[GUIDE] Want a CTD-Free and Blistering fast Skyrim game? Here you go.

[Honesty]

Hello all. After replying to many people, I decided to "update and revise" my list. If a mod could look this over, I'm sure they will agree to everything I mention in this list, and know none of it is snake-oil - and if you could sticky it, would be great.


"How to I go about making Skyrim 99.9% stable?"

Here is how:
 
1.) Uninstall and reinstall Skyrim - let everything update
2.) Install the CK (this is important) - let everything update
3.) Set Skyrim *AND* the CK, under "tools", to: "DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE THIS GAME"
4.) Install latest unofficial Skyrim, Dawnguard, Hearthfires and Dragonborn patches - put them in the NEW correct load order way
5.) install steve40's FxDustDrop error script fix
6.) get latest SKSE
7.) Launch Skyrim via Steam and set all your options. NEVER (of course) launch this way again, unless you want your .ini file to get overwritten
8.) Launch game, set options how you want them via in-game
9.) Do all your .ini tweaking (my documents folder) - make backups of your .ini files in case you accidently launch via steam (I do this sometimes) and not NMM/SKSE
10.) Get the Memory Patch and ENBoost (as in the boost itself, you don't need to add/change colors or anything 'fancy' like that - nothing will run except the ENBoost part)
 
(optional but recommended 11.) Clean Update.esm, and then Dawnguard.esm, then Hearthfires.esm and finally Dragonborn.esm with TES5edit. This may seem "scary" but it's simple. Open TES5edit, right click when your load order pops up and select un-select everything. Clean them one at a time, in the order I listed. By loading, "update.esm" for example, it'll autoload the skyrim.esm and .exe (the other files will autoload what they need also, even if you don't check them).
 
right click, again as an example, on update.esm. Select "apply filter for cleaning" and wait until it's done. Then right click and select "delete idenitical to master records" wait until done. Then select "undelete and disable references."
 
And never, EVER clean skyrim.esm. and NEVER clean the unofficial patches.

close tes5edit - it'll ask you to make a backup of original file - as default it's checked to make a backup. i recommend keeping a backup.
 
LASTLY - Remember - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "CLEAN SAVING" I CAN NOT STRESS this enough. If you don't "believe" me, ask the creator of Papyrus on the beth forums or ask Arthmoor over @AFK mods or Nexus. It simply DOES NOT EXIST in Skyrim.

You can QUOTE-Clean Save-UNQUOTE and this will possibly not destory your save, with certain mods (especially if they're not script based), but again - does not exist in Skyrim. Any mods you have in your current playthroughs, plan on keeping forever.

Once your bindings are cut off, and you have control of your character, save your game and log off. Enable PAPYRUS settings via .ini and go back into the game. Run around for a minute and log off. Try to have a tissue box next to you as you'll be weeping when your log is 8kb or less and you see a total of maybe 3 whole lines. You're welcome : )

(P.S: Do Not play the game with papyrus logging settings turned on at all times. This makes your HDD work harder and makes the game slower. There is no need to do this -- only when testing or checking for errors)

Disclaimer: This list, combined with NOT adding useless and dangerous tweaks to your .ini file, will result in you having the experience of your life.

By adding dangerous tweaks, such as "imaxallocatedmemorybytes=OVER9THOUSAND!!!!" and very heavy script based (especially Civil War - I believe STEP blacklisted this mod) will not help your cause.

Also, use sex-based mods on a "serious" playthrough at your own risk. Most are alpha/beta for a reason - and the engine was never programmed to have a bunch of dildos and fluids splashing around every where.

Follow every step on the list, do not skip over any because you think you're a know-it-all and then report problems.

LINK's to steve40's script fix:

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/732051-fxdustdroprandomscript-errors-fixed/

UPDATE: The latest Unofficial Patches have added their own tweaked/fixes for the LvPredator and Critter fixes. They have done this right after I had wrote up this guide. What this means is, if you had followed this guide, and are now recieving a ton of LvPredator/Critter errors, you have two options:

 

You can make a backup of your Scripts folder (including everything inside - just drag a copy to your desktop or something) and manually remove all of Steve40's fixes minus the FxDustDrop one (you can keep that one) from the Scripts and Source folder within Scripts.

 

When you load in, you will notice in your logs you now only get a few small errors (since you removed his scripts) instead of a hugely bloated log filled with errors. This should make your log go from (example) 20kb to about 22kb or so, instead of the 200kb+ before removing.
 

The second thing you can do is, remove the files manually like stated above, except this time start a fresh game and you shouldn't even get the small errors anymore.

Thought I'd add this before anyone yells at me for breaking their game. If you do not wish to start a fresh game, please do not download the latest Unofficial Patches. Thanks in advance guys!

[Redflyingmonkey]

Going to try that method this week end, my skyrim is sluggish lately, thanks for that

[gvman3670]

Good advice.

 

How about cleaning with TES5Edit and optimizing textures? I've done that on my last install (and switched to using MO as well as what you've listed here) and I've had the smoothest, most trouble-free experience yet.

[Honesty]

Good advice.

 

How about cleaning with TES5Edit and optimizing textures? I've done that on my last install (and switched to using MO as well as what you've listed here) and I've had the smoothest, most trouble-free experience yet.

 

Going to add this to the list... god. I use TESedit and FOedit all the time .. Definitely adding.

[Uriel]

If you use ENB, it's a bad idea to run Texture Optimizer thing. That's what Boris said.

[Slammer64]

Ok, and where can we get steve40's script fixes?

[Honesty]

If you use ENB, it's a bad idea to run Texture Optimizer thing. That's what Boris said.

 

I did not list any Texture optimizers and never recommend using them. The Memory Patch is a recompiled skse loader (there is a alternate version on Nexus now, and skse team released an alpha with it enabled .. i think).

 

Ok, and where can we get steve40's script fixes?

 

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/985247-bugfix-for-lvlpredatorscript-errors-no-more-log-spam/

 

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/981701-critter-script-bugfix/

 

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/732051-fxdustdroprandomscript-errors-fixed/

[Uriel]

 

If you use ENB, it's a bad idea to run Texture Optimizer thing. That's what Boris said.

 

I did not list any Texture optimizers and never recommend using them. The Memory Patch is a recompiled skse loader (there is a alternate version on Nexus now, and skse team released an alpha with it enabled .. i think).

I said this because:

 

How about cleaning with TES5Edit and optimizing textures?

 

And why do you explain about the patch to me? Especailly since i compiled a one early version of it?

[Honesty]

Sorry Uriel, I didn't notice that second part. Never optimize your textures, but using TES5edit is extremely recommended if you can "handle" it : )

And I had no idea you compiled one yourself... So I'm sorry if I insulted your intelligence or something. Was not my intent.

[Loyotaemi]

Wait, why is it bad to run the texture optimizer? 

[Uriel]

Because ENB can now compress textures on the fly, and optimizer seems to be "optimizing" stuff ENB requires to work properly.

[Loyotaemi]

I actually did not know this. I tried 'optimizing' a few things I had that I felt was rather large (4k Textures for Cloaks.. . .). hm, Well now I think Im going to go back and reinstall so I can get default textures back.

 

is there an option for compressing textures or is it automatic via ENBBoost?

[Honesty]

Wait, why is it bad to run the texture optimizer? 

 

I've known from early on many authors saying "Do NOT use texture optimizing tools with this mod."

 

People still recommend NOT to use any kind even to this day.

 

"Why?" you ask? I admit I don't know the technial detail behind it. But many prominent authors have said not too. One must only scroll down on many big texture packs on the nexus and see it listed themselves.

 

I'm sure they have good reason to say so : )

 

And anyway, no one has any business using any kind of optimizers - if your system can't handle something, then turn down the graphics and get rid of some crazy high detail textures and meshes - that's like polishing a piece of shit; no matter what, it'll still be a piece of shit : (

[Loyotaemi]

Understandable. thank you. And I dont really have much that was ever high. Most of my stuff stays near 1k or below. that 4k cloak was exception

[Uriel]

is there an option for compressing textures or is it automatic via ENBBoost?

Not sure. Might be that EnableCompression=true in the [MEMORY] section of enblocal.ini. Compression was implemented long before this setting was added.

 

What's the point to install large textures and then compress them anyways. There might be some ofcourse, if someone did a bad job with his mod's textures. Otherwise, if your system can't handle HD, just install the smaller ones.

[gvman3670]

If you use ENB, it's a bad idea to run Texture Optimizer thing. That's what Boris said.

 

The laptop I'm playing Skyrim on at the moment doesn't have the balls needed to add an ENB. And by optimizing textures it also helps me gain quite a few frames per second. Of course, if I was currently playing on something that could handle ENBs then I wouldn't bother with the texture optimizing.

 

Good info to know, though. I will be getting a more game-friendly machine very soon.

[Honesty]

 

If you use ENB, it's a bad idea to run Texture Optimizer thing. That's what Boris said.

 

The laptop I'm playing Skyrim on at the moment doesn't have the balls needed to add an ENB. And by optimizing textures it also helps me gain quite a few frames per second. Of course, if I was currently playing on something that could handle ENBs then I wouldn't bother with the texture optimizing.

 

Good info to know, though. I will be getting a more game-friendly machine very soon.

 

 

ENBoost and normal ENB is different. My laptop i beastly for a laptop, but it can't handle ENB either - but I use ENBoost on it.

 

I do not use the compression setting in ENBoost. Mine is set to false, along with EnableOcclusionCulling.

[Uriel]

Why don't use occlusion culling?

[Honesty]

Why don't use occlusion culling?

 

i don't like the idea of things vanishing/reappearing depending on how demanding the current scene is.

 

also I read on STEP it was causing additional water flicker.

[judge0]

The script fixes you posted for steve40 . . .

 

the only one not included in 2.0 of the Unofficial Skyrim patch are 3 of the critter scripts, the rest have been included already.

For the critters the USKP used critter.pex, critterbird.pex, critterfish.pex & critterspawn.pex. No reason was given as to why they didn't include all of them, but Arthmoor & company are pretty particular about what constitutes a fix.

 

Just a heads up.

[Guest]

Hmm, just a question, my log is around 68kb after 4 hours of playing. Is it normal considering I'm playing with Lanterns of SKyrim, Enhanced Blood, Wet and Cold, OBIS, and 3DNPC now?

[Uriel]

 

Why don't use occlusion culling?

i don't like the idea of things vanishing/reappearing depending on how demanding the current scene is.

 

also I read on STEP it was causing additional water flicker.

Nope, it's not what occlusion culling does. It tries to prevent the parts of the scene you don't see(objects located behind objects you see now) from being rendered by your GPU.

Things appearing/disappearing is more about [ADAPTIVEQUALITY] section and the usual ways TES4/5 acts.

[gvman3670]

Uriel, I found an occlusion culling mod a few months back that I can find anymore. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just an ENB option either. Have you seen something like this? Because I used it then and it seemed to speed things up for me and would like to find it again.

[Uriel]

Nope, ENB's version is a standalone. It's an automatic algorithm. The other way is manual placing of the occlusion planes. It's used by Skyrim Project Optimisation.

You can use both no problem.

[gvman3670]

Yup, just found it.

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/32505/?