"Directories are not writable", no matter what

[MegaBastard]

I just installed Vortex and I was checking out the settings tab. I found the "Mod Staging Folder" and decided to create a folder for Vortex and future mods in C:\Program Files (x86)\Vortex\{GAME}. Then I got the error message "Directories are not writable". I tried downloading the first mod, Campfire 1.12.1SEVR by Chesko. It downloaded fine, and then I clicked install, only to find the error pop-up "Archive Damaged; Access Denied" (see attachment)

 

After this I decided to change the directory back to the default {USERDATA}\{GAME}\mods, which is supposed to be "guaranteed to have write access", and this too prompted the error message "Directories are not writable"! Meanwhile I tried several different directories, all of which prompted the same error.

 

I also tried uninstalling and reinstalling Vortex to try and get it back to it's default status, but after reinstalling it was just as it was before uninstalling, with the same directory I had chose before.

 

Please tell me, what do I have to do to find or make a writable directory? What's causing this problem?

[HadToRegister]

You're better off creating the Mod Staging Folder to a directory OUTSIDE of the C:\users\ Directory, and also make sure it's on the same drive as your games are.

There's so many permission problems with Program Files (x86) directory

[MegaBastard]

So I tried some folders outside Program Files (x86) or Users directories, like you said but I still get the same problem.

 

Might be worth noting that no matter what directory I choose, the "Archive Damaged" error invariably mentions the same directory/file, saying (as in the attachment above)

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vortex\Skyrim SE\Campfire 1.12.1SEVR Release-667-1-12-1-SEVR.installing\ System ERROR: Access is denied"

[HadToRegister]

So I tried some folders outside Program Files (x86) or Users directories, like you said but I still get the same problem.

 

Might be worth noting that no matter what directory I choose, the "Archive Damaged" error invariably mentions the same directory/file, saying (as in the attachment above)

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vortex\Skyrim SE\Campfire 1.12.1SEVR Release-667-1-12-1-SEVR.installing\ System ERROR: Access is denied"

 

 

Are you running Vortex as an Admin?

If so, don't

 

Check to make sure that UAC (User Access Control) is turned on in Windows.

[MegaBastard]

I solved the problem by restarting Vortex, which is what I wanted to do from the beginning (namely when I tried to reinstall the program).

 

What I did was: I went to the Vortex tab in Settings (instead of the Mods tab) and changed the Multi-User mode to Shared.

This prompts an option to restart Vortex. Doing so resets everything, including the Mod Staging Folder, which is now {USERDATA}\{GAME}\mods but this time around it's redirected to C:\ProgramData\vortex\skyrimse\mods rather than C:\users\...\AppData\...\mods.

 

I don't know why the {USERDATA}\{GAME} combination refused to choose a writable directory before, but after restarting it finally gained some sense.

 

What I'd now like to know is if there's any way to restart Vortex like this without having to change the Multi-Users mode. With that, you can close this topic.