Purpose of the Tools Tab

The Tools tab provides a collection of utility tools for maintaining and troubleshooting your mod setup. These tools help you:

Tip: Select a tool from the left panel to view its interface on the right. Each tool operates independently.

Selecting Tools

The Tools tab has a two-panel layout:

Available tools:

ToolPurpose
MaintenanceRebuild index, fix markers, and fix mod names
Duplicate FinderFind and remove duplicate mod installations
Missing MastersScan plugins for missing master dependencies
Root InstallManage files deployed to the game folder

Maintenance Tool

The Maintenance tool helps fix issues with the Collections Manager's internal tracking. Use it when:

Rebuild Index

Scans your downloads and mods folders to rebuild the collections index from scratch.

What it does:

Note: This operation can take time on large mod lists. A progress dialog will show the status.

Fix Markers

Repairs and updates marker files that track collection membership.

What it does:

Fix Names

Renames mod folders to match the collection's naming convention.

What it does:

Naming Priority: logical_filename > mod_page_name > file_name. Generic names like "Main File" fall back to the mod page name.

Cleanup Orphans

Removes index entries for files that no longer exist. This is a fast operation that runs automatically when collections load.

What it does:

Run All

The Run All button executes maintenance operations in the correct order: Fix Markers, Rebuild Index, then Fix Names. This order matters because the index rebuild reads from marker files, so markers must be fixed first.

Duplicate Finder Tool

Scans your installed mods to find duplicates and orphans. Includes smart selection to help choose which copies to keep.

Scan Modes

ModeDescription
Same Mod IDDifferent versions of the same Nexus mod (default)
Same File IDExact duplicates - same file installed multiple times
Same NameMatch by normalized name - catches renamed duplicates
OrphansMods not in any loaded collection

Smart Keeper Selection

When duplicates are found, the tool automatically suggests which copy to keep based on:

  1. Whether it belongs to the currently loaded collection
  2. Mod type: Essential > Optional > External
  3. Folder size (larger = more complete)
  4. Installation date (most recent)

Removing Duplicates

  1. Select a scan mode from the dropdown
  2. Click Scan to find duplicates
  3. Review the results - duplicates are grouped together
  4. Select which copies to remove (suggested keepers are pre-selected)
  5. Click Remove Selected to delete the duplicates
Caution: Removing mods is permanent. Make sure you're removing the correct copies before confirming.

Orphan Matching

In Orphans mode, you can match untracked mods against a loaded collection:

  1. Load a collection in Collections Manager
  2. Switch to Orphans mode and scan
  3. Select orphan mods that belong to the collection
  4. Click Match Against Collection

This updates or creates marker files to include the collection info, helping Collections Manager track the mods correctly.

Missing Masters Tool

Scans your active plugins for missing master dependencies. A missing master means a plugin requires another plugin that isn't present or enabled.

Experimental: This tool is marked experimental. Click "I Understand" to access it.

Scanning for Missing Masters

  1. Click Scan to analyze active plugins
  2. The table shows plugins with missing dependencies
  3. Each row shows the plugin name and its missing master(s)

Resolving Missing Masters

For each missing master, you can:

Common causes: Missing masters often occur when a patch mod is installed without its required base mod, or when a mod is disabled but its patches remain active.

Root Install Tool

Manages files that must be deployed directly to the game folder rather than through MO2's virtual file system.

Game Folder Files

Some mods include files that need to be in the actual game directory:

Root Install Banner

When root-install mods are detected, an orange banner appears at the top of the plugin:

Install Rules

The Root Install tool provides two tabs:

Install to Game Folder

Shows mods that have files requiring game folder installation:

Marking Mods as Done

Click the Done button on each mod after you've copied its files to the game folder:

Install Rules

Manages rules for automatic root file handling:

When to Use Each Tool

Use Maintenance when:

Use Duplicate Finder when:

Use Missing Masters when:

Use Root Install when: