SSE folder resetting?

[LolMlad]

Hey y'all. I just did a fresh install of SSE. I started the usual process, ran the game once to generate inis, installed MO2 and SKSE, added the SKSE executable and launching the game through there once just to make sure it worked. I then checked my game folder and noticed some old ENB and Reshade files so I deleted them. However, after launching the game they reappear as if they were never deleted. I tried deleted them again but, again, they show up in the folder after launching the game. Been modding for years and have never had this issue. My folder seems to be resetting itself. I checked my Oblivion setup and its game folder keeps resetting itself too, I can't add or delete any files since they reappear after launching the game - this makes me feel like a larger issue is at play here.

 

Anyone know what the issue could be? I thought it was a read only issue so I unchecked it and hit apply but when I check it again to ensure it saved the change it's still set to read only. Not sure if that's a part of the issue but I thought it'd be helpful to mention either way. Thanks in advance!

 

[Greg]

Are you using Root Builder with Mod Organizer? What you are showing in these two screenshots is expected behavior if you view the Data folder with Mod Organizer running, but Mod Organizer does not virtualize the root game folder shown in your screenshots. Root Builder is a plugin for Mod Organizer that does magic like this in the root game folder and these files are actually stored as mods inside Mod Organizer somewhere if I'm not mistaken.

[z929669]

1 hour ago, LolMlad said:

Hey y'all. I just did a fresh install of SSE. I started the usual process, ran the game once to generate inis, installed MO2 and SKSE, added the SKSE executable and launching the game through there once just to make sure it worked. I then checked my game folder and noticed some old ENB and Reshade files so I deleted them. However, after launching the game they reappear as if they were never deleted. I tried deleted them again but, again, they show up in the folder after launching the game. Been modding for years and have never had this issue. My folder seems to be resetting itself. I checked my Oblivion setup and its game folder keeps resetting itself too, I can't add or delete any files since they reappear after launching the game - this makes me feel like a larger issue is at play here.

Anyone know what the issue could be? I thought it was a read only issue so I unchecked it and hit apply but when I check it again to ensure it saved the change it's still set to read only. Not sure if that's a part of the issue but I thought it'd be helpful to mention either way. Thanks in advance!

The answer is that you are probably not actually deleting those files from the game folder and are seeing some rendition of the virtualized game folder, or you are running the game installed into a file share or a Windows protected directory location or a cloud-synced directory location (like Onedrive). Forget about MO and SKSE for now. Exit MO. Find your actual Steam game directory location.

Read: https://stepmodifications.org/wiki/Guide:System_Setup_Guide#Game_Installation_&_Maintenance_Via_Steam and consider reading everything before this to establish a workable game location for modding.

Then, consider reading onward.

[LolMlad]

Thanks. I've never had problems with the Skyrim folder being located in Program Files (Steam's default install location). I know it's advised by most of the community and STEP, so I started a fresh install of Steam and Skyrim, this time in its own 'Games' folder in my C drive away from any special folders. I followed the rest of the guide as well. While, unfortunately, the issue wasn't fixed, I see what's happening now. The files that disappear after launching the game are actually still *in* the game folder, but for some reason they're hidden only when the game isn't running. When I launch the game and alt + tab to the desktop, I can see the files in there but only when the game is running. If I quit the game the files aren't visible anymore. I tested this by placing the ENB series .dlls in the game folder and launching the game. I receive the ENB messages on the start menu and when I alt + tab I can see the .dlls in the game folder. When I quit the game a return to the desktop, they're not visible in the game folder anymore but they're still there. 

[LolMlad]

Hopefully this link works but here is a screenshot of an example. In the first pic my game isn't running and the files aren't visible. In the second pic you can see the files since my game is running.

Folder issue example - Imgur

[LolMlad]

You're 100% correct. I do have Root Builder installed. I was using it for my Oblivion setup. Would simply uninstalling Root Builder resolve this? Or, alternatively, do you know where these files are being stored and kept?

[LolMlad]

Circling back to this. Simply disabling Root Builder seems to have solved this. Thank you, o, wise STEP team.

[Greg]

Glad to hear you managed to solve this. it sounds as if disabling Root Builder caused it restore everything to the way it was originally so you should be good to go.