Survival Mode Save Errors
The Xbox One will occasionally stop saving during survival mode and lead to a crash-to-desktop. Unfortunately, because Xbox One is a closed system, we do not know the reasons. We do know that on PC, there is a limit of how many saves can be in the save folder and if that issue is also on Xbox then it could be related.
Whether or not this problem stems from cloud or hardware file size limitations, Survivalists will need to limit the amount of mods they download because each mod adds to how many kilobytes of data the Save Game contains.
For the moment, it appears only to be contained to Survival Mode Saves. The problem occurs on both modded and vanilla; however it appears to occur more often and sooner if building large settlements or using many mods that alter weapons' data or add new weapons.
Avoid using the Xbox Quick Resume feature while using Survival Mode and mods to mitigate any potential problems with the video card cache when reloading into a cell.
Control How You Save and Where You Save
It is recommended to be in control of your saves as best you can. Keep only a few at major points, and when playing on Survival mode exit the game properly to load back into a save so that improper cell resets do not occur. Improper cell resets will cause issues later down the line on all difficulty modes but it most commonly occurs during Survival using Autosaves.
The most reliable form of saving is the "hard" save. The player is in full control of these. You create these by manually going to the menu and making a save there. They are also sometimes called "manual" saves. Exiting the game properly (by not leaving it running in the background on your console) will also ensure full control of your save.
Create a clean save after leaving the vault and duplicate it by manually saving every 60 seconds.
Be sure to exit your game properly in order to keep bugs from occurring with any type of save.
Auto Saving
You only get three auto-saved Save Games by default. These Autosaves do not appear to correctly load data in the cell the player is in, unlike a "hard" save that was done manually from the menu.
Textures, especially face tints and environmental maps, don't appear to save correctly when exiting improperly and will result in a rusted face on certain characters and strange bugs with the environmental maps.
It is unknown at this time if texture issues after returning to the game from an autosave are due to errors when autosaving, the Xbox Quick Resume feature, or errors when syncing to the cloud. PlayStation cloud saves seem to have a similar issue. It is best to save your game while connected to a wired connection instead of a wireless one, regardless of the type of save.
There are several different Autosave options to choose from in the Settings Menu. It is highly recommended not to use the Pip-boy to generate your Autosaves and to not use them while playing with or testing mods. Once an Autosave has been replaced by another, the data you wanted to preserve is no longer there.
Make a save then leave the cell the character is currently in (either cross the cell border or go through a load door) and then exit the game.
Exit Saving
The player has very little control over how data is preserved when exiting. You only get one save-on-exit per session, and that will delete itself the next time you exit so any data you wanted to preserve from the last exit is no longer available. It is recommended to either avoid Exitsaves or delete them if they appear in your save folder. These aren't recommended when testing mods. It is up to the player if they wish to use them for normal gameplay.
Quick Saving
Quicksaves are not recommended. The player has very little control over them. You only get one Quicksave, and it will be replaced the next time you Quicksave so any data you wanted to preserve from the last time is no longer available. There appears to be issues with the amount of data saved. The issue is more prevalent on PS4 than Xbox, but users of all platforms should use caution when using them for testing mods.
It is up to you, the player and mod user, to determine what is best for your game.
Too Many Save Files
Too many save files in the save reserve space on Xbox or PS4 or in the save folder on PC will cause issues with saving. Only choose one or two to "hang on to" and delete the rest. It is unknown at this time as to why this is an issue.
PS4 players: Back up your saves to USB
PC players: Back up your save files to another folder or USB. If you feel you need to use Fallrim Tools on any of your save files, you are better off deleting them. Save files and scripting for Fallout 4 are different than Skyrim, and the program is not designed to fully salvage your save. Any advice that includes using Fallrim on your save should be examined for other misinformation.
Xbox players: You have no options for backing up a save file.
0kb Save Error
The 0k Error is a save file corruption that occurs on PS4 by having an improperly formatted drive. Once corruption sets in, players only have the option of deleting the corrupted save.
Save corruption seems more likely to occur when using Creation Club content; however, it occurs on all modes of gameplay and on vanilla and was not "introduced" by the addition of Creation Club.
0kb Save Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting: 0kb Problem-Solving Thread (archived)