"There are files in your overwite mod"?

[Phont]

I've finished installing some mods and I noticed I had the error sign at the top of my Mod Organizer so I clicked it to get that message displayed.

 

I opened up my Overwrite folder in Mod Organizer and it showed these folders: https://puu.sh/51obV.png

 

They are folders for SkyProc Patchers for Dual Sheath Redux and Automatic Variants along with TES5Edit backups and my AV textures.

 

Could this be because I'm running BOSS, TES5Edit and the SkyProc Patcher patches from Mod Organizer to get the complete mod list?

[wolverine2710]

I'm going to be concise this time and NOT going into details and being 100% complete.  Basically when a program is started by MO which adds/changes files those files end up up in the overwrite directory. In Tannins vision the overwrite directory should always be empty (needed if you want to use multiple profiles). Please read the thread "By visby. Feature request: overwrite folder for each profile". It contains two important links

• The technical details of the overwrite directory.
• A date/time on the Nexus MO forum where strategies for handling the overwrite directory are discussed.

If after reading that information you have additional questions feel free to ask them. note: (1) and (2) need and will finds its way in a condensed version to the MO wiki in the future. Iirc BOSS does not put files in the overwrite directory. Signing off, my bed awaits.

[Phont]

I'm going to be concise this time and NOT going into details and being 100% complete.  Basically when a program is started by MO which adds/changes files those files end up up in the overwrite directory. In Tannins vision the overwrite directory should always be empty (needed if you want to use multiple profiles). Please read the thread "By visby. Feature request: overwrite folder for each profile". It contains two important links

• The technical details of the overwrite directory.
• A date/time on the Nexus MO forum where strategies for handling the overwrite directory are discussed.

If after reading that information you have additional questions feel free to ask them. note: (1) and (2) need and will finds its way in a condensed version to the MO wiki in the future. Iirc BOSS does not put files in the overwrite directory. Signing off, my bed awaits.

I read the link you posted and tried to comprehend it to the best of my abilities.

 

What I ended up doing was move each folder to their respective locations. (I.E. Putting SkyProc Patchers into my Data folder and the Textures folder into my Automatic Variants folder)

 

This was the correct move?

 

I'm assuming these overwrite files were caused by running Automatic Variants patcher, Dual Sheath patcher and TES5Edit in Mod Organizer?

[wolverine2710]

I read the link you posted and tried to comprehend it to the best of my abilities.

I know the concept of the overwrite directory and the virtual filing system can be a bit daunting (at first). And YES we need to get better documentation about it. The whole purpose of MO is that you can have a virgin /data directory because it is virtualized (though Skyrim thinks its working with the regular filing system).

 

What I ended up doing was move each folder to their respective locations. (I.E. Putting SkyProc Patchers into my Data folder and the Textures folder into my Automatic Variants folder). This was the correct move?

Please do NOT put anything in the real /data/directory. Not sure what you mean with "Textures folder into my Automatic Variants folder."

 

I recommend creating a few mods. A mod in MO is nothing more then a directory in the /mods directory with a certain valid data structure. Its best to close MO first.

 

1) Create a "TES5Edit backups" mod an move the contents of the overwrite/TES5Edit Backups directory to it. Do NOT enable this mod.

2) Create a "Automatic Variants Textures" mod and move the directory Textures in overwrite to it. This mod is global for all profiles and needs to enabled. If you add more AV packages, and the textures end up in the overwrite directory move the new textures to it.

3) The skyproc patcher directories (after your first run) contain mostly or only debugging text files. Its entirely possible that they stay there when move them back to the corresponding mod. See also this tread, post #2.

 

I have to admit I expected the esp files generated by for example the Automatic Variants patcher to end up in the overwrite dircectory as well. Perhaps this behavior is changed or did you already move it?

 

I'm assuming these overwrite files were caused by running Automatic Variants patcher, Dual Sheath patcher and TES5Edit in Mod Organizer?

Yes that is correct.

 

Note: Having an empty overwrite directory at ALL times is needed when you use or plan to use multiple profiles. If you are not you could leave all the files in the 'overwrite' directory. Though Tannin advices against it and it NOT good practise but it won't hurt MO. At least this worked for me. 

 

I know I have NOT been 100% complete (how to handle multiple profiles) but I hope this gives a good starting point. Also please reread the post in the MO Nexus forum with date/time 13:46, 16 Sep 2013. Perhaps it makes more sense now. If anyone wants to fill in my gap(s) please feel free to do so.