Utilities

In this step, we will install the prerequisite patches and tools we will need before modding our game.

Morrowind Code Patch

• Download the Morrowind Code Patch (Main files - Manual Download).

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder.

• Download the MCP beta (Update files - Manual Download).

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder, and overwrite when prompted.

• Run Morrowind Code Patch.exe.

• Install the patches listed on this spreadsheet.

• Click Apply chosen patches, and exit.

A backup of Morrowind.exe (pre-patch) will apear in your Root folder, named Morrowind.Original.exe.

Directly patches bugs in Morrowind.exe which can't be otherwise fixed by installing mods.

MGE XE

• Download MGE XE Manual Install (Main files - Manual Download).

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder.

• Run MWSE-Update.exe. This will update MWSE to the latest version.

• Delete XE Sky Variations.esp from your Data Files folder. This plugin won't be necessary after we install Weather Adjuster in the main guide.

Allows Morrowind to render distant views, scenery shadows, high quality shaders and other features, as well as install the latest MWSE version, which allows Lua-based mods to function.

tes3cmd

• Download tes3cmd.

• Place tes3cmd.exe in your Data Files folder.

Cleans plugins by automatically deleting identical-to-master records, usually unintended by the author, which may override intended changes by other mods.

TES3Merge

• Install .NET 6.0. Be sure to install 6.0 and not 7.0, or else TES3Merge won't run.

• Download TES3Merge (Main files - Manual Download).

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder.

• Download TES3Merge Custom INI.

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder, and overwrite when prompted. This file includes updated merging rules to ensure no merging issues with the mods installed in the guide.

Solves conflicts by merging conflicting records into a separate plugin.

Wrye Mash

• Download Wrye Mash 2021 - x64.

• From the downloaded archive, extract everything to the game's Root folder.

• Run mash64.exe, found in Morrowind\Mopy.

• Click Next.

• Fill the paths as follows:

  • Morrowind directory: select your Root folder. A message should state that morrowind.ini and the Data Files folder were found.

  • Mods Installers directory: select your Games folder. This path is indistinct, as we will not use Wrye Mash to install mods.

• Click Next and then click Finish.

• Click Yes on the MWSE detected pop-up. If you are not greeted with this pop-up or misclicked, do the following:

  • Click the cog wheel button at the bottom of the window to open the Wrye Mash Settings window.

  • Click the Advanced tab, and check the option to add support for up to 1024 plugins. Failing to enable this option can cause you to be unable to repair your saves.

  • Click OK.

• Close Wrye Mash.

Mlox is a tool to analyze and sort your plugin order. However, there's no need to install it when following Morrowind Sharp, as I'll provide the optimal load order for the mods recommended here.

Repairs and updates saves, updates the masters of mods, and runs tes3cmd.exe in order to clean plugins and generate a plugin which fixes a number of issues with mod setups.