> Advanced mod upgrading manual suitable for updating the AIM FIX mod to a new version inside the current saved game
This manual is suitable for any mod upgrade procedure and it works 100% but still depends on how many mods you have in your saved game and game config, and of course it depends on your level of comprehension. Also your game may already have some problems you might don't know.
Feel free to print this manual or open it on the phone's browser for more comfortable procedure.
This manual is big because it very detailed to take into account all possible situations and provide a better comprehension.
Disclaimer:I do not recommend to perform the upgrade inside existing saved game to every one. Please understand your personal risks if you gonna do it everyone can do wrong things being sure that these things are right. So, I highly recommend to use a clean save without mods or a new game instead of upgrading procedure.
If you ready to take the risks or just very interested to do it then please read carefully (especially if you didn't done this before).
REQUIMENTS:
IMPORTANT: In this upgrading manual often meets step with save/load procedure. Before upgrading please do clear your Skyrim saved games folder and leave there only a current saved game .ess file and .skse-file which will be used for mod upgrade procedure. it need to be done because the situation can happen when you perform a game save on a new slot which was previously deleted once but only .ess-file, so that .skse-file remains. As you can understand it will bring you problems with game reloading, because if the newly created .ess-file will catch an existing (old) .skse-file with same save number then you will get the infinite load or a CTD.
STEP by STEP: Upgrading AIM FIX mod using external cleaining tool for saved game:
The success is fully depends on your personal qualification to do it:
00. In Windows: BACKUP YOUR SAVED GAMES FOLDER AND CURRENT (OLDER) VERSION OF THE AIM FIX MOD BEFORE THE UPDATE PROCEDURE.
IF YOU FORGOT TO BACKUP CURRENT (OLD) VERSION OF AIM FIX MOD AND ALREADY DELETED IT, PLEASE DON'T WORRY, YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO REMOVE THE OLD VERSION CORRECTLY, SO JUST START FROM STEP 5.
01. In Skyrim's main menu (with an old ver. mod activated): before activating new version of AIM FIX mod please load current saved game with an old mod activated.
02. In old mod's MCM: revert settings to defaults in MCM, and after that hit the uninstall MCM-button (in AIM FIX it's the "Prepare Mod for Uninstall/Update"). Note: if you upgrading from 3PCO++ it may not have such button, so try to go further.
03. In Skyrim's main menu: save the game to a new slot and exit from Skyrim to desktop.
04. In mod manager: do disable/delete the old 3PCO/3PCO++/AIM FIX mod in your mod list.
05. In Fallrim tools: open your saved game file from Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves and perform cleaning procedure by pressing CTRL+1, CTRL+2, CTRL+3, CTRL+4, CTRL+5 and confirming each step when asked.
06. In Skyrim's main menu: load last saved game, hit continue when Skyrim warns you about unavailable mod.
07. In Skyrim's main menu: save the game into another new slot and exit from Skyrim to desktop.
08. In save cleaning tool: perform cleaning procedure again on last re-saved game file to make sure that all traces of old mod are begone. If
all is clean, then you are ready to install a new version of AIM FIX.
09. In mod manager: install and enable the AIM FIX last version in load order.
10. In Skyrim's main menu: load last clean save and cross fingers for good luck. If upgrade was successful (at its first signs) you will have a
smooth cam after 4 seconds since game loaded.
11. In MCM (upgraded): go into AIM FIX mod's MCM and you probably see a blank (black) screen - it's normal SkyUI behavior after updating (overwriting) any mod inside a saved game, so after that go back into game and wait a cuple of secs. When you get back in (waiting time depends on PC, installed mods and its count) the AIM FIX MCM must open.
12. In MCM (upgraded): first go into General Settings and hit the "Reset and Restart Mod" button (confirm reset). After that you are good to go in a currently loaded game, but it not means that all is done. As you remember, you has come by a risky way (editing save file), so please
now check save/load procedure with this save in next steps.
WARNING: Do not save/load the same game until you see MCM fully loaded. Otherwise you will get a game freeze or CTD.
13. In game: close menu and go back to the game to make sure that you game is not broken after using save editor tool: before saving the game please change the game location (any of them) and then exit from a new visited location back or to another.
14. In Skyrim's main menu: save the game to a new slot or quick save slot and load it. If you done all things right the game will load successfully. Congrats!
Bad result?
If all turns out to be bad, you have been warned and sorry - no support in case of problems, just use some save without any mods then.
Notifications
8 comments
Your saved games can be found in
C:\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves\This is the directory I'm talking about ;)
I have looked in the directory you mentioned (My Games) in the past and don't remember seeing any .skse files there, but I'll check again tonight to be sure. I was just wondering if they'd be saved somewhere else, like hidden in the SKSE folders somewhere. I also wondered if maybe MO2 moves those saves somewhere.
I also wonder if I might not have any .skse extensions? If you use SKSE, even if it's just for AimFix (which I'm using more than that, but this is hypothetical) would you always need these .skse files? Or are there situations where they might never be generated?
1. SKSE was incorrectly installed which means it does not work at all and all mods relying on it not working too. This means that an .esp part of the SKSE-dependnt mod will start but functions related to DLL-plugin will not answer to scripts and you will get errors in Papyrus log or CTD's.
2. You using some saved games manager mod which removes .SKSE automatically (I used similar tool when modded Skyrim LE in past).
Just run lastest version of LOOT though the MO2 and see what LOOT says about SKSE.
If there are no error then unfortunately I can not help. It's our mod set, so maybe you should delete everything and start over. Just use some modding guide. Here is one of the best.
Anyway, while I could've saved us both time by waiting to ask about this until doing some further digging, you did answer some questions that I couldn't find the answer to elsewhere, and maybe this will help someone else in the future like it did me. Again, thanks. I'll let you know how updating went.
Edit: I also can report that I did at some point delete all .skse saves because I didn't realize they paired with the normal .ess saves. This could also have contributed to messing up the AimFix mod. So in reality, perhaps the fault wasn't even in Bethesda's hands, but mine. Shucks.
This manual is only for those who want to continue playhrough after updating the mod (or replacing the 3PCO on AIM FIX) inside the last current saved game file.
So, if you want to continue your playthrough after updating the mod, you must follow this manual to prevent save corruption and glitches.
Otherwise, as I said, if you will start a new game or load some old save, that does not contain the AIM FIX mod, then you can simply uninstall the mod and install new ver.