Skyrim: 10 mods that stop bugs and prevent crashes (2023)

By Derek Draven

Skyrim is full of bugs and issues, but these are some of the best mods that prevent bugs and crashes and stabilize the game.

Skyrim: 10 mods that stop bugs and prevent crashes (1)

It's no secretSkyrimit is filled with many problematic bugs that cause everything from crashes to graphical errors and more.Some of Skyrim's flaws are unintentionally hilariousand was left behind by Bethesda, just for laughs. Others continue to plague players to this day, especially if they start adding mods to the game.

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Fortunately, the modding community has stepped in to do a job that Bethesda doesn't seem to want to do. The result is a plethora of patches and bug fixes that help bring a level of stability to the game. While "Oldrim" versions of many mods are available, the special edition of the game is recommended for modders who want to seriously increase their load order.

USSEP (unofficial patch for Skyrim Special Edition)

Skyrim Special Edition is a much more stable platform for modders, with many inherent bug fixes and better memory optimization. It's not perfect though, which is why popular mod author Arthmoor has created a highly acclaimed gameUSSEP. The number of bugs that this mod fixes are too numerous to mention, which is a good thing.

USSEP is not only considered one of the best patches available for Skyrim, but it is also the main prerequisite for many other mods. Technically, this should be one of, if not the first mod players installed, as it helps lay the groundwork for a much more secure foundation for modding.

SSE engine fixes (SKSE64 plugin)

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This bug fix modhelps to locate and destroy specific errors related to the Skyrim game engine. Once again, it affects a ton of bugs with everything from sleep/wait times, water animations and flow rates to issues with archery projectiles and light shadowing. The mod was last updated in January 2021, which means it's a work in progress.

SKSEis required for this mod to work. This plugin serves as a platform for many script mods and is also considered a prerequisite. Download the current SE build and extract the contents into the main Skyrim directory, then install the SSE engine patches according to the mod's instructions.

SSE fixes

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Many bug and fix mods have similar names but solve different problems.SSE fixesit is no different. After following the instructions and installing the plugin-loader DLL in the Skyrim data folder, you can add this mod. Its main function is to deal with modders who install an unusually large number of mods to their games.

If you do it right, it's possible to have over 800 to 1100 mods active at any given time in Skyrim. But many mods include an ESP or ESM file, and too many of them can slow down the game's frame rate. This mod has been reported to have a positive effect that solves this problem.

SSE bug fixes

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SSE bug fixesfixes three different issues affecting the base game of Skyrim, sometimes randomly. First, it fixes the bug with skill conditions in a few hours. The second fixes a bug where speaking skill only increased by one point after selling a large stack of items to a vendor.

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The third fixes a bug related to the character's movement speed, which is affected by the "speedmult" tag. This can cause problems when players are buffed with speed upgrades or weakened by things like poisons. This also applies to NPCs, so it's a good idea to pin this bug to your counter list.

Dragon chase fix

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Skyrim is full of fun situationsmistakes and inconsistencies that result in hilarious eventsthat just doesn't belong in the game. Few are worse than wandering out of the house after a long night's sleep, only to come face to face with the skeleton or carcass of a dragon slain the night before. This is one of Skyrim's most common and fun (many) flaws, and it can completely kill the immersion.

Dragon chase fixis designed to prevent dragon skeletons from magically following the player. This way they don't end up in the middle of cities or anywhere else the player ventures. This is one of the most ridiculous mistakes that should have been officially fixed a long time ago.

PowerOfThree forbedringer

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This mod author decided to make an accompanying bugfix patch designed to get rid of a bunch of new annoying things in the game.PowerOfThree forbedringerhandles everything from faction glitches and spellcasting issues to item and inventory issues and faction issues.

It also affects immersion bugs related to material and snow tracks, item theft, voice modulation for helmeted characters, and projectile range. It may not focus on a specific subset of bugs, but it doesn't hurt to install it along with other bug fixing mods to patch as many holes as possible.

Correction of facial discoloration

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There islots of tips for new Skyrim playersbut nothing can prepare them for the infamous facial discolouration disease. This usually happens when players have incorrectly added body and race mods in the wrong loading order, which can trigger an error. It sometimes activates randomly when entering and exiting places like taverns and houses.

This may not be a perfect solution, butCorrection of facial discolorationcan help remedy the problem. The bug is related to missing FaceGen data when using skins and head/body masks causing the discrepancy. Any solution that can help solve this problem is welcome.

The mannequins do not move

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Decorating mannequins is one of the nicer aspects of owning a home in Skyrim, but the mannequin models themselves are governed by a few rules that make them problematic. The first is the infamous pose bug, where mannequin models randomly assume certain static poses based on changes to the loading order animation.

The other problem is that mannequins tend to move randomly on their own. Players returning home can expect to find them outside the stands, in the middle of the room, etc.The mannequins do not movedoes exactly what the name suggests: glues mannequin models in a fixed position and prevents them from wandering.

Encrypted errors

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This mod that fixes many bugs requires installation.Net scripting frameworkfor it to work, so it's a good idea to download and install beforehand.Encrypted errorsfixes a number of UI, spellcasting, textures, and weapon issues while also offering some quality-of-life improvements, such as automatically selecting the best arrows to use when a type runs out.

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The best mods that fix bugs are the ones you can't see or feel, and they fix a lot of problems at the same time. There's even an .ini configuration file that allows players to choose which patches and bug fixes remain active if they want to customize the experience even more.

Fixed mesh flicker

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Light sources in Skyrim are very poorly supported, as the game engine can only render four lights per mesh and four lights that cast shadows per cell. This is a big problem for modders who like to brighten up the surrounding environment with more lighting related mods for greater immersion and graphical depth.

Fixed mesh flickerhelps solve one of these problems by adjusting the BSTriShape value using a rather ingenious method. It's not ideal, but it allows more light to hit a particular surface and register them correctly. It also works with many light mods, including Enhanced Lights and FX, Lanterns of Skyrim II and Tamriel Master Lights.

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FAQs

Skyrim: 10 mods that stop bugs and prevent crashes? ›

The only way to fix the majority of Skyrm Anniversary Edition glitches is to roll back Skyrim's game version, though this can only be done through player-made mods.

How do I stop Skyrim from crashing with mods? ›

Mod Conflict
  1. Open your load order.
  2. Disable half of your currently active mods, ensuring that no dependencies break upon doing so.
  3. Start Skyrim to see if the issue persists.
  4. If so, disable half of your currently active mods again and test once again.
  5. Repeat until the problem goes away.
Nov 21, 2021

How do I stop my Skyrim from crashing? ›

First, try resetting the auto-detected video options:
  1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
  2. Select The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition.
  3. Click Play to open the Skyrim SE Launcher.
  4. From the launcher, select Options and then click the Reset button in the Detail section.

How do you fix bugs in Skyrim? ›

The only way to fix the majority of Skyrm Anniversary Edition glitches is to roll back Skyrim's game version, though this can only be done through player-made mods.

Will Bethesda fix Skyrim bugs? ›

Following the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition on November 11th, Bethesda revealed that they are working on a new patch for the game on PS4 and PS5.

Why is my Skyrim crashing so much? ›

Note: If the game has been recently updated, mods and addons may not work properly until they are updated by the Mod creator. This can cause unforeseen issues, for example, black screens, crashes, and visual UI errors. To eliminate these as the cause, you will need to completely remove mods from your game.

Why do Bethesda games crash so much? ›

Simple. The engine. The creation engine is just an enhanced proprietary version of the gamebryo engine, which has been in use since they made morrowind. Unsurprisingly, an engine made over a decade ago is unstable on modern systems, and that's besides the already buggy nature of the engine itself.

Why does Elder Scrolls keep crashing? ›

Verify Integrity of Game Files on Steam

Sometimes, an issue with crashing can be caused by a corrupted file with the game and your computer. To resolve this, you can scan the game for errors.

Why do I keep crashing in whiterun? ›

Probably a conflict of cell edits to whiterun and the surrounding area. First thing to do would be use the loot tool. Sort your load order, then start a new game and head straight for whiterun. If you crash again, you'll have to take a close look at which of your mods are editing the whiterun area.

How many mods can Skyrim se handle? ›

esm and . esp files. The . esl files occupy the FE (254) slot and you have four slots occupied by the official content (Update, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn), so it's 250 rather than 255 in practice.

How many bugs are in a jar in Skyrim? ›

The five bugs in the jars – a bee, a moth, a butterfly, a dragonfly and a torchbug, each have a unique inscription on the lids. Because of this, players assumed that they either featured a secret message or directions – in other words, a way to find a quest.

Will Skyrim Anniversary Edition fix bugs? ›

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is pretty notorious for being laden with bugs, but it looks as though the developer has at least quashed this severe one. Bethesda has finally put an end to a pretty severe glitch in the Anniversary Edition of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

Did Skyrim Special Edition fix bugs? ›

Skyrim's Special and Anniversary Editions have received a critical update that fixes several bugs including the saves issue for PlayStation users.

What is the bug thing in Skyrim? ›

Chaurus are deadly insect-like creatures. But unlike most insects, they are almost as tall as humans.

Why can't Bethesda do ladders? ›

We don't have them," he said. Where are the ladders?!? Howard explained the primary reason for not being able to include ladders into environments is due to their engine, saying ladders caused problems for character AI. "One day, we tried to figure out why we wanted ladders so bad because we don't really need them.

How often does Skyrim crash? ›

every 15-30 minutes. In SSE, almost never (with 400+ merged plugins and over 600+ meshes/textures mods running all together).

Where are Skyrim crash logs? ›

Crash logs are saved in the game directory (next to SkyrimSE.exe). The plugin log file (crash_log_se. log) is now located in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\SKSE.

How do you find out what mod is crashing Skyrim? ›

Check the console for an error message. Additionally, check the crash-reports folder for crash report files. You can access the crash-reports folder by clicking on Files in Command Center. In the error messages, you can usually make out the name of the mod that is causing the issue.

How do you find out what mod is crashing in Skyrim? ›

To find out what's missing and or out of order with TES5Edit run the utility then right click and choose select all then ok let it scan the plugins, if there is anything wrong it will stop and tell you (in the right pane) which mods are missing master(s) or which plugins are out of order.

How do I know which mod makes Skyrim crash? ›

The first step in identifying the cause of any crash is to enable logging so that Skyrim will tell you exactly what happened before the game crashed. By looking at what is happening to cause the crash, we can then determine which mod is causing the crash itself. To enable logging, we need to edit your Skyrim. ini file.

Why do my Skyrim mods keep deactivating? ›

If your subscribed mods continually revert to a 'Disabled' state (unticked in the 'Installed Workshop Mods' list), it's likely because your user_settings. config is set to 'Read-only'. This can be changed by: Press the Windows key + R.

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