Cleaned ESM question

[tmcd15]

Hi!

So, I am atempting to install STEP again on the SSD to see if I get a better performace(not that I am having issue with it, I am just trying to improve). And I have come across a little problem. I am sorry if this sounds like a stupid question or something but STEP is a very specific guide, any deviations from it are not recomended so I got this doubt. I am performing the cleaning ESMs process but I forgot to follow step 1, backup of original ESM before attempting to clean so, what I did was, fininsh the cleaning process as instructed then, as I do not have the backup to restore to the file, I made steam download it again by verifying files integrity. There's my question, is that a problem? Does it interfere in anything STEP-related? Also when steam downloaded the missing esm, it downloaded 2 files, not 1. Can anyone help me figure it out which 2nd file is it?(the other is the esm)

 

PS: Is it ok for me to ask questions if i can't find an answer?

 

[Nozzer66]

Always Ok to ask questions.

 

When you got Steam to download it, what you got was the original, vanilla, uncleaned ESM, and Steam would have put that in the usual directory. That should mean that if you were to start Skyrim normally, unmodded, vanilla then that would be the ESM it used.

 

Do you have the cleaned ESM as a mod in MO? If you do, you're in business, and MO will use that ESM when you start your modded game via MO.

 

If you're not 100% sure, try cleaning the ESM it downloaded for you again. This time making sure you make the backup.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Nozzer66

[hishutup]

No biggie, you're fine

I don't quite understand what you're asking but 

 

STEP doesn't recommend this but it really doesn't matter about backing the original esm because you can just redownload it. 

 

I believe STEP has a strict setup to keep things consistent with debugging, packs and several other reasons but its YOUR game and you can do what you please.

I went off the deep end and when crazy but thats me. (lots of merging, lots of patching)

 

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I think STEP has you create a separate mod for each cleaned esm so I guess just delete those and redo the beginning portion.

Disable all mods

Delete your cleaned version of esm (if you want to start from ground zero also delete the original esm because you'll have to do the verify game files)

Verify game files through steam

Back up the Update, DG, HF, DB

Clean them individually and more/less in the order above

Create the separate mod folders for each cleaned esm

move the uncleaned back

Place the uncleaned DLC in the correct order in MO (refresh may be required)

Place the cleaned DLC mods after each Non-MO mod

 

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How I would do it...

Go through re-clean each DLC individually and in this order (Update, DG, HF, DB)

Play the game...

Edited October 3, 2014 by hishutup

[tmcd15]

Yes I have the cleaned ESMs. I did that 2 times, for update.esm and for hearthfire.esm. I saved the cleaned ESMs just as instructed I just forgot to made a backup of the uncleaned one. Also My only concern about the 2nd file steam downloaded is, could it have overwritten anything STEP-related?

[Nozzer66]

The second one is likely a new, uncleaned hearthfires.esm, then.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Nozzer66

[hishutup]

I think skyrim always has one rouge file redownload for no reason... 

I may be wrong though

[DoubleYou]

Verifying integrity of game cache should always be safe with the STEP setup, and is a perfectly valid way to restore the uncleaned DLC.