Tes4Mod:Complete Installation Guide for Oblivion/Part 1/Install Utilities

Install Utilities

''Dont's worry about any "beta" tags here. The following utilities all have well-established positions in the mods community.

Since this is a very focused guide, intended to help users build a working setup with as few uncontrolled factors as possible, many important details may be skipped. However, there is a more general page on the site that is directly related to each discussed subject. As for this page, unless you are already familiar with the available mod management utilities reading the first section of Preparing for Mods should prove very worthwhile. After this step, the rest of the guide, up until the last few (modified) setup steps, will be focused using a primary installation tool.

General Terms, Acronyms and Nick Names

Bash - short for Wrye Bash, a mod management utility and much more
BOSS - load ordering utility
CTD - crash to desktop
"Data files" - This term generally refers to files contained in any of the default folders, BSAs, INI files, or folders that contain INI files. In other words, it refers to all parts of the actual mod (not the doc files) excluding plugins.
Data folder - Oblivion\Data
Oblivion folder - the Oblivion installation folder
Plugins - ESPs and ESMs, does not include OBSE plugins, sometimes is used interchangeably with "mods"
Load Order (LO) - the order in which your plugins are loaded into the game (which is determined by their "date modified" status)
OBMM - Oblivion Mods Manager, mod management utility and much more
Install Order - this has nothing to do with load order, but is the order in which mods should be installed
TESCS - The Elderscrolls Construction Set, a mod (really plugin) editing and making utility
"Vanilla" - refers to default, out-of-the-box Oblivion

Utility Installation Steps

The utilities and the configurations for the utilities presented below are not specific to your preferred installation method. More specific instructions will be given later.

Install 7-zip (or another archiving utility)

Many mods are packaged in .7z archives, which WinZIP and non-full version of WinRAR cannot handle, and this file archiver is fast and free.

# Download 7-zip.
# Run the executable, which may require a reboot.
#* The installation may prompt you to restart your machine. Do that now, as you will need it in later steps.

Install a C++ Runtime Library Update

This update is required for some utilities and many mods, most notably OBSE.

# Download Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package .
#* This is a commonly-installed update. If it is already installed, the installer will discover it and abort the installation, which is fine.
# Run the executable.

(OPTIONAL) Install The Elder Scrolls Construction Set

This is the "official" plugin-editing utility. If you want to make mods or tweak plugins, this is a useful tool.

# Download TESCS.
# Run the executable.
#* Windows 7 and Windows Vista users''', right-click on TESConstructionSet.exe (in the Oblivion folder) and flag it to 'Run as Administrator'.

Install Oblivion Mod Manager

OBMM, Timeslip's mod managing utility is probably the oldest, most-respected utilities for Oblivion. It is a new mod user's best friend.

# Download OBMM (executable version).
# Run the installer.
# Launch OBMM.
# Go to "settings" (in the right sidebar).
# (Still in settings) check "Never modify load order" (unless you have no intention of installing Wrye Bash)>> notes: This step anticipates using BOSS and Wrye Bash to modify your load order ''BAIN users should skip the rest of the OBMM configuration steps.''
# Click on Utilities, in the sidebar.
# Choose 'Archive Invalidation'.
# Select 'BSA Redirection'.
# Close OBMM.

Install Wrye Bash

 

Install TES4Edit

 

Install Better Oblivion Sorting Software
 

(OPTIONAL) Install TES4LODGen

This application generates distant LOD data based a your mod list.

# Download TES4LODGen.
# Extract the archive into the Oblivion folder.

Install OBSE

 

Install OBSE Plugins

 
Complete Part 2