Should Update.esm be a plugin's parent master too? If not, how do you remove it?

I would say yes, just so you are working from the updated data if you touch a record the update has also touched.

The game doesn't seem to use Update.esm... If I enable it, it's disabled the next time I open the data file selection

Any idea whats in the update file?

I just noticed in the Bethesda tutorial video, they didn't attach it. Update.esm might one day be merged with the main skyrim esm. When the game can't find a master any more, everything goes haywire.

Thats strange... I wonder whats in the file. 1.37 Mb worth of data there.

It will only end up in your plugins' masterlists if it's checked in the CK before loading your file and if bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1 in your .INI. It shouldn't be a problem if Update.ESM sneaks into your masterlist but I'd avoid it as, eventually, I'd imagine Beth will merge Update.ESM into Skyrim.ESM and any plugins still looking for Update.ESM, in Update.ESM's absence, would crash on load.

To remove it, use WryeSmash or, Talos willing, TESVEdit.

Thanks! Actually I just discovered CK can do it by selecting it, and hitting the delete key. The old CS coundn't do that. I've not tested the plugin yet though.

The game automatically loads the update esm, there is no need to check it.


The problem is that the udpate esm contains updated information for game mechanics, quests etc. So if you change existing gameplay you may end up breaking stuff without even knowing it if the esm is not loaded. I realized this while working on an enchantment overhaul. The magic effects for restore/regenerate health/magicka/stamina are lacking important keywords in the Skyrim esm which were added by the update esm. I altered those effects and some perks didn't work anymore afterwards. The reason was that my changes were done to the entries in the Skyrim esm so my plugin saved them without the keywords. That's just one example, there are more changes in the esm of course.

I'd rather load the update esm before you run into problems you didn't know of since you couldn't see them when you made your mod. Only mods that add 100% new content and don't alter existing stuff don't need to do this.

Good to know thanks! If Beth does merge it one day, then there's an easy way to fix mods that include it. I thought it had something to do with the beta originally.