Mod Organizer not opening SKSE

[The_Filthy_Spaniard]

Hello!

I've been attempting to switch over to MO from NMM, as I would like to play some new characters with different mod setups. As far as I can tell, I have followed the instructions for installing MO correctly, (from a vanilla install) but when I try to open SKSE via MO, the console window opens (as usual) and then disappears, and then nothing happens. A process for Skyrim turns up in the "background processes" section of the task manager, using up to 100mb of memory, and no CPU, but does nothing.

If I use MO to open the skyrim launcher, or skyrim.exe, or I start skse_loader.exe outside of MO, they all function correctly (although either without skse or without mods!). The same problem occurs if I use a profile with mods, or without any mods (other than DLC).

I am running windows 8.1, if that's relevant, and my steam installation is not in C:/Program Files (x86). I've found several other threads with this issue ( https://forum.step-project.com/topic/6448-skse-shortcut-doesnt-start-skyrim/, https://forum.step-project.com/topic/3665-mo-not-launching-skyrimskse/, https://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/613948093882048015/?insideModal=1) but no solutions. :/

Please let me know if there is a solution to this, as I'd hate to have to go back to NMM after spending so long setting up MO...

[thommaal]

1. I hope you won't mind, if I want to make sure that your SKSE is installed properly.

When you click with the right mouse button on the installed SKSE in the left window of MO and choose the entry "information" in the newly popped up window, another window opens where you can look at the "Filetree".

Does it look like that?

>    scripts
>    SKSE
    meta.ini

Here's a screenshot:
   

If your filetree doesn't at least show a script-folder (the SKSE-folder is manually created after the initial installation to add the SKSE.ini in its proper place), something is wrong.

In that case, I'll shamelessly point you to a post that deals with the SKSE installation procedure in MO.
    
 
2. If the installation is correct, try to start a vanilla + SKSE profile in MO:

• only the base game + DLCs,
• original inis
• + SKSE

 

3. Btw, take a look at the log that MO creates when it starts - do you get error messages?

 

 

4. If SKSE isn't working with the mentioned profile, take a look at the "skse.log"

You'll find it in: Documents > My Games > Skyrim > SKSE

Add it to your answer. If it's very long, please, delete it and start the vanilla + SKSE game anew. The new log should be much shorter.


5. Check your security programs

Make sure that no security program (antivirus, firewall etc.) has (partially) blocked the correct functioning of MO. Especially the ones that allow you to control specific processes associated with a program can turn into a problem. It's highly unlikely given your description - but checking doesn't hurt.

 

 

6. Re-install MO

If you want to be sure that your installation isn't messed up, deinstall the old one but PRIOR to that

- backup your downloads-folder (!) [very important if you don't want to spend hours downloading your mods again]

- backup the mods-folder (unless you want to re-install them anyway)

- ensure that your overwrite-folder is empty, otherwise save it

- I prefer to create new profiles but you could back them up as well, especially when you have manually edited inis for SWeetFX, ENBoost, ENB etc.

 

=> Don't install your new MO in program files.

 

 

7. Since Skyrim works properly, I very much doubt that its files are a problem. But you could still verify their integrity in STEAM (when I had to re-download more and more files, it was a sure sign that my SSD was dying and data corruption had set in - to name just one totally unrelated problem that can lead to files not working any longer).

Edited June 5, 2015 by thommaal

[The_Filthy_Spaniard]

Thank you very much for your comprehensive and speedy reply! :)

It turns out that everything was installed ok, but my AVG was blocking components of MO, and now that I've added it to the exceptions, it runs SKSE just fine. I'm sorry that I hadn't checked that before. Perhaps it should be mentioned on the installation guide page of the wiki?

Thank you again for your help!

[thommaal]

Thank you very much for your comprehensive and speedy reply! :)

 

It turns out that everything was installed ok, but my AVG was blocking components of MO, and now that I've added it to the exceptions, it runs SKSE just fine. (..) Perhaps it should be mentioned on the installation guide page of the wiki?

Ah, yes, it's extremely easy to miss that in AVG, and also in Norton. Could be a good idea to call attention to security programs in a trouble-shooting guide.

 

Thanks for pointing out the culprit; that kind of feedback is invaluable.

[GrantSP]

I have added a notice to the MO wiki under the 'Prerequisites' heading about the need to set exclusions for your AV package if necessary.