How-To: Setup Skyrim Special Edition 1.5.97 yourself (The Pre Anniversary Edition Version)

[1215drew]

Originally posted to Reddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrim/comments/qtifsd/howto_setup_skyrim_special_edition_1597_yourself/

Setting up a copy of Skyrim Special Edition version 1.5.97
 
So you want to use the older version of skyrim since as of this date, the Anniversary edition is a broken mess with more complex mods.
 
Well you're in luck! Here's your guide for how to do that yourself.
 
Getting Started
 
Steam stores the files for each app in "Depots", which are versioned based on a manifest file.
We will mostly be following the lovely guide by u/GMMan_BZFlag here: https://reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/611h5e/guide_how_to_download_older_versions_of_a_game_on/
with a small adjustment when it comes to downloading the old files.
 
Unfortunately, Steam broke (quite possibly intentionally) downloading older versions of files stored in a depot via the Steam Console like documented in the guide.
Now when running the download_depot command against an older version manifest, you get a lovely "Depot download failed : Manifest not available"
 
Thankfully, this limitation is only built into the steam console itself and the download_depot command. The actual Steam API still works totally fine.
The lovely folks maintaining the DepotDownloader project have built a tool that will help us get around this problem: https://github.com/SteamRE/DepotDownloader
 
Information about the files
 
The AppID for Skyrim Special Edition is: 489830
 
Skyrim Special Edition Disk
Depot: 489831
Manifest: 7848722008564294070 (7 November 2016)
 
Skyrim Special Edition Core
Depot: 489832  
Manifest: 8702665189575304780 (20 November 2019)
 
Skyrim Special Edition EXE
Depot: 489833  
Manifest: 2289561010626853674 (20 November 2019)
 
For reference, all of this information can be found at SteamDB here: https://steamdb.info/app/489830/depots/
 
Downloading the files
 
After you have unzip'd the DepotDownloader tool you will be downloading the following 3 depot's at their most recent version prior to the Nov 11th, 2021 release.
 
Open a command prompt in the folder that you unzipped DepotDownloader into (Google it if you need help).
 
Note that you will need to pass your steam username and password to Depot Downloader, (and likely enter an emailed code verification when prompted to the first time as well)
If this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to review the code for DepotDownloader on github, take the word of myself and other users of it, or simply figure out your own way to download the files outside of this tool.
 
Disk:  
.\DepotDownloader.exe -app 489830 -depot 489831 -manifest 7848722008564294070 -username YOURUSERNAME -password YOURPASSWORD
 
Core:  
.\DepotDownloader.exe -app 489830 -depot 489832 -manifest 8702665189575304780 -username YOURUSERNAME -password YOURPASSWORD
 
EXE:  
.\DepotDownloader.exe -app 489830 -depot 489833 -manifest 2289561010626853674 -username YOURUSERNAME -password YOURPASSWORD
 
For each of these commands, when complete, you will end up with a folder structure of `depots/DEPOTID/BUILDID` inside your DepotDownloader folder
 
Building a new Game Folder
 
Create a new folder where you would like your installation of SSE to live. Grab the files inside each downloaded depot's buildID numbered folder (mine was 7694678) and copy them over into this new folder, building the final folder structure of the game.
When doing so, make sure to not copy the .DepotDownloader folders as those contain metadata used by the tool during the download.
 
All you need to do at this point is make sure steam is set to not try and auto-update skyrim automatically, and replace the steam Skyrim Special Edition folder with your downloaded folder, making sure it is named correctly.
 
Run your new installation to confirm that its set up, and you're good to go!
 
File Hashes
 
Feel free to verify the file hashes of downloaded files (I encourage you to do so!) Here are the SHA1 hashes for the files:
https://gist.github.com/WardenDrew/abac42b8725e7b1b4ef7e18ca6c739f2
 

 

[lykosfx]

Oi!

Bom Dia!

Eu estava procurando um programa de Downgrade para recuperar o Skyrim_SE que, a Bethesda e a Steam estão sabotando para deixá-lo como Skyrim_AE, em uma versão para LinuxMint_20_0 e só encontrei um programa na NexusMods para Window_8.

Ao pesquisar um pouco mais, encontrei esse artigo no site Reddit de uma versão (limpa) do Skyrim_SE guardada no Steam_db.

O problema é que esse programa, DepotDownloader é para Windows e eu não tenho como fazer o download desses arquivos.

[...]

Editar
 

Oi!

Bom dia!

Estou editando esse poste porque o problema foi resolvido, consegui resgatar uma cópia do SkyrimSE Original e Limpo, através de Comandos de Terminal Linux com a ajuda de um Guia na Steam.

Link Abaixo:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2805259483

É um bom Guia para quem quer jogar SkyrimSE no linux.

Obrigado pela sua atenção

---

Hey!

 

Good Morning!

 

I was looking for a Downgrade program to recover Skyrim_SE that Bethesda and Steam are sabotaging to make it Skyrim_AE, in a version for LinuxMint_20_0 and I only found a program on NexusMods for Window_8.

 

Upon searching a bit more, I found this article on the Reddit site of a (cleaned) version of Skyrim_SE stored in Steam_db.

 

The problem is that this program, DepotDownloader is for Windows and I have no way to download these files.

[...]

Edit
 

Hey!

 

Good Morning!

 

I'm editing this post because the problem was solved, I managed to rescue a copy of SkyrimSE Original and Clean, through Linux Terminal Commands with the help of a Guide on Steam.

 

Link below:

 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2805259483

 

It's a good guide for anyone who wants to play SkyrimSE on linux.

 

Thank you for your attention

 

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by lykosfx