Two Oblivion installs

[Cheeka]

I want to learn how to use the CS properly so I plan on starting the classes but I also don't want to mess up my Oblivion install by well messing up, so I would like to have two Oblivion installs or maybe two Data folders, would that work? If I renamed the one I using for playing the game while I do a lesson then change it when I want to play a game, I just know I''m gonna do something silly so I would rather not have to install FCOM again if I can help it. I would also prefer to just have a vanilla set up for using the CS anyway.

So my question is would that work?

[WhoGuru]

WryeBash allows for multiple installs of Oblivion. You'll need to do some reading to install properly and learn how to use this function though some of our members her may be able to give you pointers. We have some I think who do use this feature.

Here you go: http://wryebash.netai.net/

[InsanitySorrow]

Meh not a fan of Bash, but currently the only way to do it without manually swapping data folders

[Hanaisse]

There's a thread over at Beth that describes what you're asking. Lots of good info there.

(Technically it's not 2 installs, just separate profiles with Wrye Bash. You can set what mods to use for each.)

[vometia]

I tried multiple installs using... erm... I can't quite remember the terminology, "join" or "mount" or some such nonsense to redirect different directories to a particular drive letter than Oblivion thought it was installed under.

To be honest, though, it was much more trouble than it was worth. Though had I made attempts to automate some of the faffing about required after every reboot it may have been more viable.

Trying to get Oblivion to access its data over the network is definitely not a sensible idea, however. I know nobody asked about that, but I just thought I'd reveal the sheer scale of my impracticality.

[Cheeka]

I really don't mind having two data folder its not that much work, the problem with bash is it is only profiles not really what I want for this I dont want to mess up my game by moving somthing stupid and having to reinstall again.

[HeyYou]

So, have two data folders, but, instead of swapping them back and forth, just rename them. Have one DataPlay, and another DataMod, just rename whichever folder is appropriate to what you are doing at the time to Data.

[Hanaisse]

There's really no chance to mess up your existing game with taking the CS classes. Everything is done in it's own .esp so any changes you make you can undo by just leaving the esp deactivated while playing.

If you really want to go down this route of 2 instances (not 2 installs, the registry won't allow that), then I believe Khettienna uses a set up like this. Hopefully she can offer the best advice.

[_echo]

How about the 100000x easier way of just installing Oblivion 2 times? Well its easier then that.

All you need to do is, well, install the game. Once that is done, Make a copy of your entire Oblivion folder, and rename it something to set it apart.

BAM, you have 2 copies of Oblivion on a single computer.

Keep in mind though that the original install of Oblivion is the one your computer has in its registry.

[Khettienna]

Aye, I have multiple "installs". Though, as HeyYou mentioned, they are just duplicate Oblivion folders renamed.

Oblivion-Play (my actual playing install)

Oblivion-New (brand new install of 1.2.0.416, really just kept for backup)

Oblivion-Patched (new install + SI + UOP, use for testing)

Oblivion-Res (same as patched, plus unpacked modders resources, Cobl, the CS + .LIP file stuff, and all utilities, used for heavy modding)

Whichever one I'm using at the moment gets renamed to simply "Oblivion".

There are a couple of caveats.

The first is that if you launch OBMM while your "Play" version is not the current Oblivion folder, OBMM immediately forgets a lot of data. It will still install/uninstall your omods fine, but it will forget which ones were installed and which files belong to which omod, so you have to re-install & overwrite to make it all gel again.

The second is that Wrye Bash doesn't recognize when you've switched bashed patches. It still thinks the one in the current folder is the last patch you built, even if it's not and even if you change profiles, and will gripe and deactivate mods based on that, which is irritating as I don't know what. There's probably a way around that, but I haven't figured it out yet, if that is the case.

The easiest way to get these folders is to just copy & paste the entire Oblivion folder as you are installing. I did mine retroactively by moving my Oblivion folder, then uninstalling/reinstalling/making those backups/copying my original folder on top of the new one. Mind you, my mod configuration is not particularly delicate, so do that at your own risk.

[Cheeka]

I have a vanilla back up and a whole copy of my current data folder on another HD so I will have a think about it then decide what to do.

Thank you for your help.

[Cheeka]

There's really no chance to mess up your existing game with taking the CS classes. Everything is done in it's own .esp so any changes you make you can undo by just leaving the esp deactivated while playing.

If you really want to go down this route of 2 instances (not 2 installs, the registry won't allow that), then I believe Khettienna uses a set up like this. Hopefully she can offer the best advice.

So there is no way to mess it up at all, say like I moved the palace it would only be moved in that esp? Well in that case I'm not as worried as I was before.

[Khettienna]

So there is no way to mess it up at all, say like I moved the palace it would only be moved in that esp? Well in that case I'm not as worried as I was before.

Aye. Like Hana said, it stores all your changes within the plugin. The absolute worst you can do is wreck your saves - but those can (and should!) be backed up anyways, so there is really no loss no matter what you do in the CS.

[InsanitySorrow]

This thread is intersting , The methods mentioned are ones I remember from a previous discussion about this, which leads me to wonder why Bash is the only way to do it and why aren't there any alternatives?

[washington]

Khettienna, maybe you should also rename "My Games" folder, Bash keeps some data in there.

[Cheeka]

I'm using two Data Files, just renamed the one I;m not using, I plane on doing the classes in a file with no mods in it then taking the esp out and putting it in my other data file to have a look at it in game then if I want to do anymore to it then put it back into the other data file, tho' I think I will patch it and not leav it pure vanilla.

[_echo]

You people do realize there is no need to have to keep renaming anything at all? Just duplicate your Oblivion folder so you have 2 instances of the game, then make shortcuts to each. No renaming necessary. You can install the CS in both folders, install OBMM in each, OBSE in each, etc. Just treat each as their own game.

[InsanitySorrow]

Is doubling up on all the apps ect really worth it?

[_echo]

What, a whole of ~30MB? The purposed method of duplicating the data folder will still cause 2x the file space, which is going to be ~4GB minimum off the bat for each data folder. So by just duplicating the whole folder and treating each as their own game with their own shortcuts, the extra space used is not even mentionable.

Plus, I would much rather take having two shortcuts then having to go in, rename some folders, just so i can play. Not to mention the occasional time you may forget to change the data folders, so you will have to exit the game and correct that.

2 independent games. 2 shortcuts. No hassle and no worries.

[washington]

...

2 independent games. 2 shortcuts. No hassle and no worries.

What about My games folder? The saves from both games will end in the same place? And plus like I said Wrye Bash has something in there...

Can 'My games' folder also be redefined?

[Cheeka]

I don't see how that would work with Wrye Bash can you have two on one computer? I think it could get very confusing .

[wetblanket]

I think that you can safely play with the CS by doing a few simple things:

1. Backup the Oblivion directory

2. Create a special folder with the same name in both "data\meshes" and "data\textures" eg. "data\meshes\CheekasTutorials" and "data\textures\CheekasTutorials"

3. Anything you create, place them in the appropriate folder. If you want to edit anything not yours, save it immediately in your folder(s) before you edit them.

I have a 'resources' folder separate from the Oblivion directory to which I have extracted all vanilla resources and various mods that interest me. Each mod has it's own directory so there is no risk of overwriting. NifSkope has been pointed to each folder. I'm free to play and edit with no risk of affecting my Oblivion install. You may wish to consider something similar.

[Cheeka]

I think that you can safely play with the CS by doing a few simple things:

1. Backup the Oblivion directory

2. Create a special folder with the same name in both "data\meshes" and "data\textures" eg. "data\meshes\CheekasTutorials" and "data\textures\CheekasTutorials"

3. Anything you create, place them in the appropriate folder. If you want to edit anything not yours, save it immediately in your folder(s) before you edit them.

I have a 'resources' folder separate from the Oblivion directory to which I have extracted all vanilla resources and various mods that interest me. Each mod has it's own directory so there is no risk of overwriting. NifSkope has been pointed to each folder. I'm free to play and edit with no risk of affecting my Oblivion install. You may wish to consider something similar.

I'm not sure I undertand what it is you mean. I have all the mod archives I've downloaded seperate on a different HD so I always have a backup of whats installed or what I may want to try latter. but all I really want to do is to be able to make a mod in the CS without using my play data folder which has an UFCOM set up in it. From what I understand its best not to have a bunch of stuff in your #data folder because it can make the mod dependent on theise things being installed also, or am I wrong?

[wetblanket]

I'm not sure I undertand what it is you mean. I have all the mod archives I've downloaded seperate on a different HD so I always have a backup of whats installed or what I may want to try latter. but all I really want to do is to be able to make a mod in the CS without using my play data folder which has an UFCOM set up in it. From what I understand its best not to have a bunch of stuff in your #data folder because it can make the mod dependent on theise things being installed also, or am I wrong?

Sorry if I confused you. I should perhaps leave this to the pro's. However your mod will only be dependent on a particular resource if you add it to your mod. Nothing gets added automatically from other mods in your data folder. Adding stuff from other mods involves extra steps that mean you really couldn't do it accidentally.

My 'resources' folder isn't where I keep/store/backup mods. It's a collection of meshes and textures that I can edit without risk to my Oblivion data folder.

[Cheeka]

You people do realize there is no need to have to keep renaming anything at all? Just duplicate your Oblivion folder so you have 2 instances of the game, then make shortcuts to each. No renaming necessary. You can install the CS in both folders, install OBMM in each, OBSE in each, etc. Just treat each as their own game.

Well color me suprised its working, that makes things so much easier thank you