It's Not Just You™ - Fallout 4 Crashing with NVIDIA's SHARE Game Recorder (Possibly Relating To The High Resolution Texture Pack) [Notification, Text-Only]

Updated 2017-06-19: I found one cause of the crashes with SHARE and Fallout 4 (for me) - The HRTP

Just a quick post to say that, if you are experiencing Fallout 4 CTDs (Crashes To Desktop, where FO4 closes without any messages or anything and you are left staring at your Desktop in Windows), I want to let you know It's Not Just You™ - as I am finding I am experiencing this as well, lately...

I haven't looked into Forums specifically for this, but perusing Forii off and on over the past year or so, where many are talking about Fallout 4 and Crashing, it seems to happen a lot to people anyway, for just about any reason, unfortunately. I myself wasn't experiencing this very much though (gladly), until just recently when playing FO4 again [and spending way too much time building up Settlements instead of getting Quests done], I was testing out different Game Recording Programs and started seeing this happen.

I'm happily playing Fallout 4, getting frustrated at the Building mechanics or shooting some Raiders attacking my Settlement, when all of a sudden, BOOM - desktop image and icons. No message, nothing. Fallout 4 has closed itself instantly. I of course start it up again and begin to see where I last hit QuickSave or the game automatically Saved for me - but this has happened a few times in a row now where BOOM - the desktop greets me and icons appear. No message, nothing.

Quick Tip, Workaround: No Audio Recorded in Windows 10 with the Game DVR Recording Application

Just yesterday, I upgraded my system to Windows10. Yes, I took the plunge... I was in the Beta for Windows 10 and have been using it for a while, testing out games for a future article on Windows 10 and Gaming here [Coming Soon™], and today, I tried out the Windows built-in game recording program "Game DVR", to see if could replace third-party game recording applications (such as MSI Afterburner, Dxtory, Bandicam, and more). I am currently working on a longer Quality Test article, going into detail about Game DVR and the recording output it produces; however for now, I quickly wanted to address a problem that I ran into already with Game DVR in Windows 10 (and saw that many online were running into as well): capturing with the app results in no sound/audio in the output file - even if the Audio Setting is "On" in the Settings for Game DVR...

The Audio Settings for Game DVR in Windows 10, showing the Audio as being Enabled

Nothing I did locally on the system seemed to alleviate the issue. Game DVR was recording only video, no audio, in any and all games and applications. Sound was working on the system, I could hear everything - it just did not get created within the output file, produced by Game DVR when I hit "record". Interesting. Just in case, I re-installed Audio drivers and rebooted, re-installed a few test games and tried again. No audio within the recordings from Game DVR. I even tried Disabling and Enabling various combinations of the Input and Output devices listed under the Sound properties. No audio in the recordings from Game DVR still. Interesting.

A typical Game DVR popup ...sorta

As general Troubleshooting steps dictate, once Software has been investigated, if there is no progress, then Hardware should then be looked at. So, I attached a USB Audio Device I had left over from my last set of headphones: a Creative Labs THX-Certified Tactic 3D USB Audio Adapter - and plugged in my headphones into it. Boom. It worked! Game DVR was now recording Audio and including it in the videos created by the app [the game recordings].

The list of Playback Devices in Windows 10, showing that I attached my USB Headset Audio Adapter and unplugged it from my Onboard (built-in to the motherboard) Audio Adapter (the red arrow). Using this device, Game DVR then produced Audio properly within produced recordings from the app.

Detaching the USB Audio Adapter, my Onboard Sound Adapter kicked in automatically (a Realtek ALC1150 with 8-channel HD audio) and I still had sound - but Game DVR no longer recorded any (again, no Audio Track within the recorded file). Re-attaching the USB Audio Device, Game DVR records audio within the recordings once more... So, it seems that it simply does not like my onboard (built-in to the mainboard) audio. That's fine, no hurt feelings, I'll explain it to my motherboard tomorrow. My 'workaround' then?

Install a Sound Card or USB Audio Adapter, to use as an additional audio device - then "Game DVR" will use it to record audio within your game recordings.

Since this isn't really a 'fix', I will post this as a "Workaround", as it is something that an end user will have to do to get the app working as desired. Slash-sigh, I know... Well, until this gets patched within Game DVR, or Drivers get updated [it could possibly be my mainboard drivers, too], or Windows gets an Update that addresses this, I'll just leave a little Suggestion via the Feedback app in Windows 10 to take a look at the Game DVR app - after all, I'm certainly not the only one to run into this (I have seen it come up in a few forums now) - which is why I am quickly writing this post; perhaps someone else may be helped or may be able to at least record their games with Sound, even though it may take extra steps or devices to do so. Hopefully it will work for you, dear reader, as it did for me.

Good luck with it - and See You In The Games!

[Personal Version/Opinion: Obviously, this post is directed more towards those that really, really want to use Game DVR as their main game recording application. It's quite alright if you don't use it or can't at this time. It isn't 'the only game in town' that offers game recording... I myself prefer Bandicam the most and I usually suggest MSI Afterburner to those who want a free program. I also have an old Fraps I purchased years ago that I try out for games that are 'finicky' to record with. I have also tried Dxtory and OBS and others, as well. My point is that Windows 10 'just' came out days ago and trying to use Game DVR in it puts a User 'on the leading edge' of technology. When that happens, there are bound to be problems encountered. This is one. Don't be too upset if you cannot use it yet dear reader, especially when there are so many other options for the same thing. If you are able to get your hands on a second audio device of some sort, great - I hope it works out for you then, as it did for me... Take Care]

Update: A fix was found via a tip from the Official Microsoft Forums - I have personally tested it and it worked for me! That post is the very next one here at the blog.

And More: Game Recording for Compatibility with Video Editing Programs (Text-Only Version)

Just some quick tips for recording your gaming adventures, so that no matter what recording or editing program you use, you can open the recorded file and edit it without any problems:

Most game recording programs will automatically install CODECs (COmpressor/DECompressors) when you install the program itself. Codecs can be thought of as 'handlers' for the video and audio formats that the program will 'prefer' [that is, formats that they were programmed with], so that you can open them in video editing applications. Also, most video editing apps can read certain widely-accepted/standardized formats such as MJPEG, RGB, YV12, Uncompressed, and so on, "natively" (without installing any additional codecs, once you install the video editing program itself). The thing is, sometimes there is a format that is selectable or useable in a recording application and then you can find out later that your video editing application "doesn't like it" (won't open your recorded file)...

To solve this problem, you can do a few things (in order of ease-of-use):

• Change the format you are recording with.

[This also works if you don't want/can't install any additional codecs on the system]

All you have to do is switch the recording codec you are using to something that the editor can easily open. If your recording cannot easily be imported into your video editor, take a look at the 'importable formats' that are listed for your video editing application at the manufacturer's website.

You can also just do a couple of short test recordings to find out what can be recorded to and opened by your favourite editing app without problem. You may, for instance, test with a short recording and find that only the video (or only the audio) can be opened. This means you just have to check what formats you are recording with and switch out the one that is not being read properly. 

For example:

Problem: Sony Vegas opening a recorded file and the video track is fine but the audio has only a small 'sliver' of data (no sound track)
Fix: Change the audio recording format to Uncompressed PCM Audio

Now Sony Vegas can properly open both the video and audio portions of the recording (without installing any additional codecs) - all solved by merely switching to using a different codec for recording

• Install the codec you wish you use.

A recording program may offer a format that you can record with, but it may not automatically install the decoder portion for it, so you may have to download and install the codec package in order to open the recordings.

Some examples:

Some find that when using the MJPEG codec offered within MSI's Afterburner program to record, they cannot open the MJPEG format recorded files in their video editing application. Within MSI Afterburner, there is an option to enable an MJPEG decoder within it, if it is needed (it shouldn't be, since most video editing programs support MJPEG natively (it is just a sequence of JPGs))

Some find that when using the Xvid codec offered within Bandicam to record, they cannot open the Xvid format recorded files in their video editing application. To solve this, merely download the Xvid codec package from the Xvid.org website and then you should be able to open the Xvid recorded files in your video editing program

• Convert the recorded file into a format that the video editing app can open without problem.

Most editing programs have a list of 'compatible' formats that it was programmed to open natively [without installing anything else]. From the list, choose a format that is easy for you to convert your recordings into, so that you can easily import them into your video editing application.

To convert your recordings, you can use the conversion program that came with your camera or multimedia device, if it came with one. There are also many freeware programs that you can use, such as:

Avidemux
Virtualdub
FormatFactory
Xvid4PSP
Xmedia Recode
Nero Recode
WinFF
and more

Simply use the one that you find easiest to use and convert your files with. You can also purchase a video editing program/software suite that will allow you to convert/edit the recordings.

Once you try one of the above steps (listed in order of easiest/quickest first), you should find importing your recordings into your favourite editing apps going a lot smoother and having less problems/glitches when starting your editing.

Good luck with it and Have Fun editing your gaming adventures!