Regarding Fo4 Save files-

[BlaireTheArcher]

I apologize if this has been asked before, and I would like to get some help:
I am trying to duplicate a save for a character (rather than run multiple characters, have multiple saves). I copied the save file from documents, and created a desktop shortcut. What would be the simplest method to access that file, when I want to do my Institute run.
Apologies for the ignorant question (I am not extremely computer savvy).

[Ilja]

Easiest way would be to install either Mod Organizer or Vortex. Both mod managers allow you to create custom profiles, with unique save files. At last MO2 - and I presume Vortex as well - would allow you to copy save files over as well. You don't need to use mods for profiles to work.

Other option would be to just copy save files from default location to named folders and swap those folders in to Documents > My Games > Fallout 4, based on which character you want to save. It is an option, though somewhat more troublesome, compared to just changing a profile in manager.

[=EGC= kansasterry]

Vortex does allow having profiles that keep the saves in their own folder however I found if I want to use my existing saves from games prior to creating a profile i had to manually copy them from the save folder to the folder vortex uses for that profiles saves. This is easy to do as the profile contains a number displayed that is actually the folder name in the documents\my games\fallout 4 folder.

I actually use three profiles at the moment

1 unmodded
2 simsettlements and related mods
3 one for alt start/end type mods.

Occasionally a temp 4 profile to test out some mods that might cause issues before deciding on using them with my main game profile or not is used.

[Ilja]

So Vortex requires manually moving save files to profiles? That's weird. I might remember wrong, but I think option to copy saves over was already included to Tannin's original work with MO1. Probably that haven't been priority for Vortex though.

[=EGC= kansasterry]

Originally posted by Ilja:

So Vortex requires manually moving save files to profiles? That's weird. I might remember wrong, but I think option to copy saves over was already included to Tannin's original work with MO1. Probably that haven't been priority for Vortex though.

Unless I missed something when I initially started using profiles, it does however have the ability to copy an existing profile to a new one.

[Ilja]

I will have to start properly testing Vortex again. I am doing tutorials of MO2 and playing FO4 with it. Might be best to mod Skyrim SE with Vortex then.