Resetting Skyrim to 100% vanilla defaults?

[ScrollTron1c]

Hi there,

 

bought a new PC 2 weeks ago and downloaded Skyrim through Steam (no Dawnguard/Hearthfire), installed and tested dozens of mods, ENBs, texture packs, INI tweaks, finding out incompabilites and how to fix them.

 

Now i plan to buy Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn DLCs tonight and want to make sure that everything is 100% back to Vanilla Defaults before buying & installing those DLCs, including all .ini files and such.

 

So i thought doing something like this:

• 
   
  
• NMM: Deactivate all active mods
  
• Delete everything in \Data folder except skyrim.esm, update.bsa/esm and HighRes-DLC files <---- (here's where i need confirmation what else should not be deleted)
  
• Delete everything in \documents\my games\skyrim
  
• Delete all ENB+SKSE+Skyrim Configurator files in Skyrim's Main Folder
  
• Use "Verify Integrity of Game Cache" in Steam
  
• Buy and download DG/HF/Dragonborn DLCs
  
• Make a backup of the entire game folder this time
  

 

And of course after that doing a step-by-step reinstall of all mods. So please let me know which steps are unnecessary and which other steps might be required to restore a 100% working Vanilla installation (apart from just uninstalling and re-downloading everything).

 

Thanks in advance.

[jedijas]

I would also suggest removing NMM entirely just in case it decides to activate mods for some reason, when I want to do fresh installs of any Bethesda Games I always delete my entire Data folder and any other places mods would have affected (eg. documents) and then go to steam -> right click Skyrim -> properties -> delete all local content, then I download it again. You probably don't have to go that far, you would only have to delete the folders you had mentioned so I wouldn't worry too much about it, your plan seems fine :)

[imperium999]

My solution is always to completely uninstall the entire thing. Skyrim, mods, NMM, delete \Data folder and the \Skyrim folder in 'My Games'... Then just download and reinstall everything from scratch.

 

So I say nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. :biggrin:

[ScrollTron1c]

Alright thanks, i finally decided to just uninstall NMM and entirely wipe Skyrim from the Disk. Fresh download at 24% :)

[ExclaMan]

Thanks guys!

[JarkeldIA]

I tried to follow the instructions above; deleted the data folder in the Steam folder and the Skyrim folder from My Games. Then loaded up steam where it took me to the Skyrim splash page, clicked "play", the little window pops up with the moutain picture, then I hit Play again and nothing happens. The second pop up goes away and that's it. Any ideas?

[LetMeBeTheOne]

Now I really wish I made a backup for the original Skyrim folder right after steam's done downloading (which I will next time.) I've been using NMM (Nexus Mod Manager) and it sucks because my game wouldn't load whenever I disable my mods. I'm stuck now with these stupid mods...

 

I heard that 'Mod Organizer' is better when it comes to 'not messing up your original files', it kind of makes a new layer when you play a game so it isn't changing any of the game data which is exactly what I thought NMM was doing. Obviously, I was wrong and now I'm facing the consequences.

 

Sh*t.