Migration from Windows

Migration from Windows to Linux

Want to move your mods from Windows (MO2) to Linux (Anvil Organizer)? This guide covers all available methods.

Prerequisites

• Anvil Organizer installed on Linux
• Access to your MO2 data (via one of the methods below)

Method 1: GoodbyeWindows Toolkit (Recommended)

GoodbyeWindows is a free tool that automates the migration process.

Workflow

1. Windows: Run GoodbyeWindows Exporter
2. Windows: Select MO2 instance → export
3. Transfer: Move .gbw file via USB, cloud, or network
4. Linux: Run GoodbyeWindows Importer → import into Anvil

Export Modes

Mode	Size	What gets transferred?
Metadata only (.gbw)	~KB	Load order, Nexus IDs, categories — mods must be re-downloaded on Linux
Full export	Several GB	All mod files + metadata to USB/external drive
Network	Several GB	Direct transfer over LAN (no USB needed)

Method 2: Read NTFS Partition Directly (Dual-Boot)

If you have Windows and Linux on the same machine, you can read MO2 data directly from the Windows partition.

Mounting an NTFS Partition

1. Find your partition:

lsblk -f

Look for partitions with ntfs or ntfs3 as filesystem. Typically: /dev/sda1, /dev/nvme0n1p3, etc.

2. Create a mount point:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/windows

3. Mount the partition:

sudo mount -t ntfs3 /dev/sda2 /mnt/windows

Replace /dev/sda2 with your actual partition.

4. Set permissions (if access is denied):

sudo mount -t ntfs3 -o uid=$(id -u),gid=$(id -g),fmask=0022,dmask=0022 /dev/sda2 /mnt/windows

5. Auto-mount on boot (optional):

Add this line to /etc/fstab:

/dev/sda2  /mnt/windows  ntfs3  defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0022,dmask=0022  0  0

Tip: Use the UUID instead of /dev/sdX for more reliable mounting:

blkid /dev/sda2

Then in fstab: UUID=XXXX-XXXX /mnt/windows ntfs3 defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0

Finding MO2 Data

After mounting, MO2 is typically found at:

/mnt/windows/Users/<Name>/AppData/Local/ModOrganizer/
/mnt/windows/Modding/MO2/
/mnt/windows/Program Files/Mod Organizer 2/

Manual Copy

# Copy mods
cp -r "/mnt/windows/Users/<Name>/AppData/Local/ModOrganizer/Skyrim/mods/" ~/Mods/

# Check load order
cat "/mnt/windows/Users/<Name>/AppData/Local/ModOrganizer/Skyrim/profiles/Default/modlist.txt"

Method 3: USB Drive / External HDD

1. Windows: Copy MO2 folder to USB:
   • mods/ — all mod folders
   • profiles/ — load order and settings
   • ModOrganizer.ini — instance configuration
2. Linux: Plug in USB (usually auto-mounts)
3. Linux: Copy mods into Anvil instance or use GoodbyeWindows Importer

Method 4: Network Transfer (LAN)

Using the GoodbyeWindows Toolkit:

1. Windows: Start Exporter → choose "Network transfer"
2. Windows: IP address and PIN are displayed
3. Linux: Start Importer → choose "Network" → enter IP + PIN
4. Data transfers directly over your local network

Requirement: Both PCs must be on the same network.

What Gets Transferred?

Data	Automatic?	Notes
Load order (modlist.txt)	Yes	Converted to Anvil v2 format
Mod files	Depends on method	Metadata-only export requires re-downloading
Nexus IDs	Yes	Enables re-download from Nexus Mods
Categories	Yes	Mapped to Anvil categories
Profiles	Yes	All profiles are imported
Plugin order	Yes	For games with plugin systems (Skyrim, Fallout)
INI tweaks	No	Must be transferred manually
FNIS/Nemesis data	No	Must be regenerated on Linux
Savegames	No	Must be copied manually

Migration Checklist

• All desired mods noted/exported on Windows
• Nexus Mod Manager API key ready (for re-downloads)
• Linux distro installed with Anvil Organizer
• Game installed on Linux (Steam/GOG with Proton)
• Enough disk space for mods
• For NTFS: Windows fully shut down (no Hibernate/Fast Startup!)

Important: Disable Windows Fast Startup, otherwise the NTFS partition cannot be safely mounted! Setting: Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Turn off fast startup.

Troubleshooting

"Permission denied" on NTFS

# Check if Windows was fully shut down
sudo ntfsfix /dev/sda2

# Remount with explicit permissions
sudo mount -t ntfs3 -o uid=$(id -u),gid=$(id -g) /dev/sda2 /mnt/windows

NTFS partition is read-only

Windows Fast Startup was active. Solution:

1. Boot Windows → disable Fast Startup → shut down
2. Or: sudo ntfsfix -d /dev/sda2 (removes the hibernate flag)

Mod files have wrong capitalization

Linux is case-sensitive, Windows is not. Anvil Organizer handles this automatically during deployment.