Skyrim Hunters - Manual installation guide

A guide to install mods manually instead by NMM or MO.
I can assure you, that if you follow these steps you won't have any issues with Skyrim. You only have to be aware of the specs of your gear: the more mods, the less stable your gameplay CAN be.

The pro's of a manual installation:
- Stronger foundation
- Back-ups
- You make the loadorder ready for about 60 to 70%
- It is a time saving way to mod: if you screw your game up, you only have to put back 1 of the back-ups and do not need to install all mods over again
- When you are more experienced, you will be an addictive modder.

We have video's, links, and more in this guide.
If you want to recommend a mod, let us know, so we shall place a link for you!

Welcome

This guide is about how to mod Skyrim manually.

Reasons to perform a manual installation:

• Game has a strong foundation
  
• You know what you add and it is very easy to de-install a mod
  
• Strong safe files
  
• You give yourself the abillity to learn the game, learn how to mod
  
• You make your own loadorder

Here i will explaine how to do that and to organise everything.

If you are reading this, I assume that you have installed Skyrim, and have already a gameplay.

Let us start, by reading the Elders Scroll.....

Uuhhmm, sorry, I mean the Skyrim Hunters Manual installation guide

Before we start

Before we start, I have made some video's. These video's showing you how to download mods, install them and how to set your loadorder manually.
They are below in this section, so they are eay to find.

Now we start modding the hell out of Skyrim.

PLEASE NOTE, that everyone's desktop/laptop is different. So keep in mind that you are carefull with the mods you are downloading:
The more mods, the less stable your gameplay CAN be! Also with installing ENB's you should be carefull. There are ENB's who ask a lot of the performance of a desktop/laptop, so be carefull and read the descriptions!

First, download Skyrim.

If you have already downloaded Skyrim, you can start modding immediately.
If you want to start all over again from a gameplay you have already played, I recommend to delete the whole game and download Skyrim again.

If you have downloaded Skyrim, copy that to a different drive where you can put your back ups.
Later on I will explaine why it is very important to make back ups.

This will be your first back up, and if you want to use new mods, or start a new gameplay, you will not have to download Skyrim again: you only have to put the Skyrim folder back in the Steam common folder (D:\Program files x86\Steam\steamapps\common).

Modding Skyrim is pretty easy, if you know what to do!

Most mods on Nexusmods [www.nexusmods.com] have a tutorial so you know how to download and install them, but still I am going to explaine it to you.

Before you can download mods, you need an account on Nexusmods, it is for free!

First we are going to create an account, you do that by going to registerpage [forums.nexusmods.com].
Scroll ALL the way down! You do NOT have to tick an option for any payments, unless you are willing to.
Fill in your username etc and confirm.

Your login for Nexusmods is now finished and you can start download mods

How to download a mod and install manually:

I did NOT use this mod, only used it as example on HOW to download a mod and how to install it manually

Activate the mod in the Skyrim launcher:

How to change loadorder:

Installing and loading the mods

I HIGHLY recommend to download the Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch first:

The goal of the Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch (aka USLEEP) is to eventually fix every bug with Skyrim and its 3 DLCs not officially resolved by the developers to the limits of the Creation Kit and community-developed tools, in one easy

Download Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch by Unofficial Patch Project Team[www.nexusmods.com] manually and put the patch in the right folder as shown below.

Installation Requirements

• Official Skyrim patch 1.9.32.0.8 or greater.
  
• Official Dawnguard DLC.
  
• Official Hearthfire DLC.
  
• Official Dragonborn DLC.

Complementary Mods

• Unofficial High Resolution Patch by Unofficial Patch Project Team [www.nexusmods.com]

Loadorder when using Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch[www.nexusmods.com]

• Skyrim.esm
  
• Update.esm
  
• Dawnguard.esm
  
• Hearthfires.esm
  
• Dragonborn.esm
  
• Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack01.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack02.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack03.esp
  
• Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp
  
• [The rest of your mods]

If you do NOT have all DLC's, I have also the links from the separate DLC's:

NOTE: THEY ARE NO LONGER SUPPORT
This is also the reason I do NOT recommend to download the separate unofficial patches

• Unofficial Skyrim patch[www.nexusmods.com]
  
  
• Unofficial Dragonborn patch[www.nexusmods.com]
  
  
• Unofficial Heartfire patch[www.nexusmods.com]
  
  
• Unofficial Dawnguard patch[www.nexusmods.com]
  
  
• Unofficial High Resolution Texture patch[www.nexusmods.com]

After installing the individual mods, the following general load order needs to be followed:

• Skyrim.esm
  
• Update.esm
  
• Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp
  
• Dawnguard.esm
  
• Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp
  
• Hearthfires.esm
  
• Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp
  
• Dragonborn.esm
  
• Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack01.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack02.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack03.esp
  
• Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp
  
• [The rest of your mods]

When you have installed these patches, you go to the Skyrim launcher in Steam, set the loadorder manually in the DATA option by clicking on a patch and move them to the right place:

Launch Skyrim and see if the game launches.

Now download SKSE and install it:

Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)

[skse.silverlock.org]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTGnQIiNVqA&list=PLE7DlYarj-DdhDG41roBVJfNCqvO5MmKP

Make a SHORTCUT of the skse_loader and place it anywhere that convenient for you

Download SkyUI and install:

SKY UI version 5

[skyrim.nexusmods.com]

If you want to use Enhanced Character Edit by ECE team [www.nexusmods.com] (like I do), click the link, install it.
You can also use RaceMenu by Expired [www.nexusmods.com].

This is your first and most important back up. From this back up, you can create many Skyrim profiles. You only need a lot of space on your harddrive.

When you have installed this all, go to the Skyrim launcher in your Steam library, launch the game and open your last safe file. If it works, exit game and launch it again by SKSE. Make a new safe file and exit.

Now we add the ShowRaceMenu Precache Killer by kapaer [www.nexusmods.com].

This mod keeps the game from CTD when start showRaceMenu. You can use many hair Mods, and almost no delay.

Make a back-up of this!

This will the fundament of your Skyrim. If you ever need to re-mod your game, you only have to put this back-up back in your Skyrim data folder. It can save you a lot of time because you do not need to re-download Skyrim again.

What to download and install in what order:

Character build:

you need to be carefull with your character, so that is why we use the next list for the 2nd back up.

• Bodymod
  
• Textures bodymod
  
• Preset
  
• Hair
  
• Eyes
  
• Lips

The armor + clothing

are next what we are going to install. This becomes your3thback up.

• Armor mods (replacers, standalones)
  
• Armor texure
  
• Clothing

Weapons

4th back-up

• Weapon mod
  
• Weapon re-textures

Loose files

5th back-up

• such as:
  
• Crafter storage
  
• Nothing weights
  
• (These kind of mods only comes with an .esp)

Light and weather mods

(has to be compatible with the ENB you want to install, so these mods are PURE EXAMPLE because I use them)

6th back-up

• CoT + patches
  
• Lanterns of Skyrim + patches
  
• ElfX + patches
  
• Wearable lanterns

Poser mods:

(optional)

• Fores New Idles in Skyrim - FNIS by fore[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Big ol’ Halo’s poser button is right up here[mod.dysintropi.me] if you are looking for the latest poser mods.

If you want to use a NEW ENB take your LAST back-up and copy that 1 to to your Skyrim folder
(In my case: E:\Program files x86\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim) for a new ENB so you do NOT need to remove files from an ENB.

• Look on the page of the ENB what you need

Off course, we add all these mods 1 by 1!

When you have installed a mod, go to the Skyrim launcher in your library, launch the game and open your Data file, check if the .esp files are enabled at the BOTTOM.

The CBBE body mod does not comes with an .esp file, same as the textures. But still: after adding launch game in Steam, etc etc.

In game:

• Check if the mod appears (try NOT by console command, it might brake your game!)
  
• Open racemenu and see if all the mods you have added are there
  
• Unequip armor and weaopns
  
• Equip armor and weapons
  
• Go into a house/mine what ever
  
• Open racemenu and see if all the mods you have added are there
  
• Unequip armor and weapons
  
• Equip armor and weapons
  
• Go out the house/mine
  
• Make a new safe file and exit game.

If you added a hairmod, eye-mod or something like that, open racemenu by using:

• ` (button on the LEFT of 1)
  
• Type showracemenu
  
• ` (again the button on the LEFT of 1)
  
• and look if ALL files have been loaded!

Now, the loadorder of this.

When we have installed a mod and it has an .esp file, you will have to put it in the right loadorder. When you have launched it from your library, you will notice that the .esp file is at the BOTTOM of the loadorder: this is ok when you launch SKSE with the mod for the first time, so he can load the mod better. When the mod is working and you have made a new safe, exit SKSE and go back to Steam library, launch Skyrim, set the loadorder manually in the DATA option by clicking on the mod and move them to the right place.

Do these steps for ALL mods you want to use!

Loadorder

Loadorder:

• Skyrim.esm
  
• Update.esm
  
• Dawnguard.esm
  
• Hearthfires.esm
  
• Dragonborn.esm
  
• Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack01.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack02.esp
  
• HighResTexturePack03.esp
  
• Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp
  
• Armor
  
• Armor textures
  
• Clothing
  
• Weapons
  
• Weapon textures
  
• Weather (like CoT)
  
• Lanterns of Skyrim
  
• Hair mods (.esm file on top and put the .esp files underneath it to keep them together)
  
• SkyUI
  
• ECE / Racemenu
  
• Light mods (ElfX as example)
  
• Loose files

This is tricky: those who change the most has to be on TOP of this loadorder.
Mine is:

• Wearable lanterns
  
• Dynavision
  
• iHud
  
• Dragonshout overhaul
  
• 100X carry weight
  
• Crafters storage
  
• Nothing weights
  
• Water mod
  
• Poser mods (ALWAYS at bottom)

If a mod comes with an .esm file, (like SGHair pack), put the .esm at the top in the hairmod section as I mentioned, and the .esp files DIRECT underneath it

When you have added all mods you want to use, add the ENB you want to use. For every ENB comes other settings and mods, so PLEASE read that carefully before you add for example CoT or ElfX, maybe the ENB does not support that.

RECOMMENDED tools - Video's are by: Gopher (I do NOT own rights of these video's)

TES5 Edit

[www.nexusmods.com]

Skyrim Mod Tool TES5EDIT : Cleaning your master files (REVISED)

Texture optimizer

[www.nexusmods.com]

Features:
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Compress BMP, TGA, DDS (unoptimized) to DXT5 and DXT1
- Remove unused mask in DXT5/DXT3 to DXT1c without losing quality, reducing 50%
- Make mipmaps to improve performance
- Delete unnecessary files (identical BMP=TGA=DDS, thumbs.db, pspbrwse.jbf, ...)
- Resize fills to 4x4 or 16x16
- Fix Wrong Size - Example: 100x30 => 128x32
- Fix when the alpha channel is hiding an image
- Optionally resize textures
- Optimizer BSA (Compress, Merge internal files)
- Backup changed files

consequently:
- decreases some stuttering
- fixes crash/CTD caused by bursting of VRAM
- freedom hard disk space / reduces the size of the MOD

================================================================
Usage:
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Extract "Optimizer_Textures_xxx.rar" to a folder
- Run "Ordenador.exe"
- Click in button "plugin/data files" to point the Folder of Game, DATA or TEXTURES.
- Optional: First Tab (optimize), choose one presets
- Press "start" ... Go for a coffee, or two ...
- Done! :)

Same Care
----------------------------------------------------------------
1) It does automatic backup "C:\Backup Textures", check for free space, approximately 1 Gb to textures and 4Gb if optimize BSA.
2) Rare cases in which you face (no npc) can be distorted. reason: Installing MODs with Facegens not in a folder FaceGen on games in progress. correction: in the game console to do open and close "showracemenu".
3) this application works perfectly and does not cause any breaks in the game (CTD) but to secure it makes automatic backup. to do restore the backup, the textures are in RAR or 7zip and BSA just delete the extension files ".000.bak (eg "pacote.bsa.000.bak" to "pacote.bsa") and put back in the game folder.

================================================================
Requirements:
----------------------------------------------------------------
- .NET Framework 4.0
- MSVCR2010 32bits or MSVCR2010 64bits

Optimizer texture can increase some FPS and performance. Especially when you have a lot of texture mods, this tool can help you a lot.

ALL this info is copied from author's page[www.nexusmods.com].

Hope that this guide was helpfull, and I wish you good luck with this way of installing Skyrim!

How to fix crashes

If some crashes occure, here is

El K's quick fix to those annoying crashes!

.

This guide is made by: El Kemosabe

How to organise your files

Probably you have an account on http://www.nexusmods.com/
so you will have a download history on your account.

I advice to put the zip-files also in folders on your desktop.

Here you see how I have organised my files.
On the left, you see all my back-ups, on the right, all mod folders.

Skyrim Hunters - direct links

MEMBERS ONLY:

You need to be a member to post here

• Main Forum
  
  
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• Events

OPEN FOR PUBLIC:

Anyone can see and post here

• Technical Support
  You need to be a member to post here!
  
  
• Modders Info Forum
  Post your mods here, review them!
  
  
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  - News
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• Youtube/Soundcloud channels from our members
  Post your channels here to get more subs

Feel free to join

Special thanks to

• Skyrim Hunters

  
  
  

• Mr. Boafist

  ( Brothers for Life [www.facebook.com]) for mastering the music!
  
  

• NannyOggins

  thank you for the next followers:

Hedda Norell



Kierra Norell

Symphonique in Skyrim

Tracks produced and written by: Ace Voyage
Video editing: AVP Records
mastered by: Mr. Boafist

Do NOT copy anything of these tracks without my permission.

Check our other guides

Skyrim Hunters - Installation guide

Skyrim Hunters

Recommended mods

Once in a while, I am going to update this: if you have a mod you want to share, or yoiu think that that specific mod needs more attention, let me know so I will place a link here!

Symphonique main menu music replacers by Ace Voyage and Mr. Boafist [www.nexusmods.com]
( Brothers for Life [www.facebook.com])

Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Edition -CBBE- by Ousnius and Caliente [www.nexusmods.com]

animated featherd Wings by milisot1325 [www.nexusmods.com]

Auto Killcam Screenshot by vagonumero12 [www.nexusmods.com]

This mod automatically makes screenshots when a killcam happens, so that you don't have to press any key, the mod does the work for you. It can make several screenshots per killcam, the interval between the screenshots can be configured on the MCM interface.The mod functionality can be stopped in the MCM interface, without the need of uninstalling it.

Most prefer RaceMenu by Expired [www.nexusmods.com] for character editing, I always use Enhanced Character Edit by ECE team [www.nexusmods.com]

[Samyaza Bayangan (Ace V.)]

MissRockets: thank you for your compliments. And about the fun, it is my experience :)

You are welcome that i made this guide, it was a pleasure making it.

Have fun with the game and if you need help, you know where to find me

[MissRockets]

Part 2:
This said, when i install my new video card, i want to remove everything and start from scratch. Your guide is great and well done, i will definitively take your advice on installing the basics, and follow your guidance in making the back up before installing any other mods.
But contrary to what you say "It is not only a lot of work, but it is also fun. Especially when you are feeling bored." No Ace, not fun, and i have (unfortunatly) never experience boredome since i was a teenager! My fun is in discovering a mod on the Nexus, easy install with manager, and play, now that's fun!

Thanks for the guide, i apreciate you taking the time to do this, i will install the Optimizer Textures hoping it will fix FPS issues, and do back ups, but i'm sticking to mod manager!

[MissRockets]

Only 1000 caracters... Here is part 1:
I must admit, i love the ease of installing mods with the Nexus manager. I cringe when i have to do this manually, and always pause to ask myself if the mod is really worth the manual install.
If i really want to install a manual mod, i will look in Youtube to see if Gopher has made a video on it (his voice makes me crack... sigh) and of course, most of the time, Gopher has done it! (I wish i could mary this guy... sigh!)

I have a lot of mods, as per your suggestion, i uninstalled many. Most of what is left are usefull mods i dont want to remove, i still have a lot of mods. Many of these mods have master files; needs to be before this, after that, i dont see myself doing this manually (love NMM and Loot!).

[Samyaza Bayangan (Ace V.)]

Kazaanh:

- Why make a backup when you can use Mod Organizer?

With a manual installation like this you do NOT use MO

- ECE is a pointless now, RaceMenu does everything better and has actual support.

TRUE! But I like to use ECE, this guide is made out of my own experiences with the mods I use, and I use ECE.

[Kazaanh]

A bit dated guide.

Why make a backup when you can use Mod Organizer. MO stores all mods in the virtual space so original Skyrim folder always stays clean, no need to reinstall or make folder backups.

Even if you screw something with some new mod and your game doesn't work you can simply "disable it".
Not to mention you can create several profiles for each of your character/modsetups.

Also there is a ENB manager , a simple application which allows you to switch through ENBs easily via 2 clicks.

Also ECE is a pointless now, RaceMenu does everything better and has actual support.

[RokaL20]

good

[shinigami]

very good game

[Cabbo]

Billydog04 just google skyrim nude mods, it isn't that hard

[Incama]

k.

[Billydog]

rad