MO doesn't allow me to update/uninstall mod or to move files from overwrite folder

[Werterdert1]

Hello,
I have recently bought a new laptop with windows 10 pro and I would like to mod Skyrim on it, but MO doesn't allow me to modify my installed mods. I can install and uninstall them without problem as long as I don't start the game. Once I have started the game and I want to change something in my mod list after closing Skyrim, I am no longer able to do so. For example, I have tried multiple times to reinstall and substitute "XP32 Maximum Skeleton Extended", but I get an error: "can not open output file \\?\C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\Mod Organizer\mods\XP32 Maximum Skeleton Extended\meshes\actor\character\character assets female\skeleton_female.hkx".

 

 

 

At the same time, I have some skse files i the overwrite folder after starting the game that I would like to put in their own folder by using the function "create mod...", but I get the message: "impossible to complete the action because the folder or a file inside of it is open in another programme", even though I double checked that all game folders other than MO are closed.

 

 

 

 

In both cases I also am asked for administrator permissions, which I have and grant, but the process is put on hold and I am told the permissions are still needed.

 

I already completely installed my almost 200 mods twice, toghether with Steam, Skyrim, MO. I have also uninstalled everything (Steam, Skyrim, MO) through their respective uninstallers twice and I have been left with a huge amount of empty subfolders in the Steam folder. I cannot eliminate them by simply eliminating the Steam folder, but I have to eliminate every single of them by starting from the last subfolder backwards. Even in the "mods" folder of MO.

 

I've been to a technician and he told me it might have been that Windows 10 has messed up my account authority, so that I am not actually an administrator. He solved the problem by creating a completely new account with correct authority and deleting the old one, so I am 100% sure it is a problem with MO itself. 

 

On my old laptop I haven't ever had such problems. Does anyone know what might be happening with my installation and how could I solve it?

 

P.s. I managed to reinstall XP32 by changing the "Fomod Installer" in the "plugin" section of the MO "settings": enabled from true to "false". This, however, doesn't help with mods without a fomod installer like Verdant.

[GrantSP]

Despite what your technician may claim, this problem is not due to MO. If it were then we would have 1000's of complaints of this nature.

However this doesn't mean there is no solution. The error messages, though somewhat cryptic, are in fact providing you with a little information that may assist.

In ability to perform actions on files/folders may be due to account access but can also be due to another programme having control over those assets. Check the settings of your AV software and make MO exempt from interference and redo those actions. This link may provide you with some more ideas as to what can interfere with MO.

[Werterdert1]

I understand, but I am only using windows defender on my laptop, just as on the old one and it never even once interfere with MO. The same goes for FNIS, DSR or DynDOLOD; they all still work fine. Just the mods are impossible to change or update (and I can't move stuff out of the overwrite folder). The only workaroud I know of, at the time, is reinstalling a mod with a different name. In this case, the installation will have no problem whatsoever, but I will still keep the other mod and I will end up with two mods on my system for the same thing.

 

I am worried it is a problem with the way windows 10 pro works, since up to today I have always used the home version. If I am not mistaken windows 10 pro has data encryption built into the system and that might be a problem for a modder.

 

I've read the link you just gave me, thank you, but even when I exclude MO from Windows defender the mods still can't be installed the normal way. I can't even manually delete folders from the mod subfolder of MO, but I can drag any file out of the Skyrim directory.

 

May it be that Steam is interfering with MO? It never happened before though.

[GrantSP]

If you have subscribed to Steam then, yes, that will interfere with MO's operations. Unsubscribe from all Steam installed mods and use MO as the only manager of mods.

 

There is nothing inherently wrong with Windows 10 with regards to MO. There are other issues with Win10 but that isn't the point. You may find this post of mine helpful with Win10's other issues.

[Werterdert1]

Hmmm, then no, I haven't installed a single mod through steam. I also noticed that the Mod Organizer folder in the Skyrim directory is set to "read only". Even if I untick that option and apply it to the folder and all its content it will still not allow me to replace mods or move stuff out of the overwrite folder. I then checked again the properties of the MO folder and I discovered that the "read only" option is there again.

 

And now, if I want to change the option again I am asked for administrator permission, then it says there is an error and the access isn't granted.

 

I don't understand why the program lets me install all mods again if I change the name, but then I can't modify of uninstall them neither through MO nor manually.

I don't know, I am not an expert, so I fear I might compromise my machine if I touch something I shouldn't.

[GrantSP]

If you're looking at the properties for MO's install folder via Explorer, then that's fine, my folder too is shown as read-only yet I can make as many changes to those files as I like.

It seems to me as though there is some other process stopping you from operating on those files. Are you sure there are no other software running on your system that is taking control? Or perhaps you are examining the contents in another window or maybe Skyrim hasn't completely terminated?

 

Can you elaborate something for me? What exactly do you mean by this statement:

  Quote

"I can't modify of uninstall them neither through MO nor manually."

 

Are you saying you have no access to those installed mods, even if viewed in explorer with MO not running? Navigating to MO's 'mods' folder will show a list of folders, each corresponding to your installed mods. Deleting them here will remove them from MO.

[Werterdert1]

I am sure Skyrim wasn't active when I tried to uninstall the mods (I also closed Steam) and I even tried to only have either MO or the mods folder open in explorer to uninstall the mods manually.

I am not sure about what is happening, because I've just reinstalled a texture pack for Verdant through MO and I have just changed the name. I haven't started Skyrim yet, but I can do whatever I want with the newly installed mod. I fear that the inability to modify the mods further after starting the game is linked to Skyrim itself locking them, though I can't find anything on the internet about it.

 

Hm, I've just managed to manually delete the mod by opening it in explorer and deleting every single file one by one starting by the last sub folder.

Now, I wanted to change the name of the other Verdant texture I've installed, but I am presented with the error message:" Unable to complete the action because the folder or a file inside of it is open in another programme"... and yet I have just Discord, Firefox, Edge and the Mods folder open, at least according to the Task Manager.

So apparently there is another programme running in the background and stopping me from modifying the mods, but I don't know how to identify it.

 

What I meant by that statement was that I can't uninstall or update/modify the previously installed mods neither through MO nor by opening them in the file explorer and trying to do the same manually.

 

I also failed to mention that I had a strange issue with the game CTD to desktop when using an enb. I solved it by installing Directx9 on the laptop using a Microsoft tool (DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)). Unfortunately I can't say if that programme might be the culprit, but it seems unlikely.

[GrantSP]

That's the reason for your issues then, there is a rogue programme causing interference with your files.

 

There is a tool I use called System Explorer, it's like Task Manager on steroids as it shows ALL running processes on your system, not just the ones Windows thinks you should see. Eliminate any suspicious processes and see if that allows you to progress further.

 

So to sum up. MO isn't giving you grief, your system is. find and remove that process and all should be fine.

On an unrelated matter, why use both Firefox and Edge? I prefer Chrome but Firefox is also a good choice but in my tests of Edge I wouldn't use it anywhere.

[Werterdert1]

Upon expanding Task Manager I see I have 79 Processes running in the background :( It will be a hard work figuring out which one is causing me trouble.

 

Anyway, thank you for your help up to now :)

About Edge, I know it isn't much of a browser, but it is lighter than the others and the gestures work flawlessly on it, which helps me a lot when doing stuff for the university. My older laptop had problems with Firefox, which wasn't feeling as snappy as on the new one and was prone to crashing every now and then, but I alsways use it because I like the idea behind it. As for Chrome, it is a good one, but I never fell in love with it.

[Werterdert1]

Watching the newest Gamerpoets' Installation video for MO, I've noticed a couple of steps I didn't follow when setting MO up by myself, namely:

 

1. Activating the "Back-date BSAs" option in the Workarounds Tab in the Settings;

2. Activating "Automatic archive invalidation" in the Profiles tab. (maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I can't remember since I completely uninstalled MO this morning).

 

Do you think it might have been the culprit?

It might not mean anything, but I will try later on to install a mod and run the game and see what effect it has on the mod itself (if I can uninstall/change it or not).

Also, this time, even before running the MO installer, I have run the game with its own launcher, just to be sure.

Fingers crossed :)

[GrantSP]

Those options will have no bearing on the issues you have been seeing.

[Werterdert1]

Then maybe I could try moving Steam and Skyrim out of the C: Drive and into a subdirectory, like Documents. According to a comment in another forum there I shouldn't have to worry about permissions and so forth.

I've read that it might be that since the Steam installation is now in the home directory the system is not allowing me to access the mods any further to prevent possible damage.

It would have been easier for me if I had a D: partition like on older laptops, but this new one only has a C: drive.

 

Do you think this might work?

[GrantSP]

If you have space on your HDD you can create a D: drive and use that, but that is probably overkill for this issue.

No, I wouldn't recommend installing Steam and your games in My Documents, any newly created folder directly off the C: drive will be fine. The main issue faced with the default location of these installs is that they are in UAC folders. Windows in its wisdom deemed some folders as too important for the user to fiddle with and placed account control on them, Program Files % Program Files (x86) being the main ones. As long Steam is outside those folders you shouldn't face permission issues.

However I still think you need to track down what process is trying to gain control of those files. Anything non-Microsoft should be examined first. Then any driver software that you 100% are sure of comes next. This leaves software that may have been installed along with other software setups. Often bundle software slips through when you just let an installer do it automatically, choosing 'Custom' and then unticking stuff you don't need is the best way to go. I have an AMD graphics card and I always have to check that their extra software, like game overlays, doesn't get installed.

[Werterdert1]

I have a gtx 960m and I have installed the Nvidia experience a few days ago.

Maybe removing that program could help. It does create a game overlay pretty much like steam when I start up Skyrim. Maybe that one is the culprit (it also "optimized" my Skyrim, now that I remember).

As soon as I have my laptop with me I'll try to see if this is the solution.

[Werterdert1]

I have a gtx 960m and I have installed the Nvidia experience a few days ago.

Maybe removing that program could help. It does create a game overlay pretty much like steam when I start up Skyrim. Maybe that one is the culprit (it also "optimized" my Skyrim, now that I remember).

As soon as I have my laptop with me I'll try to see if this is the solution.

[Werterdert1]

I have a gtx 960m and I have installed the Nvidia experience a few days ago.

Maybe removing that program could help. It does create a game overlay pretty much like steam when I start up Skyrim. Maybe that one is the culprit (it also "optimized" my Skyrim, now that I remember).

As soon as I have my laptop with me I'll try to see if this is the solution.