Now I'm not taking credit for this, I read it on another forum, but I think the word should be spread. Whilst I was running around collecting aid for bruma I got a game crash. Nothing serious, it happens all the time. So I went to load my game back up but suddenly it was corrupted. The last save I had was from about 3 quests ago, so I didn't want that. I did however find an easy solution on how to uncorrupt the game.

-Go to My Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Saves

-Make a backup (copy to another folder) of the file quicksave.ess or autosave.ess, depending on which one you want fixed.

-Delete the quicksave/autosave.ess from the saves folder.

-Go to "Tools" > "Folder Options"

-Click the "View" tab

-Near the top of the list, UNcheck "Hide extensions for known file types"

-Hit "OK"

-Find the quicksave/autosave.bak file (same directory)

-Rename it to a .ess type file. ex: quicksave.bak >>> quicksave.ess

-Windows will prompt you "Unstable blah blah blah" hit yes.

Now go ingame and test it. If it works than viola problem solved. If it doesn't then use the backup to restore your ess (just incase) and look for another solution.

Might try that someday. I always get a corrupted save and a game crash when saving in the middle of a battle. This might save me some time...

Moving this to Technical Support where I think it may be pin-worthy. Thanks for the share Sypron.

There is a smarter, easier way to solve this problem.
Always keep two saves of your current progress, and one save just a little behind them. Simply load one of your saves that works, and save it on top of the messed up one.

You can also save your games with descriptive wording.
1. Hit the console key [~]
2. Type save "what you want to name the save game" note: put the name in quotes
3 . Close the console [~]

But, people arn't that smart to do that. This is for when your game corrupts and you can't fix it any other way.

Since the technique described doesn't always work, I've found that the safest way to play the game is to keep Autosave on. Whilst manual and quick saves have been corrupted in the past, I've never had a corrupted autosave.

That is the problem i am having right now, my autosaves are being corrupt. I will load into a new zone and crash to desktop. when i go to my last autosave i get this msg. "None of the master files are avaliable for this saved game, returning to game"

Hm, this isn't so much as fixing a corrupted save as much as preventing losing your game.
Any ideas to actually fixing a corrupted save?

Earlier today this topic saved my 90 odd hour level 50 file. Thank you, thank you so much. I am forever indebted to you.

quick save and saving on rest except when sleeping are notorious for creating corrupted saves after a while. I disable them in my game!

Yes, this is good for teaching a method for dealing with corrupted saves, but has anyone determined just how saves get corrupted? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I'm right now at a point my saves are getting corrupted when I am near/in Fallen Rock Cave doing that part of the Fighters Guild Quest. I've backups, so no worry. But every time I go to save there boom...a corrupted save.

The best way is for us to record/compile just when these occur and perhaps better heads than mine can figure out what's wrong and ways for us to prevent it.

ALL saves are corrupted when I save near it. I even used the ~save command and it got corrupted. My saves before it? work fine, and I can save it.

Funny thing...I'm playing with a LOT of mods and it's only in Vanilla Oblivion quests where I've had this trouble. I had these before I even knew there WERE Oblivion mods.

I've had this before btw. Usually I'll just fiddle with all my saves after making a backup and delete all corrupted, autosaves, and quicksaves. By fiddling, I'll repair abomb, remove bloat,etc. And eventually it starts working again. Not so this time.

I'm just not going to save near there. But that's at least 1 problem location we can mention.

Oh, Brina Cross Inn is another. Saves got corrupted there too, until I went back later and redid the mages guild requirement again on a different day and no problems.

Crowhaven also makes my saves corrupted. Vilverin too. And Atatar.
Wasn't like this without mods.. does the usage of mods make corrupted saves?

Reducing the number om mods I play made the game stop crashing and stopped my saves from being corrupted totally.

I don't know if this is relevant, it's certainly not a cure by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a corrupted game recently which I solved in the weirdest of ways. I even reloaded and checked that it wasn't just a fluke. I'm posting as (IMHO) collective glimmers of light often shine a whole ray.
As I was leaving Kvatch, with Martin, I experienced a CTD. Hmmm ... then, when I took the easy option (Tele Straight to Weynon Priory) I .. erm ... experienced a crash to desktop.
I decided it must be one of the items I'd pilfered from the castle not wanting to change cell. The reasoning behind this was from a previous experience when taking all the books from the Bravil Mages Guild and triggering a CTD as I left with my free samples. First I dropped all the books on the floor and departed on foot and then by teleportation. No CTD. Repeated this excersise with .... To cut a long story of epic logical duration short, it was a silver goblet causing my CTD. I determined that it is not the weight you carry that causes this particular CTD problem but, indeed, the number of items you are carrying. I'm convinced there is some limiting factor (number of strings available) that makes the game engine splutter, baulk and die in much the same way as items continue to dissappear and reappear in my numerous chests spread throughout Cyrodiil. Good luck all.