You reach Vault 79 by progressing through the Wastelanders story, not by entering it as a free-standing location. After completing The New Arrivals and Overseer, Overseen, follow either the Raiders quest chain or the Settlers quest chain. For the Raiders’ Buried Treasure quest, the keypad code is 407687.
Start the Wastelanders questline
New characters begin the Wastelanders journey with The Wayward, meeting Lacy and Isela outside Vault 76. Bethesda says the full main quest opens in Sutton at level 20. Existing characters can start with The New Arrivals. Follow the relevant start for your character and complete The New Arrivals, then Overseer, Overseen. Bethesda’s Wastelanders start guide describes these entry points.
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After Overseer, Overseen, you learn about Vault 79 and can speak with Meg at Crater and Paige at Foundation. You may talk to both; you only need to continue one faction’s quest chain to reach the vault.
Choose a faction route to Vault 79
The two routes lead to the same vault but have different quest steps and entry methods. Before starting the Raiders’ heist with Meg, consider whether you still want to complete Foundation Settler quests.
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| Route | Quest chain | How you enter | Important consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | Cheating Death, The Ol’ Weston Shuffle, From Russia With Lev, then Buried Treasure | In Buried Treasure, use the keypad code 407687. Meet the gang and tell Lou when you are ready; he uses the detonator to open the vault. | Bethesda warns that beginning the Vault 79 heist with the Raiders means you cannot continue quests with the Foundation Settlers. |
| Settlers | Trade Secrets, Duty Calls, Siding with Foundation, Division of Wealth, then All that Glitters | In Division of Wealth, meet the group at Vault 79 near Freddy Fear’s House of Scares and go to the basement. In All that Glitters, Motherlode drills a tunnel into the vault. | This route uses Paige and Motherlode rather than the Raiders’ keypad-and-detonator entry. |
Bethesda’s walkthroughs detail the Raiders questline, the Settlers questline, and the faction decision and lockout warning.
Raiders: enter during Buried Treasure
- Continue the Raiders’ chain until Buried Treasure.
- Travel to Vault 79 and enter 407687 at the keypad.
- Meet the gang inside the quest area. When you are ready to proceed, tell Lou; he uses the detonator to open the vault.
The code is specific to the Raiders’ Buried Treasure quest walkthrough; entering it is not a substitute for completing the story prerequisites. See Bethesda’s Buried Treasure walkthrough.
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Settlers: follow Division of Wealth and All that Glitters
Continue Paige’s chain through Division of Wealth. Meet the group at Vault 79, near Freddy Fear’s House of Scares, and head to the basement. The subsequent All that Glitters quest takes you through a tunnel, where Motherlode drills into Vault 79. This route does not use the Raiders’ keypad code or Lou’s detonator; see Bethesda’s Settlers walkthrough.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If Buried Treasure gets stuck
Bethesda’s quest-specific troubleshooting suggests returning to Appalachia using the elevator and re-entering the quest area, or leaving the world and joining a new one. During the Johnny step, the guide advises staying in the elevator rather than exiting and returning to the quest area. These are suggested workarounds, not guaranteed fixes for every quest bug. See Bethesda’s Buried Treasure troubleshooting notes.
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