I'm trying to install this Kavatch rebuilt mod: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=15412

I downloaded the file but I'm unsure what to do now. The instructions say "Extract the Kvatch Rebuilt esm, esp and bsa files to your data directory. Then, activate BOTH 'Kvatch Rebuilt.esp and 'Kvatch Rebuilt.esm' in your Oblivion launcher of choice" but I have no idea what that means.

I own the vanilla version of oblivion for the PC and have never installed a mod before. Any help?

Thanks!

Most PC Oblivion users rely on one of two major mod management utilities to install, uninstall, and manipulate mods. Those are OBMM (Oblivion Mod Manager) and Wrye-Bash. Of the two Wrye-Bash is the most full-featured and offers conflict resolution which OBMM lacks to any practical extent. OBMM, however, seems to be far easier to master. Thus many still use and prefer it. I myself was quite content with OBMM for quite some time but finally took the plunge and converted to Wrye. I now kick myself for not doing so sooner.

You can of course install and control a great many mods manually. I don't recommend it. It might seem simpler at first, but will end up biting you.

As I recall Kvatch Rebuilt is a pretty simple install, about as simple as they come. It's just three files, and textures and meshes being in a BSA insures they won't be "physically" overwritten, though they can be superseded by later installs.

I recommend you get either OBMM or Wrye Bash (or both) and at least use them to activate your Kvatch esm and esp, if nothing else. You'll also want BOSS, a utilities which automatically manages esm and esp load-order. BOSS is a super easy install, even for a beginner. Just follow instructions.

If you haven't done so, make sure your Oblivion install is up-to-date by installing the Official Patch. (If you have GOTY edition ignore this. You are already up-to-date.) If not, do a web search for Bethesda Official Oblivion Patch. There are two to choose from, depending on whether you run Shivering Isles or not. You want only one of them.

This might seem overly complex, but it's not so bad really. BOSS mostly takes care of itself, and saves you a lot of work. OBMM isn't difficult to master either. You can start out slow and just use it for esm / esp activation. Then later learn to create OMODs (install packages). You'll eventually want to migrate to Wrye-Bash, the sooner the better in my opinion, but it helps to be familiar with basic management principles first.

UPDATE:
It dawns on me that I prolly never really answered your initial question. The procedures referred to in Kvatch instructions are for a manual install. I'm not good at describing that. Believe it or not, I have never done a totally manual install of Oblivion mods containing either an esm or esp. I started out with OBMM from the get-go. My first few installs were done by manually placing files in the proper game directories, yes. But esms and eps were activated in OBMM from the start.

If you must do it manually, here's http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Tutorials.Detail&id=60 detailing the steps involved. Just read the first part. There are more up-to-date guides for OBMM and Wrye-Bash.

-Decrepit-

Wow. Your answer is more than I could have ever hoped to receive. This all looks very complicated for a person like me but I'll take you're word that it isn't too much trouble to do so. I guess I need to start with the official patch. I did install the UNofficial patch a while back so I hope they don't conflict.

Next, I'll try installing OBMM and using that to put my files into (I think) and if I mess that up, I'll try installing the files myself.

Thanks for the great help, I appreciate it!