Mod Organizer

[Akzyra]

Alaw: if you want to move your Skyrim directory, do as follows:

 

1. Leave Steam where it is.

 

2. Go to this site to install Link Shell Extension:

 

http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html

 

at the very bottom, you'll fine a package appr. for your system. Don't forget to install prerequisites, if necessary.

 

3. Move your Skyrim dir from \\Steam\\SteamApps\\common to a place you fancy (for inst. C:\\Games).

 

4. After moving the dir, rightclick on it (i.e., e.g. C:\\Games\\Skyrim) and drag to \\Steam\\SteamApps\\common, release, from the menu choose "Drop as..." and then "Symbolic link". A folder icon with a green arrow should appear.

 

5. Enjoy. Or not.

 

Here's how it looks in my case:

 

 

 

 

No need for extra Programms. The result are the same, but if you want to know what the programm does here is a manuall version.

 

Use mklink:

- Start cmd.exe as admin. Just search cmd and rightcklick -> "Launch as admin"

- Move the Skyrim Folder from "Steam\SteamApps\common\Skyrim" to whereever you like.

- make sure in "common" is no Skyrim folder!!!

- use this command:

mklink /j "C:\Steam\SteamApps\common\Skyrim" "C:\Skyrim"

You NEED to adjust the paths.

The first is the folder where Skyrim normally would be, in the Steam folder.

The second is where ypu moved the Skyrim Folder.

 

 

[Androktone]

I know about mklink, of course. I use links (both sym- and hard-) very often -- LSE is ten times faster and works also in other file managers.

 

And by the way, mklink /j creates a junction, not a symlink. It should have been: mklink /d.

[gvman3670]

 

Everything what goes into the Data directory can be accessed by/through MO. Skse.ini is not an exception. And yes, every SKSE plugin should have its own subdirectory.

 

 

okay..whew...then....what the hell is gvman talking about???

 

Not sure. I wasn't quite sure what you were asking either so that may be what the issue was.

 

If you install a mod that has a SKSE entry you'll see in your right pane (under the data tab) that there should be an SKSE folder there and your stuff gets installed into it.

 

One thing that never wroked properly for me when being installed in MO was HDT files. I've only been able to get them to work right with them installed into the Skryim folder.

[AwfulArchdemon]

Looks like I missed a lot of confusion .

 

Moving Steam

[RitualClarity]

This is probably stupid to ask but should i just reinstall skyrim or could someone help me with moving trhe files without killing the game

 

 

 

This is probably stupid to ask but should i just reinstall skyrim or could someone help me with moving trhe files without killing the game

That really depends on how if your game still works. If you have only installed a few mods and everything works just fine then there's no need to re-install your Skyrim game. However, if your experiencing constant freezing and\or crashing even without any mods installed it may be time to refresh your game. Here's a good link just in case you decide to restore your game to it's unmodded state without having to re-install the entire thing http://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:Make_Skyrim_Vanilla_Again. For future reference it is usually best to just make a copy of your Skyrim game (assuming you have the disk space) and zip the file to compress it and store it away, so if anything goes wrong you can just unzip a copy of the fresh game and drop it in place.

Also, you can use the files referenced in the link i provided to decide what you may need to move to MO and what is suppose to remain behind.

 

You don't need to reinstall skyrim. Chances are your BSA's are correct and the only thing with a bad Skyrim install is

Screwed up installs from other managers or manual installs messing up the orignal scripts and function of Skyrim

glitches or corrupted files from skyrim..

etc. you get the point.

 

The fix is easy when you are ready to move to MO. You can delete all the various folders inside of the Data folder. If you have made any changes to the main folder ( where Skyrim.exe is located at) you can delete those files as well. Delete those files that aren't original or suspected not to be original. Then open Steam and navigate to the "verify cache" option and verify your game. Steam will fix any other issues from there. Files you can delete are the .ini. Config etc files. Any loose sound textures or meshes etc. The main game files like Dragon born, Hearthfire and the main Skyrim bsa and such no need as Steam will fix these if there are any issues.

 

Keep in mind if you "cleaned" your masters ( Skyrim, Dragonboarn etc) you will have to re-clean them again as Steam will return them to the default.

 

Don't worry you could even delete the entire contents of the folder and Steam will reacquire it. Nice trick if you had to manually install some files and aren't sure of which are which.

 

So even if you are using NMM, Wyre Bash,  or manually installing your games you never really have to re-install the game at all. Just delete the files that you suspect are causing you trouble and "verify cache" and let steam fix the issues.

 

I know.. before I started using MO for Skyrim.. I manually installed many of the mods I used...I also used the manual method for FO3 and even FNV at times when the managers I used didn't work the way I expected them to.. ( causing me troubles)

[RitualClarity]

Looks like I missed a lot of confusion .

 

Moving Steam

 

I stopped Steam then  just moved the entire folder. (videos downloaded, settings and everything) then Uninstalled Steam from the computer ( most of the time, not all of the time don't' know if it makes a difference) The activate the Seam from the Steam.exe in the folder and let it register and then put in my account info and start playing. Sometimes depending on location I have to allow the games to set themselves up again.

 

For this to work however I have all my games inside the Steam folder. Never had games outside of the folder. Don't know if that causes troubles.

 

If you have troubles with the Steam not looking right etc.

Stop game.

Open the folder,

Find ClientRegistry.blob

rename this to Clienregistry.blob.old

Restart Steam

A new ClientRegistry.blob will be recreated and you might have to make all the customizations again. ( not sure been a long time since I had to do this) This has solved any problems I have ever had with migrating my folder, moving to new computers or changing hardware etc.

 

[chajapa]

I've been putting this off because I am dreading starting over, but things are getting worse and worse in terms of stability AND I'm finding a lot of mods I like that don't play well with OTHER mods I like so I go into NMM and uncheck these and check those and hope like hell I've checked/unchecked the right combination for playing a particular save....

 

All-in-all I think I SHOULD be switching to MO because of all the different combinations

 

So.... for a most basic question. I'm seeing some differing opinions on this in various places....

 

WHEN I reinstall (no longer an "if".... I gotta), should I NOT install to C:\\Program Files (x86)\Steam ?

 

Would I be better off with just C:\\Steam

 

Are there negative implications to NOT having Skyrim in the default Steam location in terms of getting things like SKSE, FNIS, BodySlide, etc working? And Creation Kit.... I still delve into that occasionally even though I'm a n00b at it.

I probably have enough room to zip my entire Skyrim directory and hold it in case I remember a mesh or something custom that I wanted (I have 90 gigs free with my current Skyrim installation active)

I have the zips or rars of any mod I use.

And right now.... I have like 7 or 8 different characters and none beyond level 1 (on purpose)

I've already played through so now I just want to play around. Playing the main quests to the end isn't a big deal for me now. 

Getting SKSE, FNIS, SexLab, and BodySlide all working.... THOSE are big deals to me.

 

So.... main question: Optimal location to install Skyrim (Steam) if starting completely from scratch all over again considering the above items noted as "big deals"?

 

[AwfulArchdemon]

@chajapa:

 

If you're reinstalling, put Steam somewhere else. It can be installed anywhere ( outside of PF (x86) ), but I'd say C:\Games, simply because...it's a "Games" folder. Just my opinion, but it certainly makes sense. Every game I have goes there, unless it's an Origin game, in which case I haven't seen an option to install where I want (ME 1 2 and 3), and I haven't forced it because I don't install mods to it anyway (I just use TexMod and ME3Explorer, which replaces files)

 

Windows can and will mess up mods for you if you leave Skyrim in the PF (x86) folder. Put Steam somewhere else now that the time has come for a fresh install (tends to be step #1 for new MO users).

[chajapa]

I only play one game.

I run all this on a Mac Mini in bootcamp with Win7 (64bit pro), but other than playing Skyrim..... or.... actually at this point I'm playing SexLab.... I do everything else on the mac side. I'm a former linux weeny and had to support Windows for years at the uiversity (from which I'm now retired.... yay, me!) but my son gave me a Steam gift card for christmas JUST so I could play Skyrim. So..... that's it. 

 

One game.

 

 

Oh, and I'll probably be back here over the next several hours or days as I try to get all my toys working.

 

 

[chajapa]

Documenting some as I go for anyone else doing this:

 

I zipped my Skyrim folder and put it on an external. Just in case.

I created a C:\\Games\Steam    folder

Exited from the Steam client

From my original C:\\Program Files (x86)\Steam folder I copied ONLY the Steam.exe and the SteamApps folder to the new Games\Steam folder

Renamed the original Steam folder to NO-Steam

In my new C:\\Games\Steam folder I ran the Steam executable. Logged on to Steam account, let it update.

 

Next steps will be to torch the data folder in the new location, run the Steam client from there, and let Steam Verify Cache to try to return me to a vanilla Skyrim in that location.

 

I zipped the directories I wanted to hang onto before dinner. Zipping a 22gig Data folder took a while. 

Creating new directories, moving files, renaming the old locations, took maybe 15 or 20 minutes.

 

I've deleted the data folder from the new location and verified cache on Steam. 27 files failed to verify and are being reacquired. 

I'm only getting 1.4MB/s from Steam so this may run a while and I might end up going to bed before it finishes. If that happens, I'll mess with it some more in the morning.

 

Once the verify is complete, I'm assuming that puts me back at a vanilla Skyrim. I plan on installing MO as the first thing.

MO install instructions suggest installing it in the Skyrim folder?

And install instructions tell me to start Skyrim once before installing MO so that all of Skyrim's files are available. 

I guess we'll see how far I can get on my own as I don't expect a lot of people will be awake when I get up in the morning with the dogs

 

[AwfulArchdemon]

Looks like your son gave a SexLab gift card then.

 

If you have any MO issues when you get the new Skyrim working, lemme know. I know nothing of Mac though...so you know. I do everything in school on a Mac, and yet I still know jack-squat about one.

[chajapa]

The mac is just hardware. I'm running normal Windows native on mac hardware is all. 

 

I'll get vanilla first, install MO, then start with TESVedit to clean the update and DLCs

Then work on FNIS, SKSE, SkyUI

If I get that far before my wife starts naggin' me about yard work, then after those I think SexLab is next, then LOOT, 

 

Creation Kit can wait

BodySlide will be an adventure but I'll want to get that running soon after I get SexLab up.

 

Sound like a plan?

Am I forgetting anything?

 

[chajapa]

On the OP it says, "..after properly installing FNIS..."

What does that mean? 

 

Install direct into data folder and then find the generateFNIS-for-users executable in MO?

 

OR.... I also saw the bit on the OP about unzipping FNIS, removing the tools folder, installing THAT into the data directory and then zipping up the rest of FNIS and installing it like a mod in MO.

 

SKSE:

Install directly into data folder and then find the executable for the launcher in MO?

 

Those 2 seem to have the most questions around them. Once I get those in then I can do SkyUI

 

Vanilla game starts and runs opening sequence in the new folder location so at least I got that part right.

 

For anyone following my progress, I have about an hour and a half into this so far as I had to wait for Steam to rebuild my vanilla system.

[chajapa]

I cleaned the DLCs with TES5Edit

I installed SKSE directly into the data folder of Skyrim. 

Installed MO in C:\\Games

Started MO and it configured itself to use SKSE as the load mechanism (cool!)

Game starts from MO with SKSE as load mechanism

 

My big question now is how to best install FNIS for the least hassle later on. If I can get a little help with that one I think I'll be OK for a bit and I'll try SkyUI install after I get FNIS installed and working.

 

Have to look at profiles and see how those work

 

[chajapa]

Ran the basic tutorial in MO.

Installed SkyUI as the "demonstration" mod to install.

It complained about SKSE scripts not being installed, but I proceeded with the installation and when I started the game SkyUI was in the mod configuration list (the only one in there at this point) and the MCM menues all seemed to be there.

 

Someone stop me if I'm doing something wrong please

[AwfulArchdemon]

@chajapa:

 

There is more than one way to "properly" install FNIS. I just recommend my way because it is simple, and equally effective. The way I see it is, if it doesn't have to be installed manually, don't install it manually.  FNIS and SKSE are no exceptions. As long as you know what you installed manually and where, you have properly managed your installations.

 

SKSE can have it's 'scripts' folder installed as a mod (zip and install to MO). The rest of it is manual. FNIS can have everything in it's data folder installed as a mod, except 'tools'. Tools is manual (in data).

 

I do it this way and it works. You can install both manually if you want, but I don't. Then again, you can install a lot of things manually.  It's a matter of preference I suppose.

 

 

Edit: I'm surprised you're getting the SkyUI error about SKSE. I thought that was a thing of the past. Let me know if you ever get that error again. I haven't seen it in a long time, so I'm concerned for your installation.

[chajapa]

OK, well I already have SKSE installed directly. No huge deal as it will always be part of the "base" install. BUT..... is that why I got that warning about SKSE not being installed when I tried to install SkyUI?

 

If so, I'll uninstall SkyUI from MO, manually remove the script files from SKSE, package them up as a mod, install the scripts in MO and THEN install SkyUI.

 

Would that be a better way?

[eifrag]

 

My big question now is how to best install FNIS for the least hassle later on. If I can get a little help with that one I think I'll be OK for a bit and I'll try SkyUI install after I get FNIS installed and working.

 

Have to look at profiles and see how those work

 

you can install FNIS like any regular mod

 

 

then click the modify executable button   clear everything inside the textboxes

 

type your new executable tilte here 

 

select a binary by  and search for FNIS for users.exe inside the M.O folder

 

then click 

[AwfulArchdemon]

OK, well I already have SKSE installed directly. No huge deal as it will always be part of the "base" install. BUT..... is that why I got that warning about SKSE not being installed when I tried to install SkyUI?

 

If so, I'll uninstall SkyUI from MO, manually remove the script files from SKSE, package them up as a mod, install the scripts in MO and THEN install SkyUI.

 

Would that be a better way?

No. It wouldn't be better, just a different way to install.

 

There are a few ways to install FNIS. Just pick one. Mine is listed.

 

Your error may have been nothing at all to worry about. It's happened before with SkyUI and SKSE. Just leave things as they are now if they work. No need to fix what ain't broken.

[chajapa]

If I repackage SKSE's scripts, do I put them in a data\scripts\ folder and zip them up? Or does MO assume the "data" part and I only need to have scripts\all-the-script-files?

 

NVM... I see what it's looking for

 

[chajapa]

OK I have a question about the Overwrite files.

I installed Racemenu

When I exited the game there were files in the Overwrite and the warning triangle upper right of MO says I should drag them to a mod or..... something.

Do I have to do this each time? I know I'm supposed to drag stuff when I update FNIS. I created the FNIS Output mod from those files last time.

 

 

If I click on it I can drag the files to a mod on the left pane. Left Pane is just for the active profile? Right pane is available mods?

 

Just making sure.

 

Bit of a learning curve and I have a crapload of stuff to learn, but..... I'll get there I think.

[chajapa]

OK, still chugging along here...

My entire OLD SKyrim data folder is still readily available. 

If I want to install HDT Physics, I can just grab all the files from data\skse\plugins (and wherever else they might be but I think that's the only place... I'll check first), and zip them, name it HDT-version, and install it as a mod into MO?

 

By the same token, I have body meshes I created with Bodyslide that I like. I can zip those up the same way and install as a mod? 

 

If this is the case, then I can get many of my previous customizations installed easily as long as I'm smart about naming them so I know EXACTLY what they are and what they're for.

[chajapa]

ALSO...

 

If I want to install the replacement meshes into my succubus race, the files are all in one folder but it's deep in the skyrim folder tree.

Do I need to create a zip with the whole path meshes\actors\character\succubus-lite-2.2\body\files?

Or can I just make a zip of the files and MO will ask me where in the tree they go?

 

OR.... can I just open the succubus mod in explorer (in MO) and paste in the replacement meshes?

[RitualClarity]

I perfer option 2: of Corespore's instructions for mods and testing. When testing using MO use the "patch" methoid ( corespore's #2 instructions) and make sure everything works properly and correclty to your standards. When it does you can then take both of these files and create a new mod for your MO folder. Keeps the various enteries in the MO 's Left side smaller and more concise and still you have what you want. This is likely what I will do in the future with some of the texture mods I am using.

 

However some experts here can correct me but some of the optimized BSA mods they have for Skyrim can be messed up if extracted.. correct. If so you would have to be careful and test these BSA mods ( open and create loose files from the BSAs) before finally creating the new mod for your textures and minimizing the mods list.

 

Slightly off topic.. If there is issues with optimized BSA's is there some way to properly extract them? So that we can combine them into customized mods for use with MO?

[RitualClarity]

Yea. Might want to check into that. I hear that it can mess up the texture if you extract the optimized textures. It is only with Skyrim as far I as have heard. Might be that you need a specific program not just any random extractor. Anyway. 

 

That program does it extract specific files int he BSA? If so cool no longer extracting the entire BSA folders and all. If not no big deal .. just keep on chugging. Currently not extracting anything with MO / Skyrim as I am just getting up my mods to work the way I want. Nothing fancy here yet.

 

Pardon the diversion of topic awefularchdemon. it is however a useful tool and info for those advanced users of MO to help keep those files manageable. I was kind of silly or stupid for some reason. I had been modifying the actual files in the Mod folder. you know open with explorer those mods installed on the left. Add change and do my work there. Well it does work.. however .. if you use the "reinstall" option on those it reinstall it OK however none of your changes occur. The changes have to be done BEFORE you install them and repacked and then installed ( into the download folder is my preference) If not you will ERASE all the changes made if used the "reinstall" method on the panel on the left side. This is why I am interested in the BSA extraction/optimization issues so that I can eventually compress and combine those files I have when the mods start reaching 100, 200, 300, 1000, etc. Makes life easier .. The MO WAY...