Best way to wipe clean and start fresh

[Soulshine]

I'm an admitted mod whore and tend to inevitably frig up the game beyond playability after a few hundred hours of play, since it's virtually impossible to get rid of mods once they're installed.

 

I have deleted local content  and re-downloaded the game to start fresh a couple of times already and I wondering if there's a quicker way to wipe all the mods and saves to get the game back to pure vanilla condition.

 

How do you do it?

 

 

[nhl]

You can try archiving the whole Skyrim install folder (and the Skyrim folder in My Documents\My Games if you feel like it) just after a fresh (re)install.

 

All you'd need to do when you want to re-install the game then, is delete the Skyrim folder (along with the one in My Documents if you wish to get rid of it all) and unpack your archive(s) (do not uninstall it as that would delete the registry keys, which wouldn't be restored).

 

If you're using Steam, you can use that platform's backup system to automate the process and perform proper uninstalls/reinstalls. The archives created are bigger, but you can always archive those archives if computer space is at a premium and unpack the archives you created when you want to re-install the game. You won't have to download the game yet again and you'll be able to actually uninstall it.

[kingkong]

you just make a back up of your first/fresh best install    you make an archive.7zip from all your oblivion/skyrim folder the day you mess with it you whip every thing and unzip your backup     or you make a mirror backup takes more place with the same idee.

 

do not forget the files.ini in savegame

[Soulshine]

You can try archiving the whole Skyrim install folder (and the Skyrim folder in My Documents\My Games if you feel like it) just after a fresh (re)install.

 

All you'd need to do when you want to re-install the game then, is delete the Skyrim folder (along with the one in My Documents if you wish to get rid of it all) and unpack your archive(s) (do not uninstall it as that would delete the registry keys, which wouldn't be restored).

 

If you're using Steam, you can use that platform's backup system to automate the process and perform proper uninstalls/reinstalls. The archives created are bigger, but you can always archive those archives if computer space is at a premium and unpack the archives you created when you want to re-install the game. You won't have to download the game yet again and you'll be able to actually uninstall it.

 

Thanks,I just got through doing just that. Definitely wanted to delete the saves too. I don't have to worry about archiving anything from Docs since that will be recreated when I hit play for the first time after any new install.

[KindMan]

Use Mod Organizer. You only need to copy very basic things (eg SKSE) into your Skyrim folder, everything else is handled as a virtual overlay by MO and yor Skyrim data folder stays clean.