How Do I Backup The Game

[Kraggy]

Obviously the way to backup the game is to copy the game tree (usually in steamapps\common) to somewhere else so you can re-copy it back if you need to, something simple like

backup: XCOPY Skyrim B:\Skyrim /s /c

restore: XCOPY B:\Skyrim Skyrim /s /c

will suffice, obviously a drag/drop using a GUI tool will also work.

With tools like NMM this is fine because NMM copies all mod files (archive and loose) to Data when mods are installed, so the backup contains the mod files and will restore as they were before the backup.

With Mod Organizer the Data tree isn't changed at all when mods are installed because it creates an 'on-the-fly' virtual file system when it runs the game, so that the 'real' Data tree is not changed at all by MO so there's nothing that needs backing up outside of MO's own file trees; the game's tree can be backed up separately as needed but it won't affect its mods.

With Vortex however as I see it we have a problem; this backup mechanism can't work.

The Data tree will NOT be recoverable as it was when copied because when it installs mods Vortex uses NTFS Hard Links inside the Data tree that point to its Mods tree for each mod file and when you use something like XCOPY on the Data tree the hard links aren't copied, instead the actual file the link points to is copied; this means when you copy the backup tree back to Data it now contains mod FILES not HARD LINKS to them.

This is always how Hard Links work as far as I know, they can't be backed up as links, any file copy operation will copy the actual file not the link and a restore can't recreate the Hard Link.

What am I missing here? In the event Steam has to be re-installed how can the Vortex system be recovered short of re-installing every mod?

So, if something happens to the Steam tree and it needs to be re-installed, how does a Vortex user restore the mods?

[Pickysaurus]

Vortex can restore the mod directly by "Purging" all Vortex managed files. Because it's Symlinks there's no reason why you'd need a backup copy of the game.

[Kraggy]

Well there are reasons to backup the game since not all changes are doable via Vortex as far as I can see, eg. ENBs don't seem to be provided with 'Mod Manager' install options so the 'raw' Skyrim tree needs backing up if one doesn't want to manually recover bits of it in the case of, say, having to re-install the entire game; I presume there's a reason these mods (and some others) aren't provided with 'mod manager' packages and not just because the mod author doesn't feel the need.

 

However, I take your point where Vortex is concerned now that I understand that "Purge Mods" (coupled with "Deploy Mods") can clear and re-set Vortex's links .. I hadn't really 'got' what Purge was doing but after searching these forums for it after reading your reply I see that'll recover a 'lost' system if needed.

 

I've only started using Vortex since returning to Skyrim after some time and before now I used NMM/MO so am still finding how to do in Vortex what I previously did mainly with MO1.

 

Thanks.

[rmm200]

Something else you will appreciate: Purge and Deploy are quick. Maybe five minutes total for the average user.

[HadToRegister]

The best way to transition to Vortex is the way I did it.

I had all of my mods and games managed by NMM, along with a combination of WryeBash for certain ones.

One day, I got the urge to play New Vegas because I really really like the Dead Money and Old World Blues DLC
So, since I was re-installing FONV, I had nothing to lose by experimenting with Vortex, on FONV..

After that, and becoming very familiar with Vortex and how it does things, I decided to reinstall FO3, but this time around I installed the Gog version I had that I bought really cheap when it was on sale, I figured I'd try it instead of the Steam version I also have, because I didn't feel like messing around with an extra thing added between my mod manager and game, (plus, GOG patches all their games for 64 bit, so I didn't need the 4GB patch, and I didn't need the Stutter Remover, they're also ON SALE right now!)

So, now I have, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Skyrim SE, and The Witcher all converted over to Vortex, after cutting my teeth with Vortex and FONV and feeling confident to do so.

[Kraggy]

Okay, so now I'm back to being confused. :smile:

 

For various reasons I decided to clear everything down and start building the system again, so I've re-installed SSE and Vortex .. and now there's no "Purge Mods" button, I reckon this is why I wasn't aware of this feature, for some reason when the program's installed this button isn't shown!

 

On the Mods tab the "Deploy Mods" button is shown and before I reinstalled there was the "Purge Mods" button to its right, but now it isn't there.

 

I know mods have been deployed because looking in the Data folder there are Hard Links for all the files in the mods I've installed, so I would now expect there to be a "Purge Mods" button to force these to be removed.

 

What makes it appear and why isn't is always shown?

 

How do I force it to appear because I want to experiment with it so I can be sure I understand what it does.

 

 

The best way to transition to Vortex is the way I did it.

I had all of my mods and games managed by NMM, along with a combination of WryeBash for certain ones.

I can see that was a good basis to start as you had something working and could re-install and use your existing installation as a working model, as it were.

 

In my case though I've never played SSE, it wasn't released at the time I was playing previously, and while SSE is largely an LE derivative I feared the subtle differences would likely be a hindrance if I tried to mimic my MO1 installation of SSE with MO2/Vortex.

 

I much prefer MO1 and am sad MO2's been a bit 'dumbed down' with features being removed, but I've come to know first-hand how it's like a tower of cards when it comes to the VFS mechanism.

 

I love the idea that the game tree is never changed but the penalty for that is fragility as I've found over the last week, that said I'd much prefer an MO2 with Vortex's deployment mechanic than having to use Vortex because i miss much MO2's mod management, manual load order control, the ability to 'hide' conflicts rather than blindly create rules which hide everything, etc.

 

If Vortex were developed in C/C++ I'd likely try to add to it but I don't know the tools its written in and life's too short to bother trying to learn it.

[Kraggy]

Duplicate.