How to 100% safely install and download mods?

[LCBlome99]

Hey guys thanks for looking at my discussion. This is my 3rd computer within in the last 3 years and the first one was kind of junky and I tried to download mods for some other games, and my brother claims my computer died from the mods even though the computer was complete crap in the first place.

The second one the hard drive was the same one from the first one since it was intact. after eh a year and a half maybe I started downloading mods again and this time for New Vegas and Fallout 3. The hard drive was very old itself and my computer was already starting look less efficient from what I could see was the hard drive since it was from a computer from even before my first one. My brother once again claimed it was mods that made my computer crap out again. Even though I used NVMM and Im not sure what i used for F3, but it was very similar. After I cleaned out all folders containg or running parallell with the mods, by hard drive (thats what I believe anyways) finally started crapping out. My PC would crash at random times and to get it to start again I had to reconnect the motherboard to the hard drive and it would normally turn on.

Then I got this computer and my brother (who is a computer fanatic/geek) told me I should stop downloading things like that again or he wouldn't fix my computer for me (even though he simply replaced parts on it and slapped an extra $20 on the price claiming it was for "labor", I too can buy the correct parts and put them in a computer, but he knows more about them than me.)

I know I should probably put this topic on some other thing, but since alot of you have also modded and probably havent had 2 computer die on you while doing it I am just thinking you are my best bets :). Do you think my brother is lying to my face? I don't know why he would do that. Or do you think he doesn't really know and thinks it was mainly downloaded files? Or do you believe with me that it was probably a hardware problem?

Also this is my MAIN QUESITON HERE!

I HAVE downloaded mods using NVMM like I said, but I'm just wondering if someone can give me a complete list of how they added the mods and haven't had problems from them. I KNOW its alot to ask for, but you would deserve my thanks and respect...

[baddude1337]

I'm not really sure what to say other than just stick to Nexus Mods and safely check comments and things like that before downloading. I personally have never used Nexus Mod Manager and have manually downloaded and installed hundreds of mods for Skyim and New Vegas and have never had any problems. Your HDD crapping out after downloading a few mods just seems unlucky more than the mods directly breaking your hardware.

[LCBlome99]

Originally posted by baddude1337:

I'm not really sure what to say other than just stick to Nexus Mods and safely check comments and things like that before downloading. I personally have never used Nexus Mod Manager and have manually downloaded and installed hundreds of mods for Skyim and New Vegas and have never had any problems. Your HDD crapping out after downloading a few mods just seems unlucky more than the mods directly breaking your hardware.

lol yes it does hahaha. I've gotten the "permission" of multiple poeple now. I'm just afraid of my computer giving out again and my brother sees that I had several mods on it ya know? Almost always he checks the hard drive first of all things...

[baddude1337]

It really does just seem unlucky. A chunk of my HDD is basically mods for games like Total War (Third Age FTW), Bethesda RPG's. L4D2, Killing Floor etc...

What are your current computer specs?

[LCBlome99]

Originally posted by baddude1337:

It really does just seem unlucky. A chunk of my HDD is basically mods for games like Total War (Third Age FTW), Bethesda RPG's. L4D2, Killing Floor etc...

What are your current computer specs?

Uhh Idk, im fairly novice in looking at computer stats. Let's just say after my last fan installment in my computer I could play Dragon Age :Origins max graphics in everything with 0 lag at all. Just had an overheating problem until I got the next fan in that i mentioned earlier

[R5CYA]

never, ever, ask your brother for computer advice again. he has no idea what he's talking about. you can't kill a hard drive or anything else adding mods. (unless you overheat because you let dust build up or you run too small of a power supply. and that's sure not the mods fault.) not only that, he's charging his own brother to slap a couple parts in? shame on him.
go spend an hour or so on the internet and learn about computers. that should be enough time to know more than your bro does now.
your homework for tonight, is to go learn what you have inside your computer. ;-)

[LCBlome99]

Originally posted by R5CYA:

never, ever, ask your brother for computer advice again. he has no idea what he's talking about. you can't kill a hard drive or anything else adding mods. (unless you overheat because you let dust build up or you run too small of a power supply. and that's sure not the mods fault.) not only that, he's charging his own brother to slap a couple parts in? shame on him.
go spend an hour or so on the internet and learn about computers. that should be enough time to know more than your bro does now.
your homework for tonight, is to go learn what you have inside your computer. ;-)

Lol your funny man. After I get home later tonight I'll look up some stuff, he actually does know what he's talking about, haha but I don't think he does in this department. He never downloaded mods for any game so I don't think he really knows much about how they work either. Since my hard drive crapped out when I was in my "climax" of downloading mods, he looked at the memory and saw the mods and I think he just assumed it was that. I'll reason with him, but he takes computers seriously. Your gonna think im retarded for this, but a few months ago i was drinking water by my computer and dropped it on the outlet and fried my power supply, and luckily that was the only thing damaged. When he was fixing it up I asked him why he got so butthurt about me nearly, and luckily i didn't, frying my computer, he said "I like computer more than people" lol... He is a computer technician but thanks I'll try to reason with him. I'm 16 and he's 23 so he just assumes he know more than me in any department. Thanks again

[Mr. Flying Toaster]

first let me just say i've been using computers sing i was 6 months old. (4 months if you count sitting on my dads lap banging on the keys while playing putt-putt.)I just turned 19 on the 13th and Im the go to person for my whole family when it comes to computers. modding CAN NOT kill your computer and i do not see where your brother got this from. yes downloading a bunch of files and making a big mess inside your hard drive can slow it down but rarely to the point to cause crashing.(but i have done it before and the best thing to do is just keep things clean and organised and running disk cleanup every now and then and WATCH OUT FOR OVERHEATING!!!!! but I can not believe he charges you to fix your computer,I clean, update, and if need be repair or fix my moms, brothers, and two sisters computers FOR FREE.and not too mention my 4 personal computers by the way one is a toshiba tecra 8000 from 1998 that is running windows whistler!!! ...well I noticed I just went on a rant so let me just get to the point. modding can't kill your computer or make it crash except for very rare curcumstances.the more common things are overheating, viruses, and what you obviously found out water or just plain liquids.but i'd do what R5CYA suggested and learn things for yourself so you could troubleshoot and fix it yourself.and I can honestly tell you one of the greatest feelings in the world is when you've been working on a computer for 2 monthes straight and finally being able to press the power button and hear her purr like a kitten and know you fixed it.. well I think we can see who loves computers more lol. and I don't normally say things like this about prople especcially behind there back but it seems to me like your brother is just being an a s s h o l e who only knows basics but thinks they know everything about computers.

[Mr. Flying Toaster]

oh and by the way. to see the specs of your computer just click on start and RIGHT click my computer and then click on properties.

[LCBlome99]

Originally posted by Eric:

oh and by the way. to see the specs of your computer just click on start and RIGHT click my computer and then click on properties.

lol thanks, he's in rough shape financially and he needs money really bad. He's a computer tech like I said, and he has a girlfriend and they have 3 kids. I would be fine if he charged me like $5 or 10$ but $20? For slapping in a new part? tsk tsk tsk... Anyways thanks everyone

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

I'd say the cost depends on the part. If you're installing a dedicated graphics card and removing an integrated card it came with, that might be worth $20.

[yomegonightcore]

200% safe. Anyone who tells you otherwise is retarded, because they're terrible with file handling.

[LCBlome99]

still wondering if someone can provide me with a list by chance... I've downloaded Project Nevada and F O O K and F O O K won't work at all, and PN works, but it says I need NVSE which I already have downloaded and put it in the appropriate folders. But I have no script extender steam loader with an .exe file, only one with a .dll which says I could damage my system by "tampering" with the selected files

[LCBlome99]

Originally posted by Dosbilliam (Big Serious Egun):

I'd say the cost depends on the part. If you're installing a dedicated graphics card and removing an integrated card it came with, that might be worth $20.

It was a power supply -_-. I'm novice, but I'm still experienced enough to know how to remove and install those

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

Originally posted by LCBlome99:

*snip*

To get NVSE working, put the .exe in the NV folder with the game's .exe and launch from NVSE. You can also change the desktop shortcut Steam creates to set the target for NVSE instead of the NV .exe. :P

[White Knight]

Originally posted by Voriox:

200% safe. Anyone who tells you otherwise is retarded, because they're terrible with file handling.

Elitist garbage. Any person capable of reading English could visit countless other threads by new and veteran modders alike where all manner of problems are being discussed at this very moment.

The only honest answer is that there is always a degree of risk that you accept when downloading mods. Did I mention always? Always.

Now, there are ways to limit that risk and there are many threads on that specific topic as well.

If you are cautious and read carefully, you should probably get by with nothing but some minor inconveniences. There are no guarantees however. None.

I only use about twenty-five mods or so, give or take a few and I haven't run into any major problems. Plenty of little annoying things that were easy to fix because I only take mods on one at a time.

Mods are no different than anything else in life. Nothing is perfect, nothing is "risk-free", being smart and cautious is always the best advice, etc.