Fallout 4 Fix Guide
Fallout 4 (2015) runs on modern Windows without heroics, but it carries a decade of known quirks. Since 2024 it has also had a run of updates, and each one broke F4SE until a new build came out.
Back up first. Copy your saves from
Documents\My Games\Fallout4\Savesbefore you change anything. Here’s how to back up a game properly.
The updates since 2024
Section titled “The updates since 2024”| Version | Released | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1.10.163 | Late 2019 | The old build that most older mods were made for |
| 1.10.984 | May 13, 2024 | The next-gen update added widescreen support and free Creation Club items, and a follow-up patch brought PC to 1.10.984 |
| 1.11.137 | November 10, 2025 | The Anniversary Edition launch added the in-game Creations menu to every copy |
| 1.11.240 (latest) | August 18, 2026 | Raised the limit from 256 to 1,024 BA2 archives and fixed a Steam Deck keyboard crash |
Smaller patches came out in November and December 2025 and in May 2026. Each new version needs a matching F4SE build, and mods that use F4SE wait on it.
The Anniversary Edition itself is something you buy. Standard edition owners can get an upgrade with the six add-ons and over 150 Creation Club items, and Game of the Year owners can buy just the Creations Bundle.
The next-gen update also changed the BA2 archive format, and older versions crash on the new archives. If you stay on 1.10.163, the Backported Archive2 Support System lets it load them.
Pick your version
Section titled “Pick your version”- Playing unmodded, or lightly modded? Stay current, and update your mods alongside the game. The higher archive limit in 1.11.240 also helps big mod lists.
- Following a mod list, or playing Fallout: London? Use exactly the version it names. Fallout: London needs 1.10.163. If the list doesn’t name a tool, follow our Fallout 4 downgrade steps.
- Built your own setup on an older version? Keep it there until F4SE and your key mods support the new one.
To stop surprise updates, right-click the game in Steam, then Properties, Updates, “Only update this game when I launch it”. Then launch through your mod manager or F4SE.
The classic crashes (any version)
Section titled “The classic crashes (any version)”Weapon Debris crash (NVIDIA RTX cards). The Weapon Debris graphics setting uses an old NVIDIA physics library that crash-loops on RTX-era GPUs. Fix: set Weapon Debris to Off in the launcher’s graphics options.
You lose nothing worth having. Modded setups can use a community patch that fixes the effect properly.
Random crashes in long modded sessions. Install the community crash-logger and stability mod for your game version (the Buffout 4 family). It prevents a class of engine crashes and names the culprit in its logs when one happens anyway.
Crash or physics chaos above 60 fps. The engine ties physics to frame rate. Unmodded, leave V-Sync on and don’t force a higher frame rate in your GPU control panel.
Modded, the community’s high-FPS physics fix separates the two properly. Signs you got this wrong include broken lockpicking, stuck terminals and objects launching themselves.
Stutter in downtown Boston is engine-deep and was never fully fixed. Mods that reduce draw calls help, and no ini “one weird trick” does.
Quick reference
Section titled “Quick reference”| Symptom | First move |
|---|---|
| Crash when shooting near debris (RTX GPU) | Weapon Debris off |
| Won’t launch after a game update (modded) | Update F4SE and mods, or go back a version |
| Terminals or lockpicking broken | Cap to 60 fps, or fix the physics and frame rate link |
| Corrupt-feeling install | Verify files (removes loose mod files, so export your list first) |
Last reviewed: October 2026.