Game activation issues

[footfungus3000]

When i try to active a game (Skyrim Special Edition), I get the error message "Failed to set game mode" and the error message is "Missing: c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data"

How can I fix this?

[AaronOfMpls]

Does the Data folder exist in your Steam install?  (Assuming you have Skyrim installed to C:\Program Files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\.)

[footfungus3000]

yeah everything's in the right place, is there anything special that should be in the data folder?

[AaronOfMpls]

Mostly just the game's .esm's, .esp's, .esl's, and .bsa's. 

Check the permissions on your Skyrim folder, maybe?  By default, folders in Program Files are somewhat restricted, and it sounds like Vortex(?) might be blocked from doing much there.  As I said in another thread:

On 3/19/2024 at 2:17 PM, AaronOfMpls said:

Search around for windows 10 change folder permissions or windows 11 change folder permissions, depending on your OS.  (I vaguely remember having to do that in Windows 7, back before I went to Linux.)

Alternatively, you could move Skyrim to a less-restricted place outside of Program Files.

(You didn't mention Vortex, but a search for similar issues suggested it.)

EDIT: Also, I don't use Vortex myself (I've long used Mod Organizer instead), so maybe someone who knows more about it will have more to add, if this isn't the problem.

Edited March 26 by AaronOfMpls