpecularLODStartFade=2000
fShadowLODStartFade=1000
fLightLODStartFade=3500
bDrawShadows=1
iActorShadowCountInt=6
iActorShadowCountExt=6
iShadowFilter=2
iShadowMapResolution=1024
iAdapter=0
iSize W=1920
iSize H=1080
iMultiSample=4
iMaxAnisotropy=15
iPresentInterval=1
bFull Screen=1
sD3DDDevice="(put what ever type of Graphics card you have in this space)"
[Grass]
b30GrassVS=0
fGrassStartFadeDistance=7000
[Imagespace]
iRadialBlurLevel=2
bDoDepthOfField=1
[Water]
bUseWaterRefractions=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bForceHighDetailReflections=1
bAutoWaterSilhouetteReflections=0
bUseWaterDepth=1
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
iWaterReflectWidth=1024
iWaterReflectHeight=1024
bUseWaterReflectionBlur=1
iWaterBlurAmount=4
[TerrainManager]
fTreeLoadDistance=40000
fBlockLoadDistanceLow=50000
fSplitDistanceMult=1.5
[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultActors=15
fLODFadeOutMultItems=15
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=15
[BlurShaderHDR]
bDoHighDynamicRange=0
[BlurShader]
bUseBlurShader=0
[Launcher]
bShowAllResolutions=1
uLastAspectRatio=3

And then double click "FalloutPrefs" and highlight everything on the notepad (DON'T COPY IT THOUGH!) then paste what I put above into the notepad.

NOTE: I just realized that it said "Put whatever type of Graphics card you have here" You DO NOT have to put what type of graphics card you have. Just copy and paste it as seen.

For most PC users, CONGRATS! YOU HAVE FINALLY FINISHED FIXING FALLOUT 3!!

However, for some it might not be done and there is one VERY helpful tip for anybody playing Fallout 3 on PC.

1. First, try launching Fallout 3 and then click play. If it works (It will have a Title card saying something like StandBy), go to settings and then click gameplay and turn off all autosaves. Autosaves, and overwriting saves, can lead to crashes and possible corrupt files (I crash a lot until I did this, but luckily, my files were never corrupt)

There is also another VERY helpful tip that helps prevent random crashes or freezing.

1. Go to Documents

2. Go to folder "My Games"

3. Go to folder "Fallout3"

4. Go to FALLOUT (Can be different but atleast has FALLOUT in it ALL CAPITALIZED!)

5. Find the line ----> bUseThreadedAI=0

6. Change it to ----> bUseThreadedAI=1

7. Below that line (Click the ENTER key on your keyboard), put in the line ----> iNumHWThreads=2

Use both of these methods to prevent crashing from ever happening!

IF IT DOESN'T WORK, FOLLOW THESE STEPS

First of all, this is only for Intel HD graphic users who didn't get it to work already.

1. Go to this link http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/17209/?tab=2&navtag=%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D17209&pUp=1 (Once again, it will not cause a virus, but if you want to make sure, search Nexus Mods Fallout 3 Bypass Intel HD on the internet and you should get the same website.

2. Download it (I don't know how, but I think you might need to make an account) and save it to your desktop for easiest access and wait for it to install onto your hard drive.

3. Click on it (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK IT!) and then right click it and click Extract to fallout 3 Intel bypass package (May not be the exact same, but it's close to what I said)

4. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK) then right click d3d9 (Or something like that) and click Copy. Go back to the Fallout 3 folder and paste it into there

5. Click (DON'T DOUBLE CLICK) then right click the FALLOUT.ini from the Intel HD bypass package and copy it. Then, go to documents, then my games, click the fallout 3 folder and paste it into there (If there is already one there, replace it with the new one)

6. Test and launch the game, where it should work.

CONGRATS! YOU NOW HAVE FALLOUT 3 AND CAN PLAY IT!

After all of this, you now can play Fallout 3 on your Windows 8 or 8.1 computer! It took a long time, but it IS worth it in the end.

If this guide helped you, Please rate it five stars and share it to anyone you know who is having this problem. This guide took me more than 2 hours to write, so please show your love towards Fallout 3 and this guide.

If it didn't work for you, I am very sorry for you and hope you will find another way.

However, i couldn't make this guide possible without the help from this guide http://steamproxy.net/app/22370/discussions/0/864956555011164413/
Thanks BigBoyBuckley for making this guide possible to have people play Fallout 3 on Windows 8 and 8.1!

Remember, have fun and happy gaming!