Question about activating mods

[Arlo]

I'm experiencing all the joy (read frustration) from the past using JSGME. Don't get me wrong - it's an amazing tool when it works ... and it may just be the way I use it. I'll mod the game. Then I want to test how it looks/feels ... but now the game won't boot up (either via shortcut or by opening the folder and clicking on the application). I'll unmod ... then I'll reboot my machine ... then I'll check to see if the SH4 folder I already deleted somehow came back, miraculously ... then I'll remod (in this case FOTRSU then interiors then Tambor battle markings). Then I reboot my machine. Then I try the shortcut - no joy. I try the application in folder. Same. I unmod. I reboot. I try the vanilla game application. No joy there either.

Eventually, using these same steps over and over (we all know what the definition of insanity is) after 48 to 72 hours it'll decide to work.

Question: I add FOTRSU - it is in black
I add interiors - FOTRSU turns grey
I add the Tambor battle markings folder - FOTRSU is still grey

That normal?

I think this time I'll log a handwritten journal about each little individual step I take to make the game playable indicating failures up to success. There has to be a little step somewhere that I'm missing ... other than complete uninstall and reinstall of the game (which I remember doing last time). I don't want to keep doing that to change mods. I might also look up the thread to see about having multiple installs.