I'm stupid and Wrye Bash scares me .. help please

[Black Album]

I keep seeing that I should have Wrye Bash and I've even downloaded it a few times from Nexus.
Yet everytime I go to install it, I'm met by a message which says ...

"You are attempting to install Wrye Bash into the program files directory."
It then suggests I reinstall Skyrim into another directory outside of program files and install Wrye Bash there ...

Ok ... well my computer skills are very low .. I don't understand what it's talking about and I don't really know if I'm capable of doing it.
Does this mean I have to restart my playthrough (300+hrs)
Is it safe to just move the original install.
Will Steam still see the game ...
And many more questions that I don't understand or yet to be aware of.

So I'm looking for some advice or maybe just an arm around my shoulder whilst you tell me everythings going to be alright.

P.S. I have NMM, LOOT and save cleaner ... Wrye Bash seems to be the one thing I'm missing that everyone keeps mentioning

[JustRamonaUwU]

I was suggested by Nexus Mod Managers Beginnger's guide to Modding to move my entire Steam folder out of where it is (can't remember specifically, but know that it definitely needs a lot of administrative priveliges, which makes things difficult, which is why it wants to be moved.) to C:\Games, and it's worked totally fine.

[bobczes]

You don't need Wrye Bash unless you have over 200 mods and you want to merge a few in order to add more. The limit is 255, but merging has other benefits as well. Most players of Skyrim do not use it.

I agree, it is difficult to fully understand all of it functions.

[Eternie]

Wyre Bash combines all similar mods into a bashed patch. That bashed patch MUST always be at the very end of your load order. without a bashed patch if you download 2 mods that add armor variations to elven armor say ... which ever mod comes last will win the conflict and the other mod won't appear anywhere in your game unless you move it down the load order. Once you've done that the other elven mod won't appear at all.
The bashed patch lists both armors as variations of Elven armor and as long as the bashed patch is loaded last it will enable both elven armors.
That's the principal of how it works.

Thousands .... no millions of skyrim players use it anyone who wants more variation works to get it working ... I suggest you watch some vids on how to install and use it as seeing it makes the description easier .. Gophersvids Wyrebash as a start.

But it's easy click build patch let it do it's thing ... that gives you a long list that you can look through and tells you which mods are loaded and in which order. Then click OK at the bottom.

Ignore most other wyrebash controls when you start.

[Nazenn]

引用自 bobczes：

You don't need Wrye Bash unless you have over 200 mods and you want to merge a few in order to add more. The limit is 255, but merging has other benefits as well. Most players of Skyrim do not use it.

I agree, it is difficult to fully understand all of it functions.

Thats not the primary reason that you should have Wrye Bash.
Wrye Bash allows the creation of a bashed patch which merges your levelled lists which allows for greater mod compatability, and makes sure that items, npcs, weapons, armor etc show up where they are meant to according to the mods installed, rather then the last mod in the load order overriding all the other.

Bashed patches are useful, and even generally nessisary, for ANY amount of mods, even if you only have ten or twenty (although generally if you just have graphical mods it doesnt matter) and you still need Wrye Bash to make a bashed patch even if you have NMM. No other program has the functionality to make a bashed patch.

More information on why you need a bashed patch can be found here, including a few tutorials on how to make one : Guide : Modding Tools, Tips and Resources

It also allows quick and easy visualisation of missing master files, while not many other progams do that very well either.

引用自 Eternie：

That bashed patch MUST always be at the very end of your load order..

Technically not true. While it will be below most other mods, Skyproc patchers, mods editing the map and any other dynamically generated patches usually go below it. LOOT will sort all of that out fine though

[Ilja]

引用自 Nazenn：

Technically not true. While it will be below most other mods, Skyproc patchers, mods editing the map and any other dynamically generated patches usually go below it. LOOT will sort all of that out fine though

One exception. If you are using RealShelter, then the patch should go directly above SkyProc pather files. Everything else can go before it.

Edit: I got corrected that this is only certain with SkyRe. True enough.

However, I don't see a lot of reasons to let any SkyProc patch go above RS patch, but data about this is indeed a bit hazy at the moment.

[Nazenn]

Ah yes, I forgot that realshelter was dynamically generated now.

[Black Album]

Thank you for the replies so far ... very helpful in letting me understand a bit more.

But we are a little ahead of the game ... for my skillset anyway.
The part that worries me ... at the start ... is when it tells me to move my Skyrim to a new location and then install Wrye Bash there.
Never done anything like that before and I'm unsure about it.
I usually just let the computer do all the work for me as I'm not tech savvy in any way.

[Whales]

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36189/?

Easy to understand guide, it even has pictures :P

[Black Album]

Thank you ... your highness ...

I'll find that very useful ... a bit later on ...
But as it says in "Step1a" ...... "This guide assumes you know how to install and open Wrye Bash".
I don't ....
You see ... that's why I feel so stupid doing all of this, You all seem to know this stuff but for me it's very difficult. I've always stayed away from the internal working of my computer and I'm sure you'll all agree it's unwise for a novice to start poking around in there if he doesn't know what he's doing. That's why I liked Steam.
I just buy a game and press install and it magically appears on my desktop. I click the icon and it all starts for me.
This Skyrim and nexus is the very first time I've ever had to "do things" but when it tells me to move Skyrim out of my program files ... well I don't even know where skyrim is .... I'm that far behind you guys.
I think I should just leave it well alone

[bobczes]

I guess I too have learned some things here.

(sheepishly walks away..........)

[Whales]

Ill try to help you out. if you want
Mac, Windows 7 or Windows 8?

[Black Album]

Naz ... It was your Modding Tools Guide that first set me off on the hunt for Wrye bash and all that I'm reading is what happens after I've installed it.
It's the installation that stumps me ....
This is what I get when I try to install:

Double click Wrye bash installer 1840-305
Get installation location pop up
Go with default !insatll for skyrim and wrye bash standalone, click next ...

Then ...

"a risky installation location has been detected.

You are attempting to install Wrye bash into the program files directory

This is a very common cause of problems when using wrye bash. Highly recommended that you stop the installation now, reinstall (oblivion/Skyrim/Steam) into another directory outside of program files, such as C:\Games\Oblivion, and install Wyre Bash to that location.

The problems with installing in program Files stems from a feature in window that did not exist when Oblivion was released:User Access controls (UAC). If you continue with the install into program files, you may have trouble starting or using Wrye Bash, as it may not be able to access it's own files"

Now for a novice like me ... that message is scary .... and why the mention of Oblivion?
That's why I've left it alone.

Edit: thanks prince .... windows 7

[Nazenn]

Sorry, Ive been a bit busy and unable to reply.

Dont worry about the mention of oblivion, that are just using that as an example because Wrye Bash can be used over multiple games and they probably just never changed the warning. Thats not a problem

The reason that the warning is appearing is because there are all sorts of access permissions and other problems assossiated with files installed into the default directory of Program Files on your C: drive. Because of this, a lot of programs recommend that you install major things outside of this file so that you can set the proper permissions and dont run into any brick walls with being unable to install files, or programs being unable to change the files that they need to change.

Here is steams specific help guide on how to move your steam installation to another place which I find pretty well written and straight forward which should help :
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

Once you move the steam installation you should have no problem with installing Wrye Bash

[Black Album]

Thank you again Naz for getting back to me with the Steam Guide.
I've had a look at it ... but it's 2;00am here now so I'm going to start again tomorrow with a clear head.

[Nazenn]

No problem. Let me know if you run into any other problems or need further advice. Ill keep my eye on the thread until you get it all sorted :)