Best way to handle "overwriting" of files

[Kryseth]

Hey everyone!

Been using STEP so much more lately and just switched to Mod Organizer (Damn, why didn't I do this years ago!?) so slowly learning the ropes :)

Got one question since I've been stuck in the old ways of installing mods. What is the best way to handle mods that have files that should overwrite eachother? My example is: I have installed SkyMills and am about to install SMIM. SMIM is supposed to overwrite some files from SkyMills. What should I do to make it as "correctly" as possible? Can I organize the overwite order or should I remove the conflicting files completely?

I am sorry if this is covered in some guide out there, but I could not find an answer with my search inquiries.

Thanks in advance!

[Kelmych]

If you follow the STEP Skyrim guide the installation order and installation notes take care of this for you.

[GrantSP]

MO guide chapter on "Overwrite".

[Kryseth]

Ah thanks both! Missed that one for some reason :)

[Kryseth]

With the fear of sounding dumb: I am sorry, but I didn't understand that link you posted at all. :/ I read through it several times and couldn't pull out the information I needed for the questions I had above. Maybe it's just because it covered everything at once and I just needed a small portion of it.

Does the order I install the mods matter? Right now it seems that everything is good. SMIM overwrites the Ultimate Fire HD mod and SkyFalls, but I am just wondering if I install a mod and it overwrites something it shouldn't. How do I fix it so that the new mod dosen't overwrite the old in a easy way?

[Greg]

The order of the mods in the left pane does matter because this dictates which resources (meshes, textures, scripts, audio files, scripts, etc.) are used by the game. If you install Static Mesh Improvement Mod and then some other mod that has the same meshes, the game will use the meshes in this other mod instead of the meshes in SMIM. You can see this by double clicking any mod and selecting the Conflicts tab. This tab shows the resources that are provided by this mod (because this mod has a higher priority) and resources that are provided by other mods (because this mod has a lower priority).

 

Unlike Nexus Mod Manager, Mod Organizer stores all mods in separate directories so you don't have to worry about say resources in one mod overwriting resources in some other mod. This means you can easily change the priority of the mod simply by dragging it higher or lower in the left pane.

[GrantSP]

I may have confused you a little, sorry for that. I read your post and had in mind you're enquiring about the "Overwrite" folder, which is basically MO's temp folder. Where in fact you are enquiring about "overwriting" files in general, as you would see using any other mod manager.

 

Hopefully @Greg's answer has steered you right. Perhaps watching some of the video tutorials will explain further about how MO does what it does.

[Kryseth]

The order of the mods in the left pane does matter because this dictates which resources (meshes, textures, scripts, audio files, scripts, etc.) are used by the game. If you install Static Mesh Improvement Mod and then some other mod that has the same meshes, the game will use the meshes in this other mod instead of the meshes in SMIM. You can see this by double clicking any mod and selecting the Conflicts tab. This tab shows the resources that are provided by this mod (because this mod has a higher priority) and resources that are provided by other mods (because this mod has a lower priority).

 

Unlike Nexus Mod Manager, Mod Organizer stores all mods in separate directories so you don't have to worry about say resources in one mod overwriting resources in some other mod. This means you can easily change the priority of the mod simply by dragging it higher or lower in the left pane.

So basically it overwrites in the traditional sense just without ACTUALLY overwriting the files? So I just install my mods in the correct order then :) That just made MO even more awesome and easy to work with.

 

@GrantSP No Problem! Thanks for the help :)

[Greg]

If you look in the Mod Organizer/mods directory, you'll get a better sense of what I mean. Each mod is stored in its own folder so the files in SMIM cannot overwrite files in any other mod. How the files are used in the game is a bit technical, but Mod Organizer basically provides a virtual file system so Skyrim sees files with the highest priority.

[elwaps]

"So basically it overwrites in the traditional sense just without ACTUALLY overwriting the files?"

Exactly. I imagine it the way that MO lets the game load all the left pane data folder fragments from top to bottom and makes the game believe it was loading an actual normal data folder with the bottom files overwriting conflicting parts of the top files.

 

"That just made MO even more awesome and easy to work with."

I think this is one of the main reasons to use MO at all. The only thing that would make MO even more awesome would be working progress bars for the downloads tab. 

[Kryseth]

I just fall more and more in love with it. Kinda glad the newest update for NMM wrecked my setup hehe.

But here is one question I am still wondering. I guess this one is kinda specific. WATER is supposed to overwrite SMIM's files, which is fine, but Better Dynamic Snow should be overwritten by SMIM. And now since the Better Dynamic Snow is combined into Ruffled Feather together with WATER, how do I make SMIM overwrite Better Dynamic Snow, but not WATER?

[elwaps]

Not sure about that but why are you using WATER? I've just reinstalled The Ruffled Feather, that's why I remember WATER doesn't belong to the STEP setup. Wouldn't it conflict with Realistic Water Two anyway?

[Kryseth]

Not sure about that but why are you using WATER? I've just reinstalled The Ruffled Feather, that's why I remember WATER doesn't belong to the STEP setup. Wouldn't it conflict with Realistic Water Two anyway?

I always preferred WATER over the other water mods out there :)

[Greg]

When you install The Ruffled Feature, I think you want to select Custom on the first page, and select "Yes, install WATER" and "Yes, I have or will have SMIM installed" on the second page. A dozen or so pages later select either "Better Dynamic Snow + SMIM" or None if you don't want Better Dynamic Snow. There are a thousand choices in The Ruffled Feather, but it looks as if your scenario may be covered in the installer. I got a little dizzy going through all the options, though.

[Kryseth]

When you install The Ruffled Feature, I think you want to select Custom on the first page, and select "Yes, install WATER" and "Yes, I have or will have SMIM installed" on the second page. A dozen or so pages later select either "Better Dynamic Snow + SMIM" or None if you don't want Better Dynamic Snow. There are a thousand choices in The Ruffled Feather, but it looks as if your scenario may be covered in the installer. I got a little dizzy going through all the options, though.

That is true, but if you read what SparrowPrince writes on the Better Dynamic Snow + SMIM selection he says: "SMIM users should overwrite BDS Files". Which to me sounds like SMIM should overwrite BDS. But again, now that I installed a seperate installation of Ruffled Feather with only BDS I saw that NONE of the files conflicted with SMIM. So weird that he would write that.

[Kryseth]

Thought I'd start a new thread, but since this one is about overwrite as well, I will try my luck here :)

I am closing in on the finishing line before I start playing my modded skyrim, but what should I do with the files that end up in the overwrite folder in mod organizer when I have booted up Frostfall/Campfire? I mean, aren't these settings and stuff that change while I play? Should I leave them there or make a mod of it?