Are you an avid Skyrim player frustrated by the notorious Infinite Loading Screen (ILS) issue, where your game becomes unresponsive after hours of play or during startup?
Fear not, as we delve into a solution that combines the power of SSE Fixes and SSE Engine Fixes, accompanied by strategic tweaks in the game’s .ini files. Drawing from the experience of a seasoned modder who successfully overcame this obstacle.
This article outlines a step-by-step process to fix the Skyrim stuck on infinite loading screen issue.
What Causes Skyrim Infinite Loading Screen on Startup?
The following are the most common causes that triggers loading screen issue in Skyrim or Skyrim Special Edition (SE).
- Modding Complexities: Skyrim’s extensive modding community provides a plethora of enhancements, but a heavy mod list, especially those involving complex elements like DynDOLOD, LODGen, and patches, can strain the game’s stability. Conflicts between mods or improper installations may contribute to the Infinite Loading Screen problem.
- Memory Management Issues: Skyrim’s default memory management may struggle to meet the demands of an extensive mod setup. Memory-related problems can lead to crashes, particularly after prolonged gameplay.
- Load Order Challenges: The order in which mods are loaded can significantly impact game stability. Conflicts arising from the load order, especially with mods that alter game mechanics, may result in Infinite Loading Screens. Tools like LOOT can help optimize the load order.
- INI File Configurations: The Skyrim configuration files (INI files) play a crucial role in game settings. Incorrect configurations, whether due to manual changes or mod installations, can contribute to performance issues and loading screen problems.
- Superseded Fixes: The landscape of Skyrim fixes evolves, and sometimes, solutions like SSE Fixes might be supplanted by newer alternatives such as SSE Engine Fixes. Understanding the functionalities and configurations of these fixes is essential for addressing loading screen woes effectively.
How to Fix Skyrim Infinite Loading Screen
The infinite loading screen error may arise on startup, in the main menu, starting a new game, or during fast travel. Apply these fixes to solve this issue.
1. Install SSE Fixes and SSE Engine Fixes
Begin by installing both SSE Fixes and SSE Engine Fixes. Although SSE Engine Fixes was thought to supersede SSE Fixes, combining both mods seems to have resolved the Infinite Loading Screen problem for some users.
2. Configure .INI File
For most players the Skyrim infinite loading screen (ILS) issue will resolve after taking the following steps:
Adjust the settings in Skyrim’s .ini files to optimize memory management. Specifically,
- set SetOSAllocators=1,
- MemoryManager=true,
- UseTBBMalloc=true, and
- SaveGameMaxSize=true
These configurations can enhance the game’s stability and reduce the occurrence of Infinite Loading Screens.
3. Uninstall Mods
Mods do enhance performance giving you more features but most of them are not stable. They mess with the game file and that’s why you see Skyrim SE infinite loading screen error.
If you have installed multiple mods then try to uninstall them one by one and then play the game.
4. Update Graphics Driver
Make sure that your PC has updated graphics drivers so that it may perform at an optimal level.
You can update GPU drivers manually or automatically. Manually include accessing Device Manager which is a Windows 10 Built-in utility.
If you don’t want to go through this process then simply download the driver updater software. This tool will automatically search and install the latest version of the device drivers.
We suggest our reader to download Driver Easy for auto updating the system’s hardware drivers.
5. Load Order and Mod Conflicts
Manage your mod load order carefully, especially with a complex setup involving numerous plugins.
Use tools like LOOT to organize the load order and address conflicts through tools such as Wrye Bash or manual patching. These tools are easily available at Nexusmods.com.
Resolving conflicts can significantly improve Skyrim’s performance.
6. Edit Skyrim Preference
Follow these steps:
- Open game file location i.e. Usersname > Documnts > My Games > Skyrim.
- Right-click on the skyrim.ini file and choose to open it with Notepad.
- Press Ctrl + F and type fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS and change the value next to it to 2000.0.
- Save the Changes.
Now try running the game and see if you are still seeing an infinite loading screen.
7. Disable Expansions
If the Skyrim expansions get corrupted then you will be stuck in a long loading screen.
Follow the steps to do so:
- With in Steam Client select Library and select Skyrim.
- Open the Skyrim Launcher and click on the Data Files.
- Click on the Play button to start the game and check if the error
8. Reinstall Skyrim
Another fix that most of the time resolves Skyrim loading screen error is by reinstalling the game completely.
Here’s how to do that:
- Uninstall Skyrim.
- Delete the [Username]\Documents\My Games\Skyrim folder.
- Delete C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam apps\common\Skyrim folder
- Reboot the computer.
- Reinstall Skyrim.
- Relaunch the game and see if the problem is resolved.
9. Use the Registry Editor
Sometimes Windows 10 registry gets cluttered causing loading screen error. It’s because the Windows OS will consider the game as a not responding program if the loading time is longer than the value in Registry.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Press Windows + R and type regedit to open Registry Editor.
- Navigate to this path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
- From the right side locate HungAppTimeout (If you can’t find it create a new string by right clicking and choosing New String).
- Now right click on this string to choose Modify.
- In the new windows change the value to 30000 and press Ok.
- Now Restart your PC.
