Please Help

[tgpardu]

I loaded several ZIP files, and extracted them to the Data folder. In turn, they show up under the Data portion of Oblivion start up, where I can turn them on and off.

 

On the other hand, I also loaded a bunch of RAR files and Z7 files (not very familiar with this file type), such as COBL? These don't show up under the same Data portion of the start menu. Is this normal? will thew mods just work in the background, without turning them on and off?

 

Thanks in advance

[bben46]

It is not normal. Every file should work the same after it is unzipped. Evidently your zip program is not handling the 7z and rar files properly. I recommend the FREE 7-zip program. it will handle just about any compressed file format you throw at it, including zip, 7z, rar, and about 20 more.

 

7-zip is available here on the Nexus: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/search.php

 

It is absolutely free - with no nag screens or begging for money. And it is as good as or even better than many of the commercial programs.

[Pineapplerum]

If you don't know how to use the zip program then I can give you a crash course.

When the folders pop up after they're finished being unzipped, hit the "Extract" button and it will ask you what folder to extract the folders to.

Use the drop down menu to find your Oblivion folder in your C drive (usually under Program Files\Bethesda Software) but not the Oblivion folder from your documents folder. Open the Oblivion folder from the C drive and click on "data".

There you will find subfolders for all kinds of things but you'll probably only need to focus on putting the plug in data file thingy directly in the "data" folder- the plug in data folder is the folder that has the funny red machine looking thing as an icon (icon used for the Construction Set that comes with Oblivion-don't worry about that if you don't know what it is though-you don't need to know right now.) just click on the Oblivion\Data folder and click okay to extract that one folder you've unzipped. If there are no other folders than no worries. If there are more than it's probably a "read me" that came with the download that gives you information about the mod. You can put that in your Oblivion\data folder too but you really don't need to install it but try to save it elsewhere-like on your desktop if it has a long installation instructions given.

Other folders that may have been unzipped are the Textures and Meshes. Go back to the drop down menu and from the "extract" button in the Zip program and find your oblivion folder again from the C drive-and click on the data folder to open it up to the sub folders. The sub folders will have a "meshes" folder and a "textures" folder.

There are sub folders still under the "meshes and textures" folders. From the mod you just unzipped and are now extracting into the Oblivion folder the modder will have sub folders in those "meshes" and "texture" folders. You have to be sure each sub folder goes into the right subfolder in your Oblivion\Data\textures or meshes folder.

For instance Textures\Creatures\Dog

You have to get that into the file that says Textures\creatures\dog folder in your c drive Oblivion\Data folder.

I find an easier way to do this instead of using the drop down menu from the Zip drive to install the mod into your C drive Oblivion file is to do this:

On your computer open your "computer" icon. Open your C drive. Find your Program Files. Find Bethesda Softworks. Now right click on the Oblivion folder-"make a shortcut" and put it on your desk top OR "copy" and "paste" it onto your desktop.

Now close your c drive folders.

Open your desktop icon for the shortcut Oblivion folder.

Open up the "data" folder.

Now from the zip program you have extracted the mod from-click on the Oblivion\Data\Textures

The subfolders will show up and they will have names on them. From your desktop oblivion folder that's now opened to Oblivion\Data-look for the Textures folder and open it.

Look to see if any of the names on the sub folders from the unzip folders menu match any from your desktop folder Oblivion\Data\Textures

If it does. Let's say "Creatures" Open up that Creatures folder.

Then open the Creatures folder from the zip menu and see what folder pops up next. It may say "dog"

Look for a "dog" folder from your desktop Oblivion folder. Eventually there will be no more folders and you'll just have to copy and paste the data\files from your Zip program into your Oblivion\Data\Textures\Creatures\Dog folder.

Do the same for all the folders under Textures and extract them into the right folders.

If you open up the Textures zip folder and find a name of a folder that is not in your Oblivion Data Textures file than just copy and paste that folder right into the Textures folder along with all of the other folders. Not into any of them.

When you're finished copying and pasting all the zip Oblivion\Data\texture files from the zip program-close all of the folders that lead you back to the Oblivion\Data folder and then start with the next Zip file folders to be extracted or copied and pasted...which is usually the Meshes folder.

Do the same with the Oblivion\Data\Meshes folder and sub folders.

 

Sorry this is so lengthy or I told you what you already knew. When I first started installing mods-it took me the longest time to figure this one out.

But making a shortcut Oblivion folder onto your desktop will come in handy for installing mods and finding things in your data folder when you begin to download a lot of mods. And trust me, you will. :happy:

[tgpardu]

It is not normal. Every file should work the same after it is unzipped. Evidently your zip program is not handling the 7z and rar files properly. I recommend the FREE 7-zip program. it will handle just about any compressed file format you throw at it, including zip, 7z, rar, and about 20 more.

 

7-zip is available here on the Nexus: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/search.php

 

It is absolutely free - with no nag screens or begging for money. And it is as good as or even better than many of the commercial programs.

 

when I downloaded the 7Z and RAR files, they came through as singular files. They didn't appear as ZIP files.

[tgpardu]

I found a program that recognizes the other files as ZIPs, and extracts them.

 

Thanks guys!

[Jenrai]

Not really related to the issue of uninstalling mods & files, but could be related to your problem with .rars & .7z folders not being recognised as archived (compressed) folders. Your file allocation is squiffy on some level. You have (or had) a program set to opening these file types that wasn't a compression program.

When you installed your new program, it likely set itself, or asked you to set it, as the default program for opening compressed files, so you're all good... sort of.

See, that file allocation is a nice big fat juicy target for viruses and malware .Yah, I know - these days, everything's a nice, big, fat juicy target for viruses and malware, but that file allocation stuff in particular is - thats how a lot of viruses these days stop your anti-spyware programs from working right. They change that. Files that are then supposed to be opened by, say Norton, try to get opened by Windows Media Player, to use a certain example found on a rather riddled system lately.

The next thing it'll do is take a couple of steps to disable your operational warnings. So then your computer won't actually tell you that these components of your anti-spyware/anti-virus or whatever aren't working. It'll just stop, and you won't know it has unless you know exactly what you're looking at in your running processes monitor (usually windows task manager but there are others)

Rack your brains. If you seriously cannot remember changing what type of program should be the one thats trying to open archive files, and if no one else uses your computer, seriously think about uninstalling and reinstalling your AV set up. (If you have one. Pllllleeeeaaaaasssseeee tell me you have one) Obviously, disconnect from the internet whilst you're doing that. That should re-establish the allocation for your AV. Update it, and it should then pick up any viruses or malware you've copped for.

I'm not saying you definately have a virus, I'm saying that if you & no one else has changed what program windows uses to open archive files, and if you already had a compression agent (like rar, 7zip or whatever) on your computer and you know it was working, that could be one reason it suddenly decided not to anymore.

 

Jenrai