To get the Creation Kit (CK) working correctly for Skyrim Special Edition (SSE) version 1.5.97, you essentially need to downgrade the tool to version 1.5.73. The version currently available on Steam is the "Anniversary Edition" (v1.6+) version, which is natively incompatible with 1.5.97 binaries. Required Tools & Files
What is the Skyrim SE Creation Kit?
You cannot download it from Bethesda anymore (their launcher is deprecated). Here’s the safe, community-approved method: skyrim se creation kit 1597 patched
This is the core of the "1597 Patched" keyword. Rename your existing CreationKit.exe to CreationKit_Original.exe. Download the community-patched CreationKit.exe (usually found via Nexus Mods search for "Creation Kit 1.5.97 Patch" or via the "Creation Kit fixes" mod by Nukem). Place this patched .exe in your Skyrim SE root directory (where SkyrimSE.exe lives).
Recommended companion tools:
Version 1597 of the Creation Kit brings several significant updates and improvements, including:
The standard method involves downloading older version "depots" from Steam and applying a community-made patcher. To get the Creation Kit (CK) working correctly
: This is the most critical mod. It fixes numerous bugs, speeds up loading times, and allows the CK to work with downgraded game versions. Creation Kit Platform Extended
Troubleshooting: