Extracting BSA

[dem1an]

I remember reading to extract BSA's so it's easier to see what conflicts in textures may occur and to maybe speed up performance. I read in Arthmoor's mods to not do this. Which is it?

 

How do you know when you can extract the BSA and when you should not? Is there something I can look for? For instance, I can extract WICO?  

 

 

DO NOT extract the contents of the BSA file into your Data folder as loose files, or let your mod manager peform an equivalent function on the contents of the file. Doing so will cause things to load in the wrong order and break the game. Skyrim is intended to load a BSA alongside it's ESM/ESP file. Circumventing this causes issues which I will not provide support for. If you insist on going against this advice, you will receive no support for the problems you generate as a result of this.

 

Also, it seems I can delete the BSL when you extract the BSA.   

 

Thanks, 

 

John

[GrantSP]

In general you shouldn't extract your BSAs, as @Arthmoor instructs, unless the guide you are following specifically instructs otherwise. @Neovalen's Skyrim Revisited is one such guide.

[dem1an]

Thanks. Any other guidelines for how to tell if extraction is possible?