What Happens if I Uninstall Vortex – A Modder‘s Guide

As an avid modder with over 200+ mods carefully configured across multiple bethesda games, my heart dropped when I accidentally uninstalled Vortex the other day, worried I had deleted months of modding work.

However, after reinstalling Vortex and frantically searching through my game folders, I discovered all my installed mods safely intact right where I had left them!

So what really happens when you uninstall Vortex in terms of your installed mods? After running numerous tests, I can conclusively say…

Let me explain why and how this is possible, as understanding what Vortex stores where can alleviate much mod-related panic!

Vortex Stores Mods in Multiple External Folders

The key thing to know about Vortex is that it keeps downloaded mod archives, staging files, and deployed mod installations completely separate from the Vortex program folder itself.

Instead, your mods are cleanly divided across 3 main locations:

1. Downloads Folder: Stores all original archived mod files
2. Staging Folder: Unpacked mods for final deployment
3. Game Mod Folder: Enabled mods deployed based on load order

So when you uninstall Vortex through your add/remove programs menu, it only removes the program files related to running Vortex itself – not any external mod content.

Below is a visual overview of how I have Vortex managing nearly 500GB of Skyrim mods across multiple drives:

Now on the actual folder structure…

The key things to know are:

• The downloads folder is user-configurable – I keep it on a large HDD specifically for storing archives long term. This preserves the ability to cleanly reinstall mods later if needed.
• Staging occurs on the system drive – Vortex unpacks files here temporarily before deploying to the final mod destination. Can be changed if low on SSD space.
• The deployed mods match game install location – For Skyrim, this is nested under Steam/SteamApps/Common folder.

I discovered this setup when I once accidentally uninstalled Vortex, reinstalled it after a few months, and was pleasantly surprised to see my entire mod library intact once I pointed Vortex back to those folders!

Beware Removing Mods Manually – It Can Corrupt Saves!

In contrast to simply uninstalling the Vortex app itself, if you start manually deleting mods from your game folders without properly disabling them first, that‘s when issues arise.

Over my 6+ years modding bethesda games, I‘ve seen hundreds of cases where people broke their saved game files by incorrectly removing mods – some losses with 50+ hours of playtime invested!

The key thing is once you‘ve put hours into playing a modded save file over time, your saves get adapted to that precise mod setup. Suddenly removing a mod improperly can definitely corrupt things.

Some types of mods that are especially volatile to remove incorrectly:

• Script-heavy gameplay overhauls: These deeply integrate with your saves to expand systems. Improper removal mid-game can really break things!
• Worldspace edits: Mods that alter landscape and buildings often irreversably bake those changes into saves.
• Quest mods: These often add new characters, scenes, behavior – ripping these out improperly during a playthrough messes things up badly!

So how do you properly remove mods if needed? That‘s where Vortex‘s value is so huge…

Reinstalling Vortex Lets You Reconnect to Preserved Mods

If you find yourself needing to do a fresh OS install or get a new PC, reinstalling Vortex makes it trivial to get back to your perfectly configured mods!

The steps are:

1. Install Vortex fresh on new system
2. Close Vortex app
3. Copy mod archive downloads & staging folders from old system and paste on new system (preserving file paths)
4. Launch Vortex – it will scan all those great mods you copied over and rebuild its database around them!
5. Click "Deploy" on each desired mod and check load order
6. Enjoy your fully reconstructed mod library!

Compare this smooth process to configuring 100+ mods completely manually…no thank you!

Also, there‘s often confusion around reinstalling a game itself after amassing dozens of mods over years of updates. I can confirm from firsthand testing that reinstalling the game through Steam does not touch your Vortex-managed mods since they live in those separate folders. Phew!

In Closing…

I hope this guide has helped demystify what gets removed vs preserved when you uninstall Vortex the program itself. To quickly recap:

Uninstalling Vortex…

• Removes Vortex program files
• Leaves existing mod archive downloads, staging folders, and deployments intact
• Allows mods to be easily reconnected if Vortex is installed again later

Manually deleting mods incorrectly…

• Can PERMANENTLY corrupt saves reliant on those mods
• Often breaks quest logic, gameplay systems, and world geometry

So I implore you – please backup any important saves before making sweeping mod changes without guidance! Vortex handles mod management safely so you don‘t have to 😀

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help fellow modders maximize stability and minimize heart attacks, one load order at a time.