Oblivion Mod Manager issue

[xbladekiller]

Hey, xblade!

 

I see in your mod list that both body replacers are correctly recognised by OBMM. THe Outfit replacers are just meshes and textures replacements for the vanilla ones, so they don't need an esp and does not appear in the list. Did you take a look on your new bodies? Gorgeous, aren't they?

 

I slept really well, yes, and woke up with all mi hair pointing in different directions, as usual. Mostly balding, so that's not really an issue.

 

Oh, you don't really need to convert your images to pdf in order to attach them here. You can directly attach the images itselves. Just remember to save them as jpg and under 250 mb.

 

Are you interested in learning a way to create working backups of your entire game installation with just a mouse click, without having to manually copy and paste folders around? Because I think this is the perfect moment to do it, before modding further your game.

 

It involves the installation of a tool called a profile manager. The one I use is mTES4. Have a look at it and don't worry, it's not as complicated as it seems.

 

If not, we will proceed with the installation of OCO v2.

 

Cheers!

Hi Ike

Have downloaded the backup. what do i do with the program... i will bow to your better knowledge and understanding of these these :smile:

 

Then we can download more morte... someone once told me about a mod called ...think it was the Spires or something.... anyway, i look forward to more mods

 

Not sure i would call the new skins 'gorgeous', but they are an inprovement...

 

 

thanks

Edited January 21, 2015 by xbladekiller

[IkeCoast]

Hey, xblade!

 

The body replacers not just replace the skins, they replace the whole bodies, meshes included. Anyway, since you don't say your bodies do not look like the ones in the screenshots for both Robert Bodies, I will assume that they work flawlessly in your game.

 

About mTES4: this utility comes as an executable file, so installation is not needed. Just open the downloaded file, take the file mTES4.exe it contains and put it in your Desktop. Then, place this file anywhere you want BUT NOT INSIDE THE OBLIVION FOLDER. Best practice would be creating a folder inside your MyDocuments folder, call it mTES4 and put the executable there.

 

Once placed there, RIGHT CLICK the executable and look for the "Run as Adminstrator" checkmark. Otherwise the utility will not be able to work on your C:\ProgramFiles. Apply and OK. Now, if you want, create a shortcut to this executable and place it on your Desktop for easy access.

 

Run the utility by double-clicking the executable or the shortcut. At first, the program will ask you where your Oblivion game is. You need to point the navigation window to the MAIN OBLIVION INSTALLATION FOLDER. Click OK or "Import clone", depends on what appears in the dialogue window. Then the program will ask you a name to give to this Oblivion game. Give it an unique name, like, for instance, "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH", so you can remember later that this is the original configuration of your game. Then click OK and let the program do its work.

 

Once finished, in the main mTES4 window, under the drop-down list of Detected Games (it will show Oblivion by default), there's a right panel named Detected Clones with a series of buttons at its left. The panel lists "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH" already highlighted, but if it's not highlighted, click ONCE on it to select it. Now, hit the "Copy Clone" button. The program will ask you to give an unique name to this clone. Call it "OBLIVION - PLAYING". Allow the program to create the new profile (or "clone"). It will take a while...

 

When finished, the panel will list the two clones, and now, the OBLIVION ORIGINAL is your backup and you don't need to touch it again.

 

Now this is important: CLOSE ALL THE WINDOWS EXPLORER WINDOWS YOU MAY HAVE OPEN. I will explain why later.

 

Click the OBLIVION - PLAYING one in the list, and hit the "Switch" button. The reason I told you to close the Windows Explorer windows is that mTES4 can't switch between profiles if there is an Explorer window open.

 

Once the switch has taken place, the OBLIVION - PLAYING is highlighted and appears in bold letters. HIt the "Launch" button. A secondary window titled "LaunchTools" appears, and under "Detected tools" you should find the icons for

 

OBSE + Oblivion

 

OBMM

 

OblivionLauncher

 

Oblivion

 

The first one launches the Oblivion game with OBSE enabled. The second one launches OBMM. The third one launches the vanilla launcher, the one where you can find the Data Files section, and the fourth launches Oblivion without OBSE.

 

It's possible that this window does not show OBMM. This means that mTES4 failed to detect it, and you will need to "reinstall" OBMM on this profile. More on that later.

 

Now, a surprise awaits you. Open your Windows Explorer and navigate where your game is installed. You will be shocked when finding that the Bethesda Softworks folder, which previously contained only one folder, "Oblivion", now contains TWO folder, one called "Oblivion" and the other called "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH".

 

These are your profile folders. The active profile will be always called "Oblivion". The mTES4 utility will switch between these two folders automatically. However, since you only want it to keep a safe backup of your game, from now on we will ignore that there are two folders and will keep talking about your "main Oblivion installation folder" as usual. Remember, it's the one called "Oblivion" in your BethesdaSoftworks folder. Act as if the OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH folder does not exist.

 

Very well, your game is correctly back-up'd now, but not your savegames. Go to your MyGames folder. There are now the following folders:

 

Oblivion (this is the folder for saving the playthrough and settings of your active game)

 

Oblivion-mTES4 (this is the backup folder for your pre-existing playthrough).

 

The Oblivion one should be empty. The other should contain the OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH sub folder. Open this sub-folder. There are all your ini files and the Saves folder.COPY ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE OBLIVION ORIGINAL- DO NOT TOUCH folder (ini files and Saves folder) and paste it inside the Oblivion folder (the one in MyGames, I mean).

 

Yo don't need to do it, actually. You just can leave the Oblivion folder empty and let the game itself create new ini files a new savegame for you if you start a brand-new playthrough. But if you want to continue playing your existing character, you need to copy at least the Saves folder from the backup to the working game.

 

Now that's all the preparation you need.

 

Go back to mTES4 and, in the Detected Tools window (re-open it with the "Launch" button if you closed it before) double-click the OBSE + Oblivion icon. The game will start as usual.

 

That's all.

 

When you exit the game, mTES4 will be minimized to your taskbar. To re-open it, right click the icon and select Open.

 

Now...

 

... after reading all this lenghty science-fiction soap opera novella, I would be really surprised if your head is not steaming. If you decide that all this thing is TOO MUCH hassle and not worthy of your time, or if you have doubts about this, don't hesitate to tell us "NO, Ike, it's too work, I prefer to pass and simply play the game".

 

You can make your manual backup of the Oblvion installation folder and your MyGames - Oblivion folder and later restore them manually if needed without all this garbage. However, is in the near future you decide to start creating your own mods, you will definitely need this utility.

 

I will take a break to let you digest it and start the delicate procedure of installing OCO.

 

About the Spires one, I assume you mean The Lost Spires Quest mod. I know it, in fact I played it and it's totally awesome indeed.

 

Cheers!

[xbladekiller]

Hey, xblade!

 

The body replacers not just replace the skins, they replace the whole bodies, meshes included. Anyway, since you don't say your bodies do not look like the ones in the screenshots for both Robert Bodies, I will assume that they work flawlessly in your game.

 

About mTES4: this utility comes as an executable file, so installation is not needed. Just open the downloaded file, take the file mTES4.exe it contains and put it in your Desktop. Then, place this file anywhere you want BUT NOT INSIDE THE OBLIVION FOLDER. Best practice would be creating a folder inside your MyDocuments folder, call it mTES4 and put the executable there.

 

Once placed there, RIGHT CLICK the executable and look for the "Run as Adminstrator" checkmark. Otherwise the utility will not be able to work on your C:\ProgramFiles. Apply and OK. Now, if you want, create a shortcut to this executable and place it on your Desktop for easy access.

 

Run the utility by double-clicking the executable or the shortcut. At first, the program will ask you where your Oblivion game is. You need to point the navigation window to the MAIN OBLIVION INSTALLATION FOLDER. Click OK or "Import clone", depends on what appears in the dialogue window. Then the program will ask you a name to give to this Oblivion game. Give it an unique name, like, for instance, "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH", so you can remember later that this is the original configuration of your game. Then click OK and let the program do its work.

 

Once finished, in the main mTES4 window, under the drop-down list of Detected Games (it will show Oblivion by default), there's a right panel named Detected Clones with a series of buttons at its left. The panel lists "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH" already highlighted, but if it's not highlighted, click ONCE on it to select it. Now, hit the "Copy Clone" button. The program will ask you to give an unique name to this clone. Call it "OBLIVION - PLAYING". Allow the program to create the new profile (or "clone"). It will take a while...

 

When finished, the panel will list the two clones, and now, the OBLIVION ORIGINAL is your backup and you don't need to touch it again.

 

Now this is important: CLOSE ALL THE WINDOWS EXPLORER WINDOWS YOU MAY HAVE OPEN. I will explain why later.

 

Click the OBLIVION - PLAYING one in the list, and hit the "Switch" button. The reason I told you to close the Windows Explorer windows is that mTES4 can't switch between profiles if there is an Explorer window open.

 

Once the switch has taken place, the OBLIVION - PLAYING is highlighted and appears in bold letters. HIt the "Launch" button. A secondary window titled "LaunchTools" appears, and under "Detected tools" you should find the icons for

 

OBSE + Oblivion

 

OBMM

 

OblivionLauncher

 

Oblivion

 

The first one launches the Oblivion game with OBSE enabled. The second one launches OBMM. The third one launches the vanilla launcher, the one where you can find the Data Files section, and the fourth launches Oblivion without OBSE.

 

It's possible that this window does not show OBMM. This means that mTES4 failed to detect it, and you will need to "reinstall" OBMM on this profile. More on that later.

 

Now, a surprise awaits you. Open your Windows Explorer and navigate where your game is installed. You will be shocked when finding that the Bethesda Softworks folder, which previously contained only one folder, "Oblivion", now contains TWO folder, one called "Oblivion" and the other called "OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH".

 

These are your profile folders. The active profile will be always called "Oblivion". The mTES4 utility will switch between these two folders automatically. However, since you only want it to keep a safe backup of your game, from now on we will ignore that there are two folders and will keep talking about your "main Oblivion installation folder" as usual. Remember, it's the one called "Oblivion" in your BethesdaSoftworks folder. Act as if the OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH folder does not exist.

 

Very well, your game is correctly back-up'd now, but not your savegames. Go to your MyGames folder. There are now the following folders:

 

Oblivion (this is the folder for saving the playthrough and settings of your active game)

 

Oblivion-mTES4 (this is the backup folder for your pre-existing playthrough).

 

The Oblivion one should be empty. The other should contain the OBLIVION ORIGINAL - DO NOT TOUCH sub folder. Open this sub-folder. There are all your ini files and the Saves folder.COPY ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE OBLIVION ORIGINAL- DO NOT TOUCH folder (ini files and Saves folder) and paste it inside the Oblivion folder (the one in MyGames, I mean).

 

Yo don't need to do it, actually. You just can leave the Oblivion folder empty and let the game itself create new ini files a new savegame for you if you start a brand-new playthrough. But if you want to continue playing your existing character, you need to copy at least the Saves folder from the backup to the working game.

 

Now that's all the preparation you need.

 

Go back to mTES4 and, in the Detected Tools window (re-open it with the "Launch" button if you closed it before) double-click the OBSE + Oblivion icon. The game will start as usual.

 

That's all.

 

When you exit the game, mTES4 will be minimized to your taskbar. To re-open it, right click the icon and select Open.

 

Now...

 

... after reading all this lenghty science-fiction soap opera novella, I would be really surprised if your head is not steaming. If you decide that all this thing is TOO MUCH hassle and not worthy of your time, or if you have doubts about this, don't hesitate to tell us "NO, Ike, it's too work, I prefer to pass and simply play the game".

 

You can make your manual backup of the Oblvion installation folder and your MyGames - Oblivion folder and later restore them manually if needed without all this garbage. However, is in the near future you decide to start creating your own mods, you will definitely need this utility.

 

I will take a break to let you digest it and start the delicate procedure of installing OCO.

 

About the Spires one, I assume you mean The Lost Spires Quest mod. I know it, in fact I played it and it's totally awesome indeed.

 

Cheers!

Hi Ike

cant get it to run when i right click icon and select 'run as administrator'...nothing happens

 

Might have to uninstall and start again, but cannot find program to uninstall

thanks

Edited January 21, 2015 by xbladekiller

[IkeCoast]

Hey, xblade.

 

Have a look at this instructions article on how to give an application permanent admi rights:

 

http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/always-run-as-administrator/

 

The procedure you need to do is the "Always Start an Application with Administrator Privileges".

 

Let's see if this solves this issue. If not, we will forget about mTES4.

 

Cheers!

[xbladekiller]

Hey, xblade.

 

Have a look at this instructions article on how to give an application permanent admi rights:

 

http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/always-run-as-administrator/

 

The procedure you need to do is the "Always Start an Application with Administrator Privileges".

 

Let's see if this solves this issue. If not, we will forget about mTES4.

 

Cheers!

Hi Ike

 

i found that option in properties already and ticked it

 

i probably did not install it correct it initially tho, as you later instructed :(

thanks

Edited January 21, 2015 by xbladekiller

[IkeCoast]

But, xblade, mTES4 doesn't need installation. It's a simple executable file. You place it anywhere you want, you double-click the exe file or create a shortcut to it, and that's all.

 

Because we're talking about mTES4, right?

 

Cheers!

[xbladekiller]

But, xblade, mTES4 doesn't need installation. It's a simple executable file. You place it anywhere you want, you double-click the exe file or create a shortcut to it, and that's all.

 

Because we're talking about mTES4, right?

 

Cheers!

I double click on the launcher on desktop and press yes, but nothing else happens

 

when i first install and started the icon i did get a window, but i minimised it and could not find again and since trying to start again...nothing happens

 

thanks

Edited January 21, 2015 by xbladekiller

[IkeCoast]

I don't know what could be happening. Perhaps some incompatibility with WIndows 7 (or 8) or anything.

 

Let's forget about mTES4 or you will lose patience. Now, it's OCO v2 turn.

 

You need the following files:

 

Oblivion Charcter Overhaul v2.03

 

Roberts Female Body Compatibility Addon

 

Roberts Male Body Compatibility Addon

 

Nuska encourages NMM or OBMM/Bain installation, but the installation file is only for manual installation: one needs to create the OMOD or BAIN installer.

 

Once you have downloaded the three separate files, open OBMM and locate, in the lower buttons bar, the "Create" button. Hit it.

 

In the new window that appears, the first text input field is already selected, with the words "new mod" highlighted, Change this to "OCO v203".

 

Under this input field there's another with "1.0" already present. Change it to "2.03" (no quotes). Besides it, another input field, this blank, with the notation "Author" at its right. Here, write "Nuska".

 

Leave all the other fields and text input fields as they are already.

 

Locate the "Add archive" button (just above the big white square, in the center of the window). It's the RIGHTMOST one, don't mistake it for the leftmost one called "Add files". You want the "Add ARCHIVE" button. Click it and in the WIndows Explorer navigation window that pop-ups, navigate to your downloads folder and select the Oblivion_Character_Overhaul_v203_44676-2-03.zip file (remember, click "Open" in the navigation window).

 

Once the navigation window closes, OBMM will freeze for a moment. Once it finishes the archive load, in the big white square in the center of the omod creatin window, previously empty, now the name and filepah of the zip file appear. Go to the lower rightmost corner, locate the "Create omod" button and press it.

 

A warning telling you you haven't entered a description appears. DO you want to continue? Hit "Yes".

 

OBMM will start to create the omod file. It can take a while. OBMM, as usual, will freeze while working, don't panic.

 

Once finished, the omod creation window will disappear on its own. In the main OBMM window, in the right panel, where until now you had nothing, now "Oblivion Character Overhaul v2.03" has appeared, with a green square besides its name. Select it (the name of the mod, not the green square), and in the lower part of the screen, hit the "Activate" button.

 

As soon as OBMM has finished installing OCO, in the left panel, the list of your mods, will appear OCO v2's esp, already checked as enabled. Make sure it's THE VERY LAST on your load order. Use the "Move down" button to place it there if it's not. It's ESSENTIAL that OCO's esp is placed the very last one.

 

Now, let's do the Archive Invalidation again, just in case. ¿Remember how to do it? Right part of the window, "Utilities" button, "Archive Invalidation", make sure "BSA Redirection" is selected and if you want, "Reset BSA Timestamps" (this last one is only mandatory for Steam users, but it will not harm you if you use it). Then, button "Update now".

 

That's all for OCO itself.

 

The omod file you created will be stored in your system and if someday you need to uninstall OCO and later reinstall it, you won't need to do all this again.

 

Now, a crucial step that can't be forgotten: DISABLE BOTH ROBERTS MALE AND FEMALE ESPS. These esps will conflict with OCO and cause weird issues. OCO will use the resources for both body replacers, so you no longer need both esps active. Only OCO esp.

 

Now you could test if OCO is working or not in your game, and then proceed to install the texture compatibility patches for Robers Bodies.

 

Cheers!

[xbladekiller]

I don't know what could be happening. Perhaps some incompatibility with WIndows 7 (or :cool: or anything.

 

Let's forget about mTES4 or you will lose patience. Now, it's OCO v2 turn.

 

You need the following files:

 

Oblivion Charcter Overhaul v2.03

 

Roberts Female Body Compatibility Addon

 

Roberts Male Body Compatibility Addon

 

Nuska encourages NMM or OBMM/Bain installation, but the installation file is only for manual installation: one needs to create the OMOD or BAIN installer.

 

Once you have downloaded the three separate files, open OBMM and locate, in the lower buttons bar, the "Create" button. Hit it.

 

In the new window that appears, the first text input field is already selected, with the words "new mod" highlighted, Change this to "OCO v203".

 

Under this input field there's another with "1.0" already present. Change it to "2.03" (no quotes). Besides it, another input field, this blank, with the notation "Author" at its right. Here, write "Nuska".

 

Leave all the other fields and text input fields as they are already.

 

Locate the "Add archive" button (just above the big white square, in the center of the window). It's the RIGHTMOST one, don't mistake it for the leftmost one called "Add files". You want the "Add ARCHIVE" button. Click it and in the WIndows Explorer navigation window that pop-ups, navigate to your downloads folder and select the Oblivion_Character_Overhaul_v203_44676-2-03.zip file (remember, click "Open" in the navigation window).

 

Once the navigation window closes, OBMM will freeze for a moment. Once it finishes the archive load, in the big white square in the center of the omod creatin window, previously empty, now the name and filepah of the zip file appear. Go to the lower rightmost corner, locate the "Create omod" button and press it.

 

A warning telling you you haven't entered a description appears. DO you want to continue? Hit "Yes".

 

OBMM will start to create the omod file. It can take a while. OBMM, as usual, will freeze while working, don't panic.

 

Once finished, the omod creation window will disappear on its own. In the main OBMM window, in the right panel, where until now you had nothing, now "Oblivion Character Overhaul v2.03" has appeared, with a green square besides its name. Select it (the name of the mod, not the green square), and in the lower part of the screen, hit the "Activate" button.

 

As soon as OBMM has finished installing OCO, in the left panel, the list of your mods, will appear OCO v2's esp, already checked as enabled. Make sure it's THE VERY LAST on your load order. Use the "Move down" button to place it there if it's not. It's ESSENTIAL that OCO's esp is placed the very last one.

 

Now, let's do the Archive Invalidation again, just in case. ¿Remember how to do it? Right part of the window, "Utilities" button, "Archive Invalidation", make sure "BSA Redirection" is selected and if you want, "Reset BSA Timestamps" (this last one is only mandatory for Steam users, but it will not harm you if you use it). Then, button "Update now".

 

That's all for OCO itself.

 

The omod file you created will be stored in your system and if someday you need to uninstall OCO and later reinstall it, you won't need to do all this again.

 

Now, a crucial step that can't be forgotten: DISABLE BOTH ROBERTS MALE AND FEMALE ESPS. These esps will conflict with OCO and cause weird issues. OCO will use the resources for both body replacers, so you no longer need both esps active. Only OCO esp.

 

Now you could test if OCO is working or not in your game, and then proceed to install the texture compatibility patches for Robers Bodies.

 

Cheers!

Hi

seems to be ok so far...need to check about install the texture compatibility patches for Robers Bodies. These are data folders....do i put them into the oblvion folder, rather than DATA folder?

thanks

[Striker879]

The rule of thumb for copying and pasting FOLDERS is always paste into one level higher than you copied.

 

So the game's structure is always Oblivion\Data\Meshes and Oblivion\Data\Textures. If you right click/copy a folder named Data from your extracted download the rule is you will paste into a folder named Oblivion (one level higher up).

 

The rule for loose files like say footfemale.dds is to paste into the folder you want the file to wind up in. So if your extracted download had Data\Textures\characters\imperial\female\footfemale.dds and you were copying just the FILE footfemale.dds you would paste into female folder in your game's Data\Textures\characters\imperial\female folder path.

 

So the short answer is yes, you would put the Data folders into your Oblivion folder.