Mod Organizer 2

In this step, we will install and configure Mod Organizer 2.

Installing Mod Organizer 2

1. Download Mod Organizer 2 from here.
2. Once the download has finished, extract the archive anywhere outside of the default Windows folders (like Program Files x86) and outside of the game's Root folder.
   Example install path: C:\Games\MO2\DragonbornsFate

Configuring Mod Organizer 2

MO2 Setup

1. Run ModOrganizer.exe inside the Mod Organizer 2 folder you extracted before.
2. You will be prompted with a pop-up called Creating an instance, in which you should just select Next.
3. On the next page, select Create a portable instance.

4. On the next page, select Skyrim Special Edition.
5. On the next page, keep the Location file path default.

If you have MO2 installed on an SSD or a HDD with little space, you can check the Show advanced options box and change the Downloads file path to a different drive with more space. This will not effect download/game performance, and the downloads can be deleted after the mods have been installed.

6. On the last page, select Finish.
7. MO2 will launch and prompt you with Show tutorial?, this is recommended if you never used the tool before.
8. From the pop-up called Register?, select Yes.
• This pop-up will not show up if you have already registered a different instance of MO2.

Adding Exceptions to Defender

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Open Virus & threat protection.
3. Click Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
4. Scroll down and click Add or remove exclusions under Exclusions.
5. Add a Folder exclusion and point it to the folder Mod Organizer 2 is in.
6. Add another exclusion for your game folder (the game's root folder, not documents).

If you are using a third-party antivirus, you will need to find the exceptions menu and add those 2 folders mentioned previously.

Configuring Settings

1. Select the X in the bottom right of MO2 to close the log window.
2. Select the button at the top of MO2 to open the settings.
3. In the Theme tab, you can select a different style of your choosing from the drop-down menu at the top.
4. In the Nexus tab, select Connect to Nexus.

• This option will not show up if you have already connected your Nexus account on a different MO2 instance.
5. MO2 will open your browser and prompt you to authorize the connection.
6. Once you authorize it, you can close out of your browser and of the MO2 settings.
7. Allow MO2 to restart if it asks.

Creating Profiles

Mod Organizer 2's "Profiles" feature allows for easy switching between different modlist and load order configurations. In this step, we will create a profile for the guide while keeping a strictly-vanilla profile for testing/de-bugging. Profiles can be selected via the drop-down menu above the left pane.

1. Select the button at the top of MO2 to open the profiles menu.
2. Select the Default profile, then select Copy.
3. Name the new profile A Dragonborn's Fate.
4. Select the A Dragonborn's Fate profile and make sure Use profile-specific Game INI Files is Disabled at the bottom.

You may get a pop-up called INI file is read-only when attempting to make/select a new profile. If so then select Remember my choice from the drop-down at the bottom then click Clear the read-only flag.

5. Exit out of the profiles menu and select the A Dragonborn's Fate profile from the drop-down above the left pane.

Running BethINI

In this step, we will download and run BethINI, which will allow choosing optimized presets and specific more specific options all through an easy GUI.

1. Download BethINI,
2. Extract the archive anywhere outside of the default Windows folders,
3. Run BethINI.exe,
4. Select a BethINI Optimized preset depending on your hardware (I recommend High for an average system, do NOT use Ultra. Lower-end systems can use Medium or Low), then do the following:
1. Enable Recommended Tweaks,
2. Enable Windowed Mode, Borderless and 64-bit Render Targets,
3. Select the resolution you want to display the game in,
4. Edit the other settings to your liking, such as the FOV value or if you want to have subtitles,
5. Save and exit.

Custom INI

1. Download the Custom INI.
2. Head over to your Documents folder in File Explorer, then navigate to this path My Games\Skyrim Special Edition
3. Download and extract the archive, then paste the SkyrimCustom.ini file next to the other INIs.

Mod Installation Instructions

If a mod is tagged it means that the mod is completely subjective and may not be suited for everyone. It can be skipped without any problems.
If a mod is tagged it means that the mod may be performance intensive on lower-end systems. It can be skipped without any problems.

When the guide says to install a mod, it will be formatted as follows: Main File - Example 1.5. This is referring to the mod's category on Nexus and file name.
The guide will list a mod's specific file name, category and version if you need to do more than just download the latest main file.



Standard mod installation procedure:

1. Unless instructed otherwise by the guide, download a mod's latest main file using the Mod Manager Download button.
2. Once the download has finished, open Downloads tab in MO2 (right pane, below executable selector).
3. Double-click on the mod to install it.
4. Enable the mod on the left pane.

Sometimes, a mod will not have a Mod Manager Download, or will be hosted on a site other than Nexus.
If that is the case, do the following:

1. Click the Manual Download button (or whatever the download button is for the respective site).
2. Once the download has finished, click the button at the top of MO2.
3. From the new window, navigate to where the file was downloaded to and double-click it.
4. Finish the install as you would with a Mod Manager Download mod.

When downloading multiple files from the same page, you will be prompted with a box in Mod Organizer 2 with the options Merge, Replace and Rename.

• You should select the Rename option and rename the mod to its respective file name, this will make MO2 install them as separate files for easier management.
• If you are updating from an old version of a mod, you should select Replace, this will automatically delete all the files from the old version of the mod and replace them with the ones from the new version.
• Merge should only be used when you are sure the mod will not be updated and in situations where a hotfix is uploaded as separate file.