[GUIDE] - How to manually install SMAPI 3.13.2 on Windows

Kreeate

Rancher
Some users are reporting issues with SMAPI's built-in installer.
NOTE: This guide should only be used if you are unable to install SMAPI with the standard installer.

Of course SMAPI has a readme.txt for manual installation.
This guide is meant to expand on those instructions and I will try to make it as clear as possible.
There are some animations in this thread and it may load slowly for some.
Please look at the animations after reading the text above each one, and watch the animations long enough to make sure you understand where it begins and ends.

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Step 1

Download SMAPI from your preferred site. Save it in any temporary folder.
Nexusmods
smapi.io

Your downloaded file will look like one of these:
1639612801849.png


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Step 2

Right-click the file you downloaded, then choose "Extract Here". (see below)
1639613032163.png


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Step 3 (it's a long one )

You should now have a folder named SMAPI 3.13.2 installer. Open this folder.
1639613313197.png


You should now see the below. Open the folder called "internal".
1639613431558.png


You should now see the below. Open the folder called "windows".
1639613560239.png


Now scroll down until you see a file called install.dat
1639613696430.png


Right-click the file called install.dat and rename it to install.zip. When a menu pops up to ask if you're sure, click on Yes.


Now Right-click on install.zip and choose Extract to "install\"


Open the install folder. It should contain this:
1639614857707.png


Now select all files and folders inside the install folder. Right-click and choose Copy. Then go to your Stardew Valley game folder, Right-click it and choose Paste


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Step 4

In your Stardew Valley folder, sort the view by "Type" so that you can see all the json files together:
1639616757603.png


Now Right-click on Stardew Valley.deps.json and choose Copy. Right-click anywhere else and choose Paste.
Then scroll to the file called Stardew Valley.deps - Copy.json and Right-click it. Choose Rename and name it StardewModdingAPI.deps.json


Make sure not to add an extra "json" at the end. It should look exactly like this: StardewModdingAPI.deps.json

Congratulations! SMAPI is now installed and you can run the game using StardewModdingAPI.exe

If I've missed anything, or if you are still having issues, feel free to message me and I'll assist as best I can.
 
Last edited:

Denisara

Greenhorn
this freaks me out a bit...but i am not able to install smapi, my computer keeps telling me its a DANGEROUS thing blah blah blah and stops it from happening. I am heartbroken. one day i log on to my game and it was missing a bunch of stuff because smapi gave me so many red warnings while loading the mods and i tried everything so I ended up uninstalling SDV, STEAM even, and when I went to install smapi which I have never had a problem before (same antivirus and stuff) and now it wont let me install it....I can't do much but play this game and others. I am disabled since 1994, 61 yrs old and somewhat computer savvy I think...can anyone help me?
 

Odin

Moderator
Staff member
this freaks me out a bit...but i am not able to install smapi, my computer keeps telling me its a DANGEROUS thing blah blah blah and stops it from happening. I am heartbroken. one day i log on to my game and it was missing a bunch of stuff because smapi gave me so many red warnings while loading the mods and i tried everything so I ended up uninstalling SDV, STEAM even, and when I went to install smapi which I have never had a problem before (same antivirus and stuff) and now it wont let me install it....I can't do much but play this game and others. I am disabled since 1994, 61 yrs old and somewhat computer savvy I think...can anyone help me?
That's definitely something that should be solvable, to start, I would recommend reviewing the information here: https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Moddi...#SMAPI_files_disappear_or_antivirus_complains

If that doesn't help, please create a thread in this section for your issue and include what operating system you're on, as well as a screenshot what message you get when attempting to install SMAPI.
 

SoftViceMaster

Greenhorn
Oooh boy...I don't know if I messed up or not on some step, but I got up to the 'change it to .zip' part and nothing happened. There is no 'extract to install', and I do not have an 'install' folder anywhere in that mess. I've even tried getting rid of SMAPI and re-installing, but I got nothing. It didn't even change into a ZIP, it's staying as a DAT file and says it will 'only open with media player' (I had not set it to that at any point). I have no clue what to do now, I have so many mods I wanna use but the thing won't work for me.

I'm going to try the non-manual way, hopefully that'll fix my problem.
 
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