Since I heard it was a useful tool, I installed it and pressed the just fix it button. But it changed a whole lot of files. Did it change anything essential that would make my game unplayable in the future?

The files changed include: ROHT.esm 1.5, the TR esm's, Unique Banners and Signs, Window Glow, KS Julan Ahslander, Creatures.esp, the Less Generic NPC's files, Expanded sounds, Graphic Herbalism, Animated Morrowind, some BTBGI files, and a few others. Should I be worried that this will break my game?

And during the fix process it crashed when it reached BTB Equipment plugin. I asked if anybody knows the reason in the Mod's thread too.

just fix it is a bad idea from what i understand it's buggy.

tools to use

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=other.detail&id=53
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=utilities.detail&id=34 (cleaning only)
http://code.google.com/p/mlox/wiki/Mlox (Load order, Mods needing cleaning,Conflicts and patches)
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=other.detail&id=52 (All kinds of great stuff)

Most likely. TESTool is useful for creating a Merged Objects file, and maybe cleaning those mods that specifically need cleaning, although I hear there's a few other tools that do a better job at that. Under no circumstances should the "Just Fix It!" or Merged Dialog options be used, due to an alarming propensity for breaking mods (and thus, when used in an existing game, turning your save into a fireball visible from Pluto).

If you have a backup of those .esp files that were changed, I would use those to overwrite the files TESTool messed with. Or just download the mods again and overwrite the .esps, if it comes to that. If you haven't saved your game with the TESTool'd esps in the mix, you should be good to carry on in your game as if none of this ever happened.

Meanwhile, if you're really looking for a magic wand to wave over your load order, http://code.google.com/p/mlox/wiki/Mlox is enormously helpful, especially when combined with Wrye Mash.

It's true! I saw it happen!


Agreeing with what others have said...
TESTool is good at cleaning: The "Clean ESP/ESM" function.
And the "Merge Objects" function.

Everything else can be handled by Wrye Mash, Mlox, SmartMerger, etc

It seems everything is a big mess in my install now, just by a simple press of a button. I will fix it soon.

Besides that, how can I solve the problem with the "Merged Objects"? The program CTD's when it reaches BTB Equipment Plugin.

Yes, it is true that you should never click the "Just fix it" button or try to merge dialogs with Testool. If you did that, I doubt you can get your game working again without reverting to backups or reinstalling.

Perhaps some .exe hackers here could create a version of testool which would do nothing if those buttons are pressed, and then all file hostings sites would delete the original version from their servers?

But the reason for your crashing is that Testool is like that, if you try to merge too many mods at a time. Try merging only a few mods at a time, or look at the Smartmerger program, available at the Planetelderscrolls.com.

Thank you all for the replies, I replaced the modified esm's and esp's with the originals and I hope that this way I reverted the changes. This tool "cleans" just the esm's and esp's, right? It doesn't modify any of the game files to "clean" them I hope?

It doesn't modify any files, it just removes any GMSTs that might be there, and removes AMBI and CELL junk that gets made when you mod in the CS.

In the TESTool Options, you can turn on "Don't change Plug-in Name" so that it doesn't make a new esp with the annoying Clean name after cleaning. Highly recommended you do that, otherwise Mlox will not recognize the new esp.

I decided to avoid cleaning for now just not to break anything.

Bad idea.
Using the "Clean esp/esm" function is perfectly safe in almost every single case. (there are a very small number of mods that recommend you do not clean, but that info will be in the ReadMe)

You want to clean your mods in some manner, and TESTool is easy for beginners. This ensures no bad GMSTs.
Unless you know how to recognize problems and clean them with another tool, like EE or TESAME, I recommend TESTool.

Then it seems that I underestimated the usefulness of this tool. I will try to understand it and use it correctly then.

Actually for cleaning mods, I'd use http://code.google.com/p/mlox/wiki/Tes3cmd. It's a better cleaning option. Cleans more and it better written. The only problem is it's command line only. So if that's an issue just stick to Testool and clean only (w/ restrictive cell and dialogue checked) But you should definately clean mods, due to the nature of the TESCS tons of unwanted junk ends up hidding inside.

:rofl:



Aha! tes3cmd is the other cleaning tool I was thinking of earlier. I should try that one sometime. And yes, cleaning mods is a good idea...though I try to stick with only those mods that are in need of spring cleaning. mlox will sometimes report back on "dirty" mods, and http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=utilities.detail&id=24 will too--although you have to be wary with TESPCD. Some of the unclean (IE, identical to the master files) entries it reports are supposed to be there...a number of entries in the Morrowind Patch Project, for instance. Though usually those are noted in a mod's readme. Which you would have read, right? Right.

I've been cleaning mods with TESTool with "Restricted dialogue cleaning" and "Restricted cell cleaning" checked for a couple years and its never led me astray. I read in a big long thread (painful to read through) about it a while ago from someone that sounded like he knew what he was talking about (he went into more detail about it there) that that's the easiest + safest way to do it for someone that doesn't know what they are doing. I don't know what the alternative result is of cleaning without those options check-marked and I don't care -- as long as my current method works, I'm happy. I probably shouldn't but I clean mods where the modder says "don't clean" in the readme, using this method, and don't have any problems. (That last bit isn't advice btw, just my experience. Use at your own risk.)