Fluffy Manager 5000 Troubleshooting Guide

I'll be maintaining this post as a general troubleshooting guide for common problems when using Fluffy Manager 5000.

Q: Mods aren't working and I don't know why.
A: As a generic troubleshooting step, I suggest doing this in the following order to ensure game install is 100% clean:
- Update to latest version of the mod manager.
- Uninstall all mods via the mod manager.
- Go to where the mod manage resides and travel to this folder "Games\[GameName]" and delete the "Backup" folder.
- Uninstall the game.
- Go to the game's install directory and delete any remaining files.
- Reinstall the game.
- Click on "re-read game archives" in the mod manager.

Q: I'm installing a mod for RE2/RE3/RE7, but it doesn't show up in the game.
A: Most mods for those games are created for an older version of the game that doesn't have ray tracing support. Try downgrading the game version: https://steamcommunity.com/games/883710/announcements/detail/3344500154867780166

Q: Fluffy Manager only shows a black screen when running and then crashes.
A: Fluffy Manager might be lacking file access permission in its current location. Try running the mod manager from a different drive or directory (avoid anything created by Windows, like "program files" or the desktop). Alternatively, this could be due to outdated graphics drivers, so try downloading the latest graphics drivers.

Q: I'm getting error messages related to copying files or opening files for writing.
A: Try running the mod manager as Administrator.

Q: Modmanager.rar or modmanager.exe gets deleted before I can run it. Or the mod manager doesn't start. Or it never loads screenshot previews. Or it fails to install mods.
A: This is could be due to anti-virus (for instance, Windows Defender). If you got the mod manager from a reputable source (like NexusMods or my own website), then it's a false positive. Add the mod manager to the anti-virus' whitelist or temporarily turn off your anti-virus.

Q: The "Launch game" button doesn't work!
A: If it doesn't work, just launch the game manually. The button is only there for convenience.

Q: I'm getting an error message similar to "Can't open PAK file for file invalidation."
A: Go to your game install and make sure none of the PAK files are set to "read-only" when you right-click them and choose properties.

Q: The "Mod list" button is grayed out.
A: That means the mod manager failed to automatically find your game install. Click on "Define game path" to manually choose where the game is installed.

Q: I installed a mod for RE2/RE3/RE7/RE8 but I get an infinite loading screen ingame.
A: This could be due to an outdated mod. Some mods don't work with later versions of the game.

Q: The game got patched while I had mods installed. What should I do?
A: To ensure everything is non-corrupted, do this in the following order:
- Uninstall all mods in the mod manager
- Right-click the game on Steam
- Click on Properties
- Choose "Verify file integrity"
- After Steam is finished with the above step (might be slow if it needs to download data) then click on "re-read game archives" in the mod manager.

Q: The game got patched but I didn't have any mods installed. Should I do anything?
A: Nothing is necessary, the mod manager automatically re-reads game archives after a game patch is detected and no mods are installed.

Q: Whenever I try to install mods the mod manager claims the game is running, but it's not running.
A: Click on Options and turn on "Advanced Options->Always Allow Mod Installs". Note: If you turn this on, you should be careful and make sure you don't try to install mods while the game is actually running. It doesn't work with RE Engine games and SF5.

Q: I'm playing using a pirated version and I can't install mods!
A: I have no idea if my mod manager works with pirated versions of games and I'm not going out of my way to add that kind of support.

Q: No matter what I do, I can't get Fluffy Manager 5000 to even run.
A: If the mod manager fails to even start up, you can try earlier versions to see if they give you better luck. I have a selection of them available here: https://www.nexusmods.com/residentevil22019/mods/119?tab=files

Q: No version of Fluffy Manager 5000 runs for me.
A: If you find no way to even run the mod manager, you can try this method for installing mods (warning, this is fiddly and very limited in functionality): http://residentevilmodding.boards.net/post/117636

Q: I've got a mod in a RAR format with a non-English filename and it's not showing up in the mod list.
A: This is a limitation of the mod manager. Rename the RAR file so it has English characters only and then it will load. The mod manager doesn't properly handle anything with unicode text.

Q: I install a mod and the mod manager says it was installed successfully, but I don't see the mod in the game!
A: This is not applicable to all games, but do you own the DLC? For instance, a lot of RE2 mods require the DLC outfits to work. By the way, after buying and installing DLC, you need to remember to press the "Re-read game archives" button in Fluffy Manager so the mod manager becomes aware of the new PAK files.

Q: I deleted the mod manager before uninstalling the mods I had installed. How do I remove the mods that I installed?
A: Do one of the following sequences to ensure your game install is clean and free of mods:
- Uninstall the game
- Go to directory where the game was installed and delete all files in it (if you spot any configuration files or save files, I suggest leaving those alone).
- Re-install the game
OR
- Go to the directory where the game is installed and delete the "natives" directory (almost all mods for RE Engine games have files copied to that directory)
- If you know if you installed any mods in PAK format, delete any PAK file with "patch" in its name
- Right-click the game in Steam, choose Properties, click on Local Files, and click on "Verify integrity of game files..."

Q: I've got a Steam Deck and I can't get Fluffy Manager working!
A: Unfortunately, I don't have a Steam Deck or a Linux install, so I'm basically clueless when it comes to this. But there is a thread on Reddit with information on how to get it working on the Steam Deck: https://old.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/tvvic2/fluffy_mod_manager_5000_modding_re2rere3re_on/

Q: I just got Fluffy Manager, but I get error messages saying unrar.dll and fmodex64.dll were not found when trying to run it.
A: Make sure you extract everything from the mod manager archive before you run it.

Q: Fluffy Manager quits immediately after running it with a message that another instance is running, but I don't have another copy of it running.
A: Add the following line to the Data\config.cfg file:
CheckIfModManagerIsRunning: 0