SyncCrate
Skyrim Special Edition guide · Updated
Your Skyrim mod setup on another PC.
Share a modded Skyrim Special Edition setup with a friend for Skyrim Together, or move it to a new PC. SyncCrate copies the host's Data folder, and after the first time only the files that changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
Also for Skyrim (Legendary Edition).
// 01 Why
Why moving a Skyrim mod setup is hard
A modded Skyrim can be hundreds of mods and many gigabytes of plugins, archives, meshes and textures. Rebuilding that on a second PC, or getting a friend's game to match yours for Skyrim Together Reborn, means repeating every download and every choice you made.
Copying the Data folder by hand works once, but it's slow, easy to get wrong, and out of date as soon as you add another mod.
SyncCrate copies the host's Data folder to the other PC, compares every file by content, and after the first sync sends only new and changed files. You see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Skyrim Special Edition
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods & Plugins | Data/Plugins (.esp, .esm, .esl), archives (.bsa), scripts, SKSE plugins in Data/SKSE/Plugins and loose files. The layout is copied exactly. | .esm .esp .esl .bsa .ba2 .pex .dll .ini .json .swf |
// Where it looks
- Steam
steamapps/common/Skyrim Special Editionin every Steam library, on every drive- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Skyrim Special Edition
- Script warnings.
.dlland.pexfiles run code on your PC, so they're flagged for you to review before they sync. - Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Skyrim Special Edition is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Skyrim Special Edition in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Skyrim Special Edition in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipEach PC needs the same game version (Special Edition or Anniversary Edition, same update) and its own SKSE, installed once. SKSE plugins built for one game version often don't load on another.
// 04 Common problems
When Skyrim Special Edition mods don't match
Skyrim Together: mods don't match
Skyrim Together Reborn works best when every player runs the same mods. Different plugins or versions cause missing items, desyncs and crashes.
Everyone syncs the host's Data folder, so plugins, archives and loose files match file for file.
SKSE plugins for the wrong game version
SKSE plugins (
.dll) are built for a specific Skyrim version. After a Steam update, or between Special and Anniversary Edition, they fail to load.Once every PC runs the same game version, syncing gives them the host's exact plugin files too. SKSE plugins and scripts are flagged before they sync, so you know what runs code.
Load order isn't in the Data folder
Which plugins are active, and in what order, is stored in
plugins.txtin your AppData folder, not in Data. Copying Data alone leaves new plugins switched off.SyncCrate copies the files. After a sync, open your mod manager (or LOOT) on the other PC and enable and sort the new plugins, once.
Gigabytes of textures every time
Texture packs make copying slow, and zipping the whole folder again for one new mod wastes an evening.
Files are compared by hash and only the differences are copied, at local network speed when both PCs are at home.
// 05 Skyrim Special Edition
Good to know
- Only mods sync. Skyrim's own files in Data (
Skyrim.esm, the official archives, the DLC and Creation Club / Anniversary content) are skipped, so nothing paid is copied and base files are never replaced. Each PC needs its own Anniversary Upgrade if mods require it. - Vortex or manual installs, not Mod Organizer 2. SyncCrate copies what's really in the Data folder. MO2 keeps mods in its own folder and only shows them to the game while it runs, so an MO2 setup has nothing in Data to copy.
- Your settings stay yours.
Skyrim.ini,SkyrimPrefs.iniand saves live in Documents, and only the Data folder syncs. - SKSE itself (
skse64_loader.exe) sits next to the game's exe and isn't copied. Install it on each PC. - Scripts run code.
.dlland.pexfiles are flagged before they sync, and nothing changes until you approve the list. Only sync with people you trust.
// FAQ
Skyrim Special Edition questions
Can I copy my Skyrim mods to another PC?
Yes. Install SyncCrate on both PCs, host on the one with your setup and join from the other, then Compare & Sync. It copies the Data folder directly between the two PCs, with nothing uploaded anywhere. Then enable the new plugins in your mod manager.
Does it work with Vortex?
Yes. Vortex deploys mods into the Data folder, and SyncCrate syncs what's there. On the other PC, the synced files are plain files, not Vortex-managed mods.
Does it work with Mod Organizer 2?
No. MO2 keeps mods in its own folder and adds them to the game only while it runs, so the Data folder SyncCrate copies doesn't contain them. Vortex and manual installs work.
Does it sync my load order?
No. The load order lives in plugins.txt in your AppData folder, outside the game folder. After a sync, enable and sort the plugins on the other PC with your mod manager or LOOT.
Is it for Skyrim Special Edition or the original Skyrim?
This page is about Special Edition (including Anniversary Edition content). The original 2011 Skyrim (Legendary Edition) is a separate game in SyncCrate.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Skyrim Special Edition setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.