GUIDE TES5Edit Mod Cleaning

[Jormungand24]

Hello,

 

I want to start off by saying, AMAZING GUIDE!!!

 

I just started to go through this guide for Skyrim Revisited and do all the pre-req's before mod installation.

 

I think though I ran into a problem during the "Clean Bethesda ESM's" portion of the guide.  I followed the instructions word for word on the actual cleaning and then I believe the next section is where I got thrown off...

 

It reads:

Navigate to /overwrite/TES5Edit Backups and move all of the backup files to /Data.

Select all the ESM files in the /Data folder except Skyrim.esm and move them to the /overwrite directory.

Rename the .backup* files to their original name such as Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm and so on.

I did exactly as said, and when I started BOSS, it still said my Bethesda ESM's had dirty edits and needed to be cleaned.

 

What I did was, as quoted above... Move the created backup ESM's to the Skyrim Data folder from the "TES5Edit Backups" folder, then I literally took those same ESM's that I just placed in the Skyrim Data folder and moved them over to the MO/overwrite folder.  Then renamed each to remove the ".backup*".  In my overwrite folder, ESM's where already there, so I just overwrote them with the backups that I renamed to replace them.  The closed out and started BOSS to see the dirty edits remained.  I feel I did word for word what was asked.

 

But something doesn't seem right here.  What was the point of moving them to the Skyrim Data folder if you immediately just moving them back out to the overwrite folder?  No where it said to use "Copy" so I literally just moved from one spot, to the next, to the next.

 

Anyways, anyone have any idea where I went wrong?  I'd like to fix this before continuing so I don't have a big mess on my hands in the end.

 

Thank you!

[Luinithil]

If you'll look at the guide again, see these notes:

When a file is cleaned through TES5Edit using Mod Organizer it is automatically moved back to it's original mod directory. Any additional files created are moved to /overwrite to preserve a clean Skyrim/Data folder. However, in the case of the base Bethesda ESM files the source mod directory is unfortunately the Skyrim data directory.

 

******

 

Navigate to /overwrite/TES5Edit Backups and move all of the backup files to /Data.

Select all the ESM files in the /Data folder except Skyrim.esm and move them to the /overwrite directory.

Rename the .backup* files to their original name such as Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm and so on.

Cleaning through TES5Edit created a new clean version of the Beth ESMs, which are in your \overwrite-- if unsure, run BOSS with the ESPs in overwrite. Because any ESPs in \overwrite will be used instead of the original ESPs in any mod folder, BOSS will see that as the installed ESPs, so if you did things right, the plugins in overwrite should be clean. Leave those alone. IIRC the Data folder should not contain ESMs because they've been moved by MO, but I might be mistaken as it's been a long while since I had to clean the ESMs. Anyway, go to the folder with your backups, and move the backups to the \Data folder, rename those. That should do it.

[Jormungand24]

Hello.

 

Thanks for the reply.  I been busy all week I didn't get to work on this, but now with the three day weekend here I plan on making a major dent into my progress to getting Skyrim Revisited loaded onto my computer!

 

To revisit the topic below, and just for further clarification for my confused self:

 

 

Navigate to /overwrite/TES5Edit Backups and move all of the backup files to /Data.

Select all the ESM files in the /Data folder except Skyrim.esm and move them to the /overwrite directory.

Rename the .backup* files to their original name such as Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm and so on.

Okay, in reference to the quote above.  When I go into TES5Edit Backups, I will see (4) back up files.  All of which are .esm backups.  As instructed, I take those (4) created back up files and move them and drop them into the Skyrim Data folder.  Okay...

The very next step says to then select all ESM files in the Skyrim Data folder (Except Skyrim.esm) and move them to the overwrite directory. 

 

That is where my I get confused.  If I am taking all the ESM's I just dropped into Skyrim/Data and moving them to Mod Organizer/overwrite, why did I move them to Skyrim/Data if I am just immediately taking them back out?  Was I supposed to COPY it and not move it to the Mod Organizer/overwrite directory folder?

 

The directions just say to move the back ups to SKyrim/Data, and then very next step we taken them back out of Skyrim/Data.  So just wondering if this is correct or if I am just completely missing something.

 

Thank you for the help!  If more info is needed from me please just let me know.

[statmonster]

You're getting the sequence confused.

 

1 move backups to data.

2 move nonbackups to overwrite

3 rename backups in data

 

You can swap the order of steps 1 and 2 above if that makes it less confusing and more logical for you.

 

You want to end up with the nonbackups (which started in data) in overwrite (this happens in step 2 above and the backups (now renamed) in data (this happens on step 1 and 3 above)

[Jormungand24]

You're getting the sequence confused.

 

1 move backups to data.

2 move nonbackups to overwrite

3 rename backups in data

 

You can swap the order of steps 1 and 2 above if that makes it less confusing and more logical for you.

 

You want to end up with the nonbackups (which started in data) in overwrite (this happens in step 2 above and the backups (now renamed) in data (this happens on step 1 and 3 above)

Thank you for the reply.

 

Question:  The non backups which started in Skyrim/Data...  Are these supposed to be ESM's as well?  I'm looking at my Data folder and the only ESM I have is the Skyrim.esm.  Everything else is .bsa and .esp

 

So I am not quite sure what I am supposed to be moving out of the Skyrim Data folder and into overwrite?

[Luinithil]

IIRC with the current version of Mod Organizer, I don't think there's anything for you to move out of Data since the cleaned masters should already be in \overwrite... You just need to move the backups to Data and rename those, and you should be good to go. Keep checking with MO and BOSS though.

[Jormungand24]

IIRC with the current version of Mod Organizer' date=' I don't think there's anything for you to move out of Data since the cleaned masters should already be in \overwrite... You just need to move the backups to Data and rename those, and you should be good to go. Keep checking with MO and BOSS though.[/quote']

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I did as directed and now BOSS is not telling my I have dirty Beth esm's.  So I'm good to continue on!

 

Thank you.

[Jormungand24]

Instead of making a new thread, I figured I would just continue my questions in this one.

 

My next question is:

 

When I moved on into the Optimization of the Bethesda Textures, everytime I extract to the folders I made, the extracted file is a .bsa file and not loose texture files in a texture folder. I re-read the steps and felt I did everything right. What am I doing wrong?

[EssArrBee]

On the bottom part of DDSopt there is a the browse button that brings up the menu to select the destination folder. If the 'Save as Type' is listed as BSA then change it to the other option then click the 'use folder' button on the directory your are extracting to.

[Jormungand24]

On the bottom part of DDSopt there is a the browse button that brings up the menu to select the destination folder. If the 'Save as Type' is listed as BSA then change it to the other option then click the 'use folder' button on the directory your are extracting to.

Yep, that solved it.

 

Thank you very much.

[Jormungand24]

Okay, here is another question.

 

With the BOSS Userlist Manager, I have to fill out a field for "Masterlist Path"

 

What path would that be?

 

Nevermind, I got it.

 

BTW, is there a guide anywhere to properly setting up the settings within BUM?

[Jormungand24]

For the mod "High Quality 3D Map" Located here: https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/4817/?

 

In Skyrim Revisted:

 

High Quality 3D Map

 

Author: Ethatron

Version: 2.0 (Meshes and Normals)

 

Am I supposed to download 2 files here? I downloaded the "Meshes Hi-Res" and then I also downloaded "Normals Original"

 

Is this correct?

 

They were the same name when downloaded so when I tried to Install MO yelled at me, so I renamed the Normals to "High Quality 3D Map - Normals". Is that okay, will it cause issues with BOSS?

 

Did I do this correctly? Or should I have done something else?

 

Thank you.

[statmonster]

The general practice is to "merge" them but I often like to rename them if I want to be able to track which patches/options I have installed. It doesn't matter to BOSS. (BOSS only cares about ESP/ESMs, and it doesn't matter which folder they are in - except if you have two identically named ESP/ESMs MO will only use the one lower down in your MO mod list.)

[Kelmych]

For the mod "High Quality 3D Map" Located here: https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/4817/?

 

In Skyrim Revisted:

 

High Quality 3D Map

 

Author: Ethatron

Version: 2.0 (Meshes and Normals)

Am I supposed to download 2 files here? I downloaded the "Meshes Hi-Res" and then I also downloaded "Normals Original"

 

Is this correct?

 

They were the same name when downloaded so when I tried to Install MO yelled at me, so I renamed the Normals to "High Quality 3D Map - Normals". Is that okay, will it cause issues with BOSS?

 

Did I do this correctly? Or should I have done something else?

 

Thank you.

When I download the file with normals the file name is "HQ3DMap - Normals Original-4817-2-0.7z" ; the name for the meshes file is different.

[Jormungand24]

The general practice is to "merge" them but I often like to rename them if I want to be able to track which patches/options I have installed. It doesn't matter to BOSS. (BOSS only cares about ESP/ESMs' date=' and it doesn't matter which folder they are in - except if you have two identically named ESP/ESMs MO will only use the one lower down in your MO mod list.)[/quote']

In this case, since they are all textures and meshes, I should be okay then huh?

 

 

For the mod "High Quality 3D Map" Located here: https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/4817/?

 

In Skyrim Revisted:

 

High Quality 3D Map

 

Author: Ethatron

Version: 2.0 (Meshes and Normals)

 

Am I supposed to download 2 files here? I downloaded the "Meshes Hi-Res" and then I also downloaded "Normals Original"

 

Is this correct?

 

They were the same name when downloaded so when I tried to Install MO yelled at me' date=' so I renamed the Normals to "High Quality 3D Map - Normals". Is that okay, will it cause issues with BOSS?

 

Did I do this correctly? Or should I have done something else?

 

Thank you.[/quote']

When I download the file with normals the file name is "HQ3DMap - Normals Original-4817-2-0.7z" ; the name for the meshes file is different.

Yes, when downloaded the downloaded file name is as you say.  But when I Install, MO tries to install both as the same name called "High Quality 3D Map".  So I left the Meshes Hi Res download alone which is called "High Quality 3D Map", and the Normals download I renamed to "High Quality 3D Map - Normals" when I installed it into MO. Otherwise MO was trying to name both the same even though the downloaded names were different.

 

 

EDIT: An example is plugins for some mods and optional files. MO wants to name it the same thing, so I rename it. When there are mods that have optional files that also need to be downloaded, I will just have multiple Installed mods for that specific mod (just renaming each optional file). Not sure if I am making sense?

 

 

EDIT2: Okay, I see what you were talking about with "Merge". MO gives the option to merge. Should I do this for all instances that require me to download an additional "optional" file?