Fix: SKYUI Error Code 1

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on March 10, 2023
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

SKYUI Error Code 1 is an error Skyrim players encounter when they have installed and are trying to launch Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE). SKSE is used for modding and is one of the extensive mod programs out there which isn’t meant for the normal user.

SKYUI Error Code 1

SKSE is still under development which is why users might encounter the error message every now and then whenever a new update is released for Skyrim through Steam. This error message mostly points towards two things: either you have not performed the installation correctly or there is some problem with the executable SKSE64.

What causes ‘SKYUI Error Code 1’ when launching Skyrim through SKSE?

This error message is very generic and can occur to a number of different users for simplest of reasons. Some of the reasons why this error message occurs are but not limited to:

  • Administrator privileges: SKSE requires that you run it using administrator privileges. This is because the program mods the existing Skyrim game some of the actions it performs requires elevation.
  • Incorrect installation: The SKSE installation you performed might not be done correctly. Installing SKSE is a very specific task which requires that you follow each and every step. Any skipping might cause the error message.

Before you move on to the solutions, make sure that you have a proper installation of Skyrim on your computer which is updated to the latest build from Steam. Furthermore, you should also be logged in as an administrator on your computer.

Solution 1: Running SKSE64 as an Administrator

Like mentioned in the causes, Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) requires administrator access in order to get installed correctly on your computer. Furthermore, it also requires elevation whenever it launches because technically it is running on top of Skyrim on Steam. To do that, it requires more permission than normal applications.

  1. Right-click on SKSE64 from the directory and select Properties.
  2. Select the tab compatibility and check the option Run this program as an administrator.
    Getting SKSE to launch as Administrator
  1. Press Apply to save changes and exit. Now launch the application and check if the error message went away.

Solution 2: Installing SKSE properly

If you have not installed SKSE properly on your computer, you might experience this error message. If SKSE is missing any files or have some modules missing, it will not be able to launch. Instead of giving the specific error message, it returns the generic error ‘SKYUI Error Code 1’. Here will go through how to install SKSE properly on your computer using two methods.

Using Mod Manager

  1. Download SKSE from the official website.
  2. Now open the SKSE64_2_00_04 folder further navigate into Data Now you will see Scripts present here. Right-click on it and create an archive. You can use any archiving software available on the internet.
Archiving Scripts Folder
  1. Now rename the created archive to “SKSE64-Scripts” or something similar so you can easily recognize it.
  2. Now you simply need to install the archive using whichever manager you are using for modding. This method works with Vortex, MO2, or WB. and when it comes time to update, simply uncheck the present skse64-scripts archive in favor of the new version.

Now after you have installed the archive, you would need to make a shortcut to SKSE64loader.exe and use this to start your game. MO2 users will have no issues since the loader is already recognized in it. WB users can easily copy the shortcut we created to the Apps folder in the MOPY folder so they can have the SKSE binary available in WB as well.

Installing Manually

If you are not using the mod manager, you can easily follow this manual approach and install SKSE on your computer. Here we will copy paste a few lines.

  1. Download SKSE from the official website.
  2. Now extract the contents to an accessible location. Now open the SKSE64_2_00_04 folder and open the second SKSE64_2_00_04 folder.
Selecting SKSE files for copying
  1. Now as in the image above, highlight the following files:
skse64_1_5_3.dll

skse64_loader.exe

skse64_steam_loader.dll

Copy these files and paste them to your SSE game folder. This folder is usually located at the following path:

X:/Steam/SteamApps/Common/Skyrim Special Edition

Here (X) is the driver where Steam is installed.

  1. Now navigate to the Scripts folder present inside SKSE64_2_00_04 folder (Not the Data folder inside Skyrim special edition). Now when you are inside the Scripts folder, highlight all the .PEX files and copy them.
Copying all .PEX files
  1. Now paste them in the game’s script folder. This folder is usually located in the following directory where (X) is the directory where Steam is installed.
X:/SteamApps/Common/Skyrim Special Edition/Data/scripts.
  1. Now right-click on exe in the game folder and select Send to > Desktop (Shortcut). You can use this to launch the game.

These are two methods which are used to install SKSE on your Skyrim. However, we recommend that you make use of the first method (Using Mod Manager) since it has much stability and is less prone to issues.

Note: SKSE is in an alpha stage is currently undergoes several developments every now and then. Whenever a new patch is released, make sure that you update it to remove all bugs and to introduce new features.

 

Kevin ArrowsUpdated on March 10, 2023
Kevin is a certified Network Engineer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

6
    SH
    Seraph Havoc Jun 12, 2019

    Thank you soooo much for this!!!!!

    Reply
    MG
    Monsieur Guy Sep 11, 2019

    This worked great! Thanks so much

    Reply
    RI
    Rostyslav Ivantsiv Jan 15, 2021

    Solution 1: Running SKSE64 as an Administrator

    worked for me. TY!

    Reply
    DR
    Dragonborn Aug 15, 2022

    You definitely need to install SKSE correctly as noted above and per the 4 points below. However, that’s not going to solve this problem for a lot of people.

    1) You must go to Silverlock.org to download SKSE – the executable is not on NexusMods.
    2) You should install the AE version build 2.1.5 if you have SE (not the SE v2.0.20).
    3) Use your mod manager (Vortex, MO2 – not NMM!) to install it. New versions of these now do it correctly and there’s no need to install it manually like the old days.
    4) All of the articles telling you to edit the mod manager .ini file and add a “*” in front of SKSE entry are based on old versions that didn’t work well. This is obsolete in 2022.

    The second major issue that people thrash over is where they’ve installed their games and mods. It’s perfectly fine to install Steam itself in the default location of C:Programs. However, this is less than ideal for your games and mods. Windows security is very picky about security privileges in systems directories. Script injection engines like SKSE (and mods that depend on them) do a couple of things that require admin privileges.
    1) If your normal Windows login has admin privileges (very poor cybersecurity practice), then you’re home free and everything will run fine if installed in C:Program (or anywhere else).
    2) If you’re logging into your PC with a non-administrator account AND you installed your games in C:Programs, you’re going to need to follow the admonitions of the various threads and use the properties tab of the SKSE_loader.exe to “Run this program as an administrator”.
    3) You really should install Skyrim, SKSE and everything other game on a separate drive or partition. This enables all of the executables to function normally without needing elevated privileges and keeps you less vulnerable to rogue mods and other threats.

    Great you say, I’ve installed SKSE correctly from Silverlock and I’ve also installed it in the correct location with the correct privileges on my PC. However, when I launch Skyrim via SKSE (not SkyrimSE.exe), I still get this stupid error message! Have you stopped to really observe what’s happening? SKSE is clearly launching and so is Skyrim. Thus, the problem is with SkyUI – NOT with SKSE! For some reason, it’s not correctly detecting that SKSE is already running. Well, WTF? Without getting into the weeds, SKSE opens a connection to Steam to authenticate you so that it can launch Skyrim.

    Effectively, it’s like when you’re in Skyrim and you open the door without knocking – inhabitants may be surprised or angry. The door is open, but you’re not really welcome. On the other hand if you knock, they open the door and you have a chat and they invite you in. That’s what happens when you launch the Steam client first and THEN launch SKSE. You can even close the Steam client after it completely launchs and SKSE will still launch Skyrim without any SkyUI error. SkyUI is like your follower who stands outside the door of that private residence and says “that’s not right of you going in there without permission.” It sees the open door, but refuses to participate in your plans.

    So what are your options?
    1) Manually launch Steam.exe, then launch SKSE64_loader.exe
    2) Add SKSE to your Steam library as an “external application” and launch from there
    3) Add Steam and SKSE to Vortex and launch them in that order (waiting for the Steam client to appear before launching SKSE)
    4) Write a cool batch file to automate this for yourself or download a SKSE launch mod

    Reply
      MZ
      Muhammad Zubyan Author Aug 16, 2022

      Thank you so much for your input! We will definitely consider adding this information to our article.

      Reply
    FR
    Fraser Dec 2, 2023

    I don’t normally comment on these articles but I would just like to let the author know that I AM VERY THANKFUL BECAUSE YOU SAVED ME SO MUCH STRESS.

    Solution number 2 did it for me. I should know how to do this! I modded this back in 2018 like a mad man and now I have fallen behind the times. Thank you so much.

    I want you to know that I went through the hassle of making an account just to thank you.

    Reply