Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

A big advantage of playing Bethesda's Skyrim on the PC, is the ability to install user-created content, mods for short. The mods can give you the ability to customize and enjoy the game in ways that would be impossible if you were to play the standard version. However, you need to know how to install them in order to play with the mods you want to use.

To step

1. Download a mod you want to install. You can easily find mods through Google by searching their standard description. However, there are a few sites that could be a good place to start.
   • The Skyrim Nexus is home to a large "Skyrim" modding community that has more than 20,000 downloadable mods available.
   • Curse.com is a popular mod site for many different games and it has a great amount too Skyrim mods.
   • The Skyrim Workshop on Steam.com has many popular mods posted on blogs and game websites.
2. Open the downloaded mod with a program that can extract the file. A few examples are WinRAR, 7-Zip or WinZip.
   • For more information on using a program like this, check out the How to Extract Files article.
3. Extract the contents of the mod folder to your Skyrimfolder. An example of such a folder could be: "C: Users Administrator The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Data".
   • Your "Skyrim" folder may be in the Program Files folder, but it is not recommended as it can cause problems with processes in Windows.
4. Open the Skyrim Launcher and choose Data Files. Make sure the "load?" Box next to your mod is checked.
   • If the Data Files folder is gray you need to open Skyrimprefs.ini. Look for the "bEnableFileSelection" entry and make sure it is set to "= 1" and not "= 0".
   • Skyrimprefs.ini is located by default in My Documents> My Games> Skyrim.

Tips

• Some mods depend on others to function. If you've done everything above and you still can't load your mod, you may be missing something that is required.
• Many modding sites have a program that installs your mods for you, such as the Mod Manager at Skyrim Nexus. If you'd rather not install mods manually, these programs may be easier to use.

Warnings

• Some mods require you to unpack elsewhere than to The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim / Data. Read the mod description for possible special instructions before downloading.
• Some mods conflict with others. If you install a mod and then notice game or performance issues, there is a possibility that two or more of your mods are conflicting.