Overview This guide will provide instructions on downloading Anniversary Upgrade content for GOG users, as well as for Steam users that also own the Anniversary Edition for GOG. Steps have been provided for performing this via the GOG Galaxy application as well as via the offline backup game installers. Skyrim VR users can follow this process as well if SSE is also owned on GOG to import this content.
Guide Contents:
Preface including prerequisites and Skyrim VR information
Download and install Anniversary Upgrade content into the main Skyrim game folder
Final setup including managing CC files with a Mod Manager and using unofficial patches
Further reading for links to other helpful information
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1 Preface This guide assumes that you already have Skyrim for GOG installed. If you do not, please see my Initial Setup Guide for GOG. If it is installed, it is also recommended that you perform the steps in my Updating Skyrim Game Masters guide before downloading Anniversary Upgrade content to improve compatibility with newer mods.
If you already have Skyrim installed via GOG Galaxy, this content can be downloaded easily via the game configuration menu. Alternatively, if you have performed an installation via one of the available offline backup game installers for the GOG version, OR you have a Steam installation (without the Anniversary Upgrade content) and wish to import this content from a purchased copy of Anniversary Edition for GOG, you can use the offline backup game installer to download the content and then import it into your Steam modlist (without having to install the GOG version itself).
1.1 Skyrim VR compatibility If you have Skyrim VR, and also own Skyrim SSE/AE on GOG, you can perform this same process to import these files into Skyrim VR version 1.4.15 as well.
2 Download and install Anniversary Upgrade content Follow only one of the two options and their associated step(s) below (expand their respective 'Spoiler' tag).
2.1 Option 1: GOG Galaxy This is by far the easiest way to download Anniversary Upgrade content but requires the GOG version of Skyrim to be installed inside of GOG Galaxy.
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In GOG Galaxy, select your Skyrim game.
From the 'More' menu (next to 'Play' or 'Upgrade'), select 'Manage installation > Configure…'.
On the dialog that opens, click the 'DLC' tab.
Ensure the 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Upgrade' option is checked.
Click 'OK'.
Wait for the files to download, it will show an 'Updating X%' indicator in the top of the window. Hovering over this will show the status.
When done, skip to section 3.
2.2 Option 2: Offline backup installers The steps below provide instructions for using GOG offline backup game installers.
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2.2.1 Download offline backup installer Skip to section 2.2.2 if you already have the offline backup installers for the Anniversary Upgrade content, otherwise, proceed with the steps below.
Click the 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition' game.
At the bottom of the 'DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS' list, you should see a 'DLC Installers' section
Click each of the files above to download them.
2.2.2 Install Anniversary Upgrade content The steps below provide instructions for existing GOG Skyrim users as well as Steam users (SSE/AE and Skyrim VR) which do not currently have the GOG version of Skyrim installed. Follow only one of the two options and their associated step(s) below (expand their respective 'Spoiler' tag).
2.2.2.1 Option 1: GOG users This option is for users already running the GOG version of Skyrim.
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Locate and launch the Anniversary Upgrade installer you previously downloaded. This should be named something like the following:
This will install the files directly into your GOG Skyrim's /Data folder.
When done, exit the installer.
NOTE – To uninstall these files at a later time, rather than simply delete them from your /Data folder, it is recommended to run the ' unins001.exe' file in your main GOG Skyrim game folder.
Skip to section 3.
2.2.2.1 Option 2: Steam users This option is for users running the Steam version of Skyrim (SSE/AE or Skyrim VR) that simply want to add Anniversary Upgrade content to their game. Since the GOG version is not installed, the files will need to be manually extracted from the installation binaries using a program called innoextract.
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Download innoextract from the official webpage (this is a .zip file).
Extract the files to a temporary location (e.g., ' C:\temp').
Locate and MOVE the Anniversary Upgrade installer files you previously downloaded to this temporary folder. These should look something like the following:
(NOTE – you can simply type 'innoextract', followed by a SPACE, and then press the 'TAB' key until the .exe file is shown).
This will extract the files directly into this temporary folder.
When done, the end of the output should look like the following:
Close the command prompt.
In your temporary folder, there should now be a ' Data' folder (among others). This is where the Anniversary Upgrade files are located.
MOVE the files inside this ' Data' folder directly into your Skyrim (or Skyrim VR) game /Data folder.
You can now DELETE this temporary folder completely.
3 Final setup Your Anniversary Upgrade content is now ready, so if your intention was to get to this point and start playing, you are free to do so. If you are currently using a Mod Manager, leaving the files in the Skyrim /Data folder will make the mods unmanageable (you won't have the ability to toggle these on or off, they will always be enabled). If you'd like to change that, the steps below outline the process to do so, along with other recommendations.
3.1 Manage Creation Club content (Optional) Skip to section 3.2 if you do not wish to manage these files from your Mod Manager, otherwise, follow my guide on Managing Creation Club Content with your Mod Manager to set this up. There are a few options to choose from and both Vortex and Mod Organizer 2 steps are covered where applicable for each one.
3.2 Unofficial Creation Club Patches (Optional) The following patches are recommended, however, these require some consideration depending on the CC content options you have chosen above. If you decide to install these, follow the steps below.
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This mod fixes many bugs with the Anniversary Upgrade Creation Club content. The issue is that as of version 7.8, this mod has converted to an all-in-one model (single plugin). If you have disabled ANY of the Anniversary Upgrade CC content by one of the methods above, using the all-in-one version will result in missing master(s), and likely CTDs. To get around this, you will need to instead download version 7.7, which has a FOMOD installer allowing you to select individual plugins for each CC content mod, enabling fixes for only the mods you have installed. The downside to this is that version 7.7 will receive no further updates from the mod author.
If you did NOT disable any AE CC content (all mods enabled) – Download the latest version from the main mod page 'FILES' tab using the 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' button.
If you DID disable some CC content, Download this version instead (7.7) – This version contains multiple plugins and a FOMOD installer to select which patches to apply.
4 Further reading See below for links to other helpful information.
4.1 Other guides See my guides page on Nexus for other helpful Skyrim modding guides.
4.2 Changelog See below for changes made to this document.
Version 1.14 (04/28/2024)
Initial release
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