Skyrim encountered bugs and how to fix them

These are the list of bugs that I've found (you might find way more or less bugs than me but well, if the help you need is not here, you have to go back to google and try to find it :P)

These are the solutions that I've used, but I may have also listed a/ a few other alternatives (try it at your own risk!). Also, if you use the console commands, then there is a risk of bugging up more quests in the future (though I have not personally encountered any yet --- edit: I've finally encountered one. It bugged up one of the NPCs and producing multiple copies of it and that you cannot talk to him... luckily that NPC is useless haha :P)

Bug 1: Talk to Esbern

He is supposed to open the door for you and the dialogue for him is not in the files or is corrupted. So I've fixed it by adding a some sort of a 'patch' myself. It worked fine and the dialogue came back (dialogue is not necessary to complete the quest though). 

Download site for bug fix and dialogue fix:http://www.filesonic.com/file/3510536384/sound.rarInstructions: Extract it and copy it to the Skyrim Data folder (C:/ --- Program files *(x86) --- The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim --- Data). It should be INSIDE the data folder and OUTSIDE the other folders (Strings, Video, Interface)

* indicates depends on what version you're using

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111112223928AA9qU95

Alternative solutions: Try saving very near to the door and load (didn't work for me). OR try exiting the ratway warrens and reenter (didn't work for me).

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Bug 2: Becoming Thane of Riften

The quest tells you to visit your new house, Honeyside, before talking to the Jarl. IT IS FALSE. Just talk to the Jarl RIGHT AFTER you bought the house (DON'T BUY ANY DECORATIONS YET). But ofc, if you have already encountered the bug and don't have a saved game prior to that bug (like me), you'll have to use a console command to fix it.

Go to the Jarl and press '~'. Then type this: 'player.setstage FreeformRiftenThane 200' (follow the spacings). It should fix it (going to try this after I post this note up :P)

Source: http://asia.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/forum/becoming-thane-in-riften-bug-61552256 AND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9XKuRrJYFs

Edit: This didn't work for me either... gahhh lol.

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Bug 3: Convince Greta to go to the Temple of the Divines

Okay, this is a tough one. Quoting the solution:

"A solution for the PC version is to proceed to talk to Svari, then talk to the Greta. Mention going to temple, and after she asks you to retrieve the amulet, exit the conversation. Do not choose the "Actually I've got it here" option. Now in the console, type "setStage SolitudeFreeform03 20" (without the quotation marks), this will set the quest to the moment you are supposed to retrieve the amulet. Since you already have it, go into the console once more and type "setStage SolitudeFreeform03 30" which will set the moment you should have picked the amulet up. Return to Greta and give the amulet. It will complete the quest and will be removed from the log, though the Amulet still stays in your inventory and you won't get the reward she mentions."

Source: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Return_to_Grace

Alt: Or you can just NOT loot the amulet off Roggvir's corpse the first time around. Or just type 'setstage SolitudeFreeform03 20' to move on to the next quest (I think) or to finish the entire quest line change the '20' to '40'.

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Bug 4: Barbas (the dog)

I told him to stay at a place (as he is messing up my sneak) and he's gone when I when back to get him. Try the daedra cave/ shrine, maybe he's there (ima try that). Try waiting a few hours as well if he's not.

NOTE: Barbac is invincible and is very useful against powerful enemies. Also, you can get another dog, if you don't like Barbas, called Vigilance - guide: http://gofygure.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Find-or-Buy-a-Dog-in-Skyrim 

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Bug 5: Galduar's first door

No clue whatsoever on how to open the door (the three-circle combo type of door). I've got the first one figured out (it's the last combo of all the combos that I've tried >.>): it's (from top to center: bear -> dolphin -> snake). However, for the second door, the clues are useless but I got fed up and used 'tcl' lol.

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Not bugs:

When fighting Arcano, equip the Staff of Magnus and cast it (pressing the mouse button - which button depends on which hand you equip it on) at the eye of Magnus ONCE you enter the room (to trigger the dialogue) - you can stop casting after the dialogue starts, then when Arcano becomes attackable (health bar can be seen), start casting the staff at the eye until it closes (a bit also can already, sometimes). Once it closes, you are able to damage Arcano, or if not, he is invincible.

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The Slay Mercer Fray quest: Escape from Irkngthand, once you killed him, the whole place will be filled with water, so loot all you can then start swimming upwards (as it fills) - follow your companions. You should be able to see a gaping hole at the celling , swim through it and you're fine. You might want to bring

along a potion for WATER BREATHING.

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Turning in amulet of arkay to Torjbourn in Windhelm: you can turn in a stolen amulet. I did it =)

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Visit Proudspire Manor quest. Okay, this is rather funny - you can only complete the quest if you enter the manor through the FRONT DOOR (Not the side or back door). So, there you go! :)

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Dragging balagog's body - depending on the location you killed him at. If beside the lake, you can use unrelenting force to 'throw' his body into the lake. If in his room, HOLD 'E' to drag. Hide behind wine barrels count. Source: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/615805-/61079067

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OTHERS

Some other stuff that I want to share :)

If you do play, you simply must 1. try to join all the guilds :P 2. try being a vampire/werewolf 3. buy all the houses and become thanes of cities 4. get married!

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Also some Q and A, and tips (Do read, some stuff you might think are bugs but actually they work fine)

What happens if you pass the 999th save? No worries, nothing bad will happen. It'll just continue on to the 1000th save lol. But it's best to remove some of the saved games as I've read that it might lag your game. How to delete? Go to C:\Users\[UserName]\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Saves (For Win vista/7)

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If a door doesn't open and you're lazy or unable to do the puzzle involved in unlocking the door or no lockpicks or etc, you can use the console command : (after pressing '~') type: 'tcl' It will remove collision so you can move right through the door like a ghost. Walk carefully though, in some places you might look as though you're falling through the ground but you are actually not (but if you really fall through the floor, it will just pop you back to the entrance of the place you're in). Type 'tcl' again to re-enable collision, immediately after walking through the door. NOTE the WARNING posted in front of this thread.

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Also, I would advise against clearing an area without having a quest for that area. Some times you might just accidentally killed the boss that you need to kill for a quest that you haven't taken yet. That'll suck big time. BUT the solution: type 'resurrect' while placing your cursor over the corpse of the boss/bandit leader that you need to kill (after pressing '~' ofc)

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If something got stuck, can try using the 'disable' console command (after pressing '~').

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Owning more than 1 horse - it is possible but you have to BUY the horse. If you steal it, the horse will wander away and will not wait for you. Once you buy a new horse, the old one will return to its stable where it was bought from. You'll be riding the new one. If you want the old one back, either kill your new horse and get the old one or just get your old one from the stables.

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You can mine for ores in caves!!!! (I didn't know about this until I accidentally mined an ore vein, gosh!), so do carry along a pickaxe when you head to any cave - there might be valuable gold veins in there! The axe is not very important though - firewood's for deco only I think.

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To know about any other bugs and glitches, READ THIS: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Bugs_(Skyrim)#Bugs_and_glitches

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To level skills faster: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/718771/skyrim-how-to-level-your-skills-through-exploits-not-quite-cheating-but-kinda/

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P/S: Unfortunately, a few days after I've posted this - my laptop went and killed itself, so there goes my level 50 skyrim character and the 1000+ saved games that I had. There are plenty of solutions that I had no luck to try before this terrible misfortune, so if you've tried them and had luck/ no luck with them, you can comment below so other people will know. 

I'm just too lazy to re-level my character from scratch, plus I'm still mourning the countless of hours that I've already sank into this game.... sigh