Game Folder Mods Installation Launcher

Allows mods to be installed into the game folder, which is the directory parent of the Data dir. Warning: For advanced users only.

Note: If you don't want to manually change the game folder, manually modify the Creatioon Kit executable, or manually create your own special type of mod package, then stay away.

Please consider this modification a mod for advanced users. If not used correctly, it requires some additions to the /Data folder that may break the game installation. However, it does not require any additions to the mod manager and should work with NMM and MO2.

This mod has been successfully tested using the Mod Manager on a single Skyrim SE installation. If a report doesn't always work, the author may delete it entirely.

describe

This mod will allow the installation of mod packages that require their files to be placed in the game's main folder. This is accomplished by manually creating a new directory symlink in the /Data folder pointing to its parent directory (the game directory). Directory symbolic links are a feature of the file system on Windows, and each such link must be created for the administrator using the active user settings.

The directory name of the symlink has been set to: "game_dir_symlink_73guickx". This name uses a randomly chosen unique identifier. It is not recommended to use a different name, but if you want to change it, you will need to change this name in the DLL file as well. DLL is a patch to the CreationKit executable which crashes when this mod is installed. If later, then hex-edit the DLL file and properly terminate it by replacing the "game_dir_symlink_73guickx" string with your own name; or change it in the source code and recompile.

Install

Make sure to back up all important files that may be modified during the modification steps described below.

Install or extract the batch file into the Skyrim SE/Data folder. The file name downloaded in the "Files" section is "Batch File".

Go to your /Data folder and run the batch file "gfmie_01_mklink.bat" as administrator (right click and select "Run as administrator"). This will create a directory symbolic link. If you do not install the batch file, start the CMD command line tool as administrator and run this command here:

MKLINK / D“。\ game_dir_symlink_73guickx”“.. \”

You can delete or uninstall both batch files later.

Verify that the directory symbolic link has been created correctly. In your /Data folder, check if you have a folder named "game_dir_symlink_73guickx" which is indeed a directory symlink.

If you don't have Creation Kit installed, or don't plan to use it, skip the steps below on how to patch it.

Before opening the main window, launch Creation Kit and watch how it crashes. If it doesn't crash, you may consider skipping the patching described below.

Install or extract "creationkit_sc_fix.dll" into the game folder so that the CreationKit executable uses it. The download name in the Files section is "CreationKit Symlink Crash Repair DLL". This is a patch for the CreationKit executable that prevents it from crashing when it contains that dir symlink in the /Data directory.

Back up the CreationKit.exe file.

Add "creationkit_sc_fix.dll" to the CreationKit.exe import table. Use your own DLL injector or follow the steps shown here. The program used is CFF Explorer VII, which can be downloaded here. Note: If it is an official CreationKit update, you need to repeat this step.

Finish. It should now be possible to install files into the game folder using the special archive.

uninstall

NOTE: After removing this mod, all other special mods installed using the mod manager will not uninstall correctly when enabled.

Go to your /Data folder and delete the "game_dir_symlink_73guickx" directory symlink. You can also use the provided "gfmie_02_remove.bat" batch file to do this.

If CreationKit.exe has been patched, restore the backup, or use CFF Explorer VII to cancel the backup.

Delete the "creationkit_sc_fix.dll" file.

Special Mod Files

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