I have been playing for about 3 in-game months. When I return to Helgen, the doors are locked, but no bandits inside, or inside the Keep.

Do I need to visit there once, THEN wait a period of time outside the cell then return once more to make them appear?

I thought the trick was just to not go there at all for at least 30 days.

Apparently, I am doing something in the wrong order.

They respawn every 3 In-game days.

You should probaly just adventurer away from the area for a while.

That's the thing. I have been completely out of that cell for 3 months.

Are you saying that even after they are killed, they still respawn again and again every 3 days?

Yessiree bob

Then I think my theory may be true. I think in order to get them to appear for the first time, you have to visit there at least once.

Then go away for 3 days.

Because I have not returned there one time since the beginning and I have been away from that cell for 3 months.

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Congratulations on your 20 years on Bandit spawning research... Here is your trophy!

As far as my experience with Helgen suggests, you must have completed Dragon Rising before any bandits spawn there. A few days after the attack by Alduin the fires go out, but the bandits don't spawn either outside or inside until you've completed Dragon Rising. At least, they haven't spawned there prior to that during my play-throughs.

I just took a quick look in the Creation Kit, and it seems like all you need is to have visited Whiterun at lest 4 days after escaping from Helgen. So I dunno what's going wrong there - I assume you have been to Whiterun?

That's it! I haven't been to Whiterun! Thank you!

I don't get it.