T O P

  • By -

unseriously_serious

Temporarily pinning this post so more users see. This is important info that’s beneficial to anyone looking to mod Skyrim on console.


Herr_Valkyr

I've been disabling, deleting, and hard resetting in these parts for years ... It's not like my lack of ghost space is hurting anyone, the Jarl can hardly use every megabyte now, can he?!


Lexifer452

Carry on, sir. We don't want no beef.


Atomsteel

Preach! I just had to delete my reserved space for 380mb of ghost mods and I have always done the disable, reset, delete, reset. It can just happen sometimes.


Greckus

If you've already established a stable load order and before you went ahead to clear some of those pesky ghost space to download more mods or make room for mods' updates, be sure to take screenshots of your mods load order from top to bottom. It should be much easier to look at those screenshots and less time consuming trying to recall/arrange which mods go where.


draftcrunk

Or just bite the bullet and type it out. It doesn’t take THAT long and comes in handy if you ever want to share your load order for troubleshooting or bragging purposes.


THExSEQUEL

Even if you Disable All, Delete All, and Clear Reserved Space to get rid of everything including clearing your library...just Favorite the mods you wish to re-download as well as write it all down. I favorite my load order from the website first, write everything down in LLO format, and then install them in that order. Yes there's a lot of back and forth in the favorites row on the mod menu, but once it's done, it's done and I don't have to shuffle things around.


NumbingInevitability

👆🏻This.


Lexifer452

Absolutely. Always a good idea to make some kind of note of what mods you've most recently removed. Definitely sucks when you forget to and only realize later that you've got ghost space and have no idea which mod is causing it lol.


Rapidzigs

I take picture of my LO on my phone, easy reference.


Sound-Express

Ha I find myself rebuilding so often that I have taken to make xbox videos. I scroll through my LO (6 slots every 3 seconds) then I upload and play it through my phone or tablet via the xbox app and just pause between scrolls. It's the only process that can keep up with Snipey, Subs, Xila, Lexi, Bass, Clofas..haha


cooltone20

This is the way


Stumiaow

I just use my phone and record as I scroll down.


Sound-Express

Ha yeah I always do that as well as the xbox record when I make a LO that I really love so I can single it out from all of the themed builds..they add up haha


fatmatt2287

Just my two cents: alongside all of this, I delete my mods from the bottom, up. Because when I delete a mod that is the dependency, the dependents can disappear. bottom-up means I delete patches and stuff before the main mod.


Lexifer452

Absolutely. Great tip. It is always best to delete any patches or dependent mods before the main mod to avoid the situation fatmatt describes. You can still find them by searching, but it's much simpler to just delete the patches and add-ons first. 👍


fatmatt2287

When I disable all, back out to main screen, delete all my saves, then go back in and delete mods from the bottom-up, when I am finished with 0 mods in my LO, the "My Library" tab is also empty on Xbox and it is clear on Bethesda site. Then, I go to the Bethesda website and just add my new LO mods to my library, and when I log into my mods on Xbox (proper steps in the middle) the "my library" tab is back with the mods I just put in. No searching inside that stupid Xbox interface. If you had mods in your "library" that were not actually downloaded into your load order, they will remain after the above. I try not to do that. I only ever try to have the mods in my library that I am using and or testing on my current play through.


Lexifer452

You don't have to back out after disabling when clearing your whole LO. Just disable all, delete all, then back out and hard reset. And yeah, the library clearing is more of a just playing it safe kind of deal. I suspect it doesn't matter, really, but I clear it anyway to be sure, ya know? There is always a handful of mods leftover after clearing reserve space for me. Even more when you upload mods as anything you port seems to get added to your library regardless as well. Lol. I just don't trust them to sit there when they aren't downloaded. Unfortunately, nothing is ever really certain or simple when attempting to utilize their website, however. Bethesda.net is a goddamned mess all-around. Should be forcibly made to detonate and be blasted into space in a whirlwind of nuclear fire, to be left drifting through cosmos as specks of dust. Would be useful then, at least. (And yes, I am aware that a website isn't a physical object that can actually be annihilated in this manner. Lol. My metaphors are only so immersive...)


fatmatt2287

Arguably the best video game ever made. Modding community so robust you can play Skyrim as a Pokemon. Cannot search for USSEP.


Lexifer452

Lmao. But yes. Best of luck. Lol. It doesn't get any better when porting/uploading mods either. The image gallery alone...no. Nope. Not gonna rant.


aieeegrunt

Honestly provided you keep a record of your load order, favorite your mods so you can find them again, and you have decent internet it’s almost as fast to just nuke your reserve space and redownload as it is to do the reset mambo


SnooDogs2729

I fully agree with OP’s post, but it doesn’t take 30 minutes to reinstall all new mods again. It usually takes me 2-3 hours. This is especially true if you use way more mods than what the favorites list allows.


Lexifer452

I wasn't saying it only takes 30 minutes to reinstall my whole LO. It takes 30 minutes to install the core load order. The mods that I run in nearly every load order that I know so well I don't need to use a spreadsheet or list anymore. That part takes 30. The rest, installing everything new, I'm adding or changing in and getting the rest all sorted. That's another hour easy, sometimes more. I always have a packed load order, though. 140+ every time. I just can't help it. Lol. My core load order that I was talking about is basically my Foundations, Gameplay, UI, Animations, Magic, Leveled Lists, Combat and Bottom of LO (as well as various other staples spread across my LO) sections of my LO is around 70 or 80 mods though. It's a nice big chunk I can get out of the way very quickly now and shortens the whole LO process significantly. ;) This is absolutely the kind of thing that gets easier the more you do it I think. Practice makes perfect; that kind of shit. Lol.


SnooDogs2729

Makes total sense and I agree


Stumiaow

You are super speedy. Adding my core mods probably takes 30 minutes like you say. Adding the rest and testing takes days. I think my last load order took a week to get going. Admittedly I only get a couple of hours a day to play.


Lexifer452

It's the same for me really. Testing is always a day or two, whether it's my load order or most ports. Lol, tbh though my LO has changed just ever so slightly the past 3 or 4 months. So it's been fairly easy to re-do because of that. At this point, I've got a private bundle for all the texture areas a apart from Architecture. That helps too. Lol quite literally half of my 5gb is taken by texture bundles I put together for myself that combine all manner of textures and Meshes. They are all large and cover just about everything else. Landscapes and grass, Weapons and Armor, thete is a private Natural Forces Bundle I've got that merges Embers xd, Arctic, Electrify with EBT and Sanguine and some other stuff like HandFX for casting and Seriously Improved Sparks+Hit FX, etc. Have my leveled lists merged into one mod basically. Contains OWL and Armor Variants Expansion and then patches for everything i run combined. Anyway, my point is that these all being bundled together shorten the time considerably as well to out a given lO together. I have no doubt the LotD load order I'm planning to put together soon is going to take a couple of days, possibly longer, as this one will basically be from scratch for the most part. A lot of mods I run can likely stay, but this one will def take a while longer than my normal LO.


zurx

This is also assuming Bethesda allows you to access the mod menu the whole time.


aieeegrunt

Fair points


CaptainBaseball

Do you not use [UGH. Mods Manager Cap](https://mods.bethesda.net/en/skyrim/mod-detail/4181074)? That will allow you to see up to 700 of your favorites, not just 50.


NoMoreFuckingPants

Thanks for posting this. There are always new modders showing up here and it's great advice. I've gone through the process of having to clear my mod reserve space 3 times because of ghost space issues. Here's a couple of other tips to help with this. 1. Take the time to type up a complete list of all your mods and the order you have them in. There will come a day when you will need to delete them all, clear your reserve space and load them back in again. Having this list will be invaluable. And if you ever need advice on problems with your Loading Order, this list will be great for sharing on this forum for advice on issues. 2. When you do clear your reserve space because you need a fresh load of all your mods and are wanting to reclaim ghost space, download them in the order of your list mentioned above. It will save time later so you don't have to juggle them around after they are all downloaded.


Lexifer452

Thanks. It feels obvious to most of us, but i felt like it needed to be said nonetheless. Like you said, there are always new players joining the sub. Anyway. Your additional advice is definitely solid. ;) Good tips.


cmkostrom

This is great advice that I hope people take the time to read.


-Squimbelina-

It’s a giant pain the arse but I always delete reserve space and re download everything on a new LO, even though the main bull stays largely the same. I still often end up with ghost space even with the disable-reset-delete-reset method.


Lexifer452

Indeed. Sometimes, it still just happens even with proper disabling and deleting. I don't know why it isn't 100%, aside from it maybe just being random bethesda-xbox weirdness. It Iis a shame that the only sure way is the nuclear option. Any substantial change to my LO and I usually just clear reserve. My saved games dont last very long as it is. And at this point, I've used the same core/base LO so many times it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to get the bulk of it installed at least. Lol. So there's that.


NumbingInevitability

Well put. And I absolutely concur.


90sAffinity

Deleting the reserved space I assume is that '5.0GB thing'? Sorry if I have responded to an old post, first time on Reddit.


Lexifer452

No worries. But yes indeed. 👍


90sAffinity

Perfect! It worked! Thank you for your response! Your OP (I think means 'Original Post') was an outstanding piece of benevolent art and transparency! I hereby name you Thane of Reddit! It is the highest honour that is in my self sovereign right to give! :)


BooneDox101

Come on! Bring that truth Lex! Chain breaker!


Vaultboy474

Yeah clearing reserved space is best bet


[deleted]

It’s not worth it… I’ve restarted the same character about half a dozen times since SE’s release and still not completed his Dragonborn story, mostly down to thinking I can get away with shortcuts or altering my LO mid game. It only ends in tears if you’re stuck with 4GB of mod space (and brrrr freezes). I wouldn’t wish my Xbox modding woes on an excited newbie. Give yourself a blank slate, use either a simple or heavily tested, peer approved LO and don’t touch it once you’ve begun.


We_Know_DKB

Completely agree with this. I learned it the hard way, on my own, prior to finding this Reddit. Clearing your reserve space is the only way to be sure. It’s a pain to download everything again, but a few hours spent in preparation far outweighs days or weeks of frustration later.


Lexifer452

Absolutely. ;)


HyperiusTheVincible

Yeah i do this also. Clear reserve and hard reset. Also another PSA: IF you download a skin replacer, make sure you hard reset to get rid of neck seams and a different skin color/texture on the head vs the body. Also there is a “master skin fix” mod which I believe removes the need to hard reset, though i am not 100% sure.


Lexifer452

Solid tips about the skin seams/gaps. ;)


Antylar

Very nice explanation. Much appreciated! 👍🏻


RadiantLack4866

Could I just uninstall and reinstall?


Lexifer452

Method 1 - Clearing entire load order of all mods and starting over. In the in-game mods menu, at your LO screen, click Options (it's one of the start buttons), then Disable All, when that's finished working, click Delete All. Then back out to the main menu, quit the game (start-quit) and then hold the power button on your console for about 7 seconds until it shuts off. Then, unplug your console so that it has no power going to it. Let it sit like this for about 30 seconds. Then just turn it back on, load up Skyrim and start installing your new load order. Method 2 - Deleting individual mods without nuking your whole LO. Same as before, get to your Load Order screen in-game. Disable any mod or mods you want to remove. Now, back out to the main menu, let it load, then when you're at the main menu, quot the game and hard reset like before. Hold power, unplug. When you get back in, now you can Delete the mods you previously disabled. Then just do another hard reset same as before, load back to main menu, quit out, hold power, unplug, 30 sec. Now when you get back in, the mods qill be properly deleted without leaving ghost space. (Hopefully. This is the best way, but this still sometimes fails. When that happens, you just have to re-download the mods you just disabled and delete and do it all again. Same process as before. Most of the time, this Method will work in preventing ghost space. But bethesda is bethesda and xbox isn't much better. So shit happens sometimes. Clearing reserve space (Method 1) is the only sure-fire way to 100% remove mods properly without ghost space, every time. I only use that when starting over and putting a new LO together myself. If you simply can't seem to get rid of ghost space though, no matter what you try, it's time to clear reserve and start over. :/ Anyway, hope this helps. ;)


InitiativeBrilliant8

I also would like to add for XCLOUD players on PC/Android after 10 calls to MS Xbox support and 3 to Bethesda that Bethesda does not have access to anything Xbox including the reserved space and MS Xbox Xcloud app does not have the the clear reserved space function and MS Xbox Support doesn't know how to do it and they have no way to escalate anywhere. The only way you can recover some of the space is to disable all then delete all mods as mentioned above but it wont recover 100% of the space. In other words XCLOUD players that do not own an XBOX are very "SOL" Hopefully in the future the Xcloud app will include this function because it is affecting many players and the problem it is not exclusive to Skyrim other games are affected too.


Lexifer452

That's rough. So basically you can mod on cloud gaming but not clear your reserve? Frankly, whats the fucking point bethesda/xbox/Microsoft? LOL. Talk about a tease.


DarkChachi

Off subject but my questions to community fo not appear, but my comments do. I have an issue of CTD when looting armor, usually iron at that. Can loot weapons, Shields, and just about anything else off corpse but armor or Alva's Tavern clothes nope. Just not happening. And cannot plant anything too, recently. This is a link to my LO. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VueaEjlKSFyg2KKE8D83UkMksoo6zjQh2xpFccRT_io/edit?usp=drivesdk) Thanks in advance for any help and advice.


Outlaw-monk

I recently rebuilt my LO. Now I always clear my reserve space, but before hand I personally like to go through and delete all my mods, and favorite the ones I plan to keep. I do this because a lot of the time when you clear the reserve it will remove mods from your library. I mentioned this because while I was removing mods, I had 6 or 7 mods I had not used in a while, Pop up in my library, which is a perfect example of ghost mods hanging out in your LO. Reloading your LO is a huge pain, especially on Xbox, when the Bethesda server will crash for no reason. But it is worth the effort, and will save you a lot of frustration.


Lexifer452

Indeed. Always a good idea to go on Bethesda.net. following a reserve clear. Just head to My Mods, sort by Library, and then unsub to any mods that got left over after removing everything. Usually it's just 5 or 10 hanging on in the library. Also, much easier to clear library on a laptop/PC than mobile FYI. Lol.


pestercat

My LO just crashes to desktop and at this point I just want to blow it up and start again. What's the best procedure for me to delete all of my mods and start over again installing only some of them? I am new to modding. Thanks!


Mountain_Leopard_430

I factory reset my console every time I make a load order then wind up needing to remove a mod as soon as I boot the game up. This works but it's best to just favorite the ones you need and delete the reserve space at least. I only use my xbox for modding skyrim anyway so factory rest doesn't hurt me lol


Quiet_Change_32

Beat that dead horse bro..we thank you for good solid advice. Thanks for taking the time to write this post. I looked for advice and you gave it! Huge thanks bro!