MO2 problem with mods overwriting game files??

[Darklustre]

It seems that my mods are making permanent changes to game files, even after they've been uninstalled and removed from MO2 itself and after starting a new game. I recently installed a simple mod that takes the essential tag off everything. I decided that wasn't for me so I unchecked it and started a new game. Everything still dies. I uninstalled the mod and started a new game. Everything still dies. I can't seem to undo the effect and that isn't supposed to happen, is it? I also had a perfectly-working expansion called Snow City and messed around with trying other expansions too. It messed up the interiors on Snow City and even after removing the conflicting mod and starting a new game, I've never been able to get the interiors to work again. 

I'm told MO2 doesn't let mod files overwrite game files, so what is actually happening?

[z929669]

7 hours ago, Darklustre said:

I said two posts ago that it was set to 0.  I'm not sure how the ini got changed. The mod couldn't have done that? I would still like to know why the Snow City mod became broken in this, and all other profiles because of trying it with other Windhelm expansions in one profile. I thought profiles couldn't be altered by what you do in a different one, but that's happened. I also have one profile that is set to letterbox and I can't get it out of letterbox. I'm wondering if I have something wonky with my MO2.

As I mentioned previously, I strongly suggest you begin by using BethINI to clean up your game INI files and set them properly. Then test things with a new game as  mentioned.

[GSDFan]

8 hours ago, Darklustre said:

I thought profiles couldn't be altered by what you do in a different one

Think of the left-hand pane as a pool of mods on which to draw from. You can have as many mods installed as you like.

A profile is a diverse collection of activated mods to accomplish a certain goal for your game.

A second or third profile is also a diverse selection of mods to alter the game from the other profiles. They all still draw from the same pool.

One profile is not an isolated environment from another. A mod deleted from profile "one" is also deleted from all other profiles.

Profiles can in fact use profile specific "Game INI files" and "Save game Files" selected when creating a new profile.

Quote

I'm told MO2 doesn't let mod files overwrite game files, so what is actually happening?

Mod Organizer is not supposed to alter any of the original game files, but by the nature of how it works lets other plugins do that in a virtual data folder.

I have questions if you don't mind. 

What is the version of MO2?

Where is MO2 and the game installed?

Have you used NMM or Vortex with the current game?

Have you "Verified the integrity of game files" from Steam?

Do your profiles use game specific INIs or global?

[Darklustre]

Thanks for your response. Your explanation was really helpful. Thanks. But let me make something clear, when I installed Snow City in one profile, it was working. I went to make another profile and that was where I messed around with other expansions. It broke Snow City and all the other profiles were broken even without me having added other expansions there? I can't get it to work again even after completely removing it from my game, downloads, etc, and reinstalling it? When I added this mod to kill all essentials, it was somehow installed to all other profiles and changed those games? I would have thought I would have had had to install the mod to the other profile and activate it before it would change the other profiles.

 

I have version 2.4.4. I wonder if my problem is an older SKSE? It says I'm using version 1.2 . I get a lot of stuttering around water, flickering water, animals being jerked up into the air, mining can have you suddenly hitting an anvil, etc. I haven't found a good tutorial on how to update it with MO2 yet, but it's my next project. 

My installation folder is in D: Secondary Steam Library.

No I haven't used NMM or Vortex while using MO2. 

I have verified game files recently because all of a sudden I can't access Steam when I'm gaming and I've gone in and tried clicking the box that lets you access Steam, but it won't click. Someone told me to verify integrity but that didn't help. 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Darklustre

[GSDFan]

8 hours ago, Darklustre said:

I have version 2.4.4. I wonder if my problem is an older SKSE? It says I'm using version 1.2 . 

The current classic build is 1.7.3, but the couple of mods you have problems with do not require it and I don't think it has any bearing on game stutter and such. Also do not install it via Steam when using Mod Organizer.

8 hours ago, Darklustre said:

I haven't found a good tutorial on how to update it with MO2 yet, but it's my next project.

The S.T.E.P. guide covers this. Click the "Game Guides" for your version of the game and look for the SKSE section. 

9 hours ago, Darklustre said:

My installation folder is in D: Secondary Steam Library.

Is Mod Organizer installed in its own Folder away from the game directory?

9 hours ago, Darklustre said:

No I haven't used NMM or Vortex while using MO2.

But have you used them for this game? In the left pane are there any items that show "Non-MO" in the Category Column?

Out of curiosity have you run the vanilla game from steam and if so, is it the vanilla experience? 

I am really struggling with this one. So, if you believe your game files and ini files are vanilla you can always install Mod organizer again. I would install it to its own folder on your D drive. Somewhere during the install and run process it will ask if you want a Global or portable instance. I would install this as a Portable instance. make a new profile and make sure that the "Use Profile-specific Game INI files" is not checked. If you run BethINI it will use the INI files in My Games and not the profile.

Once that is done run the game without any mods installed and see if anything is amiss. After you are satisfied you can add a mod and test again and add mods, test rinse and repeat.

Also note that the way Mod Organizer works, any antivirus program at any time can quarantine some of its files.

9 hours ago, Darklustre said:

Thanks for your response. Your explanation was really helpful. Thanks.

Thanks.

[Darklustre]

I'm not sure if I've ever run vanilla Skyrim. I'm guessing I did long, long ago. I do have the DLCs as non-MO. Mod Organizer is in it's own folder. 

Do you have any thoughts on the animals jerking up into the air and falling to their deaths, or the stuttering? I've searched it several times and I get something about frame rates but the fixes have never worked. 

Do you have any thoughts about Steam not letting me check the box that lets me access Steam during play? That's a big pain ita. 

[GSDFan]

I will give this a try.

1 hour ago, Darklustre said:

I'm not sure if I've ever run vanilla Skyrim.

I just mean did you try playing some when launched without MO2, from Steam or a desktop shortcut. Just a test to see if the game behaves the way it should.

43 minutes ago, Darklustre said:

Do you have any thoughts about Steam not letting me check the box that lets me access Steam during play? That's a big pain ita. 

Is the below image what you mean?

 

If so, then the global option is not enabled in Steams settings.

Open Steam then go to the View menu and click to expand it. Select settings at the bottom of the menu. A new window will pop up.

Click on the In-Game tab and click the top box to enable Steam Overlay globally. Click OK and you should be able to enable it from the game options.

1 hour ago, Darklustre said:

Do you have any thoughts on the animals jerking up into the air and falling to their deaths, or the stuttering?

Truth be told, I haven't modded the regular version of Skyrim in a while and just recently started to mod Special Edition.  Bethesda games are tied to fps and not knowing your system specs, I would try to keep everything, monitor, graphics card and game, at or below 60fps.

[z929669]

SSE Display Tweaks resolves the havok bugs, uncapping the FPS issues with that. It's an SKSE-dependent mod.

[Darklustre]

Fan- you're awesome. Thank you! That solved the overlay issue. I have tried playing it through Steam and I had no issue. 

 

z- Unfortunately I'm running LE. It would be amazing to solve this issue!

[Darklustre]

What would I do to replace my whole Skyrim ini with the default in case other problems exist? I think there might be other problems. I'm trying to use Reproccer and I've successfully used it before, but now it's not working. You're supposed to enable the settings in the Reproccer in the ini file and I can't any of the settings. My ini file seems to be missing every section of the reproccer. I'm really confused. Does this look like a normal ini file?

[General]

sLanguage=ENGLISH

 

uExterior Cell Buffer=36

 

[Display]

fShadowLODMaxStartFade=1000.0

fSpecularLODMaxStartFade=2000.0

fLightLODMaxStartFade=3500.0

iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=2048

bAllowScreenshot=1

 

[Audio]

fMusicDuckingSeconds=6.0

fMusicUnDuckingSeconds=8.0

fMenuModeFadeOutTime=3.0

fMenuModeFadeInTime=1.0

 

[Grass]

bAllowCreateGrass=1

bAllowLoadGrass=0

 

[GeneralWarnings]

SGeneralMasterMismatchWarning=One or more plugins could not find the correct versions of the master files they depend on. Errors may occur during load or game play. Check the "Warnings.txt" file for more information.

 

[Archive]

sResourceArchiveList=Skyrim - Misc.bsa, Skyrim - Shaders.bsa, Skyrim - Textures.bsa, Skyrim - Interface.bsa, Skyrim - Animations.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes.bsa, Skyrim - Sounds.bsa

sResourceArchiveList2=Skyrim - Voices.bsa, Skyrim - VoicesExtra.bsa

bInvalidateOlderFiles=1

SInvalidationFile=ArchiveInvalidation.txt

 

[Combat]

fMagnetismStrafeHeadingMult=0.0

fMagnetismLookingMult=0.0

 

[Papyrus]

fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=500.0

bEnableLogging=0

bEnableTrace=0

bLoadDebugInformation=0

[Water]

bReflectLODObjects=1

bReflectLODLand=1

bReflectSky=1

bReflectLODTrees=1

[Launcher]

bEnableFileSelection=1

 

[GamePlay]

 

bEssentialTakeNoDamage=0

Edited December 22, 2022 by Darklustre

[z929669]

9 minutes ago, Darklustre said:

What would I do to replace my whole Skyrim ini with the default in case other problems exist? I think there might be other problems since I have nothing under Gameplay but that EssentialsTakeNoDamage. 

Just delete your INIs and start the game via the Steam launcher at whatever quality applies, and they will be regenerated properly. Then use BethINI for LE to get all the evidence-based, recommended tweaks.

[Darklustre]

Ok I started it up through Steam and got to the play menu. I exited and it did not put anything in my now empty Skyrim ini? 

I tried shutting down MO2 and starting Skyrim through Steam to the loading menu and this is all I get in my ini now:

 

[Archive]

bInvalidateOlderFiles=1

SInvalidationFile=ArchiveInvalidation.txt

 

[Greg]

Don't delete the contents of Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini. Delete both files and restart the launcher. The launcher will see the files do not exist and create them fresh after you select the appropriate settings and start the game.

[Darklustre]

Hey Greg! It's good to see you're still active! Thanks. That was what I was doing wrong. 

[z929669]

4 hours ago, Darklustre said:

Hey Greg! It's good to see you're still active! Thanks. That was what I was doing wrong. 

On 12/22/2022 at 2:01 PM, z929669 said:

Just delete your INIs and start the game via the Steam launcher at whatever quality applies, and they will be regenerated properly. Then use BethINI for LE to get all the evidence-based, recommended tweaks.

I thought I already said the same thing?

[Darklustre]

No, I don't think you did. You said to delete my inis, and that meant to me the thing you had me open up in MO2. I didn't know there was a difference between doing it through MO and through the file location.