Help, i can't enable mods

[ImMrMeeseeks]

I bought fallout 4 on steam.

 

I tried to follow the mod installation guide in the wiki (http://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Fallout_4_Mod_Installation) but the .ini file doesn't match with the description: i open fallout4prefs.ini but there is no [launcher] section where i am supposed to add a line. last section i have is [LOD] so i am not sure on what to do...

 

(if it might have something to do with it, fallout4prefs.ini isn't even in the directory described. It is located in C:/.../steamapps/fallout4/fallout4/fallout4prefs.ini so there is a fallout4 folder inside the fallout4 folder with the exe files.)

 

Here is what it looks like on the notepad

 

[Display]

flocalShadowMapHalveEveryXUnit=750.0000

focusShadowMapDoubleEveryXUnit=450.0000

fShadowBiasScale=1.0000

fDirShadowDistance=3000.0000

fShadowDistance=3000.0000

uiOrthoShadowFilter=2

uiShadowFilter=2

iShadowMapResolution=2048

uPipboyTargetHeight=700

uPipboyTargetWidth=876

iVolumetricLightingQuality=2

bVolumetricLightingEnable=1

bSAOEnable=1

iDirShadowSplits=3

bVolumetricLightingForceCasters=0

iTiledLightingMinLights=40

bComputeShaderDeferredTiledLighting=1

iMaxFocusShadowsDialogue=4

iMaxFocusShadows=1

bForceIgnoreSmoothness=0

fBlendSplitDirShadow=48.0000

bSinglePassDirShadow=1

bEnableWetnessMaterials=1

fTessFactorMaxDistanceScale=100.0000

sAntiAliasing=TAA

fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000

fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000

fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000

fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000

fMeshLODFadeScalar=1.0000

fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=2048.0000

fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=2844.0000

fInteriorMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=1950.0000

fInteriorMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=2600.0000

fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=3000.0000

fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=4000.0000

iMaxAnisotropy=16

iPresentInterval=1

bTopMostWindow=0

bMaximizeWindow=0

bBorderless=1

bFull Screen=0

iSize H=720

iSize W=1280

bAllowShadowcasterNPCLights=0

iScreenShotIndex=0

fMaxFocusShadowMapDistance=450.0000

bPrecipitationOcclusion=1

iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=3

iMaxDecalsPerFrame=10

[imagespace]

bDoDepthOfField=1

bScreenSpaceBokeh=0

bMBEnable=1

bLensFlare=1

[Pipboy]

fPipboyEffectColorB=0.0900

fPipboyEffectColorG=1.0000

fPipboyEffectColorR=0.0800

[VATS]

fModMenuEffectHighlightPAColorB=0.4100

fModMenuEffectHighlightPAColorG=0.8200

fModMenuEffectHighlightPAColorR=1.0000

fModMenuEffectPAColorB=0.4100

fModMenuEffectPAColorG=0.8200

fModMenuEffectPAColorR=1.0000

fModMenuEffectHighlightColorB=0.0824

fModMenuEffectHighlightColorG=1.0000

fModMenuEffectHighlightColorR=0.0706

fModMenuEffectColorB=0.4200

fModMenuEffectColorG=0.9900

fModMenuEffectColorR=0.4900

[MAIN]

fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=150000.0000

bCrosshairEnabled=1

fHUDOpacity=1.0000

bSaveOnPause=1

bSaveOnTravel=1

bSaveOnWait=1

bSaveOnRest=1

[LightingShader]

bScreenSpaceSubsurfaceScattering=0

bScreenSpaceReflections=1

[General]

bGamepadEnable=1

bPipboyCompanionEnabled=0

iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1

bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0

uGridsToLoad=5

[interface]

bDialogueSubtitles=0

bGeneralSubtitles=0

iHUDColorB=21

iHUDColorG=255

iHUDColorR=18

bDialogueCameraEnable=1

bShowCompass=1

[Controls]

fMouseHeadingSensitivity=0.0300

fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=0.6667

bAlwaysRunByDefault=1

bInvertYValues=0

bGamePadRumble=1

[GamePlay]

iDifficulty=2

bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1

bShowQuestMarkers=1

[Particles]

iMaxDesired=750

[saveGame]

fAutosaveEveryXMins=10.0000

[AudioMenu]

fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000

fVal7=1.0000

uID7=0

fVal6=1.0000

uID6=0

fVal5=1.0000

uID5=0

fVal4=0.6500

uID4=138006

fVal3=0.6500

uID3=1007612

fVal2=1.0000

uID2=94881

fVal1=0.6500

uID1=466532

fVal0=0.6500

uID0=554685

[Water]

bUseWaterDisplacements=1

bUseWaterRefractions=1

bUseWaterReflections=1

bUseWaterDepth=1

[TerrainManager]

fTreeLoadDistance=75000.0000

fBlockMaximumDistance=100000.0000

fBlockLevel2Distance=80000.0000

fBlockLevel1Distance=32000.0000

fBlockLevel0Distance=20000.0000

fSplitDistanceMult=1.1000

bShowLODInEditor=0

[Grass]

fGrassStartFadeDistance=2000.0000

fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000.0000

fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=400.0000

[Decals]

uMaxDecals=100

[LOD]

fLODFadeOutMultSkyCell=1.0000

fLODFadeOutMultObjects=5.0000

fLODFadeOutMultItems=3.0000

fLODFadeOutMultActors=5.0000

[jaganshihieiyyh]

The game has several similar ini files in its installation directory; this is not a bug. I believe the reason for your issue is that the game only generates the files in your user directory when you play it, not when you install it. So if you bought the game and immediately went to set up modding, they aren't there. Boot it up and maybe start a save file, and they should appear.

[ImMrMeeseeks]

I played on multiple save files already, then i tried opening it directly from the .exe files instead of the desktop steam link, but it doesn't change.

 

I am no expert, but if i tried to add the missing parts by copying them (by hand) could it cause trouble?

[jaganshihieiyyh]

I'm not an expert either. It is definitely possible to add a new section to the ini, though.

 

The issue is that, as far as I know--and I could be wrong--the copy in steamapps is not actually used. It's just a backup copy that has the default settings, I think. When you play the game, whatever settings you are using are stored in, and read from, the My Games\Fallout4 copy. So while the lines are mostly the same, the values things are set to will be different, and the ones in the steamapps copy don't matter. The [Launcher] section is not present in mine either, by the way. It's only in the My Games\Fallout4 copy. So you have to focus on finding/creating that one.

 

I'm still a bit unclear if you have just bought the game and only played it to troubleshoot this, or if you have been actually playing it. If it's only the former, then perhaps you've never edited any settings. Try that. Entering the launcher's Options menu the first time should cause it to set the graphics options to what it thinks most fitting for your PC. You could also edit something in the game's Settings menu, like turning on subtitles (key bindings are kept in a separate file, so that maybe isn't the best test). Since the changes made here are stored in My Games\Fallout4\Fallout4prefs.ini, it basically has to create it in order to save anything you did. If none of that works, I really don't know what to say. I guess the only other thing I could think of is that it is indeed there, but is a hidden file for some bizarre reason, so rule that out.

 

 

[ImMrMeeseeks]

Ok, it took me a while but i reinstalled the game keeping my 80+ hours save files and now everything is fine. Thanks a lot for your help and suggestions!

[daniellj23]

a) Use "Notepad++" to open these up. It makes more sense after you do

b) Make sure you're in fallout4prefs.ini and no fallout4.ini