Fallout 4 is an old game but it still has many followers. But lots of Fallout 3 players into an ordinal 43 error. Why does this issue appear? How to get rid of the error? In this post, MiniTool explains the reasons and displays 4 feasible solutions.
What Triggers Fallout 3 Ordinal 43 Error
Lots of Fallout 3 players reported that they ran into an ordinal 43 error:
Error message: Fallout3.exe- Ordinal Not Found The ordinal 43 could not be located in the dynamic link library C:WINDOWSSYSTEMxlive.dell.
The error usually happens after updating Windows or after upgrading to an operating system from the other version. What triggers Fallout 3 Ordinal 43 error? There are three possible reasons.
Games for Windows – Live has not been installed: games for Windows – Live (GFWL) was an online gaming service used by Games for Windows-branded PC titles that enables Windows PCs to connect to Microsoft’s Live service. If there is no GFWL on your PC, you will receive Fallout 3 ordinal 43 error as the game was originally designed to run along with the service.
The DLL file is missing or corrupted: the error message suggests that the xlive.dll file is missing or corrupted. If that is in the case, you can download the file and place it in the game installation folder.
Fallout 3 is cannot work fine with the new versions of Windows: Fallout 3 was released in 2008. 12 years have passed by and the game is too old to work well on the new operating system.
New graphics drivers are not compatible with the game: you should install the old drivers.
After knowing the possible reasons, you can try the following solutions to exclude them one by one.
Fix 1: Download and Install Games for Windows – Live
The top solution to Fallout 3 ordinal 43 error is to install Game for Windows – Live on your PC. Click the link and the download process will start automatically. After the installation, restart your PC and see if the error appears again.
Fix 2: Get the Missing DLL File Back
If the above solution fails to help you get rid of Fallout 3 ordinal 43 error, you should replace the DLL file. Please note that it is not recommended that you get the DLL file from any third-party source. You can ask help from your friends who do not encounter the error and get the file from their PCs.
Fix 3: Run the Game in Compatibility Mode
If the reason for Fallout 3 ordinal 43 error is that the game is so old that it cannot really work on the new versions of Windows, this solution is helpful – many Fallout 3 players solved the error after running the game in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3.
Step 1: Locate the Fallout3.exe file on your PC.
Step 2: Right-click the file and select Properties from the menu.
Step 3: On the Properties window, switch to the Compatibility tab.
Step 4: Look at the Compatibility mode section. Check the box next to Run this game in compatibility mode for and then select Windows XP SP3 from the drag-down menu. Finally, do not forget to check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.
Step 5: Click Apply > OK to execute the changes.
Now, try running Fallout 3 again and see if the error appears again.
Fix 4: Switch the New Graphics Drivers to Old Ones
As we know, Fallout 3 is a bit old and it only supports older versions of the drivers. In other words, the game cannot work well with some new versions of drivers. How to witch the new graphics drivers to old ones? Refer to the following tutorial.
Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and then select Device Manager from the menu.
Step 2: Locate the Display adapters category and then expand it.
Step 3: Right-click the graphics card and choose Uninstall device. Wait for the installation to come to an end.
Step 4: Go to one browser and search for the information regarding your graphics card and your operating system.
Step 5: Select an older entry from the list of all drivers and download it. When the download process completes, save it to your computer, open it, and follow the on-screen instructions to install the old drivers.
The sequel to Fallout 3 was released in 2015. If you are interested in Fallout 4 and want to run it on your game, it is worth reading How to Make Your PC Meet the System Requirements of Fallout 4.