What's the problem with the Steam version? There are many mods, and I think its even included in the Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch, that remove Windows Live.
It wasn't just the windows live....its any version of windows after vista that everyone had problems with. States right on the store page for FO3 "Notice: Fallout 3 is not optimized for Windows 7 and later" and everyone has problems getting it to run "Smoothly". Most of the time with the Steam version you still needed to do SOO much to just to get it to start only to have constant crashes. It all came down to the "optimization" of later versions of windows. I first played FO 3 on my Vista tower and only had crashes because mod conflicts. I have tried getting it to run on Win 7 tower and win 7 laptop. A win 8 tower, and a win 10 laptop with no luck what so ever.....nothing but problems and crashes.
I bought it on GOG today. Installed no problem, installed just over a dozen mods from my FO 3 mod folder (176 mods) and so far....PERFECT! (Win8 tower)