[Solved!] Skyrim save suddenly broken

[Oloroso]

Hello LL,

I've been playing and modding SSE pretty heavily lately and finally got a build i'm pretty satisfied with.
Now I've been playing yesterday evening with no problems at all, but as I tried to start Skyrim up today, it seems my whole save is broken.

It started with giving me good ol message "this save requires content that is no longer available" and then listed a bunch of mods and '...' to show it seems to be missing alot more, but nothing has changed in my MO2. I've since run LOOT to update my load order, and i'm not getting that error anymore. Sadly, the save is still broken.

As soon as my save loads, I get a bunch of messages indicating that a mod has been installed, as if my save completely forgot that those mods were installed/configured before (see screenshot).

This happens to all my saves from yesterday (1 manual save, 1 quicksave and all autosaves).
Apart from playing Skyrim yesterday, I've tried installing the mods: Ultimate Follower Overhaul SE, My Home is Your Home, and Relationship Dialogue Overhaul.
I already had RDO Lite, but disabled it in MO2 and then installed the above. Couldn't get these to work together properly, so I disabled the mods again and re-enabled RDO Lite. Game ran fine still after that.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I also changed a bunch of things in MCM menu's (mostly put armor as 'revealing' within SoS MCM menu, and changed some settings in Smoothcam). Next to that I've stored a LOT of items within a linked chest in my player home "elysium estate". 

 

Is there any way I can get this save to work again? Somehow make it recognise/find the installed mods and their configurations back? The data should still be somewhere right?
Otherwise, is it possible to take that mod configuration data from another save and try to add it to my latest save, in hopes that I can continue with it? 

 

Thanks for helping in advance! If any more info is needed I'd be happy to provide it!

 

Edit:
SSE version: 1.6.353
SKSE version: 2.1.5

Edit2: Problem fixed, see my last comment.
Issue was indeed like Just Don't suggested - I went over the ESP/ESM limit.

archives.txt loadorder.txt modlist.txt plugins.txt settings.ini Skyrim.ini

Edited January 24, 2023 by Oloroso

[Miauzi]

simple answer -> no

and let me guess - you didn't start over after each newly installed mod but just kept playing and saving again and again?

Definitely - because Skyrim is very sensitive when changing the loading order and saves

for this reason mod authors set up the "golden rule" -> after installing new mods -> start new game!!

 

 

 

 

[Oloroso]

13 minutes ago, Miauzi said:

simple answer -> no

and let me guess - you didn't start over after each newly installed mod but just kept playing and saving again and again?

Definitely - because Skyrim is very sensitive when changing the loading order and saves

for this reason mod authors set up the "golden rule" -> after installing new mods -> start new game!!

 

 

 

 

I'm definitely guilty of doing that yeah. So you think the saves are toast?
Weirdly everything seems to work on my saves from before yesterday (20-1-2022), 

Also a bit of extra information, when I started up today and ran into the problem where it couldn't find any of my mods, i tried a new game and it started with the standard Bethesda Skyrim intro, instead of Alternate Start - seems like it really didn't find my mods. Now however, it does start with Alternate start.

I feel like the SKSE/MCM save just didn't pull through this afternoon and messed up my recent saves. If only there was a way to restore them... I do know there is a bunch of SKSE saves (see attachment) but I geuss there is no way to attach them to my latest save game?

I did alot of stuff in game and with MCM menu's yesterday, I really hope I don't have to restart from an older save (although i'm very glad those still work).
 

[CaptainJ03]

I am not familiar with MO, but what you're writing seems to indicate that you've changed your modlist and/or load order massively since your last save (which cannot load)

Try to start a new game, don't do much, save - exit - reload. If that works, just forget about that borked save from yesterday.

[yarz96]

Never use autosave and qucksave with mods, it can broken your save
Set RegularQuicksaves = true in enginefixes

[Miauzi]

Vor 1 Minute sagte yarz96:

Verwenden Sie niemals Autosave und Quicksave mit Mods, da dies Ihre Speicherung beeinträchtigen kann
Setzen Sie RegularQuicksaves = true in Enginefixes

 

Thanks for mentioning this...

...from painful experience I do this myself - only I always forget to name it myself in "tips and hints".

[Just Don't]

A good recipe for a disaster. You can do better, it's not 100% mandatory to start a new game each time you install any mod, but you should really practice some restraint with the amount and type of mods you use. A quick glance at your loadorder shows you have both Bijin AIO things and the individual Bijin plugins loaded, 2 different interior lighting overhauls and I'm sure I'd find more stuff if I keep looking.

Also how many ESM+ESP do you have? Put your mouse over the "Active: xxx" and check that number. If it's above 255 you have too many plugins (disregarding esl stuff) and your game won't work.

[Miauzi]

16 minutes ago, hoikutzooi said:

Ich bin definitiv schuldig, das zu tun, ja. Du denkst also, die Saves sind Toast?
Seltsamerweise scheint bei meinen Saves von vorgestern (20.1.2022) alles zu funktionieren,

Auch ein paar zusätzliche Informationen, als ich heute gestartet bin und auf das Problem gestoßen bin, dass keine meiner Mods gefunden werden konnten, habe ich ein neues Spiel ausprobiert und es hat mit dem Standard-Bethesda-Skyrim-Intro anstelle von Alternate Start begonnen - scheint so Es hat meine Mods wirklich nicht gefunden. Jetzt startet es jedoch mit Alternativstart.

Ich habe das Gefühl, dass die SKSE/MCM-Speicherung heute Nachmittag einfach nicht durchgekommen ist und meine letzten Speicherungen durcheinander gebracht hat. Wenn es nur eine Möglichkeit gäbe, sie wiederherzustellen ... Ich weiß, dass es eine Menge SKSE-Speicherstände gibt (siehe Anhang), aber ich denke, es gibt keine Möglichkeit, sie an mein neuestes gespeichertes Spiel anzuhängen?

Ich habe gestern eine Menge Sachen im Spiel gemacht und mit den MCM-Menüs hoffe ich wirklich, dass ich nicht von einem älteren Speicherstand neu starten muss (obwohl ich sehr froh bin, dass diese immer noch funktionieren).
 

 

I've read hundreds of pages in at least 1-2 dozen treads on various mods here in the last few months

and again and again the mod authors point out -> if you want to be on the safe side...

..after installing larger mod complexes (e.g. frameworks) ALWAYS start a new game!

Yes - the memory can work - there are also tools that can be used to "clean up" memory files

but all this is not really a safe way!

Of course you can ignore the experience of various users and the mod authors - but then don't complain if in 1-2 or maybe (meanly) in 1-2 weeks the further used memory leads to the final crash.

[Oloroso]

Thanks everybody for the replies!

I geuss there's a bunch wrong with my Skyrim, I didn't know about a bunch of the things pointed out here! (ESM/ESP limit, quick/autosaves messing stuff up etc).
I tend to learn the hard way I geuss haha.  

Since I spent quite an insane amount of time getting this far with my setup, even though there's a bunch wrong, I geuss i'll play with the old save and hope it doesn't corrupt (surely, eventually it will).

I'm suprised about the 255 ESM/ESP limit, I've been over this for months now I think.
Felt pretty proud about getting this far and this many things working (animations, sexlab, lighting, enb, a ton of overhauls, armor & visual mods, DynDOLOD etc) but I geuss I've done it very messily and didn't pick up on some basics that I should've known.


I hope I can still keep it working, but the future will tell, otherwise, time to start over


Edit:
Quick follow-up question, is my load-order completely insane, or is it possible to have this amount of mods? I have 600 active mods, of which only ~20 are .ESL's.
Is there anywhere I can read up on the basics of Skyrim modding? I've followed the Skyrim S.T.E.P. guide to get my basic modlist going, and just started adding stuff from there (although admittedly I went a bit overboard). So I might miss out on a bunch of basic knowledge. I've modded Skyrim myself before on LE but thats a long time ago so that information is probably not valid anymore either.

Edited January 23, 2023 by hoikutzooi

[Miauzi]

Vor 9 Minuten sagte hoikutzooi:

Danke an alle für die Antworten!

Ich vermute, dass mit meinem Skyrim einiges nicht stimmt, ich wusste nichts über ein paar der Dinge, auf die hier hingewiesen wird! (ESM/ESP-Limit, schnelle/automatische Speicherungen, die Dinge durcheinander bringen usw.).
Ich neige dazu, auf die harte Tour zu lernen, ich geuss haha.

Da ich ziemlich wahnsinnig viel Zeit damit verbracht habe, mit meinem Setup so weit zu kommen, werde ich, obwohl einiges falsch ist, mit dem alten Save spielen und hoffen, dass er nicht beschädigt wird (sicherlich wird er es irgendwann).

Ich bin überrascht über die 255 ESM / ESP-Grenze, ich denke, ich bin seit Monaten darüber hinweg.
Ich war ziemlich stolz darauf, so weit gekommen zu sein und so viele Dinge zu funktionieren (Animationen, Sexlab, Beleuchtung, Enb, eine Menge Überholungen, Rüstungs- und visuelle Mods, DynDOLOD usw.), aber ich glaube, ich habe es sehr chaotisch gemacht und nicht verstanden über einige Grundlagen, die ich hätte wissen müssen.


Ich hoffe, ich kann es noch am Laufen halten, aber die Zukunft wird es zeigen, ansonsten ist es an der Zeit, neu anzufangen


Bearbeiten:
Kurze Folgefrage, ist meine Ladereihenfolge völlig verrückt oder ist es möglich, diese Menge an Mods zu haben? Ich habe 600 aktive Mods, von denen nur ~20 .ESL's sind.
Kann ich mich irgendwo über die Grundlagen des Skyrim-Moddings informieren? Ich habe die Skyrim STEP-Anleitung befolgt, um meine grundlegende Modliste in Gang zu bringen, und habe einfach angefangen, von dort Sachen hinzuzufügen (obwohl ich zugegebenermaßen ein bisschen über Bord gegangen bin). Da verpasse ich vielleicht ein paar Grundkenntnisse. Ich habe Skyrim selbst schon einmal auf LE gemoddet, aber das ist lange her, sodass die Informationen wahrscheinlich auch nicht mehr gültig sind.

 

 

you can - but the more mods you have - the greater the risk that they will influence each other...

..and this influence can happen "deep down" in the engine.

You're always amazed when you ask why something doesn't work with this or another mod - when you get the feedback - not very rarely a mod that has nothing to do with it - e.g. there were no interactions from quests. ..
..and yet he disturbed the script flow

--
let's see - I too (and probably many others) acted like you for years - until everything flew around their ears and the "big reflection" began

I'm also currently testing at least 1 dozen new mods - but I'm NOT leaving my starting cell (alternative start - the dungeon cell with the Mara statue) to do so.

I can also test most of it here - e.g. whether the various MCM are loaded and working correctly.

Because not only the installation of the mod is important - but also its correct initiation in the game.

Ultimately, when the "image" is complete - I completely flatten Skyrim via the "atomic option" and set the whole thing up from scratch
Why?

When trying out mods, it always happens that I discard some - i.e. I have to delete them.
And since I leave that to the mod organizer (due to a lack of outstanding IT knowledge)...

..but at the same time I know that it never removes everything cleanly - I wrote down the list of successfully tested mods in a test file (along with all important settings)

and

get such a clean new game in a clean install

yes - a lot of work - but from my point of view, based on my own experience and skills, I reduce the risk of a crash

 

[Oloroso]

2 minutes ago, Miauzi said:

 

 

you can - but the more mods you have - the greater the risk that they will influence each other...

..and this influence can happen "deep down" in the engine.

You're always amazed when you ask why something doesn't work with this or another mod - when you get the feedback - not very rarely a mod that has nothing to do with it - e.g. there were no interactions from quests. ..
..and yet he disturbed the script flow

--
let's see - I too (and probably many others) acted like you for years - until everything flew around their ears and the "big reflection" began

I'm also currently testing at least 1 dozen new mods - but I'm NOT leaving my starting cell (alternative start - the dungeon cell with the Mara statue) to do so.

I can also test most of it here - e.g. whether the various MCM are loaded and working correctly.

Because not only the installation of the mod is important - but also its correct initiation in the game.

Ultimately, when the "image" is complete - I completely flatten Skyrim via the "atomic option" and set the whole thing up from scratch
Why?

When trying out mods, it always happens that I discard some - i.e. I have to delete them.
And since I leave that to the mod organizer (due to a lack of outstanding IT knowledge)...

..but at the same time I know that it never removes everything cleanly - I wrote down the list of successfully tested mods in a test file (along with all important settings)

and

get such a clean new game in a clean install

yes - a lot of work - but from my point of view, based on my own experience and skills, I reduce the risk of a crash

 

Damn, yep that sounds familiar ? Good to know I'm not the only one that made such a messy build. Big reflection time indeed.

Great tips though! Thanks alot for the feedback, love how helpful people are here!

I'll go play some of my old save, knowing it will probably die sooner or later, and when it does, bury it deep into my windows recycle bin, cry for a bit and start over. Hopefully properly that time.

I'm a bit scared however that I'll oversee something again which will come bite me in the ass - but such is the way of Skyrim modding I suppose.

[Tlam99]

3 hours ago, hoikutzooi said:

run LOOT to

Midgame running lot and esl flagged esp installed   =   trash your saves, no way to recover.

[Oloroso]

2 hours ago, Tlam99 said:

Midgame running lot and esl flagged esp installed   =   trash your saves, no way to recover.

Gotcha haha, feelin kinda stupid rn but hey better to learn late than not at all!

[Oloroso]

20 hours ago, Just Don't said:

A good recipe for a disaster. You can do better, it's not 100% mandatory to start a new game each time you install any mod, but you should really practice some restraint with the amount and type of mods you use. A quick glance at your loadorder shows you have both Bijin AIO things and the individual Bijin plugins loaded, 2 different interior lighting overhauls and I'm sure I'd find more stuff if I keep looking.

Also how many ESM+ESP do you have? Put your mouse over the "Active: xxx" and check that number. If it's above 255 you have too many plugins (disregarding esl stuff) and your game won't work.

You were absolutely right about the ESM+ESP limit, apparently I went over it and started playing for the day, every single save made after that is completely broken.
When I went back to old saves, they would work, but I thought I'd try saving in one of the old ones and then loading that new save -> completely broken again.

Decided to double check my ESM/ESP's, earlier I checked in the wrong place, now I found I went over the limit by 2 mods. 
I disabled 3, loaded my old save, played a bit and saved it, reloaded -> seems to be working fine now.

Feeling a tad stupid again for missing that ESM/ESP limit, but very glad its working again (for god knows how long)! Definitely not touching my build anymore for now haha.

Thanks for all the help everybody!