Fallout 3 xlive.dll crash SOLUTION

Recently I decided to fire up Fallout 3 and partake in a little super-mutant battlefest. Fragging those hulking, machine-gun-wielding monsters with mini-nukes is a small pleasure to be sure, but aren't the small pleasures what make life worth living?

Having Fallout 3 through Steam, it is kept updated with the latest patch. I haven't loaded it in a while and I was a bit surprised when it made me install Games for Windows Live. I think I tried to cancel it, but it must have completed the install as I had to afterward uninstall it through Vista's control panel. It all happened in something of a blur as I was feverishly clicking the mouse and trying to hit the bong at the same time.

Apparently either Fallout 3 will not run without GFWL also installed or I screwed something up. I am inclined to think the former based on what I have read in attempting to solve the problem I was now faced with: the dreaded APPCRASH.

There was a fault in xlive.dll that prevented Fallout 3 from launching past the loader. While I do have an xlive.dll in my \Windows\sysWOW64\ directory (I use 64-bit Vista), either it is not the correct version or the dll does not exist in the proper place. I tried copying it to both \Windows\System32 and \Fallout 3 directories to no avail. And that was after I deleted my installation and redownloaded the behemoth from Steam (good thing I don't have metered bandwidth).

But I was just now able to get into the game! I found the Games for Windows LIVE Disabler, a small exe file that will rid Fallout 3's dependence on GFWL. It even removes the GFWL option on the menu.

Of course if you are interested in achievements and DLC and all that this solution isn't for you. Fortunately for myself I am not, so yay for me! And yay for you too if you feel like I do!

Again, the link to get the program is here: Games for Windows LIVE Disabler.