Vortex Telling Me To Clean Bethesda ESMs

[Kraggy]

So this is my first time using Vortex coming back to play after a three year break, this time playing Skyrim SE instead of the original game. Last time around I used NMM and MO but now I decided to try Vortex.

 

I say this to indicate I'm not new to modding per se, though far from an expert, but have no experience of Vortex or the SSE release files.

 

After installing a clean SSE on a new PC, on running Vortex I see it telling me that 4 of the 5 SSE .ESMs are 'dirty' and need cleaning by LOOT; the one that isn't flagged like this is the base SKYRIM.ESM.

 

So my immediate thought is 'why would a release file be flagged like this', following by 'how do I do this?'. I know LOOT is 'built in' to Vortex but I see no option to perform this function.

 

Should I be doing this to a Beth. file or is Vortex wrong? If in fact I SHOULD do this do I need to install LOOT separately from Vortex to do it? I would go ahead but since I have no real idea what being 'dirty' is I don't want to screw my install up from the word go.

 

Can someone please educate me on what's going on here?

 

Thanks.

[sopmac45]

So this is my first time using Vortex coming back to play after a three year break, this time playing Skyrim SE instead of the original game. Last time around I used NMM and MO but now I decided to try Vortex.

 

I say this to indicate I'm not new to modding per se, though far from an expert, but have no experience of Vortex or the SSE release files.

 

After installing a clean SSE on a new PC, on running Vortex I see it telling me that 4 of the 5 SSE .ESMs are 'dirty' and need cleaning by LOOT; the one that isn't flagged like this is the base SKYRIM.ESM.

 

So my immediate thought is 'why would a release file be flagged like this', following by 'how do I do this?'. I know LOOT is 'built in' to Vortex but I see no option to perform this function.

 

Should I be doing this to a Beth. file or is Vortex wrong? If in fact I SHOULD do this do I need to install LOOT separately from Vortex to do it? I would go ahead but since I have no real idea what being 'dirty' is I don't want to screw my install up from the word go.

 

Can someone please educate me on what's going on here?

 

Thanks.

 

 

4 out of 5 needs to be cleaned ? Are you referring to Dawnguard, Dragonborn, etc, etc except the main one ?

 

If you answer yes, then by all means and first of all, this is not Vortex issue. Because LOOT is integrated into Vortex, it is advising you to clean those master files, same thing that LOOT will do and those files must be cleaned via Xedit not LOOT. By the way, if you have auto-sort enabled in Vortex Plugin Section, do not use LOOT at all. You have to use either one but not both at the same time.

 

If you do not have Xedit installed in your PC, you can find it in Nexus. There are a lot of documentation about how to use it and how to clean those master files. Steam has a very good procedure and I recommend to follow it.

 

Also, there may be other mods that required to be cleaned as well. For example, Vortex advised me twice ( in different play throughs ) to clean Vivid Weathers. However, before you clean a mod, double check with the mod author about how to do it. For sure I know that Vivid Weather must be cleaned and if so, only do the first two steps of the cleaning process : Apply Filter for Cleaning and the second step ( do not remember the name of it ). Do not do the third steps though. X out Vortex after and log back in and you will see that plugin has been cleaned.

 

Last but not the least, LOOT is integrated in Vortex but you do not clean files / mods via LOOT. LOOT only triggers the warning message to let you know that mod / plugin must be cleaned. The cleaning process must be done via Xedit.

 

Did I answer your question ? Please let me know.

[Kraggy]

You are correct, these warnings are about the core games ESMs, all except for the SKYRIM.ESM at the head of the load order .. I do also have a user-created plugin that is also flagged but I didn't mention that as I was more concerned about being told Bethesda's own plugins were 'dirty' .. kind of made me wonder why they [bethesda] wouldn't 'clean' them prior to release.

 

Many thanks for your explanation as to how this needs to be done, especially the warning about NOT using LOOT, that was something I hadn't even thought would be the case.

 

I'm now wondering if perhaps instead of using Vortex. I should perhaps look to use MO2 . Last time around I used MO for most of my modding and perhaps MO2 would be a better route for me.

 

I chose to use Vortex as I thought it would be the 'best' solution being the new/shiny replacement for NMM and I liked the idea of using 'normal' file system APIs to deal with applying mods (hard links) as opposed to the complex 'virtual' system used by MO2 .. don't worry, I'm not asking your advice! :), I'll lay around with it.

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to explain this entirely unexpected issue to me.

[AugustaCalidia]

 

' .. kind of made me wonder why they [bethesda] wouldn't 'clean' them prior to release.

 

 

People have wondered this for years. There has also been a debate about whether cleaning the Beth ESMs is even necessary. I have played games "cleaned" and games "dirty" (before I even knew what cleaning was all about), and I saw no significant differences in game play. Now I always clean my ESMs, for whatever it's worth.

 

Anyway, to return to the topic of this thread, I second sopmac45's excellent information and advice. Vortex sorts with LOOT built in, but it sorts with the rules you give it. Also Vortex doesn't generate messages about "dirty" ESMs, etc. That's LOOT's job. Vortex is simply the messenger boy.

[NewThalos]

The vanilla ESM's have dirty edits, which are not typically a problem unless you play a modded game. When modding, it is important to streamline and remove any potential conflicts that might cause issues.