Seeking solutions for .vortex_backup files preventing Nemesis from running/mod deployment

[WTBNMMBack]

How can I prevent Vortex from creating these? I can't seem to find any useful information through search engines. Been nothing but problems and having to reboot in safe mode to delete them to get things working again seems to be the only resolution. Prevented Nemesis engine from updating the first time because of roughly 11,000 .vortex_backup files that were generated, second time NemesisUBE.exe and hkxcmd.exe were replaced with a .vortex_backup version for some reason. Even after reinstalling and updating, mod deployment didn't work because it couldn't find the Nemesis files, even though they were all there. Even launching Nemesis through vortex works, as the original target path is still there.

 

First line in the log reads

 

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:55:40 GMT - warn: failed to link link=Nemesis_Engine\mod\zcbe\_1stperson\0_master\#zcbe$45.txt, source=Nemesis.Unlimited.Behavior.Engine.v0.84-beta, error=ENOENT: no such file or directory, stat 'I:\Vortex Mods\skyrimse\Nemesis.Unlimited.Behavior.Engine.v0.84-beta\Nemesis_Engine\mod\zcbe\_1stperson\0_master\#zcbe$45.txt'

 

And it's followed by many more like it showing missing files. I've gone to those folders and sure enough, the files are all there.

 

Solutions? I've already downloaded MO2 and about to make the switch, but would rather not have to relearn yet another mod organizer if I can simply keep vortex from generating these files.

 

 

[Pickysaurus]

Pretty sure you just need to update Nemesis. I did not have this problem when I used it with Vortex.

[Zanderat]

nm

[Pickysaurus]

What is "Nemesis"?

 

It's an alternative to FNIS. It was being developed on GitHub (never got an official Nexus page) but last I heard the developer had effectively mothballed it to go and work on one of the large Skyrim projects.

[Zanderat]

LOL! Thanks, Picky. You responded too quickly! As soon as I typed it, I realized what it was. Hence the "nm" edit.

[WTBNMMBack]

Yeah I already updated Nemesis like a week ago after I had to delete the 11,805 .vortex_backup.txt files that preventing the Nemesis engine from updating, and updated successfully again before making the post after I had to reboot in safe mode to delete the NemesisUBE.exe.vortex_backup.txt and hkxcmd.exe.vortex_backup.txt. I updated it successfully before each each attempt at deploying the mods, except the mods would not deploy each time because of the specified error in original post.

 

What I want to know is how or if I even can prevent vortex from creating these .vortex_backup files entirely. If it's not possible I'll just have to make the switch and hope MO2 isn't as bad.

[Tannin42]

vortex_backup files are created if the some of the files you're trying to install through Vortex already exist in the game directory. The backups are necessary so Vortex can restore the game directory when the mods get uninstalled.

 

The reason this is happening in your case is likely because you install mods manually and then also through Vortex or because you copy&paste mod files turning links into actual files.

Sorry to say: every possible explanation involves user error and depending on what that user error was, the solution is, of course, different.

The error message you posted also indicates a file having been deleted from the vortex staging folder manually.

 

But also: Nemesis complaining about vortex_backup files sounds like a bug there. If I'm not completely mistaken, nemesis acts upon shared directories (the game data directory containing animation files), if so it needs to be equipped to recognize which files are relevant for it and which aren't.

[WTBNMMBack]

vortex_backup files are created if the some of the files you're trying to install through Vortex already exist in the game directory. The backups are necessary so Vortex can restore the game directory when the mods get uninstalled.

 

The reason this is happening in your case is likely because you install mods manually and then also through Vortex or because you copy&paste mod files turning links into actual files.

Sorry to say: every possible explanation involves user error and depending on what that user error was, the solution is, of course, different.

The error message you posted also indicates a file having been deleted from the vortex staging folder manually.

 

But also: Nemesis complaining about vortex_backup files sounds like a bug there. If I'm not completely mistaken, nemesis acts upon shared directories (the game data directory containing animation files), if so it needs to be equipped to recognize which files are relevant for it and which aren't.

Hm, I've been use the Mod Manager Download option through the webpages for all mods except for the ones that are only available through manual installs, so I don't think that's it. As far as the file being deleted manually, I also haven't deleted that file, for there was no reason to do so. Unless it was done through the QuickAutoClean feature on SSEEdit for some reason. I wasn't paying attention to which ones I was doing since I just went down the entire list one by one lol. Probably should've paid more attention to that.

 

However, after experiencing these issues I am now downloading all mods manually and installing them manually as I did in NMM with no issues, and so far so good. Though from the looks of it I may just switch to MO2. Just came back to Skyrim after a couple years and so far I've spent more time trying to get these issues with vortex resolved than I have actually playing + installing through Mod Manager Download option.

 

Forgot to also mention the Nemesis Update bug happened after switching from FNIS though I uninstalled and deleted all FNIS files Just FNIS, not mods that use FNIS. I also got the vortex_backup.txt files for those and after rebooting in safe mode to delete FNIS backup files and the Nemesis backup files it all worked, it worked just fine.

[HadToRegister]

If you downloaded and installed Mods Manually, WHY did you even use NMM?

That makes absolutely no sense.

Download Manually doesn't mean you have to "Manually Install" the mod if you download Manually, just tell your browser SAVE AS... and browse to your Vortex Download Folder and Vortex will automatically detect it and install it.

From what you've been responding with, it doesn't sound like you're using Vortex correctly.

If you edit any Mod files, are you editing them in the DATA folder or Them in the Mod Staging Folder?

There's something really weird going on here, I edit my mods all the time using xedit, I edit them in the Data folder and I don't end up with any of the files you've described.
Maybe you should explain in more detail what your usual routine is, because you should NOT have had to Delete FNIS FIles if you uninstalled it.
So it sounds like the hardlinks are being broken somehow, like Tannin42 mentioned

Either that or you have some type of weird AnitVirus that is insisting on making a backup of any files that have had an operation run on them.

 

It almost sounds like you're DISABLING a mod, then manually deleting it from the mod staging folder

[WTBNMMBack]

I used it to manage my mods. Load order, to see them all in one window, to install them, etc. I probably should've been more specific when talking about manually installing them in NMM. I meant I had zero issues when it came to manually installing mods while using NMM, but still had it install some mods for me via the Mod Manager Download option.

 

As far as my usual routine with vortex, I don't really have one. I just follow the install instructions provided by the mod poster when prompted, and the only thing I've had to edit other than the skyrim.ini files to fix my resolution/refresh rate, is the Animated Wings and Flying mods conflicting with CGO in SSEEdit and got it to work properly. I either click and drag the .zip into vortex, or click and drag loose files into the necessary folders as the mod authors instructs when I can't simply drag the zip files into vortex when manually installing them. But 95% of the time I had it download through the mod manager option.

 

I've already looked into the antivirus conflicts and that wasn't it either. I even gave it permissions just in case, and when it came to deleting FNIS, I clicked the Remove button with the trash icon next to it in the mod manager. Did I have to disable first THEN uninstall? It indeed remove it but the backup files were still there and I couldn't delete them without having to reboot in safe mode. That was about as much manual deletion I did after I had vortex remove it. Was that the incorrect way of doing it?