Installing Skyrim and the Creation Kit
2 minute read
As with any modlist, it is extremely important that you start with a clean, unmodified installation of Skyrim: Special Edition. This is an extremely vital part of the installation process, do NOT skip this!
This list also requires you to install the Skyrim Special Edition Creation Kit from Steam. The list will fail to install if the Creation Kit is not installed to the Skyrim game folder. To do these things, follow these steps:
Installing Skyrim
In Steam, uninstall Skyrim: Special Edition (Right-click > Manage > Uninstall).
If there are any files leftover in the Skyrim Special Edition game folder (Right-click > Properties… > Local Files > Browse Local Files…), delete them.
Install Skyrim: Special Edition.
In Steam, set Skyrim: Special Edition to update only when opened. (Right-click > Properties… > Updates > Automatic updates > Only update this game when I launch it)
Launch the Skyrim SE from Steam to create any INI or registry entries the game needs. DO NOT CLICK “PLAY” IN THE LAUNCHER! You should NOT be opening the game to the main menu. Immediately exit after the launcher has successfully selected a graphics preset for your hardware. If you launch the game to the main menu and/or initiate the Creation Club downloads that occur, Wabbajack will have errors when installing the list.
Your Skyrim should be updated to the latest version before installing the list, which the above process will ensure. This list runs on Skyrim 1.5.97, but expects your game installation to be updated to the latest version. Do NOT use any downgrade patchers.
This will also ensure that your Skyrim game folder has been completely cleaned of any non-vanilla files, and does not have the additional Anniversary Edition changes. This is very important!
Installing the Creation Kit
Go to the Store tab in the Steam app, search for “Skyrim Special Edition: Creation Kit”, and click the result.
Scroll down, and click the green “Free” button to install the Creation Kit. This will/should be installed to the Skyrim SE game folder.
You now have the Creation Kit installed, which is required to install the list.