Dead NPCs no longer offer details when scanned.

[Th3GrimR3ap3r]

so i remember that i was able to scan these dead bodies but now i notice whenever i try to do it nothing happened is this a bug if so how can i fix it...so far i've reinstalled the whole game and i do not run any mods.

 

[SigilFey]

Thread title edited for clarity.

...so far i've reinstalled the whole game and i do not run any mods.

Just clarifying:
You have never used any mods, now or in the past?
or
You used mods in the past and have since removed them?

Big distinction, as removing mods from an existing playthrough can often introduce issues.

_______________


When you reinstalled, did you perform a clean installation, as detailed here? With or without mods, sometimes a playthrough that has been through multiple updates can result in unique, one-off issues.

How often would you say this happens? Is there a specific spot that you can go to re-create it reliably, or does it seem to come and go?

 

[Th3GrimR3ap3r]

yeah i did long time go after the release of the game and after that i've not played the game for many years i've swapped out from back then i use to run it on HDDs now on SDDs... okay i am gonna check...this happens on every site that i go to...

 

[SigilFey]

yeah i did long time go after the release of the game and after that i've not played the game for many years i've swapped out from back then i use to run it on HDDs now on SDDs... okay i am gonna check...this happens on every site that i go to...

Whether it was on an HDD or SSD shouldn't matter. The only thing that would matter for this consideration is if you used mods in that playthrough at any point and saved the game with them running. That would leave reference data in the save file, and that will not be removable. Removing mods, leaving empty reference data that points to nothing, could be the issue. (That is the same for any game. It's not guaranteed to cause issues, but it can and will happen depending on how the mods work, and how newer game versions interact with the older mods and the leftover reference data.)

To test, the best bet is to begin a brand new character in a clean installation using no mods whatsoever, ensuring that you create a new, blank save slot. You can just back up your saved games and move them out of the save folder. You can just put them back later on.

 

[Th3GrimR3ap3r]

uh i see so my old save effected the game somehow??? i am redownloading the game (fresh install deleted all appdata stuff and keys) i will also play as a new chr and i am not using the mod before just so you know when i got my ssd

 

[LeKill3rFou]

uh i see so my old save effected the game somehow???

Not the game itself
But if on an "unmodded game" you load a save you created on a "modded game", you will very likely encounter bugs and issues due to remaining mod data in this save.
So to be sure, perform a clean install of the game and start a new playthrough to check if you still encounter the issue (or not).

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[SigilFey]

^ Exactly this.

Mods add extra data, and the game needs to account for it when it saves. If the game is supposed to say:

1 + 2 = 3

...a mod will say something like:

1 + 2 (+ MOD 4) = (MOD 7)

It overrides the default functionality. Essentially, "3" no longer exists. If I save the game with that mod running, the reference to "MOD 4" and "MOD 7" will be saved along with the rest of the data. If I later remove the mod, it may put that saved game into a state where it says:

1 + 2 (+ MOD something???) = (...not 3???)

That sort of error is now baked into the save state of the game. There's no way for the game to know that the data for "MOD 4" and "MOD 7" no longer exists, and that can result in errors. Sometimes, it will be fine: the game will just default back to its original state. Other times, the extra command will remain, but it's now "empty". That can result in nothing noticeable, weird glitches, or outright crashing. All depends on exactly what the mod does and how it was written.

Hence, beginning a new game with no mods at all is the only way to test whether the problem exists in vanilla.


_______________


If the problem occurs in that brand new playthrough, we can confirm it's a vanilla bug and report it to Support.

If everything seems to be working in vanilla, we can be fairly confident that missing reference data is the cause of the blank scans. When any problem exists in a modded save file, there's nothing that Support can do. The studio can't account for the virtually endless mod combinations that may be creating issues. Modding is always done at the player's own risk.

Also, it doesn't mean your old save is toasted. If it is a mod issue, you may be able to figure out which mod might have caused it and just download the latest version of it. That very well can replace the missing reference data and everything may start working again. (But we'd need to figure out which mod was likely causing it.)

One thing at a time, though. Maybe we'll find it does occur in vanilla, and then you're good to restore the saved games.

 

[Th3GrimR3ap3r]

just started a new chr and clean install same thing no scan i followed the guide

 

[MartineDee]

I actually recall this phenomenon from 1.x. Some of the bodies turn up nothing. That was happening on 100% modless installation. Though, it was rare.

Post automatically merged: Aug 29, 2025

P.S. OP, try to lift the hand off the mouse, whilst keeping the target in focus. One of the reasons I was experiencing this is that I play with high mouse sensitivity, so the cursor was moving, and the scan requires it to be still.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

View attachment 11424893
just started a new chr and clean install same thing no scan i followed the guide

Just to be sure, it's enemies you killed?
(from what I see, these NPCs are dead civilians, quite common in NCPD Scanner Hustles)
From memories, NPCs which are already dead (only here to be a part of the scenery) can't be scanned

 

[Th3GrimR3ap3r]

soo how to fix it??? or where can i see this bug error report etc???

Post automatically merged: Aug 29, 2025

Just to be sure, it's enemies you killed?
(from what I see, these NPCs are dead civilians, quite common in NCPD Scanner Hustles)
From memories, NPCs which are already dead (only here to be a part of the scenery) can't be scanned

idk if you remember cuz i played this game from the day release and i remember that when you find pre world events like ester eggs and these active assaults i was able to scan and get info on how these npcs dead etc and now i notice ever since i got the dlc i can not do it anymore (keep in mind i did not play the game for a long time) i just did a clean install too

 

[LeKill3rFou]

idk if you remember cuz i played this game from the day release and i remember that when you find pre world events like ester eggs and these active assaults i was able to scan and get info on how these npcs dead etc and now i notice ever since i got the dlc i can not do it anymore (keep in mind i did not play the game for a long time) i just did a clean install too

I just checked on my game, and no, I don't think something changed since release.
It's only possible to get a scan living civilians, enemies (dead or alive), and certain bodies, but only if they're scannable (highlighted in yellow). About easter eggs, I don't think you were ever able to scan the corpses. The infos are either provided by some scannable objects, corpses (in yellow if they are) and shards in their inventory or the containers around.

You can send a ticket to the support here in case ("contact us" button), but I'm pretty sure it's normal.

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In my game :

Spoiler

> Scenery dead civilian (no scan)

> Dead enemy (scan)

> Easter Eggs corpse (no scan)

> Easter Egg scannable object

> Data shards to loot about the Easter Egg