how do u install mods?

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 4:41 pm

i dont know how to install mods
can any body help me

oldmanbob · Post by **oldmanbob** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 4:58 pm

Usually they'll come in a packaged format of some kind, usually zip or rar. Open it up, and most of the time they'll already be packaged as you need to extract them, and if not the readme should tell you where you need to put everything. Find the folder with the .esp in in the package, and copy that plus any folders in there like 'meshes', 'textures' etc into your <insert drive/location etc>Morrowind\Data Files\ directory.

Then go into the 'Data Files' menu in the Morrowind launcher (not the game) and select the mods you want to use.

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:12 pm

every time i install and when i open it
it opens in the constructin set

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:13 pm

I've been thinking of writing a short FAQ about this, but to keep things even shorter:

1) Create a dummy TEST directory.
2) De-archive the archive into it.
3) Move the contents of each sub-folder to its appropriate Morrowind equivalent.
4) If you're asked which of two files to keep of the same name and different dates, keep the most recent.

That's it. It's time-consuming, but it has the main advantage of working. If you come up with any missing meshes, textures, etc, you'll know that this is due to problems in the archive, itself, and not bad installation on your part.

oldmanbob · Post by **oldmanbob** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:30 pm

You shouldn't try and 'run' the mod, just select it under Data Files, run Morrowind normally and it loads with Morrowind. (You'll see along the progress bar, it says 'Loading Morrowind.esm' etc, the mods will flash by there as they're loaded).

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:34 pm

i am dum
and i am 14
so i dont know anything about computers
and somebody please tell me from the bigining how to do it
and do u have to start a new game when u install a mod or
can u use your old save file

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:36 pm

but what if its not in the datafiles

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:45 pm

i am dum
and i am 14
so i dont know anything about computers

DarkestElf, first off, don't use your age as an excuse for anything. I've known several 13-year-olds who were far more mature than people twice and three-times their age.

Second, if you were truly stupid, you wouldn't have found your way, here.

Third, if you know absolutely nothing about computers, then with due respect, this isn't the place to go for that information. You need somebody to show you what an archive is, how to download a archiving program, how to use it, how to copy and move files, etc.

Hopefully, since you're using a computer now, someone in your household is equipped for that task, and can answer all your questions.

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:46 pm

i un ziped the file but now i dont know what to do

oldmanbob · Post by **oldmanbob** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:47 pm

OK, you'll need to find the folder you installed Morrowind into. The default is C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind. In that folder is another folder named 'Data Files'. Keep that open for the time being.

Now find the mod you downloaded. Open up the package, and open up all the folders in it until you find the folder with the .esp (that's the plugin file itself). It's probably there when you first open the package, but some modders have a tendency to bury it in 2 or 3 folders...

Now, copy that .esp file and everything with it into the Data Files folder you just found.

Run the Morrowind Launcher (the one with the menu options 'Play', 'Data Files', 'Options' etc. Click on data files and you'll see a list of all plugin and master files in your Data Files folder. Should contain Morrowind.esm and possibly Tribunal and/or Bloodmoon.esm. Underneath all those you should see the plugin you've just installed. Double click on it, and you should see and 'X' in the box next to it. Press OK, then play.

You should be able to use it with old savegames, unless in the mod readme it explicitly says otherwise.

DarkestElf_inMW · Post by **DarkestElf_inMW** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:53 pm

YES YES YES YES YES
I got it THANKS SO MUCH I GOT IT
Thank u

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:53 am

Find the folder with the .esp in in the package, and copy that plus any folders in there like 'meshes', 'textures' etc into your <insert drive/location etc>Morrowind\Data Files\ directory.

Only copy subdirectory folders if there isn't one of the same name at your destination. Otherwise, copy the contents of each subdirectory folder, rather than the folder. If you try to copy the folder itself, you'll overwrite folders with the same name that are already there. Any files you had in those folders from before will be gone.

oldmanbob · Post by **oldmanbob** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:53 am

In WinXP at least I've found that it doesn't overwrite the original contents of the folder, merely adds the new stuff and overwrites any identical files in the folder. May not work the same for other versions of Windows, I'm not sure, or it may be somewhere in your settings...