A Starfield mods not working bug is not allowing many players to load any mod. This can occur whether or not you are using Vortex from Nexus Mods or trying to load the mods manually. The trickiest part with getting mods to work with Bethesda’s latest game is mainly tied to the various Starfield “.ini” files that need to be modified and recognized by the game’s executable file. This can get easily tangled up, particularly with all the folders involved. There are a lot of reasons why your mods may not be working for Starfield, but we’ve got some solutions you can try to fix the issue.
How to fix Starfield mods not working issue
The following are some steps you can take to fix mods not working in Starfield:
- Check “StarfieldCustom.ini” filename – Make sure that the file is indeed StarfieldCustom.ini. Sometimes this can become a .txt file by accident or the filename can become all lowercase.
- Edit “Starfield.ini” instead – If you’re still having issues with the custom .ini file, we suggest editing the Starfield.ini file from the game’s folder itself instead. We recommend using Notepad++ to make sure you can read all of the characters of the file and then set the file to read-only.
- Place mods in your My Games or your Documents folder – You may also want to place the mods in both your My Games folder and the game’s Data folders. There are reports that Vortex installs mods directly into the Steam folder, which is not where they’re supposed to be. Then launch the game’s .exe directly to see if it works.
- Enable Hardlink Deployment in Vortex – Just to make sure, go to the settings in Vortex and go to Mods. From there, check to see that Hardlink Development under “Deployment Method” is enabled.
One of the problems could also come from directly copying and pasting the required text for “StarfieldCustom.ini”. Instead, use a mod like this one so that the paste job doesn’t accidentally leave anything out.
In the future, we might see a Script Extender mod that will make the modding process a lot smoother, just like the script extender mods for Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
Starfield mods not working FAQ
A: The issue often arises from complications related to various Starfield “.ini” files that must be adjusted and recognized by the game’s executable file. Also, folder arrangements and misconfigurations can be potential culprits, especially if you’re using tools like Vortex from Nexus Mods or loading mods manually.
A: Start by ensuring your “StarfieldCustom.ini” filename is correct and not accidentally saved as a .txt file. Consider editing the “Starfield.ini” file in the game folder using Notepad++ and setting it to read-only. Store mods in both your My Games and the game’s Data folders, ensuring they’re not just in the Steam folder where Vortex might place them. It’s also helpful to launch the game’s .exe directly and ensure Hardlink Deployment is enabled in Vortex settings.
A: Presently, one suggested approach is to use specific mods that help ensure the “StarfieldCustom.ini” file is formatted correctly. In the future, we might see the development of a Script Extender mod, akin to those for Fallout 4 and Skyrim, which would streamline the modding experience.
For more Starfield guides, here’s a complete list of the game’s weapon tiers and whether building an outpost is worth doing.
