Difference between (un)install and (de)activate a mod?

[hucker75]

I'm at a loss as to the difference between installing and activating. Particularly if a mod is busted and I need to fix it, should I deactivate then activate, or should I uninstall then reinstall?

[HeyYou]

Deactivating the mod simply tells the game not to load it. Uninstalling the mod removes all of its files from the data directory.

 

Reinstalling it *might* fix whatever issues you are having with it, but, that depends on just what issue you are having. :D

[xrayy]

the more interesting question is the difference between deactivating and deinstallation to fix a buggy setup/mod.

the result also depends on how you organize your mods and setups and if you use a mod manager for that and what kind.

 

1. only capapable mod manager like vortex and mo2 are able to heal a setup by deactivating or deinstalling simply the mod without collateral damage to the setup and mod structure.

At least in mo2 mods are physically separated from the game and each other. i think vortex is capable to do somehow the same, because tannin is the original author of both tools.

please add other solutions with the same capabilities if i missed one.

If you use other solutions or the ancient manual install method pray, hope the best and be prepared to reinstall the whole game after a mod deinstallation due to missing parts of the game or to receive weird results if you just deactivate an esp or some mod folders. :wink:

 

2. this does not apply to game saves. some mod content fragments can be backed into a save and simply may raise additional bugs. so be sure to always have a backup if sth goes wrong with a mod fix. watch always the mod description before deinstallation. some mods offer special deinstallation routines.

[hucker75]

Deactivating the mod simply tells the game not to load it. Uninstalling the mod removes all of its files from the data directory.

 

Reinstalling it *might* fix whatever issues you are having with it, but, that depends on just what issue you are having. :D

 

Reinstalling is what I do when a mod misbehaves. For example nuclear winter was being erratic, the temperature bore no resemblance to the effect. I uninstalled and reinstalled and it started working, but broke clear water (so I can see underwater). So I did the same with that and all is well. I was just wondering if disabling would have done the same, I'm guessing not, as it's just pausing the mod and not correcting any errors with files that other mods have overwritten etc. I use disable if I don't want that mod doing anything anymore or just now, but don't want to remove anything it's done to the commonwealth, like add another building.

[hucker75]

the more interesting question is the difference between deactivating and deinstallation to fix a buggy setup/mod.

the result also depends on how you organize your mods and setups and if you use a mod manager for that and what kind.

 

1. only capapable mod manager like vortex and mo2 are able to heal a setup by deactivating or deinstalling simply the mod without collateral damage to the setup and mod structure.

At least in mo2 mods are physically separated from the game and each other. i think vortex is capable to do somehow the same, because tannin is the original author of both tools.

please add other solutions with the same capabilities if i missed one.

If you use other solutions or the ancient manual install method pray, hope the best and be prepared to reinstall the whole game after a mod deinstallation due to missing parts of the game or to receive weird results if you just deactivate an esp or some mod folders. :wink:

 

2. this does not apply to game saves. some mod content fragments can be backed into a save and simply may raise additional bugs. so be sure to always have a backup if sth goes wrong with a mod fix. watch always the mod description before deinstallation. some mods offer special deinstallation routines.

 

I use Nexus Mod Manager. I don't bother with LOOT or any load order program (I used to use LOOT but since it never came up with any changes to be made, I gave up bothering).

 

When I had a big bug (textures screwed up in Nuka World), I disabled a mod that affected Nuka World, that was sufficient to fix it, I didn't need to uninstall.

[romalight]

Always download manually a mod, keep all the mods you use to a folder at zip format and copy manually the files to the data folder. i don't want to download a mod again, if this mod is 100 or 300 or 700MB or more - i don't think this help me at every way. i don't know about vortex and i don't want to know. i like simple things like NMM. Simple and fun :happy:

[hucker75]

Always download manually a mod, keep all the mods you use to a folder at zip format and copy manually the files to the data folder. i don't want to download a mod again, if this mod is 100 or 300 or 700MB or more - i don't think this help me at every way. i don't know about vortex and i don't want to know. i like simple things like NMM. Simple and fun :happy:

 

I've never had to download again, NMM keeps it for me, even if I have to reinstall it.

[xrayy]

 

... ...

 

I've never had to download again, NMM keeps it for me, even if I have to reinstall it.

 

the first time i hear that form a serious nmm user. most of them tell me they avoid deinstallion or testing mods due to the risk of destabilization.

if you like to deal with many mods nmm and manual installation is simply a nightmare because a deinstallation of a buggy mod or at least sorting it out is simply impossible without risk of destabilizing the whole setup. this problem is commonly known and i'm wonderng how anyone who likes modding can still just ignore this. the more complex the mod setup is the more nmm or manual mod maintanance will be a nightmare if you want to avoid a full reinstallation due to a messed up mod. i'm pretty sure this is one of the main reasons nmm was kicked and there is no offiicial support for this mod organizer anymore.

 

[HeyYou]

 

 

... ...

 

I've never had to download again, NMM keeps it for me, even if I have to reinstall it.

 

the first time i hear that form a serious nmm user. most of them tell me they avoid deinstallion or testing mods due to the risk of destabilization.

if you like to deal with many mods nmm and manual installation is simply a nightmare because a deinstallation of a buggy mod or at least sorting it out is simply impossible without risk of destabilizing the whole setup. this problem is commonly known and i'm wonderng how anyone who likes modding can still just ignore this. the more complex the mod setup is the more nmm or manual mod maintanance will be a nightmare if you want to avoid a full reinstallation due to a messed up mod. i'm pretty sure this is one of the main reasons nmm was kicked and there is no offiicial support for this mod organizer anymore.

 

 

I use NMM, and it works fine. It does what I need it to, and doesn't think it knows better than I do, what my load order should look like. Yeah, mixing manual installation in there as well, really isn't a good idea.....

 

Also, I would point out, that MO2 isn't 'officially' supported either. :)

[hucker75]

 

 

... ...

 

I've never had to download again, NMM keeps it for me, even if I have to reinstall it.

 

the first time i hear that form a serious nmm user. most of them tell me they avoid deinstallion or testing mods due to the risk of destabilization.

if you like to deal with many mods nmm and manual installation is simply a nightmare because a deinstallation of a buggy mod or at least sorting it out is simply impossible without risk of destabilizing the whole setup. this problem is commonly known and i'm wonderng how anyone who likes modding can still just ignore this. the more complex the mod setup is the more nmm or manual mod maintanance will be a nightmare if you want to avoid a full reinstallation due to a messed up mod. i'm pretty sure this is one of the main reasons nmm was kicked and there is no offiicial support for this mod organizer anymore.

 

 

 

Not sure what you're worried about. If a mod screws up, I simply uninstall it, just like uninstalling a program in Windows. If it's not working right and I need it, I reinstall it, which presumably puts it at the end of the load order, prioritizing over other mods.