The way that you manage mods is completely your choice. Some players feel that Bethesda's In-Launcher manager is sufficient for their needs, and it is if you only have a few mods.
Find a mod you want to use on the Skyrim Nexus. Click the Download (NMM) button. Either a prompt asking you to allow the third party program (Nexus Mod Manager) to which you say yes, or the download will start in NMM automatically. Once the download has completed, go to the mod tab in Nexus Mod Manager.
But if you plan on going all out, you may want to consider Nexus Mod Manager.Nexus Mod Manager can be obtained by going to skyrim.nexusmods.com, making an account, and downloading the manager.Upon first launch, it will search your computer for your Skyrim Data directory, taking the earlier part of the work out for you.Note that the Mod Manager CAN manage mods that you download from the Steam Workshop, as they are all placed in the same folder. Mods for Skyrim can be found in a few places, but there are two major sources.The first is the Steam Workshop, where mods that you subscribe to will be automatically downloaded to your Data folder, which requires little to no input on your part.The second is the Skyrim Nexus, where you have two options. They are. Download the mod with Nexus Mod Manager. This will function the same as Steam Workshop in that it requires little effort. Download the mod manually.
See the next section for instructions. When you download a mod manually, be sure to take into account any of the Author's personal instructions, or else the mod may not work as intended.That said, when you download a mod, it will come in.zip form, which you need an unzipper to open.
Popular unzippers are WinRAR and 7Zip.Inside, there will be.esp and possibly.esm files. These are the files required in your mod.In any case, copy all the files in the zip or rar to your Skyrim/Data folder, overwriting any files that you are prompted to. This is also important in making sure the mod works.Once you have the mod installed, it is time for the final step. Mods that are manually installed need to be activated in order to work. However, this is also a very simple process.Simply open the Skyrim launcher. Once there, click on Data Files.
A menu will come up with all of your installed mods.The mod that you just installed will be the one without an X in it's box. To activate it, simply check the box and hit OK.Alternatively, you can activate mods in Nexus Mod Manager the same way, by checking the box next to the respective mod.MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT UNCKECK SKYRIM.ESM OR UPDATE.ESM. THIS MAY CAUSE YOUR GAME TO BREAK.Once you have checked the box, launch the game, and enjoy your modded Skyrim!
This tutorial will take you step-by-step through the process of installing mods for Skyrim, and soon you will be gaming like the rest of us! Note that these instructions are based on Windows 7.
Install Skyrim through Steam. For this tutorial we will be using the path 'C:GamesSteamSteamAppscommonskyrim'.
If you have installed Steam into your program files folder (which is not recommended) you have three options before you begin modding Skyrim:. Run Skyrim as an admin. Right click the TESV.exe found in your 'SteamSteamAppscommonskyrim' folder (or alternatively a shortcut to it on your desktop). Click 'Properties.'
And navigate to the 'Compatibility' tab. Tick the checkbox next to 'Run this program as an administrator'. Give yourself Full Control permissions on your Skyrim folder. In Windows Explorer, go to your 'SteamSteamAppscommon' folder and right-click your Skyrim folder.
How To Use Nexus Mods On Steam Skyrim 2
Click 'Properties.' And navigate to the 'Security' tab. Click the 'Edit.' Button below the top box. A new window will open. In the box at the top, click on 'Users ( /Users)'. Tick the Allow box next to Full Control.
How To Use Nexus Mods On Skyrim On Steam
(If the Allow box is ticked and greyed out, then you already have Full Control permissions through another folder higher up, such as your Steam folder.). Click OK, then click OK in the Properties window also. Follow to move your Steam install to a location outside of Program Files. Download a mod you want to install either manually or through NMM.
(Follow if you don't know how to download mods). NMM-Installation: First make sure is installed. Then simply double-click the mod in the 'Mods' tab of NMM after it has finished downloading your mod. It will now begin to install your mod. If you are updating a mod you already have, it will prompt you if you want to update or install separately - what to choose here will vary from mod to mod, so be sure to read the installation instructions of each mod!
Once it is installed, you can manage the load order in the 'Plugins' tab, where you can simply drag-and-drop the esp to change the load order. If the mod has no esp/esm, it won't appear in the 'plugins' tab, but don't worry, it is still installed. If the mod has a esp/esm, be sure to activate it by ticking the checkbox next to it in the plugins tab. Manual Installation: Download and install. Once you have downloaded the mod, open the archive (.7z,.zip or.rar) with 7zip, and click extract. Extract the files so that the files (esp, bsa, etc.) and the folders (meshes, textures, sounds, etc.) are in the Skyrim data folder (GamesSteamSteamAppsCommonSkyrimData).
Activate the mod through your preferred launcher by ticking the checkbox next to the esp/esm. You have now installed a mod. Congratulations!. Note that some mods have dependencies on other mods in order to work properly. Read the specific mod information for more details.