Playing the vanilla version ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimcan be rough. The lingering bugs and outdated graphics are enough to drive anyone mad. Luckily,Skyrimhas proven to be one of the most modded video games on the market. Thousands of them, both large and small, exist to improve the game in a myriad of different ways.
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But for the uninitiated beginner, modding can seem like an intimidating endeavor. Installing mods is half the battle. Keeping the game stable is a whole different matter entirely. Doing things right from the outset can save the player a lot of trouble down the road. With the right information in hand, the process of modding becomes surprisingly easy.
Updated July 10, 2025 by Mark Hospodar:With the release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, now has never been a better time to re-experience the classic RPG all over again. For players who have never modded the game before, the process may seem difficult at first glance.
Modding is simply a series of baby steps. Being patient and taking things slow is considered a virtue. Once fans have successfully installed a couple of mods, the rest of the process becomes much easier. This guide has been expanded to give players a clearer roadmap when it comes to installing their very first mod.
6Start With A Clean Install
This step may seem unimportant, but it’s actually quite necessary. Any game a player intends to mod should be built from the ground up. It’s typically not a good idea to try to incorporate mods into an ongoing playthrough, especially forSkyrim.Starting the process from scratch, although seemingly cumbersome, will yield thebest results in terms of stability.
It’s highly recommended for a player who intends to install a lot of mods to begin witha fresh install. This is done in the interest of avoiding any possible incompatibilities as a result of the incoming mods.
Don’t Install In Program File Folders!
It’s also worth noting that playersshould notinstallSkyrimin either of the Program Files folders on their PC to avert weird error messages from popping up in the future. Ideally,Skyrimshould be installed directly onto the hard drive rather than buried in some other unrelated folder.
5Choosing The Right Mod Manager
Theoretically, mods can be installed directly into the game’s Data folder.Neverdo this! Organizationally, this method quickly becomes unmanageable. Spotting incompatibilities and faulty load orders are next to impossible in this manner. Luckily,Skyrimpossesses a handful of excellent mod managers that sort all of this confusing information quite nicely.
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Beginners should definitely stick with one of these two choices, eitherVortexorMod Organizer 2.
These two options are certainly the most user-friendly when it comes to installing a big list of mods. Mod managers provide a huge benefit. Individual mods can beactivated or deactivatedwith a mouse click without going through the hassle ofdeleting each of the files in the Data folder.
This allows for greater experimentation as mods can be turned on or off with ease. As before, installing the mod manager itself should be donedirectly on the hard driveinside itsown dedicated folderfor the sake of clarity. Just follow the installation instructions and the mod manager will be up and running in no time!
How To Install Mod Organizer 2
For the purposes of this guide, let’s useMod Organizer 2as an example. To install Mod Organizer 2, follow these steps:
4Installing Mods With A Mod Manager
Now that the mod manager is in place it’s time to start installing those mods.Let’s use Nexus Mods as an examplesince it’s arguably the best place to find mods forSkyrim. The majority of mods on Nexus typically have two download options:ManuelorMod Manager. Since the playershouldbe using a mod manager, always select thelatter option.
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Doing so willlink the mod manager with the Nexus site. Downloaded mods will place themselves inside the manager automatically. This eliminates the need to manually unzip a mod’s files every time a new mod is downloaded. Be aware, however, that certain modsdoneed to be downloaded manually, like when installing the mod manager itself or modding utilities (more on that later).
Load order is a term most players have probably heard when it comes to modding in general. Essentially, it refers to the order in which mods are loaded into the game. This is important because mods oftentimes overwrite other mods. The order in which those mods are loadeddetermines which one takes precedence. In a mod manager, mods that areloweron the list takehigherpriority. Check outthis helpful tutorialfor more nitty-gritty details on load order.
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A correct load order is absolutely imperative for a stable game. Mods that come into conflict with each other either won’t work or will crash the game completely. Any player serious about modding should install theLoad Order Optimization Tool, orLOOT. Drawing upon its own massive internal database, LOOT will automatically sort all of a player’s mods into the correct load order. It’s a fantastic tool that should always be run once all of a player’s mods have been installed.
How To Install & Run LOOT
Using LOOT to sort one’s mods is very easy. Follow these steps to get started with LOOT:
2Essential Modding Utilities
Mods are great, but modding utilities make the whole operation run smoother. LOOT is an example of a modding utility. It sorts all of a player’s mods into their correct load order. However, there are a few other programs that need to be taken into consideration.
How To Install SSEEdit
SSEEditis yet another essential modding utility that will ultimately makeSkyrimrun smoother. This program detects other problems and conflicts certain mods may possess. SSEEdit pinpoints the source of the problem so that players may rectify it.
How To Install SKSE
Skyrim Script Extender, or SKSE, is also mandatory. Many mods, especially ones that alter the gameplay in some fashion, will require SKSE to function. In fact, once SKSE has been added to the mod manager, the game itselfwill always be launched through this tool.
1The First Test
Let’s tie all this information together by applying it to a simple test.Skyrimwas (and in many cases still is)a notoriously buggy game. Official patches have smoothed over the most glaring problems, but certain frustrating issues still exist.
Thankfully, the modding community has come to the rescue. The first mod any beginner should install is theUnofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch. This comprehensive mod fixes many of the bugs thatBethesdamissed.
Skyrim: Anniversary Editionwas released on Jun 01, 2025 and is currently available on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
