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Wrye Bash General Readme.html
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Wrye Bash General Readme.html
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<title>Wrye Bash General Readme</title>
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<body>
<div id="header"><h1>Wrye Bash General Readme</h1> <a id="jstoggle" href="javascript:void(0)">(Javascript Toggle)</a></div>
<div id="box">
<!-- Scrolling content begin -->
<div id="fade"></div>
<h2 id="contents">Contents</h2>
<div id="navmenu" class="navboxrhrz">
<div id="navtab">M<br>E<br>N<br>U</div>
<div class="navcontbar">
<div class="navhead">
<a href="javascript:void(0)" class="clsx" id="closebutton">←</a>
<h2>General Readme</h2>
</div>
<div class="navcontent">
<ol class="contentsmenu1 menu">
<li class="list"><a href="#intro">Introduction</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#intro-glossary">Glossary</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#install">Installation</a>
<li class="list"><a href="#uninstall">Uninstallation</a>
<li class="list"><a href="#bain">Installing Mods</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#bain-overview">Overview</a>
<li><a href="#bain-structure">BAIN-Compatible installer layout</a>
<li><a href="#bain-convert">Restructuring Packages to be BAIN-Compatible</a>
<li><a href="#bain-install">Installing/Uninstalling Via BAIN</a>
<li><a href="#bain-order">BAIN Package Order</a>
<li><a href="#bain-symbols">What Symbols & Colours Mean</a>
<li><a href="#bain-commands">Useful Context Menu Commands</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#load">Setting Up Load Order</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#load-overview">Overview</a>
<li><a href="#load-set">Setting The Load Order</a>
<li><a href="#load-undo">Undo and redo Load Order changes</a>
<li><a href="#load-symbols">What Symbols & Colours Mean</a>
<li><a href="#load-commands">Useful Context Menu Commands</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#patch">Setting Up A Bashed Patch</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#patch-overview">Overview</a>
<li><a href="#patch-configuration">Bash Configuration</a>
<li><a href="#patch-merging">Merging Plugins</a>
<li><a href="#patch-importing">Importing From Plugins</a>
<li><a href="#patch-tweaking">Applying Tweaks</a>
<li><a href="#patch-other">Other Bashed Patch Options</a>
</ol>
</ol>
<ol start="7" class="contentsmenu2 menu">
<li class="list"><a href="#ini">Applying Ini File Edits</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#ini-overview">Overview</a>
<li><a href="#ini-symbols">What Symbols & Colours Mean</a>
<li><a href="#ini-commands">Buttons & Context Menu Commands</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#launchers">Launching Applications</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#launchers-toggles">Toggle Buttons</a>
<li><a href="#launchers-game">Game & Editor Launchers</a>
<li><a href="#launchers-utils">Game-Specific Utilities</a>
<li><a href="#launchers-apps">Other Applications</a>
<li><a href="#launchers-features">Wrye Bash Feature Launchers</a>
<li><a href="#manually-add">Manually adding tools to the Launcher Bar</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#trouble">Troubleshooting</a>
<ol class="items">
<li><a href="#trouble-dump">Generating A Bug Dump</a>
<li><a href="#trouble-permissions">File Permissions</a>
<li><a href="#trouble-backup">Backing Up & Restoring Settings</a>
<li><a href="#trouble-report">How To Report Bugs Helpfully</a>
<li><a href="#trouble-known">Known Bugs</a>
<li><a href="#trouble-mistakes">Common Issues</a>
</ol>
<li class="list"><a href="#credits">Credits</a>
<li class="list"><a href="#contact">Contact</a>
<li class="list"><a href="#license">License</a>
<li class="list"><a href="#advanced">Advanced Readme Topics</a>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h2 id="intro">Introduction <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<p>Wrye Bash is a powerful mod management utility for games based on Bethesda's Creation Engine. Its features include:
<ul>
<li>A mod installation and conflict manager
<li>A plugin load order manager
<li>Increased mod compatibility
<li>Lifting of the 255 plugin limit through automatic merging of compatible mods
<li>.ini and settings files tweak management
<li>Screenshot management
<li>And many, many more
</ul>
<p>It currently supports the following games:</p>
<ul>
<li>Enderal: Forgotten Stories</li>
<li>Enderal: Forgotten Stories: Special Edition</li>
<li>Fallout 3 (Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Fallout 4 (Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Fallout 4 VR</li>
<li>Fallout: New Vegas (Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Morrowind (very early support, Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Nehrim: At Fate's Edge</li>
<li>Oblivion (Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Skyrim</li>
<li>Skyrim: Special Edition (Steam and Windows Store versions)</li>
<li>Skyrim VR</li>
</ul>
<p>Wrye Bash can appear daunting at first. To help make it more manageable, the documentation has been split into a few readmes that are targeted towards different usage requirements.
<p>This readme covers only the most commonly used features, so that the average user can start using Wrye Bash without being overwhelmed. Information on the less commonly used features and more technical details of the features covered in this readme may be found in the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html">Advanced Readme</a>. Information on some of the syntaxes and file formats that Wrye Bash uses are found in the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Technical%20Readme.html">Technical Readme</a>. Finally, Wrye Bash's version history is stored in the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Version%20History.html">Version History</a> document.</p>
<h3 id="intro-glossary">Glossary <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Modding for Creation Engine games has a wonderful history of confusing terminology. The list below details some terms commonly used when dealing with mods.
<ul>
<li><strong>The game</strong> is the game that Wrye Bash is managing, one of the ones listed above.</li>
<li><strong>Windows Store</strong> refers to a game installed with the Windows Store. This could also be referred to as a Game Pass, Xbox App, or Microsoft Store game.</li>
<li><strong>CTD</strong> is an acronym for Crash To Desktop. Used to describe the game crashing.</li>
<li><strong>DLC</strong> refers to any of the official downloadable content for the game.</li>
<li><strong>Mod</strong> refers to any unofficial user-made modification to the game.</li>
<li><strong>Mod author</strong> refers to a person that makes modifications to the game. It can also refer to those who are involved in the creation of utilities that are used by mod authors and/or users.</li>
<li><strong>ESM</strong> (case-sensitive) or <strong>ESM-flagged file</strong> refers to any file that the game treats as a <strong>master</strong>. For games before Fallout 4, the only thing that mattered was a flag inside the file called the ESM flag. For newer games, files with the extension <code>.esm</code> are treated as masters too, whether they have the flag set or not. These load before all ESPs (see below). It is an acronym for Elder Scrolls Master.</li>
<li><strong>.esm</strong> (case-sensitive) refers to files with the extension <code>.esm</code>. See the ESM entry above for notes on how they behave in different games.</li>
<li><strong>ESP</strong> (case-insensitive) refers to any file with a <code>.esp</code> extension. It is an acronym for Elder Scrolls Plugin.</li>
<li><strong>ESL</strong> (case-sensitive) refers to any file with a flag called the ESL flag set. Files with the extension <code>.esl</code> are treated as ESLs whether they have the flag or not. Only Fallout 4 and Skyrim: Special Edition currently support these. Certain restrictions apply as to which plugins can be ESL-flagged. They do not take up a regular load order slot, theoretically allowing up to 4096 plugins to be loaded.</li>
<li><strong>.esl</strong> (case-sensitive) refers to files with the extension <code>.esl</code>. These automatically receive the ESL and ESM flags. Only Fallout 4 and Skyrim: Special Edition currently support them.</li>
<li><strong>ESU</strong> (case-insensitive) refers to any file with a <code>.esu</code> extension. These are an unofficial type of plugin used by xEdit. It is an acronym for Elder Scrolls Update.</li>
<li><strong>Plugin</strong> refers to any of the above file types.</li>
<li><strong>Master</strong> refers to any plugins that another plugin is dependent on to function. (It can also refer to an ESM file, as it used to be that only ESMs could be masters, until mod authors developed methods of using ESP files as masters too. The latter definition will not be used in this documentation.)</li>
<li><strong>The game's master file</strong> refers to the ESM that must be loaded for the game to function. A short table showing the master file for each game follows:</li>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Game</th><th>Master File</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Enderal: Forgotten Stories</td><td>Skyrim.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Enderal: Forgotten Stories: Special Edition</td><td>Skyrim.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fallout 3</td><td>Fallout3.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fallout 4</td><td>Fallout4.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fallout 4 VR</td><td>Fallout4.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Fallout: New Vegas</td><td>FalloutNV.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Morrowind</td><td>Morrowind.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Nehrim: At Fate's Edge</td><td>Nehrim.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Oblivion</td><td>Oblivion.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Skyrim</td><td>Skyrim.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Skyrim: Special Edition</td><td>Skyrim.esm</td></tr>
<tr><td>Skyrim VR</td><td>Skyrim.esm</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<li><strong>Conflicts</strong> occur when two different mods try to change the same game variable or resource, which could be anything from a specific object in game to a script or a texture. Conflicts can cause problems, including CTDs or save game corruption, but they are not inherently bad, and most modding is the result of purposeful conflicts.</li>
<li><strong>Resource Conflicts</strong> occur when two mods contain two different files that go in the same place, so one mod's file overwrites the others's file. This type of conflict can be managed by altering the install order of mods.</li>
<li><strong>Data Conflicts</strong> occur when two mod plugins alter the same game data. This type of conflict can be managed by altering the load order of plugins or creating patches.</li>
<li><strong>BSAs</strong> are Bethesda Softwork Archives, with <code>.bsa</code> (<strong>All but Fallout 4</strong>) or <code>.ba2</code> (<strong>Fallout 4</strong>) file extensions. They can be used to store resource files such as textures and meshes.</li>
<li><strong>ITMs</strong> are Identical To Master records, ie. data in a plugin for something that is identical to the data for that thing in the plugin's master(s). Usually a type of unintended edit, known as a <q>dirty edit</q>, which can break the functionality of other mods that require the record in question to have a specific value, but which have that value overridden by an ITM record.</li>
<li><strong>UDRs</strong> are Undeleted and Disabled References. Deleted References can cause crashes, and this can be avoided by first undeleting and then disabling them instead. A type of <q>dirty edit</q>. Note that this acronym does not refer to the deleted references themselves - it actually refers to their fixed counterparts. For example, <q>Scan For UDRs</q> will scan for deleted references, not undeleted and disabled references, and BOSS/LOOT will report the UDR count for a plugin, which is actually the number of deleted references that can be fixed.</li>
</ul>
<p>This readme will also use the placeholder <strong>[Game]</strong>. Replace this with the game that you're managing with Wrye Bash. Additional terminology specific to Wrye Bash's functions will be introduced as required. Also, links that are followed by <img alt="External Link Icon" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVklEQVR4Xn3PgQkAMQhDUXfqTu7kTtkpd5RA8AInfArtQ2iRXFWT2QedAfttj2FsPIOE1eCOlEuoWWjgzYaB/IkeGOrxXhqB+uA9Bfcm0lAZuh+YIeAD+cAqSz4kCMUAAAAASUVORK5CYII="/> go to pages that are not part of the Wrye Bash documentation.</p>
<h2 id="install">Installation <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<p>The simplest way to install Wrye Bash is using the installer, as it installs
Wrye Bash and its dependencies automatically. <strong>Note:</strong> If you
want to manage a Windows Store game (since the installer does not and
cannot support Windows Store games) or prefer to manually install Wrye Bash
for any other reason, read the instructions below.</p>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> There are two versions of Wrye Bash available: the Python version and the Standalone version. Both are the same program, but the Standalone version has fewer dependencies and so is recommended for most people.
<p><strong>Windows Vista, 7, 8 & 10 users:</strong> Windows' User Account Control feature may interfere with the running of Wrye Bash and other utilities. See the <a href="#trouble-permissions">File Permissions</a> section for solutions.
<p>Manual Standalone Version Installation:
<ol>
<li>Download and install the <a href="https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x64.exe">latest MSVC Redistributable (x64)</a>.
<li>You now have a choice:</li>
<ul>
<li>Extract the downloaded Wrye Bash archive into any folder.</li>
<li>Extract the downloaded Wrye Bash archive into the game folder (e.g. <q>Oblivion</q>, <q>Skyrim</q> or <q>Fallout</q>, depending on the game) so that the Mopy
directory appears in the game folder.
</ul>
<li>Run Wrye Bash by double-clicking <q>Wrye Bash.exe</q> in the new Mopy folder. If you chose the second option above, Wrye Bash will now open. However, you will have to repeat the procedure for each new game you install.
If you chose the first option, you will see a game select screen. Simply select one of the listed games to continue:</li>
<img alt="Game Select Screen" src="../bash/images/readme/game-select.png"/>
</ol>
<p>Manual Python Version Installation:
<ol>
<li>Download and install all the required Python libraries and python itself.
See the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#install-components">Python Components</a> section of the Advanced readme
for the list of included libraries and their versions. If you have previously installed Python and any Python libraries,
you may not need to install them again.
<li>Download and install the <a href="https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x64.exe">latest MSVC Redistributable (x64)</a>.
<li>Extract the downloaded Wrye Bash archive into your game folder (e.g. <q>Oblivion</q>, <q>Skyrim</q> or <q>Fallout</q>, depending on the game) so that the Mopy
directory appears by the game executable. See the
<a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#install-alternate">Alternative Install Locations</a> if you wish to install to a different directory.
<li>Navigate to the Mopy directory and run Wrye Bash by double-clicking <q>Wrye Bash Launcher.pyw</q>.
</ol>
<h2 id="uninstall">Uninstallation <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<p>The ease with which Wrye Bash can be removed is dependent on how much you use it to manage your modded game.
<ul>
<li>If you use a Bashed Patch, you will need to remove any dependencies on it from your saves before uninstalling Wrye Bash in order to avoid in-game issues. This may be near-impossible to do, depending on what is in your Bashed Patch.
<li>If you use BAIN to manage your installed mods, you will need to ensure that you have an adequate alternative management system ready, as although uninstalling Wrye Bash will not uninstall your mods, you will no longer be able to use BAIN's conflict resolution features.
<li>If you use any INI tweaks applied through Wrye Bash, you will need to make a note of which tweaks you have applied, as although uninstalling Wrye Bash will not undo your tweaks, you will no longer have any record of tweaks applied or default values.
<li>If you use the People tab, you will need to transfer your notes on people and record their karma outside of Wrye Bash.
</ul>
<p>If none of the above points apply to you, or once you have taken the necessary measures for the points that apply, you can uninstall Wrye Bash by either running the uninstaller, if you used the installer to install Wrye Bash, or delete the following files and folders if you installed it manually.
<ul>
<li><code>[Game]\Mopy</code> - If you've edited any localisation files in the <code>l10n</code> folder that you want to keep, back them up.
<li><code>[Game]\Data\Bash Patches</code> - If you've exported any CSV files that you want to keep, back them up.
<li><code>[Game]\Data\BashTags</code> - If you've manually created any tag files that you want to keep, back them up.</li>
<li><code>[Game]\Data\Docs</code>
<li><code>[Game]\Data\INI Tweaks</code>
<li><code>Documents\My Games\[Game]</code> - Only delete the <code>BashProfiles.dat</code>, <code>BashProfiles.dat.bak</code>, <code>BashSettings.dat</code>, <code>BashSettings.dat.bak</code>, <code>Messages.dat</code>, <code>Messages.dat.bak</code>, <code>People.dat</code> and <code>People.dat.bak</code> files and the <code>Saves\Bash</code> folder.
<li><code>[Game] Mods</code> (in the same folder as [Game] for most games, in <code>Documents\Wrye Bash</code> for Windows Store games) - The <code>Bash Installers</code> folder stores the mods you've installed via BAIN.
</ul>
<h2 id="bain">Installing Mods <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<h3 id="bain-overview">Overview <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<figure class="slideshow">
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-1.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-2.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-3.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-4.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-5.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-6.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-7.png"/>
<img alt="Installers Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/installers-8.png"/>
<figcaption class="bain-overview-figcap">Wrye Bash's Installers tab.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wrye Bash mod installer are known as <strong><abbr title="Bash Installers">BAIN</abbr></strong> (<strong>BA</strong>sh <strong>IN</strong>stallers), and are presented on the Installers Tab.
The first time the Installers tab is opened, a dialog will appear asking if BAIN should be initialized.
If you click <q>Yes</q>, BAIN will be initialised, which can take some time.
After that, the information refresh performed when the Installers tab is opened is much faster.</p>
<p>BAIN's primary function is to install mod packages. <strong>BAIN
Packages</strong> can be compressed archives (<code>.zip</code>,
<code>.7z</code>, <code>.rar</code>, <code>.001</code>, <code>.tar</code>) or uncompressed
directories. Uncompressed directories are called <strong>projects</strong>.
When we refer to projects and archives together we will also be using the
collective term <strong>packages</strong> or <strong>installers</strong>.</p>
<p>If BAIN is disabled, ie. if you clicked <q>No</q> on the dialog that was displayed the first time you selected the Installers tab, it can be re-enabled by right clicking on a column header in the Installers tab and selecting <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainEnabled">Enabled</a>.
<p>Packages need to be placed in the <code>Bash Installers</code> directory which is created the first time Bash runs inside the <code>"Game" Mods</code> directory. This directory is by default
created on the same level as your game directory (that is, if your game exe is located in "C:\GAMES\TESIV\Oblivion", then by default Bash will create the "C:\GAMES\TESIV\Oblivion Mods\"
directory on first run), but you can point Bash to create this "Game" Mods directory wherever you want (or point it to an existing one) via the <code>sOblivionMods</code> ini setting. Do
<em>not</em> however put it inside the game Data directory, as the game may well be confused and scan it adding to performance deterioration, mods thrashing.
<p>To add an installer to Wrye Bash Installers, you can either manually copy and paste the zip to the Bash Installers Directory, or just drag and drop the zip onto the Installers tab.
<p>Bash will scan the Bash Installers directory and pick up all subfolders and all archives - except for:
<ol>
<li>folders or files that begin with <code>--</code> will be skipped
<li>a <code>Bain Converters</code> subdir of Bash Installers will be skipped
<li>folders or files that begin with <code>bash</code> will be skipped
<li>you may specify additional directories to be skipped via the <code>sSkippedBashInstallersDirs</code> ini setting
</ol>
<p>Now BAIN will try to classify the packages it detected in Bash Installers into its package formats - if it fails the package will display as unrecognized and will have to
be restructured.</p>
<h3 id="bain-structure">BAIN-Compatible installer layout <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>When scanning an installer (package or project) BAIN follows some rules to
decide what's in there and if it can be installed. BAIN will search for
specific directories and file extensions (bsa/ba2, ini, all plugin
extensions). All directory detection is <em>case insensitive</em>.
Directories BAIN is aware of, independent of the game, are:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Wrye Bash Directory</th>
<th>Notes</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>bashtags</td>
<td>Its contents will be copied into
<code>Data/BashTags</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>bash patches</td>
<td>BAIN will install files in this folder from packages, usually
in the form of <code>.csv</code> files.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>docs</td>
<td>Its contents will be copied into <code>Data/Docs</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ini tweaks</td>
<td>INI tweaks inside this will be installed in
<code>Data/INI Tweaks</code> and appear on the INI Tab - do
<strong>not</strong> include subfolders in
<code>ini tweaks</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>screenshots</td>
<td>Its contents will be copied into <code>Data/Docs</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>screens</td>
<td>Its contents will be copied into <code>Data/Docs</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ss</td>
<td>Its contents will be copied into <code>Data/Docs</code>.</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tabttl">
<th colspan="2">Game Directories Supported For All Games</th>
</tr>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<div class="bain-structure-txtcnt">ini, meshes, music, sound,
textures, video</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>There are also game-specific directories:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Game</th>
<th>Extra Game Directories</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Morrowind</td>
<td>animation, bookart, distantland, fonts, icons, mwse, shaders,
splash</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oblivion</td>
<td>_tejon, distantlod, facegen, fonts, menus, obse, pluggy,
scripts, shaders, streamline, trees</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fallout 3</td>
<td>config, distantlod, facegen, fonts, fose, menus, uio, scripts,
shaders, trees</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fallout: New Vegas</td>
<td>config, distantlod, facegen, fonts, menus, nvse, uio, scripts,
shaders, trees</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Skyrim</td>
<td>asi, autobody, calientetools, dialogueviews, dyndolod, grass,
interface, lodsettings, nemesis_engine, osa, scripts, seq,
shadersfx, skse, skyproc patchers, strings, tools</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fallout 4</td>
<td>f4se, interface, lodsettings, materials, mcm, misc, programs,
scripts, seq, shadersfx, strings, tools, vis</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
All these directories (either in the Global or Extra and Bonus Game directories) constitute the <strong>standard game directories</strong> for this game. If
<a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainHasExtraDirectories">Has Extra Directories</a> is not on for the package, any other top level directory in the (sub)package
will be skipped (and their content listed in Skipped tab). There are also some directories and files that will be always skipped (for all the gory details see
<a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bain-skipped">Skipped Files</a>).
<p>There are, loosely speaking, three types of BAIN-compatible package structures:
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Structure<th>Description
<tbody>
<tr><td>Simple<td>Installer has .esp, .esm and/or .bsa files, and/or any of the standard game subdirectories at the top level of the package/project.
<tr><td>Complex<td>Installer has top-level subdirectories that each have a simple structure (as defined above). The top level
subdirectories (known as subpackages) <strong>must NOT have the same name as any of the standard game directories for this game</strong>
(like docs, or meshes). Otherwise BAIN thinks this is a simple package and will skip subpackages.<br>
Each top-level subdirectory will be treated as a sub-package, and can be independently activated or deactivated as desired.
<tr><td>Complex/Simple<td>A complex installer with only one top-level subdirectory. It is treated as a simple installer, starting at this
top level subdirectory. Examples include mods packaged with a top-level Data directory.
</table>
<h3 id="bain-convert">Restructuring Packages to be BAIN-Compatible <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>The easiest way to tell if a package needs manual converting to be compatible with BAIN is to try installing it. If it is listed in the Package list with a grey checkbox and name, then BAIN cannot install it. Due to BAIN's flexibility, many mods are already packaged in ways that are compatible, but for those that are not, there are a few possible cases:
<ul>
<li>The mod has a <abbr title="BAIN Conversion File">BCF</abbr>. BCFs are special packages that tell BAIN how to restructure the mod to be compatible with BAIN without the user having to do any work.
<li>The mod is distributed as an OMOD (ie. has file extension <code>.omod</code> or <code>.fomod</code>). These mods are intended for installation with the Oblivion Mod Manager or Nexus Mod Manager. Such mods usually have a non-OMOD download option: if one is available, download that instead as it is more likely to be compatible. Otherwise, OMOD files can be converted to Projects automatically by dragging and dropping them into the Installers tab.
<li>The mod is distributed as an archive, or is a converted OMOD Project, but doesn't have a folder structure that BAIN recognises. It will need manual restructuring.
<li>The mod is distributed as an executable (ie. has file extension <code>.exe</code>). This is very rare, as mods do not require the complexity of executables, and the greater security risk executables represent makes their use unpopular. BAIN cannot install mods distributed in this way: often the only way to install them is to run the executable. You can often run the installer, installing to a dummy folder, and then repack the <q>installed</q> files into a BAIN-compatible format.
</ul>
<p>If an archive has a BCF, it can be converted for installation with BAIN using the following instructions.
<ol>
<li>Ensure that the BCF is installed in the correct location, <code>[Game] Mods\Bash Installers\Bain Converters</code>. Also ensure that the archive(s) it converts is/are in <code>[Game] Mods\Bash Installers</code>.
<li>From the BAIN installers list, select the archive(s) to be converted (i.e., the <q>source</q> packages) and right click on the selected file(s) to bring up the context menu, and select <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainConversion">Conversions</a> to open the sub-menu.
<li>Click on <em>Apply</em> to open a second sub-menu and select the BCF from it. There may be more than one BCF listed if multiple installed BCFs can convert the selected package(s).
An asterisk ('*') is added to the end of a BCF's name for every archive it converts that isn't selected.
<li>Optionally choose a name for the converted archive(s).
<li>Once Wrye Bash has finished the conversion, the converted archive(s) will appear in the BAIN package list ready for install. You can now delete the original archive(s).
</ol>
<p>If a package is unrecognised by BAIN and has no associated BCF, its contents will have to be rearranged so that the structure matches one of the three types of BAIN-compatible package structures.</p>
<h3 id="bain-install">Installing/Uninstalling Via BAIN <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Packages must first be placed in the <code>[Game] Mods\Bash Installers</code> directory. This can either be done via Windows Explorer, or by dragging and dropping the package into the Wrye Bash window when the Installers tab is open. If you drag and drop, you will be asked whether you want to copy the package or move it.
<p>For the most part, you can simply right-click the package and select <a href="#bainInstall">Install...</a>,
which will automatically use wizards and FOMODs if they are present, and fall back to manual configuration
if they are not. If you want to learn more about each type of package and how to install and configure
their options manually, read on.</p>
<p>If a package contains a Wizard (ie. there is <img alt="a wand icon" src="../bash/images/wizard.png"/> overlaid on its checkbox):
<ol>
<li>Right-click the package and select <a href="#bainWizard">Manual Wizard</a>. You can also choose to install using the Wizard's default options by selecting <a href="#bainAutoWizard">Auto Wizard</a>.
<li>If you chose <a href="#bainWizard">Manual Wizard</a>, navigate through the steps of the Wizard to install the package. Otherwise, you will be skipped to the Wizard finish screen.
<li>At the Wizard's finish screen, click the <q>Finish</q> button to apply its selections.</li>
</ol>
<p>If a package has an FOMOD wizard (i.e. there is an FOMOD radio button):</p>
<ol>
<li>Right-click the package and select <a href="#bainFomod">Run FOMOD...</a>.</li>
<li>Navigate through the steps and choose options.</li>
<li>At the wizard's finish screen, click the <q>Finish</q> button to apply its selections.</li>
</ol>
<p>If a package has a Simple or a Complex/Simple structure:
<ol>
<li>Select the package in the package list.
<li>Choose which plugins to install from it using the <q>Plugin Filter</q> box to the far right of the package list. Checked plugins will be installed, while unchecked plugins will be skipped.
<li>Right-click the package and select <a href="#bainInstall">Install...</a>.
</ol>
<p>If a package has a Complex structure:
<ol>
<li>Select the package in the package list.
<li>Choose which sub-packages to install from the <q>Sub-Package</q> box to the right of the package list. Checked sub-packages will be installed, while unchecked sub-packages will be skipped.
<li>Choose which plugins to install from it using the <q>Plugin Filter</q> box to the far right of the package list. Checked plugins will be installed, while unchecked plugins will be skipped.
<li>Right-click the package and select <a href="#bainInstall">Install...</a>.
</ol>
<p>If you install a package then later change the sub-packages or plugin files selected, you can apply these changed by right-clicking the package in the list and selecting <a href="#bainAnneal">Anneal</a>. A Wizard provides a scripted installation method that can be useful for more complex mods with many options.
<p>When a package is installed, BAIN installs any files that appear to be documentation into the <code>Data\Docs</code> folder. Any files that are simply named <q>readme</q> (eg. readme.txt, readme.html, readme.doc) will be renamed according to the package name to prevent packages overwriting each other's readmes.
<p>To uninstall any package from the Installers tab select the package
and right click on it, then select <a href="#bainUninstall">Uninstall</a>.
This will uninstall
all Matched files. However, BAIN will not uninstall Mismatched files.
A Mismatched file is a file that has been altered after it was
installed. The reason BAIN does not uninstall Mismatched files is BAIN
has no way of tracking the source of the alteration if it was not
done through BAIN. For example, if the file was altered because it was
replaced by another mod that was installed manually,
then uninstallation of the Mismatched file may not be desirable. On
the other hand, if the file was altered because it was cleaned or
edited with TESxEdit, or because it was an ini file that was edited
with a text editor, then it may be desired to uninstall the Mismatched
file along with the package that it came from. Such files could be
deleted from the data folder manually, but there is an easy way to do
this through BAIN. Before uninstalling the mod, first select the
package and right click on it, then select
<a href="#bainInstallConfigured">Install Configured</a>. This will overwrite any
Mismatched files with the version of the file contained in the package, making
them Matched. Now select <a href="#bainUninstall">Uninstall</a> and BAIN
will uninstall all installed files associated with this package.
You can also uninstall packages that BAIN hasn't installed, which will
remove any installed files that match the ones in the package. This
is useful for cleaning out mods that were manually installed. Of course you
need to add the packages to BAIN first.
Uninstalling via BAIN respects the ownership of files,
ie. uninstalling a mod that contains files also installed by a mod
listed lower in the installation order will not uninstall the lower
mod's files. See the next section, BAIN Package Order for more on
this. However, if the Auto-Anneal option is enabled (the default), then files
from other packages previously overridden by the uninstalled package's
files will be automatically restored.</p>
<h3 id="bain-order">BAIN Package Order <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>The Install Order of packages in BAIN is important as this decides which package gets its files installed in the case of resource
conflicts.Packages may be listed in Install Order by left-clicking on the <q>Order</q> column header. If two packages try to install the
same file, then the package installing later in the list will have its file overwrite the file of the package installing earlier in the
list. For example, files in a package in install order position 06, would overwrite conflicting files in a package at install order
position 04. Note that packages with a higher install order appear lower in the list of packages, and that may lead to confusion as
people refer to them as "lower".
<p>The order of sub-packages within a package follow the same rules as packages. Checked sub-packages later (lower) in the sub-package list
will overwrite conflicting content from sub-packages earlier (higher in the list) than them.
<p>Package conflicts are detailed in the <q>Conflicts</q> tab to the right of the package list when you select a package. This tab tells you
which packages have which files that conflict with files in your currently-selected package. It gives this information for packages in
the Install Order both earlier and later than the selected package in the package list.
<p>BAIN allows you to easily adjust the conflict status of packages by moving their order around. This can be done by dragging and dropping
packages within the list, or by right-clicking packages and selecting the <a href="#bainMoveTo">Move To...</a> option. You can also
select multiple packages and move them, in which case they will be moved as a group, retaining their order relative to one another in
their new location. A third option is to select the package(s) and use Ctrl-Up or Ctrl-Down to move them up or down respectively.</p>
<h3 id="bain-symbols">What Symbols & Colours Mean <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>BAIN uses the colours of packages in the package list and the state of their checkboxes to convey information about their status to the user. A checkbox state may be combined with any checkbox or text colour, and the possible states and colours are described in the tables below.
<p><strong>Note:</strong> Installed packages are marked with a plus, eg. <img alt="Green Plus" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_inc.png" width="16" height="16"/>. Corrupt or incomplete packages are marked with a cross, eg. <img alt="Red X" src="../bash/images/checkbox_red_x.png" width="16" height="16"/>. Packages that begin and end with <q>==</q>, eg. <q>==Last==</q>, are marker packages. They don't represent an archive or folder and so contain no files, but may be used to organise the package list.
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Checkbox Shape<th>Meaning
<tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="diamond" src="../bash/images/diamond_white_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>The package is a Project, ie. a directory rather than an archive.
<tr><td><img alt="checkbox" src="../bash/images/checkbox_white_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>The package is an archive.
</table>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Checkbox Colour<th>Meaning
<tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="green" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>All the files in the package are installed as configured.
<tr><td><img alt="red" src="../bash/images/checkbox_red_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>Some or all of the files in the package are not installed as configured.
<tr><td><img alt="orange" src="../bash/images/checkbox_orange_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>All the package files are installed, but the .esp/.esm plugins are not identical (eg. another package has overwritten them with another version of the plugins).
<tr><td><img alt="yellow" src="../bash/images/checkbox_yellow_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>All the package files are installed, but some resource (ie. non-plugin) files are not identical (eg. another package has overwritten them with another version of the files)
<tr><td><img alt="white" src="../bash/images/checkbox_white_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>The package, as configured, has no files to install. This can happen for complex packages where none of the sub-packages are selected for installation.
<tr><td><img alt="grey" src="../bash/images/checkbox_grey_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>BAIN does not recognise the structure of this package so cannot install it.
</table>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Text Formatting<th>Meaning
<tbody>
<tr><td class="bain-symbols-blutxt">Navy Blue<td>The package contains sub-packages.
<tr><td class="bain-symbols-grytxt">Grey<td>BAIN does not recognise the structure of this package so cannot install it.
<tr><td class="bain-symbols-orgbg">Orange Background<td>The install is dirty. This will occur for packages for which the configuration has been altered (either by altering active sub-packages and esmps, or by altering the package itself). This can be repaired by running <a href="#bainAnneal">Anneal</a> or <a href="#bainAnnealAll">Anneal All</a>.
<tr><td class="bain-symbols-ylwbg">Yellow Background<td>The package has "underrides" i.e. some of its installed files <em>should</em> be overridden by higher order packages. This may happen after reordering mods that have already been installed. It can be repaired by running <a href="#bainAnneal">Anneal</a> or <a href="#bainAnnealAll">Anneal All</a>.
<tr><td class="bain-symbols-grybg">Grey Background<td>Some files present in the package will <em><strong>not</strong></em> be installed. This can be due to having a complex structure only partially handled by BAIN, or having file types that BAIN skips. This can sometimes be fixed by telling BAIN that the package <a href="#bainHasExtraDirectories">Has Extra Directories</a> by ticking that option in the right-click menu.
</table>
<h3 id="bain-commands">Useful Context Menu Commands <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>The following commands found in the package and column header context (ie. right-click) menus are often useful for many users.
<table>
<thead>
<tr><th colspan="3">Column Header Context Menu</th></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2">Command</th><th>Description</th></tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Files..</td>
<td>Open Folder...</td><td>Opens the Installers directory in Windows Explorer.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Unhide...</td><td>Opens a dialogue window allowing you to select which
hidden packages to unhide.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Refresh Data</td><td>Re-scans the Data directory and all project
directories. This is done once per run of Wrye Bash, when the Installers tab
is first opened. If you manually alter the directories after that, you should run
this command to update BAIN to reflect the changes. BAIN refreshes itself
automatically if changes are made to packages in the Bash Installers
directory.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">New Marker...</td><td>Creates a marker for organising your
packages. The <q>==</q> prefix and suffix will be added for you.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">List Packages...</td><td>Displays a list of projects and archives
and copies the list to your clipboard. This is useful for posting your package
order on forums, eg. when troubleshooting an install.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Uninstall All Packages</td><td>Uninstalls all the packages in the
package list.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Clean Data</td><td>Removes files from the Data folder that are not
from one of the following sources:
<ul>
<li>Vanilla game content.</li>
<li>Official DLC content.</li>
<li>Wrye Bash.</li>
<li>Installed BAIN packages.</li>
</ul>
The files are not deleted, but moved to the
<code>[Game] Mods\Bash Installers\Bash\Data Folder Contents [timestamp]</code>
folder instead, where <code>[timestamp]</code> is the date and time the command
was run.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" id="bainAnnealAll">Anneal All</td><td>Installs any missing files
for active installers and corrects all install order errors.</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Global Skips</td>
<td>Skip **SE Plugins</td><td><em>All but Skyrim and Enderal:
Forgotten Stories.</em> If this is checked, files in the script extender
plugins folder (e.g. <code>Data\OBSE\Plugins</code> for OBSE,
<code>Data\SKSE\Plugins</code> for SKSE, etc.) will not be
installed.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Skip SKSE/Script Dragon Plugins</td><td><em>Skyrim and
Enderal: Forgotten Stories only.</em> If this is checked, files in
the <code>Data\SKSE\Plugins</code> or <code>Data\asi</code> folder will
not be installed.</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr><th colspan="4">Package Context Menu</th></tr>
<tr><th colspan="3">Command</th><th>Description</th></tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td rowspan="5">File..</td>
<td colspan="2">Open...</td><td>Opens the selected package(s) in the file system.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Rename...</td><td>Renames the selected package or marker.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Duplicate...</td><td>Makes a duplicate of the selected package(s).</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Hide...</td><td>Hides the selected package in the list, and moves it to the
<code>[Game] Mods/Bash Mod Data/Hidden</code> folder.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">Delete</td><td>Deletes the selected package(s). Deleted packages are
sent to the Recycling Bin, not permanently deleted.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3">Open at</td><td>Attempts to open the selected package's page on
the selected site. If Google is selected, performs a Google search for the package name.
For the other three sites, this command assumes that the trailing digits in a package's
name is the package ID at the sites. If this assumption is wrong, a random page, or an
error page, will be opened.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3">Open Readme</td><td>If BAIN detects a readme in the package, it will be opened.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" id="bainAnneal">Anneal</td><td>Installs missing files and corrects install
order errors according to the package configuration.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" id="bainInstall">Install...</td><td>Installs the selected package, preferring a
BAIN or FOMOD wizard if those are available (see options below).</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="4">Advanced Installation..</td>
<td colspan="2" id="bainInstallConfigured">Install Configured</td> <td>Fully installs the package as configured
except for files that would be overridden by later packages.</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Wizard Installer..</td>
<td id="bainWizard">Manual Wizard...</td><td>Runs the Wizard for the package, if it has
one.</td></tr>
<tr><td id="bainAutoWizard">Auto Wizard...</td><td>Runs the Wizard for the package, if
it has one, selecting the default options.</td></tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="1">FOMOD Installer..</td>
<td id="bainFomod">Run FOMOD...</td>
<td>Runs the FOMOD for the package, if it has one.</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" id="bainUninstall">Uninstall<td>Uninstalls the package. If
<a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainAutoAnneal">Auto-Anneal</a> is active
(the default) then files from earlier packages that were previously overridden will be
installed as required.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3">Quick Refresh</td><td>Refreshes all info for the selected package(s). Since
BAIN refreshes package information whenever Wrye Bash regains focus after losing it (ie.
you select another program's window, then switch back to Wrye Bash), this is only useful
if a package has been changed and it has
<a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainDontRefresh">Don't Refresh</a> selected,
or the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#bainAutoRefreshProjects">Auto-Refresh
Projects</a> option is disabled. Note that scanning a project for changes takes much
longer than scanning an archive for changes.</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Package..</td>
<td colspan="2" id="bainMoveTo">Move To...</td><td>Moves the selected package(s) to the specified
position.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2">List Structure...</td><td>Generates a list of the files and directories in a
package. Useful for posting package structure on forums, eg. when troubleshooting an
install.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" id="bainHasExtraDirectories">Has Extra Directories</td><td>BAIN only recognises a
limited set of subdirectories of the Data folder, and skips any unrecognised subdirectories.
Checking this option will cause BAIN to install unrecognised subdirectories.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" id="bainApply">BAIN Conversions</td>
<td>Apply</td><td>Applies a BAIN Conversion File.</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 id="load">Setting Up Load Order <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<figure class="slideshow">
<img alt="Mods Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/mods-1.png"/>
<img alt="Mods Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/mods-2.png"/>
<img alt="Mods Tab" src="../bash/images/readme/mods-3.png"/>
<figcaption class="mods-overview-figcap">Wrye Bash's Mods tab.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="load-overview">Overview <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Wrye Bash displays your installed plugins in its <q>Mods</q> tab. Your load order of active installed plugins, which Wrye Bash marks with a
ticked checkbox, is important as it decides what plugin 'wins' any conflict between plugins, with later loading plugins overriding those
that change the same thing. A mod loading later in the list will have a greater number in the Load Order column, and will "win"
if there's a conflict with a mod loading earlier (which will have a lower number). <strong>Load order is not the same thing as BAIN install
order!</strong> Install order determines which package's files overwrite other packages files when they conflict.
<p>Although in general "Load Order" stands for the load order of the <em>active</em> plugins, all installed plugins have a load order assigned
to them. In Oblivion, Nehrim: At Fate's Edge, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas this is based on the modification time of the plugin,
in Skyrim and Enderal: Forgotten Stories it is based on a text-file based standard the community agreed on,
while Fallout 4 and all later games dump all installed plugins in its plugins.txt, marking active ones with an asterisk (<code>*</code>).
Bash needs plugin load order even for inactive plugins to correctly merge inactive mods in the Bashed Patch, for instance.</p>
<p>Plugins may be activated by clicking their checkbox so that it is ticked, or by selecting a plugin or group of plugins and pressing the
space bar on your keyboard. Plugins may be deactivated by again clicking their checkbox or pressing the spacebar. If a group of selected
plugins contains a mix of active and inactive plugins, pressing the space bar once will activate them all, thereafter it will function as normal.
<p>Some plugins are explicitly dependent on other plugins - they have these plugins as <q>masters</q>. When a plugin is activated, its masters are also activated. Conversely, when a plugin upon which other plugins depend is deactivated, those plugins are also deactivated.</p>
<p>When setting the load order, make sure that Wrye Bash is displaying your plugins sorted by Load Order. Do so by clicking on the <q>Load Order</q> column header near the top of the tab. You can also display the plugins sorted by other attributes by clicking on any of the other column headers. Clicking twice will reverse the display order for any column but Load Order. The load order of plugins is given in hexadecimal digits, from 00 to FE, which is 0 to 254 in decimal. (This number also forms the first two digits of a record's Form ID.)
<p>Note that you can only have a maximum of 255 plugins active at any one time, including your game's master file.
Wrye Bash displays a plugin count in its status bar, to the right hand side, in the format <code>Mods: [active]/[installed]</code>.
<p>Generally speaking, if you end up with an invalid load order of some kind, Wrye Bash will automatically fix it upon booting or refreshing,
but a backup copy (with the <code>.bak</code> extension) will be made before doing so.</p>
<p>With the advent of <strong>ESL files</strong>, the load order system was modified.
The following list contains the most important facts you need to know about how Wrye Bash handles ESL files:</p>
<ol>
<li>.esl files implicitly receive the ESM flag, so they load among masters in the order of the plugins txt.</li>
<li>.esl files implicitly recieve the ESL flag, so they are always treated as light plugins.</li>
<li>ESPs with the ESL flag are also treated as light plugins.</li>
<li>ESLs can surpass the 255 mod limit - Wrye Bash allows up to 4096, the theoretical limit,
but your game will likely give up long before that number is reached.</li>
</ol>
<p>Creation Club ESL files (of the form <code>cc*.esl</code>) are read from the game's <code>.ccc</code> file, if the game has Creation Club support.
For example, Skyrim: Special Edition uses <code>[GAME]\Skyrim.ccc</code>, while Fallout 4 uses <code>[GAME]\Fallout4.ccc</code>.
Just like the game's masters, this load order is hardcoded, and so it cannot be changed - Wrye Bash will show an error message when an attempt is made.</p>
<h3 id="load-set">Setting The Load Order <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Setting up a correct load order that minimises detrimental conflicts that could cause issues in-game can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Effective load-ordering often requires a knowledge of what each plugin in your load order contains so that you can position the plugins to minimise these conflicts. For simple mods, the description in the mod's readme will usually be sufficient to determine the records it contains, but to be sure a utility such as TES4Edit is required.
<p><a href="https://loot.github.io/">LOOT</a> can be used to greatly simplify the process of setting the load order, as it can correctly position thousands of plugins automatically. However, you may still need to order some plugins manually.
<p>Wrye Bash provides a number of ways for you to set up your load order:
<ul>
<li>Alphabetical sorting by selecting a group of plugins and choosing File->Sort from the right-click menu.
<li>Moving plugins up or down the load order by selecting them and using Ctrl-Up or Ctrl-Down respectively. This also works with groups of plugins and preserves the group's internal order.
<li>Dragging and dropping plugins will also change the load order if the plugins are being sorted by Load Order.
<li><em>Timestamp-based games only.</em> Selecting a group of plugins and choosing File->Redate from the right-click menu. This will move the first plugin to the specified date/time and position the others at one minute intervals after it.
<li><em>Timestamp-based games only.</em> Editing plugin modification dates in the right-hand details panel.
</ul>
<p>When running Wrye Bash, you can also lock your load order in place to prevent unintended changes to it by selecting the <a href="#modsLockLoadOrder">Lock Load Order</a>
option in the column header right-click menu. Note that this will prevent other utilities from changing the load order, so uncheck this option if you use such a
utility to set your load order. If you use BOSS/LOOT to manage your load order and you also use Lock Load Order, ensure
<a href="#launchersBOSSDisableLockLoadOrder">BOSS Disable Lock Load Order</a> is also enabled to allow BOSS/LOOT to function correctly.
<p>Note that for Skyrim and later games Wrye Bash will automatically undo any changes to load order done made by the game's launcher or any utility that does not follow the textfile-based
load order standard in order to maintain a fully coherent load order. This effectively means that unintended changes are prevented.</p>
<figure>
<img alt="toolbar hide launcher" src="../bash/images/readme/toolbar-12-rclick-hide-boss.png"/>
<figcaption>BOSS's Launch Using GUI option.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <q>Launch Using GUI</q> toggles the use of the command line interface for BOSS with the BOSS GUI. Giving quick and easy access to the additional features the GUI provides such as the <q>Edit User Rules</q> option.</p>
<h3 id="load-undo">Undo and redo Load Order changes <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Bash features a sophisticated undo/redo load order feature, comprising both load order changes <em>of active <strong>or</strong> inactive
plugins</em> and activating/de-activating plugins. Whether you activate a plugin, drag and drop it in another position, deactivate a
plugin (having its children deactivated too) etc, you can always hit <code>Ctrl+Z</code> <em>while the list of mods has focus</em> to undo
the operation or <code>Ctrl+Y</code>/<code>Ctrl+Shift+Z</code> to redo it. Bash keeps the load orders (meaning total load order of <em>all</em> installed plugins
and active state of the plugins) in its internal structures and will persist those on disc on shutting down,
in <code>My Games\<Game>\BashLoadOrders.dat</code>, so you can undo/redo on restarting Bash.
<p>The undo/redo feature will try to preserve as many load orders as possible - so unlike undo/redo in other applications if you have an
initial load order state A then change it to B, then hit undo (so you are back on state A), then change it to C Bash will keep in its
internal structures the load order states A C B while most other applications would end up with A C. Undo/redo load order state is a
relatively new feature (available since 307) so it may have rough edges.</p>
<h3 id="load-symbols">What Symbols & Colours Mean <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Like in the Installers tab, Wrye Bash uses colour-coding and other formatting effects to convey information about the state of plugins.
The different types of formatting used and their meanings are explained here.
Many of these can be changed in the <a href="Wrye%20Bash%20Advanced%20Readme.html#tools-colors">Color Configuration</a> menu.</p>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Checkbox Type<th>Meaning
<tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="Active" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_on.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>Plugin is active.
<tr><td><img alt="Merged" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_inc.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>Plugin is merged into an active <a href="#patch">Bashed Patch</a>.
<tr><td><img alt="Imported" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_imp.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>Plugin is imported into an active <a href="#patch">Bashed Patch</a>.
<tr><td><img alt="Inactive" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_off.png" width="16" height="16"/><td>Plugin is not active, merged or imported.
</table>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Checkbox Colours<th>Meaning
<tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="Blue" src="../bash/images/checkbox_blue_on.png" width="16" height="16"/></td><td>The plugin's masters are all in exactly the same order as is specified in the plugin.</td></tr>
<tr><td><img alt="Green" src="../bash/images/checkbox_green_on.png" width="16" height="16"/></td><td>The plugin's masters are in the same order as is specified in the plugin, but their precise positions are different (ie. there are other mods between them). This is not an issue, and can be considered to be just as good as having a blue checkbox.
<tr><td><img alt="Yellow" src="../bash/images/checkbox_yellow_on.png" width="16" height="16"></td><td>Some of the plugin's masters are in a different order than what is specified in the plugin. This will be handled automatically by the game, but may hint at an incorrect load order on either your or the mod author's end.</td></tr>
<tr><td><img alt="Orange" src="../bash/images/checkbox_orange_on.png" width="16" height="16"/></td><td>This plugin loads before one or more of its masters. This will either cause the game to crash or cause mods to load in unexpected ways and must be corrected.</td>
<tr><td><img alt="Red" src="../bash/images/checkbox_red_on.png" width="16" height="16"/></td><td>One or more of the plugin's masters is missing. This will generally cause the game to crash on startup, and must be corrected.</td>
</table>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Text Formatting</th><th>Meaning</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-blutxt">Blue Text</td><td>A master - refer to ESM documentation at the start of this document for more information.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-grntxt">Green Text</td><td>A mergeable plugin <em>(for games without ESL support)</em> or one that can be ESL-flagged <em>(for games with ESL support)</em>.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-pnktxt">Pink Text</td><td>An ESL-flagged plugin. <em>Only shown for games with ESL support.</em></td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-prptxt">Purple Text</td><td>An ESL-flagged plugin that is also a master. The color is a combination of the blue one for masters and the pink one for ESLs.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-ylwtxt">Yellow Text</td><td>A plugin that should not be merged (ie. tagged with <code>NoMerge</code> - <em>only shown in games without ESL support</em>).</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-pnkbg">Pink Background</td><td><em>Oblivion, Nehrim: At Fate's Edge, Fallout 3 & Fallout: New Vegas only.</em> A plugin that shares its modification date with another plugin.
Not a problem unless both plugins are active.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-redkbg">Red Background</td><td>An active plugin that should remain deactivated (ie. tagged with <code>Deactivate</code>) or, <em>for Oblivion, Nehrim: At Fate's Edge, Fallout 3 & Fallout: New Vegas only</em>,
an active plugin that shares its modification date with another active plugin. This must be corrected so that they have different modification dates or else it may break your load order.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-lorgbg">Light Orange Background</td><td><em>Morrowind only.</em> In Morrowind, plugin files contain <code>DATA</code>
subrecords that store the size of the plugin's masters when it was created. If a stored size does not match the one on disk, Wrye Bash will
highlight the corresponding master in this color. Also used for plugins that have at least one such size-mismatched master. This is a
<em>very</em> low priority warning and can almost certainly be ignored.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-grybg">Grey Background</td><td>A <a href="#modsAutoGhost">ghosted</a> plugin.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-ittxt">Slanted Text</td><td>A plugin that is recommended to be imported and deactivated (ie. tagged with Deactivate).</td></tr>
<tr><td class="load-symbols-ultxt">Underlined Text</td><td>A plugin identified as having dirty edits (Identical to Master, Deleted References, or otherwise necessary cleaning).</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3 id="load-commands">Useful Context Menu Commands <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>The context menus for the column headers and plugins contain a large number of commands, most of which are unlikely to be of use to the average user so are not detailed here.
<table>
<thead>
<tr><th colspan="3">Column Header Context Menu
<tr><th colspan="2">Command<th>Description
<tbody>
<tr><td>Files..<td>New Bashed Patch...</td><td>Creates a new <a href="#patch">Bashed
Patch</a> plugin. Useful if you accidentally delete your current one or wish to
have more than one.</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" id="modsListMods">List Mods</td>
<td>This lists the load order, including version information,
activation status and major load order errors. It can be useful
for debugging a broken load order. If the Shift key is held
when this command is selected, the CRCs of plugins will also
be displayed in the output. If the Ctrl key is held, then the
versions of plugins will not be shown in the output.</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" id="modsListBashTags">List Bash Tags<td>This lists all the Bash Tags applied to the plugins in your load order, and where/how the Bash Tags were specified. It can be useful for debugging a broken load order.
<tr><td colspan="2" id="modsAutoGhost">Auto-Ghost<td>The Oblivion game engine has a bug where it reads all the plugins in the Data folder,
and this can affect performance when the number of plugins is around 300+. In Skyrim there is a different problem, namely if you have over
508 mod files in your data directory, the engine just plain refuses to load any of them, active or not (see here:
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190307225426/https://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1369136-thrashing-thread-1/?hl=+508">Thrashing, thread #1, post #1</a>). Auto-Ghosting adds a <q>.ghost</q> extension to all
inactive plugins automatically to prevent the game engine reading them, and so helping to avoid the performance drop. When a ghosted
plugin is activated, the <q>.ghost</q> extension is removed, allowing it to function as normal. Note that most other utilities will not
recognise ghosted plugins, so there are options available for individual plugins to control which get ghosted.
Bash displays a warning if a lot of mods and BSAs are detected that you can disable via the ini.
<tr><td colspan="2">ESL-Flag Bashed Patches</td><td><em>Skyrim: Special Edition &
Fallout 4 only.</em> If enabled, then any built Bashed Patches will automatically
be ESL-flagged, saving a load order slot.</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" id="modsLockLoadOrder">Lock Load Order</td><td>This prevents other
utilities from altering your load order. More accurately, it detects changes to your
load order when Wrye Bash starts or is focused (i.e. on top of all other program
windows) and reverses those changes.</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr><th colspan="2">Plugin Context Menu
<tr><th>Command<th>Description
<tbody>
<tr><td>List Masters...<td>Outputs a list of the selected plugin's masters.
<tr><td>List Bash Tags...<td>Outputs a BBCode-formatted list of all the Bash Tags applied to the selected plugin, and where/how the Bash Tags was specified. It can be useful for debugging a broken load order.
<tr>
<td>Create LOOT Entry...</td>
<td>Creates LOOT masterlist entries based on the tags you have
applied to the selected plugin(s). Also tries to figure out the
URL that the plugin came from based on the BAIN package it was
installed from.</td>
</tr>
<tr><td>Copy Mod Info...<td>Outputs a report on the selected plugins(s) with the info from the currently displayed columns.
<tr><td>Don't Ghost<td>Don't ghost this plugin when it is inactive, even if <a href="#modsAutoGhost">Auto-Ghost</a> is enabled.
<tr><td>Ghost<td>Ghost this plugin when it is inactive even if <a href="#modsAutoGhost">Auto-Ghost</a> is disabled.
<tr><td id="modsRebuildPatch">Rebuild Patch...<td>Rebuild the selected Bashed Patch using the Python patcher.
</table>
<h2 id="patch">Setting Up A Bashed Patch <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h2>
<h3 id="patch-overview">Overview <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<div class="prlflex tap clearf">
<figure class="slideshow" style="width:657px; min-height:676px;">
<img alt="Bashed Patch" src="../bash/images/readme/bashed-patch-dialogue-1.png"/>
<img alt="Bashed Patch" src="../bash/images/readme/bashed-patch-dialogue-2.png"/>
<img alt="Bashed Patch" src="../bash/images/readme/bashed-patch-dialogue-3.png"/>
<img alt="Bashed Patch" src="../bash/images/readme/bashed-patch-dialogue-4.png"/>
<figcaption class="patch-overview-figcap">Wrye Bash's Bashed Patch configuration dialog.</figcaption>
</figure>
<div class="patch-overview-txtbox">
<p>A Bashed Patch is a configurable plugin with three main functions:
<ul>
<li>Merging plugins into itself. Merged plugins can be deactivated, avoiding the 255 plugin limit.
<li>Importing specific types of data records from plugins. This can be used to avoid compatibility issues.
<li>Applying tweaks to the game. This avoids the need to use other mods to apply the same tweaks.
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<h3 id="patch-configuration">Bash Configuration <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>A Bashed Patch is created by Wrye Bash the first time you run it, with the plugin being called <q><strong>Bashed Patch, 0.esp</strong></q>. It is configured using the plugin context menu command <a href="#modsRebuildPatch">Rebuild Patch...</a>. <strong>You should rebuild your Bashed Patch every time you change your load order, before playing the game.</strong> The Bashed Patch should be last in your load order, unless you have plugins that explicitly state that they must load last.
<p>The configuration dialog consists of a list of major sections to the left, and the contents of the selected section to the right, with the build and save buttons at the bottom. The sections and their items have checkboxes: checking a section will include all its checked items in the Bashed Patch. Unchecked sections and items will not be included. Some sections don't have any items, and so just need the section checkbox checked.
<p>A short description of each section and some items is displayed near the
bottom of the window if the section/item is hovered over. Bolded items are
new since the last time the Bashed Patch was built, italicized items will
not run because they have no active sources (e.g. no mods to import). Wrye
Bash will usually do a good job auto-configuring most sections, but you may
want to alter options, especially in the Tweak section.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr><th colspan="2">Bashed Patch Configuration Buttons
<tr><th>Button<th>Description
<tbody>
<tr><td>Build Patch<td>Builds your Bashed Patch with the current configuration.
<tr><td>Select All (next to section list)<td>Selects all the options/plugins in a section list. If an option has multiple possible values, the first value in the value list will be chosen.
<tr><td>Deselect All (next to section list)<td>Deselects all the options/plugins in a section list.
<tr><td>Select All (at bottom of window)<td>Selects all sections, and all the options/plugins in all sections. If an option has multiple possible values, the first value in the value list will be chosen.
<tr><td>Deselect All (at bottom of window)<td>Deselects all sections and all the options/plugins in all section list.
<tr><td>Revert To Default<td>Reverts your Bashed Patch to its default configuration.
<tr><td id="patchRevertToSaved">Revert To Saved<td>Restores the last saved configuration of your Bashed Patch, undoing any changes since you last built it.
<tr><td>Export<td>Saves your Bashed Patch's configuration into an external file for backup.
<tr><td>Import<td>Restores your Bashed Patch's configuration from an exported patch configuration.
</table>
<h3 id="patch-merging">Merging Plugins <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Plugins that contain only certain types of data records can be merged into the Bashed Patch. This then allows these plugins to be deactivated, freeing up space in your load order.
<p>If you're merging plugins in, you do not need the plugins active to do so. In fact, trying to merge them in Bash will 1 - ask you to deactivate them
before hand, and 2 - deactivate them even if you refused that prompt after the Bashed Patch has been created.
So if you're merging plugins, leave them inactive before building, then select to merge them in the Bashed Patch build dialog. Don't worry,
all the algorithms for the rest of the patchers still work as you'd expect on plugins merged this way.
<p>You should check the checkboxes of all the plugins listed in the <q>Merge Patches</q> section, and ensure the section is checked too.
<p><strong>Do not remove merged mods from your Data folder.</strong> They will need to be present when you next rebuild your Bashed Patch.</p>
<h3 id="patch-importing">Importing From Plugins <a class="back2top" href="#contents">Back to top</a></h3>
<p>Plugins can be tagged with Bash Tags that tell Wrye Bash that they contain certain changes that should be preserved even if another mod also changes the same things. This is usually because the changes are important to the functionality of the mod. Wrye Bash then allows you to choose which plugins should have which types of changes preserved, by selecting from the various Import sections when building a Bashed Patch.
<p>If a section's description in the table below begins with <q>Preserves</q> and two or more mods in its list change the same thing, then the later-loading plugin will override the other plugin(s). Otherwise changes are merged.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Section</th>
<th>Description</th>
<th>When You Should Use It</th>
<th>Available For</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Import Actors</td>
<td>Preserves changes made to actors (ie. NPCs and creatures) by
the mods selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportActorsAIPackages">Import Actors: AI
Packages</td>
<td>Merges the changes made to actor AI packages by all the mods
selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportActorsFaces">Import Actors: Faces</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to NPC faces by the mods
selected.</td>
<td>The decision is entirely based on user preference. Choose
whichever mods' NPC faces you prefer.</td>
<td>Oblivion, Nehrim: At Fate's Edge, Fallout 3 &
Fallout: New Vegas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportActorsFactions">Import Actors: Factions</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the factions an actor belongs to
by the mods selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Actors: Perks</td>
<td>Merges the changes made to the perk list of NPCs by the mods
selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>Skyrim, Enderal: Forgotten Stories & Skyrim:
Special Edition</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportActorsSpells">Import Actors: Spells</td>
<td>Merges the changes made to the spells actors have by the mods
selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportCells">Import Cells</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made by the mods selected to cell
settings such as lighting, climate, music, name, owner, water
and more.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Destructible</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the ability to destroy certain
parts of the environment.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Oblivion, Nehrim: At Fate's Edge &
Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Effect Stats</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the stats of magic / base
effects.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Enchantments</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the enchantments of items like
armor, weapons, etc.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Enchantment Stats</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the effect data of enchantments
/ object effects.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportGraphics">Import Graphics</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made by the mods selected to various
textures and models throughout the game.</td>
<td>The decision is entirely based on user preference. Choose
whichever mods' graphics you prefer.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="patchImportInventory">Import Inventory</td>
<td>Merges the changes made to the items in an actor's inventory by
all the mods selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>All but Fallout 4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Import Keywords</td>
<td>Preserves the changes made to the keywords attached to various
things throughout the game by the mods selected.</td>
<td>Always, unless you are told otherwise by a mod's readme.</td>
<td>Skyrim, Enderal: Forgotten Stories & Skyrim:
Special Edition</td>
</tr>