How to fix
SKYUI error code 1 in Skyrim
on Windows

Hello. I am trying to get my game to work, however, when I load into the game, I receive SKYUI error code 1, which says "The Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE64) is not running." I cannot seem to find what could be causing this, so I am looking for help. Thanks in advance.

Skyrim is a computer action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios[ref en-1] and released in 2011. The game has received critical acclaim and high praise from players and has become one of the most popular culture icons. Skyrim is also one of the most modded games in the modding community with the help of a tool called Skyrim Script Extender (SKYSE).

Video game modding lets users alter the game to their liking - add functions that are unavailable in the original game, change character appearance, or even improve graphics. Mods have become an increasingly important factor in the success of some games, as they add depth to the original version, and can be useful to players, provide the ability for self-expression.

Sadly, not all players can enjoy the game without any issues as SKSE[ref en-2] is still under development. Some users report receiving SKYUI error code 1 when trying to load the game. The full message says:

SKYUI ERROR CODE 1

The Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE64) is not running.

SkyUI will not work correctly!

This message may also appear if a new Skyrim Patch has been released. In this case, wait until SKSE64 has been updated, then install the new version.

For more help, visit the SkvUI SE Nexus or Workshop pages.

This error could be caused by various things and users are left searching for solutions on their own. The message could mean that either you have not performed the installation correctly or there is some problem with the executable SKSE64 itself. In this guide, you will find 4 possible solutions that could fix SKYUI error code 1.

The problem can be related to file corruption, so we strongly recommend you first try running a scan with repair software [d1], as it can help you fix underlying issues on Windows like registry issues, BSoDs[ref en-3] without you having to troubleshoot manually. Since there are several possible reasons for the SKYUI error code 1 in Skyrim, you must follow the steps below in order to fix it:

Method 1. Run SKSE64 as an Administrator

• Right-click on SKSE64 from the directory and select Properties
• Select the tab compatibility and check the option Run this program as an administrator

• Press Apply to save changes and exit. Now launch the application and check if the error message went away

Method 2. Install SKSE manually

• Download SKSE from the official website
• Extract the contents to an accessible location. Now open the SKSE64_2_00_04 folder and open the second SKSE64_2_00_04 folder
• 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

• Navigate to the Scripts folder present inside SKSE64_2_00_04 folder (Not the Data folder inside Skyrim special edition). When you are inside the Scripts folder, highlight all the .PEX files and copy them

• 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

• Right-click on exe in the game folder and select Send to > Desktop (Shortcut). You can use this to launch the game

Method 3. Change Mod Manager Settings

• Launch the Mod Manager as administrator and open its Settings
• Navigate to the General tab and check all the boxes present under the Association section

• Click OK to save the changes and restart the Mod Manager to make sure that the settings are applied

Method 4. Change Skyrim folder location

• Create a Game folder in your C directory and move the Skyrim folder from the Steam folder into this newly created folder
• Now launch SKSE as an administrator and start your game through it. As soon as you try to open Skyrim, you will encounter an error message that will state that Steam files are missing
• Just launch Steam, right-click on the game, and select Properties

• Under the Local tab, click on the Browse local files to go to the location of the game
• Now open SKSE from the new location in the directory and check whether you encounter SKYUI error code 1 again