diff --git a/Wabbajack.Installer/StandardInstaller.cs b/Wabbajack.Installer/StandardInstaller.cs
index 8b7bb3c6..ae5153b2 100644
--- a/Wabbajack.Installer/StandardInstaller.cs
+++ b/Wabbajack.Installer/StandardInstaller.cs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         _configuration.Downloads.CreateDirectory();
 
         await OptimizeModlist(token);
-        
+
         await HashArchives(token);
 
         await DownloadArchives(token);
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
 
         await InstallIncludedFiles(token);
 
-        await InstallIncludedDownloadMetas(token);
+        await WriteMetaFiles(token);
 
         await BuildBSAs(token);
 
@@ -145,10 +145,8 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         await RemapMO2File();
 
         CreateOutputMods();
-        
-        SetScreenSizeInPrefs();
 
-        SetDownloadMetasToHideInMO2(token);
+        SetScreenSizeInPrefs();
 
         await ExtractedModlistFolder!.DisposeAsync();
         await _wjClient.SendMetric(MetricNames.FinishInstall, ModList.Name);
@@ -177,7 +175,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         // Non MO2 Installs won't have this
         var profileDir = _configuration.Install.Combine("profiles");
         if (!profileDir.DirectoryExists()) return;
-        
+
         profileDir
             .EnumerateFiles()
             .Where(f => f.FileName == Consts.SettingsIni)
@@ -224,7 +222,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         }
     }
 
-    private async Task InstallIncludedDownloadMetas(CancellationToken token)
+    private async Task WriteMetaFiles(CancellationToken token)
     {
         _logger.LogInformation("Looking for downloads by size");
         var bySize = UnoptimizedArchives.ToLookup(x => x.Size);
@@ -233,89 +231,87 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         await _configuration.Downloads.EnumerateFiles()
             .PDoAll(async download =>
             {
+                var metaFile = download.WithExtension(Ext.Meta);
+
                 var found = bySize[download.Size()];
                 var hash = await FileHashCache.FileHashCachedAsync(download, token);
                 var archive = found.FirstOrDefault(f => f.Hash == hash);
-                if (archive == default) return;
 
-                var metaFile = download.WithExtension(Ext.Meta);
-                if (metaFile.FileExists())
+                IEnumerable<string> meta;
+
+                if (archive == default)
                 {
-                    try
+                    // archive is not part of the Modlist
+
+                    if (metaFile.FileExists())
                     {
-                        var parsed = metaFile.LoadIniFile();
-                        if (parsed["General"] != null && parsed["General"]["unknownArchive"] == null)
+                        try
+                        {
+                            var parsed = metaFile.LoadIniFile();
+                            if (parsed["General"] is not null && (
+                                    parsed["General"]["removed"] is null ||
+                                    parsed["General"]["removed"].Equals(bool.FalseString, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
+                            {
+                                // add removed=true to files not part of the Modlist so they don't show up in MO2
+                                parsed["General"]["removed"] = "true";
+
+                                _logger.LogInformation("Writing {FileName}", metaFile.FileName);
+                                parsed.SaveIniFile(metaFile);
+                            }
+                        }
+                        catch (Exception)
                         {
                             return;
                         }
+
+                        return;
                     }
-                    catch (Exception)
+
+                    // create new meta file if missing
+                    meta = new[]
                     {
-                        // Ignore
-                    }
+                        "[General]",
+                        "removed=true"
+                    };
                 }
-                
+                else
+                {
+                    if (metaFile.FileExists())
+                    {
+                        try
+                        {
+                            var parsed = metaFile.LoadIniFile();
+                            if (parsed["General"] is not null && parsed["General"]["unknownArchive"] is null)
+                            {
+                                // meta doesn't have an associated archive
+                                return;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        catch (Exception)
+                        {
+                            // ignored
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    meta = AddInstalled(_downloadDispatcher.MetaIni(archive));
+                }
+
                 _logger.LogInformation("Writing {FileName}", metaFile.FileName);
-                var meta = AddInstalled(_downloadDispatcher.MetaIni(archive));
                 await metaFile.WriteAllLinesAsync(meta, token);
             });
     }
 
-    private IEnumerable<string> AddInstalled(IEnumerable<string> getMetaIni)
+    private static IEnumerable<string> AddInstalled(IEnumerable<string> getMetaIni)
     {
         yield return "[General]";
         yield return "installed=true";
-        
+
         foreach (var f in getMetaIni)
         {
             yield return f;
         }
     }
 
-    private async Task SetDownloadMetasToHideInMO2(CancellationToken token)
-    {
-        _logger.LogInformation("Updating Metas To Hide");
-        await _configuration.Downloads.EnumerateFiles()
-            .PDoAll(async download =>
-            {
-                if (download == default) return;
-                if (download.Extension == Ext.Meta) return;
-                
-                var linesToWriteNewFile = new HashSet<string>( );
-                linesToWriteNewFile.Add("[General]");
-                linesToWriteNewFile.Add("removed=true");
-                
-                var lineToWriteAppendFile = new HashSet<string> {"removed=true"};
-                
-                var metaFile = download.WithExtension(Ext.Meta);
-                if (metaFile.FileExists())
-                {
-                    try
-                    {
-                        var parsed = metaFile.LoadIniFile();
-                        if (parsed["General"] != null)
-                        {
-                            _logger.LogInformation("Updating {FileName}", metaFile.FileName);
-
-                            await metaFile.WriteAllLinesAsync(lineToWriteAppendFile,FileMode.Append,token); 
-                        }
-                    }
-                    catch (Exception e)
-                    {
-                        _logger.LogInformation("Re-Generating corrupted {FileName}", metaFile.FileName);
-                    
-                        await metaFile.WriteAllLinesAsync(linesToWriteNewFile,FileMode.Create,token); 
-                    }
-                }
-                else //Generate new metas to hide files without metas.
-                {
-                    _logger.LogInformation("Generating {FileName}", metaFile.FileName);
-                    
-                    await metaFile.WriteAllLinesAsync(linesToWriteNewFile,FileMode.Create,token); 
-                }
-            });
-    }
-
     private async Task BuildBSAs(CancellationToken token)
     {
         var bsas = ModList.Directives.OfType<CreateBSA>().ToList();
@@ -340,17 +336,17 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
 
             _logger.LogInformation("Writing {bsaTo}", bsa.To);
             var outPath = _configuration.Install.Combine(bsa.To);
-            
+
             await using (var outStream = outPath.Open(FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.None))
             {
                 await a.Build(outStream, token);
             }
-            
+
             streams.Do(s => s.Dispose());
-            
+
             await FileHashCache.FileHashWriteCache(outPath, bsa.Hash);
             sourceDir.DeleteDirectory();
-            
+
             _logger.LogInformation("Verifying {bsaTo}", bsa.To);
             var reader = await BSADispatch.Open(outPath);
             var results = await reader.Files.PMapAllBatchedAsync(_limiter, async state =>
@@ -362,7 +358,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
                 var astate = bsa.FileStates.First(f => f.Path == state.Path);
                 var srcDirective = indexedByDestination[Consts.BSACreationDir.Combine(bsa.TempID, astate.Path)];
                 //DX10Files are lossy
-                if (astate is not BA2DX10File && srcDirective.IsDeterministic) 
+                if (astate is not BA2DX10File && srcDirective.IsDeterministic)
                     ThrowOnNonMatchingHash(bsa, srcDirective, astate, hash);
                 return (srcDirective, hash);
             }).ToHashSet();
@@ -408,7 +404,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
     private void SetScreenSizeInPrefs()
     {
         var profilesPath = _configuration.Install.Combine("profiles");
-        
+
         // Don't remap files for Native Game Compiler games
         if (!profilesPath.DirectoryExists()) return;
         if (_configuration.SystemParameters == null)
@@ -478,7 +474,7 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
             {
                 _logger.LogCritical(ex, "Skipping screen size remap for {file} due to parse error.", file);
             }
-        
+
         // The Witcher 3
         if (_configuration.Game == Game.Witcher3)
         {
@@ -586,4 +582,4 @@ public class StandardInstaller : AInstaller<StandardInstaller>
         ms.Position = 0;
         return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ModList>(ms, dtos.Options)!;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}