how to install mods manually?

[SrGato350]

I was looking for how to install mods manually but they all require me to use the NexusMod program, to be honest, I don't want to use it because I get lost easily and I don't understand it.
I'm old school and always install things manually, but it's been a long time since the last time I did it and I don't remember where I had to put things, for example now I want to install an Exp Buff mod, and I don't remember where I had to put it haha..

Can someone help me or explain in a simple way which was the folder where the mods had to be placed?

[FEAR]

i don't recommend installing them manually because you are setting yourself up in a mess. It takes less time to install and setup mods with a mod manager (vortex or mo2) Google how to do it right.

[HazakTheMad]

For manual installation, I'm not advocating this because mod managers are much better,
you pretty much need to put the contents in the Data folder of SSE; esps, esms, esls, textures folder, mesh folder, scripts folder, are all types that go in the data folder; others will likely show where to put them.

Fomods are installers used by mod managers, to install those manually you need to find which files in the fomod are necessary, the xml file has the descriptions in between bits of code for the installer itself.

[Vlad 254]

Highly Not recommended unless you are very well versed in modding or are only installing a couple of mods but even then......................

[Lady Aeleanor]

Agree with everyone else. Do not recommend installing mods manually. It simply is not worth the hassle. Why do you *want* to install them manually? And what do you do when the mod you installed manually is conflicting, or trying to overwrite something you have installed already? And how would you uninstall a mod that's crashing your game? With a mod manager, you can easily rectify any of those things. Use Vortex or MO2.

[Snazzy Dragon]

Use Mod Organizer 2 instead. Because it uses a virtual install it is very easy to remove mods if you mess something up. The program is not difficult to use.

Manual instillation and nexus/vortex mod manager are notorious for improper installs and being unable to cleanly uninstall, usually making a new mod list with those methods requires completely wiping everything and redownloading Skyrim,

[HazakTheMad]

Nexus mod manager was indeed notorious for that, but it is complete bs in regards to Vortex.

[Vlad 254]

Been using Vortex since it was in Beta and never experienced problems like that or for that matter any problems. And that's with medium sized load orders (700+ mods).

The two best mod managers imho are Vortex and MO2 with Wrye Bash being right up there.

But an entire manually installed load order is asking for trouble (unless you are well versed in modding).

[tulle040657]

A good mod page will give you instructions on how to install manually unless it is a fmod, if it is forget installing it manually that is a fools errand.

Any mod that has more than a few files is very hard to uninstall if it was installed manually

I am a retired software engineer and have been using mods on BGS games since Morrowind. I know enough to install them manually but it's not worth my time as modern mod mangers are so much easier and faster

[CEPHY]

It's been said a million times before and I shall say it once more:
Do not install mods manually, ever.

Especially if you're a bit rusty in terms of modding, manual installs are a recipe for disaster, and we don't need yet another thread complaining about mods breaking the game.

You also seem to confuse NMM wih Vortex.
Nexus Mod Manager was the old thing, which was arguably worse than ModOrganizer 2.
However, Vortex - the new thing - works just fine and isn't any worse than MO2. If you ask me it's actually superior.

Vortex has all sorts of built-in tutorials IIRC and even if those don't help (which I doubt) there's plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

[Lady Aeleanor]

Originally posted by Snazzy Dragon:

Manual instillation and nexus/vortex mod manager are notorious for improper installs and being unable to cleanly uninstall, usually making a new mod list with those methods requires completely wiping everything and redownloading Skyrim,

What absolute unmitigated nonsense. I've been using Vortex for over 2 years and NEVER ran into any of that. There's numerous users on here that will also verify what I'm saying.

[korax]

I've been using Vortex for about a year (to be fair, never tried MO2) and never had any problems with it.

[Steve (Dawn's Hubby)]

Originally posted by SrGato350:

I was looking for how to install mods manually but they all require me to use the NexusMod program, to be honest, I don't want to use it because I get lost easily and I don't understand it.
I'm old school and always install things manually, but it's been a long time since the last time I did it and I don't remember where I had to put things, for example now I want to install an Exp Buff mod, and I don't remember where I had to put it haha..

Can someone help me or explain in a simple way which was the folder where the mods had to be placed?

It's likely more simple than you think to follow one of the guides, like Vlad's. I modded my my Skyrim game and it was my first time doing more than a single mod. It's running fine. Additionally, you have help from people who know what they are doing and who just happen to have posted right here in this thread. If I can do it, then you probably can too.

[Ilja]

Originally posted by Snazzy Dragon:

Manual instillation and nexus/vortex mod manager are notorious for improper installs and being unable to cleanly uninstall, usually making a new mod list with those methods requires completely wiping everything and redownloading Skyrim,

I am in team MO2, but rest of this sounds like a common misunderstanding that Vortex would install files in to Data.

Like MO2, Vortex does not install files in to your Data folder either.
- MO2 uses virtual Data folder.
- Vortex uses hardlinks or symlinks, depending on games that can be supported by them.

In either case, your Data folder remains clean from content. If some link seems to be stuck in Data folder, then that is why Vortex have purge and deploy options in place. They explain themselves quite well by their names.

- Purge: remove all applied links from Data folder.
- Deploy: apply all selected mod links to Data folder.

[Peter Muskrat]

Originally posted by korax:

I've been using Vortex for about a year (to be fair, never tried MO2) and never had any problems with it.

+1 advocating for vortex, and as a former MO2 user.

[DPMR]

You won’t be able to manage without a mod manager.

Vortex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kbOteChLJE&list=PLE7DlYarj-DfYgxma5znKGYEqAHDU_WU-

This will also explain installing mods with Nexus mods site.