GUIDE Skyrim Installation Guide

[mephisto]

Greetings esteemed Skyrim experts,

 

I only just got into S.T.E.P. (uninstalled steam & Skyrim and installed to different directory) with the intention to follow it 100% accurately. However I noticed now there is an issue with Skyrim Unplugged in the newer version of Skyrim. As I reinstalled everything I'm now working with 1.8.151.0.7, I disabled updating in Steam.

 

What I am now wondering: is the whole S.T.E.P. process still workable without having it unplugged or would you advise to wait till there is a solution to this problem?

 

Regards,

M, a complete and utter noob

[Farlo]

Greetings esteemed Skyrim experts,

 

I only just got into S.T.E.P. (uninstalled steam & Skyrim and installed to different directory) with the intention to follow it 100% accurately. However I noticed now there is an issue with Skyrim Unplugged in the newer version of Skyrim. As I reinstalled everything I'm now working with 1.8.151.0.7, I disabled updating in Steam.

 

What I am now wondering: is the whole S.T.E.P. process still workable without having it unplugged or would you advise to wait till there is a solution to this problem?

 

Regards,

M, a complete and utter noob

Unfortunately Bethesda has changed how the file permissions are handled, but they've only completed half of the transition, so Skyrim Unplugged is a bit useless at the moment.  This doesn't prevent you from using STEP, it just means that should they launch Skyrim v1.9 there's no way to prevent Steam from pushing it on you, thus potentially breaking mods.  I'd say continue with STEP, just make sure to create a clean, Vanilla backup/archive just in case things get broke.

[stoppingby4now]

Greetings esteemed Skyrim experts,

 

I only just got into S.T.E.P. (uninstalled steam & Skyrim and installed to different directory) with the intention to follow it 100% accurately. However I noticed now there is an issue with Skyrim Unplugged in the newer version of Skyrim. As I reinstalled everything I'm now working with 1.8.151.0.7, I disabled updating in Steam.

 

What I am now wondering: is the whole S.T.E.P. process still workable without having it unplugged or would you advise to wait till there is a solution to this problem?

 

Regards,

M, a complete and utter noob

The very act of re-installing guarantees that you will get the latest version. Skyrim Unplugged never protected you from that.

 

But, there has been a Steam change within the last month or so which renders Skyrim Unplugged useless for preventing updates for Skyrim. Myself, and others, are hoping that Steam has finally fixed the Automatic Updates problem, but we just won't know until a new patch is released. For now, I recommend going into your Steam library, right click on Skyrim and select Properties. Click on the Update tab and then change Automatic Updates to "Do not...". If they have fixed this issue, then you shouldn't get an update next patch. If not, it's back to the drawing board for me.

 

So the short is, backup your current install just in case, as Skyrim Unplugged will not protect you right now (though you could apply File Permissions and hopefully prevent the files from being overwritten...I just can't make any claims on if this will work or if it will mess anything up). Also, an alternative to Skyrim Unplugged is to switch Steam to Offline mode. SU was really born for those that want to remain connected.

[hovercraft]

I am also on 1.8.151.0.7

 

Is STEP compatible with this version? The PDF says I need Skyrim 1.7

 

Thanks

[Farlo]

I am also on 1.8.151.0.7

 

Is STEP compatible with this version? The PDF says I need Skyrim 1.7

 

Thanks

It should essentially work, although there are a few bugs we're addressing.  I'd suggest you follow the changes listed in the OP here, in particular the replacement of Colored Map Markers with NACMIM as that seems to be the only mod "broken" by the update.

[thrillseeker]

Fantastic guide! Thanks for making it!

 

So I tried following the suggestion to make a "vanilla base mod", but Wrye Bash (v302.1) skips all the data files. There are no extra directories in the archive, and Wrye Bash is handling the string files normally (and the intro video Video\BGS_Logo.bik after I selected "has extra directories"). Why is it doing this? Is that a design feature to prevent a mod from overwriting the default data files?

 

In case my description is unclear, here's what's happening:

 

== Configured Files

Interface\Translate_ENGLISH.txt

Strings\Skyrim_English.DLSTRINGS

...etc...all the string files, and also:

Video\BGS_Logo.bik

 

== Skipped (Dir)

Dawnguard.bsa

Dawnguard.esm

...yadda yadda yadda (all BSAs and ESMs)

 

Also, what's the point of this anyway? I've never heard of a mod that replaces any of those main data files. It's good to have a backup I guess in case weird stuff happens.

[z929669]

WB will skip Data folders if they are not within a single directory hop from ROOT.

 

However, there is no need to follow this process.

 

I will run through it myself and see if there is a better way and rewrite that portion of the guide.

[thrillseeker]

WB will skip Data folders if they are not within a single directory hop from ROOT.

 

They are though. The data folder is the root of my archive (there is no data folder in the archive...just the contents of the data folder).

 

Yeah, that part of the guide was a little unclear. I can't think of a good reason to do what I'm trying to do here. I'm still curious as to why it doesn't work though...

[stoppingby4now]

WB will skip Data folders if they are not within a single directory hop from ROOT.

They are though. The data folder is the root of my archive (there is no data folder in the archive...just the contents of the data folder).

 

Yeah, that part of the guide was a little unclear. I can't think of a good reason to do what I'm trying to do here. I'm still curious as to why it doesn't work though...

You are packaging the archive correctly (WB will recognize it). All of the game specific Data files are defined in bash\game\skyrim.py, and if a file matches any of them it will skip it.

[Kelmych]

There are some mods (e.g., English Strings for Skyrim , a mod I use to replace files in the \Strings folder ) which replace the interface\translate_ENGLISH.txt file and/or the strings in the \Strings folder. You'll want a backup of these files if you want to unload these mods at a later date.

[thrillseeker]

You are packaging the archive correctly (WB will recognize it). All of the game specific Data files are defined in bash\game\skyrim.py, and if a file matches any of them it will skip it.

 

Aha... Thanks! Now I could change it if I wanted...but I wouldn't. I did change the ini files it finds by default (adding the CK ini files), and it worked as expected, and nothing broke. I'm feeling very pleased with myself.

 

I don't suppose anyone knows how it decides what directory screenshots are in?

[thrillseeker]

There are some mods (e.g.' date=' English Strings for Skyrim , a mod I use to replace files in the \Strings folder ;) which replace the interface\translate_ENGLISH.txt file and/or the strings in the \Strings folder. You'll want a backup of these files if you want to unload these mods at a later date.

So I guess the instructions should explain what files your Vanilla "mod" should contain...basically just the string files, and Interface\Translate_ENGLISH.txt, and maybe also Video\BGS_Logo.bik, instead of implying that it should include all the data files, which is unnecessary, doesn't work, and just takes up extra space.

[stoppingby4now]

You are packaging the archive correctly (WB will recognize it). All of the game specific Data files are defined in bash\game\skyrim.py' date=' and if a file matches any of them it will skip it.[/quote']

Aha... Thanks! Now I could change it if I wanted...but I wouldn't. I did change the ini files it finds by default (adding the CK ini files)' date=' and it worked as expected, and nothing broke. I'm feeling very pleased with myself.

 

I don't suppose anyone knows how it decides what directory screenshots are in?[/quote']

It should be the root Skyrim folder since that is where the game places them. Screenshots taken with Steam are in a different location and I'm not sure it will pick those up.

[TechAngel85]

Would anyone be opposed to me taking out the "Hardware and OS" tab on the Skyrim Installation Guide? It has nothing to do with the installation and we now have a Hardware Guide for this which has pretty much the same information...kinda redundant.

[z929669]

Would anyone be opposed to me taking out the "Hardware and OS" tab on the Skyrim Installation Guide? It has nothing to do with the installation and we now have a Hardware Guide for this which has pretty much the same information...kinda redundant.

Agree, please do.