Last updated May 13, 2023.
Continued from Part 3: Morrowind Graphics Extender (and More), or start at the beginning with Basic Morrowind Installation.
If you found this page via search engine while looking for instructions for using MO2 with Morrowind, go to Using Mod Organizer 2 with Morrowind – Tutorial.
If you came here from my MO2 tutorial because you’ve reached the point where I suggested you read this entry, don’t worry, it’s pretty short and does have some useful information for you. Just go back to it when you’re done here.
Now that we are through tinkering with the Morrowind Code Patch and MGE XE, it’s time to install some regular addons. We’re going to start with some important bug fixes, but first I’ll explain general addon usage, along with my suggestion for an ideal way to keep everything organized. If you’re using MO2, you won’t need some of the organizational tips, but you should read through the basics anyway.
Morrowind Addon/Mod Basics
Throughout this guide I use the terms “addon” and “mod” interchangeably. If you want to be really strict about it, some people do prefer a distinction in which “addon” refers only to the plugin-type, downloadable files you put into the Data Files folder, and “mod” refers to external programs that alter the game (like MGE XE and MCP). However, this usage is outdated, and almost everyone today refers to Morrowind addons or mods however they prefer. “Mod” is the more common term, with “addon” (or even “plugin”) generally being said by people who have been modding games for longer than the word “mod” was commonly used in this fashion. “Plugin” is also often specifically meant to refer to .esm and .esp files that need to be activated in the launcher (as opposed to stuff like texture files that come with them as part of a larger mod) but this isn’t used consistently either. I’ve been playing and modding Morrowind since 2002 (I’m practically a skeleton now), so the word “addon” slips out here and there, as does inappropriate usage of “plugin.” I hope you can forgive me.
Anyway, Morrowind addons (or mods, or plugins) include one or more of the following:
- A file ending in .esp or .esm
- Folders for the resources (like graphics) used in the mod
- Optional .esp files that act as different versions or components of the mod
- Sometimes, a .bsa file that contains the resources in the mod, rather than having them in folders
I’m going to reiterate a couple of things I mentioned earlier, just so we’re all on the same page — if you’re installing mods manually, these files and folders must go into the Data Files folder in your Morrowind directory. Most addons are packaged as an archive (like .zip or .rar) and you must make sure they’re extracted correctly. I said before that I like to use 7zip, as it’s free, handles multiple archive types, and makes it simple to extract something into its own brand-new folder for easy viewing before you start dragging stuff into Data Files. I never extract directly to the intended destination folder even when a mod’s instructions tell me to do so, because archives and extraction programs are not consistent and things can still end up in the wrong folder if it doesn’t work like the mod author expected. Having an extra Morrowind folder in your Morrowind folder will not work and neither will having “Data Files” inside “Data Files.” This is a common mistake among people new to modding and doing a manual installation.
If you are using MO2, it extracts the mods for you while installing them, which you may have already experienced in my MO2 tutorial. You only needed to personally extract some of the external tools.
By the way, if you’ve still been on the fence about MO2, this is sort of your last chance to install it without having to wipe your Morrowind folder clean first — basically starting over. If you want to use MO2, you can still install it now without having to redo anything you’ve already done, with two exceptions:
- If you already ran MGE XE from outside MO2, you’ll need to run it again from inside MO2 this time (and from now on) and regenerate your distant land (which you’re going to need to regenerate later in this guide anyway).
- You will also need to run the Morrowind Code Patch again, from the Morrowind folder the same way you did originally, and click the “Apply chosen patches” button again.
If you’re considering switching to MO2 later, you’ll need to revert your Morrowind folder to the state it’s in right now (and follow the above steps) or revert to an entirely clean installation like the backup I said to make before you installed the MCP. You should make a backup of your Morrowind folder now anyway, before we install anything else, and you can use that same backup if you eventually switch to MO2 if you don’t have a clean install backed up.
So that’s why I’m talking about this now — it’s kind of your last chance to switch to MO2 without having to restore from backup or reinstall the game. If you aren’t using it and don’t want to, no worries. Just be aware.
Now let’s talk about saving the documentation that may come with your mods, saving the archived mods themselves, and some ways to keep them organized.
Saving Mod Documentation
If you’re proceeding with a manual installation, now is also an excellent time to make a folder for all the instructions and readme files that will be included with most addons. MO2 users don’t need to do this.
Just create it wherever you want (mine is called “Docs and Readmes” and is in the Morrowind folder) and teach yourself the habit of keeping your readmes organized in there. If you have to, rename the files to be descriptive of which addon they belong to (many mods’ readmes are just called “readme.txt”). Rename them right after downloading them so they don’t accidentally get overwritten by a completely different “readme.txt.” This can be tedious and annoying, but later on you will be very happy you did it — if you don’t, you’ll lose any “readme.txt” that gets overwritten by another, and you’ll have random readmes all over the place in your Morrowind folder, Data Files, and potentially mixed among internal mod folders. You should even make folders inside your “Docs and Readmes” folder for readmes that include multiple files (this is another “Best Practices” type thing that took me way too long to start doing).
If you use MO2, you won’t need a “Docs and Readmes” folder because from inside MO2 you’ll be able to view all included text files properly associated with each mod. In that case, you can just leave the readmes alone. There may be some that aren’t correctly set up to be viewed from inside MO2, but you can find these by looking in the mod’s “Filetree” tab in MO2 or navigating on your desktop to MO2\mods and then looking in the folder that belongs to the mod in question.
Saving Downloaded Mods
If you have the disk space, you may want to consider saving the archives of the mods you download. You certainly shouldn’t delete them instantly, since you may need to reinstall a mod or reconsider an optional part of it that you decided not to install before, and later changed your mind. Saving them will give you quicker access without having to download them again, and can be handy for later reconstructing the same modded game elsewhere.
Another reason to save them is just in case something disappears from the internet. You might be surprised how often this happens — although maybe not that surprised, considering the age of the game — but you can’t always rely on your favorite mods being available forever! If you save everything you downloaded (in a safe place, and maybe with its own backup), in the future you may be the only person who still has a copy of a mod or an older version of one that others are looking for.
For a manual installation, I like to keep everything I downloaded (including both archives and installers) in a folder called “Morrowind Addons and Utilities.” That folder has others inside it where I organize them in ways that make sense to me. You can do the same.
MO2 keeps everything you download through it in its own folder at MO2\downloads. I like to just leave them in there because I can conveniently reinstall them if necessary, and they’re all kept together. Since I only download actual mods through it, all the installers and archives for utilities like Wrye Mash still go to my regular Windows downloads, so I still move these into their own separate folder somewhere. When I occasionally download a mod that can’t be downloaded through MO2 (like if “Mod Manager Download” is disabled), I prefer to just manually move that downloaded mod into MO2’s downloads folder rather than using MO2’s feature that allows you to install a mod from somewhere else on your drive. This way I can be sure my downloaded mods are all together and ready to be reinstalled or backed up as needed.
Sample Directory Structures
This is how my non-Steam Morrowind directory is set up (or was, on my old Windows 7 computer), with manual mod installation. I’ll explain point by point, and you can decide on a system that works for you. If I skip a folder in this description, it’s not relevant right now.
Local Disk (D:) – Remember we don’t want Morrowind inside C:\Program Files. Don’t get confused about me having a D:\ drive; that’s just because I’ve partitioned my hard disk so I can try to leave C:\ mostly just for the OS. Personally I don’t put anything on C:\ at all unless Windows forces me to. If you only have a C:\ drive that’s fine, just don’t install in Program Files!
D:\Morrowind Addons and Utilities – This is where I keep all the archived mods I download, in case I need to reinstall. They’re all organized into folders as well according to the type of addon they are.
D:\Morrowind Game of the Year Edition – My .iso files, which work as virtual game CDs (yes, I do own the game legally — several times over, in fact). I made these .iso files back when I was using original discs and got tired of having to load the CD into my computer. Nowadays I just use my Steam installation.
D:\Program Files – This is just a folder I made on D:\ because I was so used to having games and such in a folder named “Program Files” before I knew not to install games in there. You don’t have to do this, and in retrospect it looks silly to me now. You can just put the Morrowind folder straight onto C:\ or whatever drive. Just not into C:\Program Files — C:\Morrowind is fine, C:\Games\Morrowind is good too, or wherever else you like if you also have a partitioned hard disk.
D:\Program Files\Morrowind – The main Morrowind folder. You might be tempted to create a Bethesda Softworks folder if you play all the Elder Scrolls games and the idea of having them all “organized” appeals to you, but don’t bother; Skyrim and TESO both install straight to their own folders anyway (I don’t know what Oblivion does, because I haven’t played it in years. I’m gonna have to, though, aren’t I?). You can override this, of course, and do it how you want, but I don’t feel it’s worth the hassle.
D:\Program Files\Morrowind\Data Files – This is where Morrowind stores the files it needs to create the game world. There will be plenty of other folders in here, along with the .esp and/or .esm files that function as the “main file” of each addon. Many of these folders are self-explanatory; just make sure you don’t end up with another “Data Files” in here, as any mods installed in the second “Data Files” will be completely invisible to the game. If this happens (and if you pay attention while installing, it never will), you can fix it by opening the second “Data Files” in a new window and dragging everything inside it into the main one. Allow it to merge and overwrite if prompted (except for any files I specified not to overwrite in the related step of this guide). If you’re using MO2, this folder will be kept clean, with its default contents only.
D:\Program Files\Morrowind\Docs and Readmes – This is the folder I mentioned before, where I keep all the instructional files that come with each mod. Some of them come with multiple documents and get their own folder inside here. Do not neglect this if you’re not using MO2; if you have problems later you’ll be happy you kept this organized.
Here is my Steam Morrowind directory structure on Windows 10, again with manual mod installation just to serve as a second example. As of 2023, this was my setup until I began using MO2.
Local Disk (C:) – On this computer, I have my Steam games installed directly to the C:\ drive rather than bothering with partitions.
C:\Games – This is my preferred method now; to make a “Games” folder directly into the drive, avoiding Program Files of course. All my games go in here, whether or not they are from Steam.
C:\Games\Steam – My Steam installation, with all its weird folders.
C:\Games\Steam\steamapps – This is where Steam installs games, downloads, and other stuff all within their own folders; it’s basically a utility thing.
C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common – Finally, the actual games! They go in here.
C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common \Morrowind – The Morrowind folder.
From this point on, it’s pretty much identical to a non-Steam installation, with “Data Files” and other included Morrowind subfolders and my custom “Docs and Readmes” organization. I didn’t bother expanding the internal Morrowind folders because you get the idea now.
Notice that you’re not seeing a “Morrowind Addons and Utilities” folder in this version — I am still keeping backups of my downloads, but at the point in time I took this screenshot, I didn’t have all that much downloaded yet, so they’re just in a miscellaneous Morrowind folder on my desktop for now. After switching to MO2 the subsequent downloads are saved in its own folder anyway.
There is also no folder for .iso files, because Steam doesn’t need discs of any kind, whether virtual ones or actual CDs.
So, the main thing to learn from seeing the Steam directory is that despite all the additional things in the Steam folder, your Morrowind folder is going to look much the same as it would if you installed without using Steam. The other main point is having a “Games” folder outside of “Program Files” (even something like my dumb, fake “D:\Program Files” on my old computer was better) to ensure you don’t run into the authorization issues that come from installing some of these things in there, and to encourage you to also place your Steam installation into the “Games” folder so all your Steam and non-Steam games are equally easy to find.
Of course, if you’re using MO2, your directory is going to look a little different from these examples because MO2 uses its own folder structure for mods, instead of dumping everything into Data Files. Like I said before, it keeps your readmes organized for you, and it also keeps your downloaded mods in its own folder, so you won’t need to back them up in a different location unless you want to be extra safe. But if you learn how to use MO2, that structure will be familiar to you, and the rest of my organizational tips still apply!
Continue to Part 5: Patch for Purists and Load Order, in which we install our first regular addons and fix yet more bugs.
