Mod installing problems...

[DenisDoge]

So,I use nexus mod manager to install mods.I just installed oblivion (i played like 1 year ago and the mods were fine on the same computer/same windows I only uninstalled it) the mods are not in data files.That's my problem,they do appear in data files folder but not in game.I even tried to reinstall the game (btw i am using a cd )

 

[WastelandAssassin]

I'm not sure I understand what the problem actually is

you've installed Oblivion , and opened NMM

you've downloaded some mods , installed them , yet they don't work in game?

or is the problem in another part of the process?

[DrakeTheDragon]

That sounds familiar. Is it any Windows version from Vista up or later, and do you have your game installed in the default location, somewhere inside program files?

 

If so, it sounds like you've become a victim of the infamous User Account Control (UAC), one of many, many, many these days.

 

What happens is, any 3rd party app trying to interact with those overly-protected system folders, and as far as the UAC is concerned that means every folder coming from Windows natively and every folder inside these, does instead interact with a so-called "VirtualStore" folder found somewhere inside your User folders. If you yourself take a look at the folder inside program files with the Explorer, chances are also high it will lie to you and pretend the files would actually be there, while they most definitely are not. But the game usually can't be fooled by this and won't find the files.

 

One thing most users are regularly told to do is to launch the NMM via "run as admin" from the right-click menu, or set up its file properties so it's run as administrator automatically every time. But this doesn't always beat the UAC.

 

Thus the absolute first thing you learn when modding the game is to install/move it to a location far away from the UAC's grasp. Mostly you're suggested to use a place like "C:/Games/", but really, anything safely away from Windows folders will work.

 

 

But if all this still shouldn't help, let's not forget to make sure your NMM is also correctly configured to know where your data folder actually is. Would be a shame to first go through all this hassle only to then realize it was all the time told to put the mods into the wrong place.

 

 

And one more important point, not every mod will show up in the launcher's Data Files list to begin with. Only plugins (ESP) and masterfiles (ESM) will show up in there, and many mods, especially pure replacers, work completely fine without any of these. The NMM does also have a plugins/masterfiles tab where you can also see them in their active load order. If you see plugins/masterfiles in there but not inside the launcher, then I'd say either check your NMM Oblivion paths setup, or refer to point #1.