Skyrim Crash Compendium by Ted95

                                  Skyrim Crash Compendium
Crashes in Skyrim will always happen. It has been called "The Bethesda Experience".
Many crashes occur because Bethesda was too lazy to fix them originally.
Others occur because of incompatible mods, incompatible mod combinations, overtaxed computers, or things YOU did.
I will be breaking down different things that cause your game to break down.

Section I: BAT Crashes -
BAT crashes are the most subtle of crashes possible, because they usually do not cause a CTD (Crash To Desktop).
BAT crashes cause Infinite Loading Screens, where you load a save or new area, and the game never responds, even if the music plays and you can swivel any on screen icons (Like a draugr picture).
A BAT crash occurs because you created a BAT file you shouldn't have. I learned this the hard way. A BAT file is a Notepad (like this file), Wordpad, or Microsoft Word text file that you add commands into.
Bat files work when you open the Command Console (Cheating Screen) in your skyrim game and type Bat and the name of your BAT file (Example: Bat SKYBAT) on the ~ Command Console menu.
Ordinarily, there is no problem. But when you make very large BAT files with 50 or more references, especially if you add a huge quantity of one or more items such as 999999999 Daedra Hearts (it would look like Player.additem 0003AD5B 999999999 in your BAT file), the game begins to be less able to handle it.
If you add an extremely large amount of items of different kinds, it can and WILL corrupt your games eventually, and you cannot fix this unless you never use that BAT file. Or create a new game and don't use it.
However, you can use extremely large amounts of items and roughly up to 30 commands per BAT file safely. Why? Because it may be a SPECIFIC command causing the corruption.
Certain items, like Quest Items, are meant to be gotten only when you finish or start their quest. If you haven't and you add them, it can corrupt the game. Especially if you add a lot.
Some examples of items that have corrupted my games are as follows:

1. Albino Spider Pods from the Dragonborn DLC. DO NOT add these with a BAT file or in any way other than picking them up normally. THEY WILL CORRUPT YOUR SAVE! I had added 999999999 of them and for some reason they don't want to be cheated into your inventory.
2. Dragon Heartscales from the Master Alteration quest for Tolfdir of the College Of Winterhold. NEVER ADD THESE AT ALL. Even if you started the quest. They corrupt your saves unless you get them normally.
3. Jarrin Root: this one is a possibility that is best not to add. There is only one of these and you must get far in the Dark Brotherhood quests to get it.
4. Ingredients in general. Never add more than what you REALLY want or need in a BAT file. I cannot narrow down which ingredient causes this issue, but only add what you need.

In general, being safe with BAT files goes like this: use ones that have been proven to work right from the Skyrim Nexus or other reputable sites. Only add what you need and never Quest Items. No Albino Spider Pods. And make numerous smaller BAT files instead of one or more huge ones.

Section II: Gameplay/UI Crashes -
These crashes occur when you are performing very fast actions or actions in general very quickly, and you open up the Start or Inventory menu. The game cannot process these complex actions at that speed and so it crashes, usually to the Desktop.
Here are examples that have caused me to crash and I know are responsible:

1. Using a mod that allows infinite Shouting or a cheat that does and using Whirlwind Sprint CONSTANTLY. Let me explain. The mod and cheats that allow this are fine. Doing it is fine. Doing it constantly can cause crashes or freezing because of the speed that it happens. You may also be entering a new cell while shouting and it causes this.
2. Using the mod "Deadly Spell Impacts". DON'T USE IT. If you use magic at all, it cannot handle it for some reason. As soon as you press the spell button you will eventually freeze or crash. It's not worth it and the author needs to fix this.
3. Running and turning very quickly (and jumping too) can cause this issue for the same reasons as Whirlwind Sprint done constantly can.
4. The mod "Helgen Reborn" must not be activated unless you are using the mod Alternate Start Live Another Life, or have finished the intro sequence at Helgen and are on your way to Riverwood (when you exit the Helgen Keep Cave). It alters Helgen entirely and cause cause lots of problems if you start the game with it enabled.
5. Any mod that BOSS says has "Deleted Navmeshes" stay away from unless the mod's author specifically says they won't cause probelems. Deleted Navmeshes occur when a modder deletes a a part of the game (usually a small part of a location) they shouldn't have or replaced it with something. Entering that part causes crashes.
6. The mod "Sounds of Skyrim - The Dungeons" causes issues with custom made dungeons and dungeons in general. The biggest one being Shriekwind Bastion. It's because it modifies in some way the game's audio in these places and cause crashes and issues.
7. The mod "Shadow Striping Fix" causes issues for the same reasons as Sounds of Skyrim, except it is altering things viusally. Better not to use it as it can cause the same problems.
8. Get Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE). End of story. Most mods require it.
9. Use Skyrim Save Cleaner as a lot of times your saves get too big and cause crashes. This helps clean them.
10. Use Wrye Bash every time you add a new mod to make a Bashed Patch. It helps safely make mods compatible.
11. Make sure your .ESM files are NEVER below your .ESP files. It will cause crashes 100% guaranteed.
12. Make sure your Skyrim .INI doesn't have two Skyrim.ESM entries. Don't know why it happens, but in AppData, if it has two, delete one.
13. Get a computer specifically made for gaming. 8 GB of RAM, a processor that has over 3.0 GHZ, a video card with at least 1 GB of VRAM (GDDR5, DDR3, ETC), and adequate cooling. It is very possible your computer simply can't handle your settings, the game, DLC, or mods you have.
14. At some point, unless you have a GTX Titan, a RADEON 7990, an AMD FX 9370 or 8350, or the highest grade of Intel Processors, and more than 8 GB of RAM, you will not be able to handle the amount of mods (255) that Skyrim allows. It just can't take it.
15. Always make sure your hardware drivers are up to date and your computer has the latest updates.
16. Always update your mods to the latest version, and make sure you add the CORRECT .INI edits if the mod author says to.
17. Don't be stupid and spawn 50 Dragons and 150 Stormcloaks right next to you. Your computer most likely can't handle it, because you did not buy $10,000 worth of parts.
18. As a failsafe, disable all mods and enable them one by one (saving and loading the game in between) to see which one causes problems.
19. If you have mods still that are unsubscribed on your Launcher? Delete them. They cause problems if not subscribed.
20. Never delete anything you don't know what it is or does. Usually it's important and can destroy your computer as well.
21. Don't run a million unnecessary programs along with Skyrim. Only a few get the memory and help, and you want one to be Skyrim.
22. Always have the latest Offical and Unofficial patches for Skyrim and the DLC.
23. Don't use the Official High Resolution Texture Pack. Use something like Skyrim HD 2K Textures. Most computers can't handle Bethesda's High Res pack.
24. Mods that alter the same thing as each other usually don't get along as only one of them gets preference.

Section III: Problem Areas -
Watch these places as they have been known to cause problems. Most of these are mod issues, but some are unexplainable.

1. Ustengrav.
2. Dustman's Cairn.
3. Raven Rock Mine. (Use COC DLC2BloodskalBarrow01 and then save and try going in from the end of the dungeon to the start. Only way I've found to get around this.)
4. The Ratway (all of it, Warrens, etc).
5. Understone Keep.
6. Mistveil Keep (strangely, almost anything with "Keep").
7. Shearpoint.
8. Korvanjund.
9. Volskygge.
10. Shriekwind Bastion (North and South).
11. Nchardak.
12. Nchuand-Zel.
13. The entire Rift and Falkreath Hold. To basically fix this, use the FX series of mods, like Pine Needles FX, Snowfall FX, etc, to help (they help immensely) and with no noticeable difference in appearance.
14. Hilligrund's Tomb.


CREDITS: Ted95
Thank you and I will be updating this as I find out more issues. Please feel free to endorse and tell me of your own.