In the Skyrim modding community, (the version prior to the "Anniversary Edition" 1.6 update) remains a legendary "gold standard" for stability and mod compatibility. To use this version, you must pair it with a specific build of the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE64) . The Correct SKSE Version
: Steam will automatically try to update you to the latest version. To stay on 1.5.97, set Skyrim's update settings in Steam to "Only update this game when I launch it" and always launch the game through your mod manager (using the skse64_loader.exe ) instead of Steam. Troubleshooting skyrim skse 1.5.97