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Cod Advanced Warfare 5mb Error Fix -

The "insufficient free disk space... please free at least 5mb" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

is a known bug that typically occurs even when you have hundreds of gigabytes of free space. It is usually tied to permission issues or a mismanaged Windows Page File rather than actual storage capacity. Primary Fixes

Grant Full Folder Permissions: This is often the most successful fix.

Navigate to your game folder (e.g., Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare).

Right-click the folder and select Properties > Security tab.

Click Edit and give Full Control to all users/groups listed there.

Reset the Windows Page File: The game sometimes misinterprets virtual memory as disk space. Search for "View advanced system settings" in Windows.

Go to Advanced > Performance Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory > Change.

Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size," select your drive, and set it to System managed size. If it's already there, toggle it off, restart, and toggle it back on.

Run as Administrator: Right-click the game executable (s1_sp64_ship.exe or similar) and select Run as Administrator to bypass restricted write access. Secondary Solutions cod advanced warfare 5mb error fix

Disable UPnP: Some users report that disabling UPnP in their router settings resolves the error if it occurs during multiplayer loading.

Lower Graphics for First Launch: If using an NVIDIA card, use GeForce Experience to set all game settings to Low before launching. Once in-game, you can typically raise them again.

Clear Configuration Files: Delete the config files inside the players2 folder in your game directory to force the game to regenerate them.

For a step-by-step demonstration of these file and permission fixes: 02:51

How to Fix the "Insufficient Free Disk Space" 5MB Error in COD: Advanced Warfare

It’s one of the most frustrating errors in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. You have hundreds of gigabytes free, yet the game kicks you to the menu claiming you need to "free at least 5MB of space on game drive". Even worse, this glitch often nukes your save files, erasing hours of campaign progress.

This error isn't actually about your hard drive; it's usually a conflict with Windows memory management or folder permissions. Here is how to fix it. 1. Adjust Your Windows Page File (Most Common Fix)

Despite the "disk space" wording, this error is often triggered by the Windows Page File (virtual memory). If it is disabled or set too low, the game misinterprets the lack of virtual memory as a lack of physical disk space.

Set to System Managed: Go to your Windows Performance settings and ensure your Page File is set to "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives". The "insufficient free disk space

The "Reset" Trick: Some users on Reddit found success by disabling the page file entirely, rebooting, then re-enabling it as "System Managed" and rebooting again. 2. Grant Full Folder Permissions

The game may trigger this error if it lacks the "write privileges" needed to save data to its own folder.

Navigate to your installation folder (e.g., Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare). Right-click the folder and select Properties. Go to the Security tab and click Edit.

Select your user profile and check the box for Full Control. Click Apply and restart the game. 3. Run in Compatibility Mode

PCGamingWiki suggests that running the executable in compatibility mode can bypass this false space check.

Right-click s1_sp64_ship.exe (for Single Player) or s1_mp64_ship.exe (for Multiplayer). Select Properties > Compatibility.

Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Also, check "Run this program as an administrator" while in this menu. 4. Adjust In-Game Video Settings

High-end texture settings can sometimes cause memory leaks that trigger this error. Right-click s1_sp64_ship

Lower Textures: Change texture settings from "Extra" or "Ultra" to High.

Disable Caching: Turn off "Cache Sun Shadows" and "Cache Spot Shadows" in the Advanced Video settings, as these occupy significant video memory.

Adjust Memory Scale: If you are comfortable editing files, go to the players2 folder and open config.cfg. Find the line seta r_videoMemoryScale and change the value from "1" to "0.5". For Console Players (Xbox/PlayStation)

While rarer on consoles, if you see "insufficient space" during installation:

Go Offline: Disconnect your console from the internet before starting the disc installation. Once the base game is installed, reconnect to download the updates.

Update Later: When prompted for a "Day One" update during the initial install, select "Update Later" to let the core files finish first.

Are you still seeing this error after trying the Page File reset?

4. Run the Game in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode

  1. Right-click s1_sp64_ship.exe → Properties → Compatibility tab.
  2. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for → Windows 7.
  3. Also check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
  4. Click Apply → OK.

Final Checklist

Before you give up, run this checklist:

  1. Run as Admin (Yes).
  2. OneDrive is paused/unlinked from Documents.
  3. Windows Defender Ransomware protection is OFF.
  4. The players folder in Documents is NOT Read-Only.
  5. Verify integrity of game cache.

The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 5MB error is a rite of passage for PC gamers. It is infuriating because it lies—you have plenty of space. But by convincing Windows that s1_sp64_ship.exe is the king of your computer, you will be boosting through Seoul in no time.

Did this solve your issue? Please share this guide or comment which method worked for you. For many, it is Method 3 (OneDrive) or Method 2 (Controlled Folder Access) that finally kills the beast. Good luck, soldier.

6. Reinstall DirectX & Visual C++ Runtimes

  • Run the DirectX installer inside the game folder:
    [Game install]\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\DXSETUP.exe
  • Reinstall all Visual C++ redistributables (2010–2022) from Microsoft’s site.

The "insufficient free disk space... please free at least 5mb" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

is a known bug that typically occurs even when you have hundreds of gigabytes of free space. It is usually tied to permission issues or a mismanaged Windows Page File rather than actual storage capacity. Primary Fixes

Grant Full Folder Permissions: This is often the most successful fix.

Navigate to your game folder (e.g., Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare).

Right-click the folder and select Properties > Security tab.

Click Edit and give Full Control to all users/groups listed there.

Reset the Windows Page File: The game sometimes misinterprets virtual memory as disk space. Search for "View advanced system settings" in Windows.

Go to Advanced > Performance Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory > Change.

Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size," select your drive, and set it to System managed size. If it's already there, toggle it off, restart, and toggle it back on.

Run as Administrator: Right-click the game executable (s1_sp64_ship.exe or similar) and select Run as Administrator to bypass restricted write access. Secondary Solutions

Disable UPnP: Some users report that disabling UPnP in their router settings resolves the error if it occurs during multiplayer loading.

Lower Graphics for First Launch: If using an NVIDIA card, use GeForce Experience to set all game settings to Low before launching. Once in-game, you can typically raise them again.

Clear Configuration Files: Delete the config files inside the players2 folder in your game directory to force the game to regenerate them.

For a step-by-step demonstration of these file and permission fixes: 02:51

How to Fix the "Insufficient Free Disk Space" 5MB Error in COD: Advanced Warfare

It’s one of the most frustrating errors in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. You have hundreds of gigabytes free, yet the game kicks you to the menu claiming you need to "free at least 5MB of space on game drive". Even worse, this glitch often nukes your save files, erasing hours of campaign progress.

This error isn't actually about your hard drive; it's usually a conflict with Windows memory management or folder permissions. Here is how to fix it. 1. Adjust Your Windows Page File (Most Common Fix)

Despite the "disk space" wording, this error is often triggered by the Windows Page File (virtual memory). If it is disabled or set too low, the game misinterprets the lack of virtual memory as a lack of physical disk space.

Set to System Managed: Go to your Windows Performance settings and ensure your Page File is set to "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives".

The "Reset" Trick: Some users on Reddit found success by disabling the page file entirely, rebooting, then re-enabling it as "System Managed" and rebooting again. 2. Grant Full Folder Permissions

The game may trigger this error if it lacks the "write privileges" needed to save data to its own folder.

Navigate to your installation folder (e.g., Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare). Right-click the folder and select Properties. Go to the Security tab and click Edit.

Select your user profile and check the box for Full Control. Click Apply and restart the game. 3. Run in Compatibility Mode

PCGamingWiki suggests that running the executable in compatibility mode can bypass this false space check.

Right-click s1_sp64_ship.exe (for Single Player) or s1_mp64_ship.exe (for Multiplayer). Select Properties > Compatibility.

Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Also, check "Run this program as an administrator" while in this menu. 4. Adjust In-Game Video Settings

High-end texture settings can sometimes cause memory leaks that trigger this error.

Lower Textures: Change texture settings from "Extra" or "Ultra" to High.

Disable Caching: Turn off "Cache Sun Shadows" and "Cache Spot Shadows" in the Advanced Video settings, as these occupy significant video memory.

Adjust Memory Scale: If you are comfortable editing files, go to the players2 folder and open config.cfg. Find the line seta r_videoMemoryScale and change the value from "1" to "0.5". For Console Players (Xbox/PlayStation)

While rarer on consoles, if you see "insufficient space" during installation:

Go Offline: Disconnect your console from the internet before starting the disc installation. Once the base game is installed, reconnect to download the updates.

Update Later: When prompted for a "Day One" update during the initial install, select "Update Later" to let the core files finish first.

Are you still seeing this error after trying the Page File reset?

4. Run the Game in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode

  1. Right-click s1_sp64_ship.exe → Properties → Compatibility tab.
  2. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for → Windows 7.
  3. Also check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
  4. Click Apply → OK.

Final Checklist

Before you give up, run this checklist:

  1. Run as Admin (Yes).
  2. OneDrive is paused/unlinked from Documents.
  3. Windows Defender Ransomware protection is OFF.
  4. The players folder in Documents is NOT Read-Only.
  5. Verify integrity of game cache.

The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 5MB error is a rite of passage for PC gamers. It is infuriating because it lies—you have plenty of space. But by convincing Windows that s1_sp64_ship.exe is the king of your computer, you will be boosting through Seoul in no time.

Did this solve your issue? Please share this guide or comment which method worked for you. For many, it is Method 3 (OneDrive) or Method 2 (Controlled Folder Access) that finally kills the beast. Good luck, soldier.

6. Reinstall DirectX & Visual C++ Runtimes

  • Run the DirectX installer inside the game folder:
    [Game install]\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\DXSETUP.exe
  • Reinstall all Visual C++ redistributables (2010–2022) from Microsoft’s site.