How to Install Mods for Skyrim

STEP BY STEP

1. 01
   Install a mod manager

   Choose your preferred one. This guide uses Mod Organizer 2. Download it and install it away from the Skyrim folder. Other than that, the location is your pick.

2. 02
   Understand the two panels

   MO2 has two panels. The left panel is your install order, which controls which mod wins when two mods touch the same files. The right panel is your plugin load order, the order your .esp and .esm files are read by the game. Getting this wrong is the number one cause of crashes and broken quests.

3. 03
   Sort your load order with LOOT

   LOOT automatically sorts your load order and flags warnings like missing patches or problematic mods. Download LOOT and execute the installer (feel free to ignore the warning as the program is safe), then navigate to executables in MO2, click edit and add LOOT. Launch LOOT, review the warnings, and have it sort your mods for you. Run it every time you add new mods. The more you use it, the more you will naturally learn mod compatibilities and conflicts yourself, and after a few hundred mods you will barely need it. For these steps to work you need to have launched Skyrim through Steam at least once.

4. 04
   Install SKSE

   Download the current Anniversary Edition build and extract the .zip file into the Skyrim root directory. Add SKSE as an executable inside MO2. From now on, this is how you launch your game.

5. 05
   Install ENB

   Head to enbdev.com, scroll to the bottom and download the latest Special Edition version. Extract the archive, open the Wrapper Version folder, and copy three files into your main Skyrim SE directory. ENB replaces all post-processing in your game with its own, vastly improving visuals and performance. Even if you do not want fancy graphics, a lot of mods need ENB running in the background. Alternatively, you can try the newer Community Shaders.

   COPY THESE INTO SKYRIM SECopy

   enblocal.ini
   d3d11.dll
   d3dcompiler_46e.dll

6. 06
   Make sure you are on Anniversary Edition

   There are multiple versions of Skyrim out there, but you want the Anniversary Edition, the latest release. Anything older requires extra setup and downgrading, so save yourself the headache and make sure you are on AE.

7. 07
   Now the fun part: install some mods!

   Browse GGMods, find something you like, and hit download. Drag that archive straight into MO2’s left panel, hit OK on the install window, and tick the checkbox to activate it.