This guide covers causes and step-by-step fixes for the “Insufficient free disk space” error when installing, updating, or launching Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on PC and consoles (PS4/PS3/Xbox One/Xbox 360). Follow steps in order; skip platform sections that don’t apply.
Yes. Astonishingly, yes.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was released in 2014. A decade later, Steam and Activision have never patched this installer logic. It remains a rite of passage for PC gamers. You haven't truly played Advanced Warfare until you've spent 45 minutes googling why a 55GB game needs 120GB of space.
The “Insufficient Free Disk Space” error in Advanced Warfare is almost never about your actual game drive being full. It’s usually:
Start by cleaning your C: drive, restarting, and verifying game files. 9 times out of 10, that’s the fix.
Did this help? Let me know in the comments – or share your own fix if you found another workaround.
The "Insufficient Free Disk Space" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
(COD:AW) is a known bug that often appears even when users have hundreds of gigabytes available. It typically manifests as a message asking to "Please free at least 5MB of free space". 🛠️ Essential Fixes
If you have verified that you have at least 55 GB of actual free space, try these common community-verified solutions:
Run as Administrator: Right-click the game executable or Steam shortcut and select Run as Administrator to bypass write-privilege issues.
Compatibility Mode: Set the game's executable to run in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 or 8 via its PCGamingWiki entry. Folder Permissions: Go to Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. Right-click the folder > Properties > Security tab. Click Edit and grant Full Control to all users/groups.
Virtual Memory (Page File): Some users resolved this by setting their Windows Page File to System Managed. You can find this under Windows Advanced System Settings > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory.
Config Reset: Go to the players2 folder in your game directory and delete the .cfg files, then relaunch the game to regenerate them. 📦 Storage Requirements
Before troubleshooting bugs, ensure you meet the official minimum storage requirements for the Gold Edition on Steam: Component Minimum Required Space Base Game (Campaign + MP) With All DLCs ~70–84 GB Xbox 360 Install Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare General Discussions Call Of Duty Advanced Warfare Insufficient Free Disk Space
The "Insufficient Free Disk Space" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
is a notorious legacy bug that frequently triggers even when players have hundreds of gigabytes of available storage. It typically demands that the user "free at least 5MB of free space" before crashing to the main menu or desktop. Common Fixes and Workarounds
Because the error is often related to permissions or memory management rather than actual storage, standard Disk Cleanup might not work. Try these community-verified solutions:
Run as Administrator: Right-click the game’s executable or Steam and select Run as Administrator. This often resolves the "disk space" error if the game lacks write permissions for its own directory. Adjust Security Permissions:
Navigate to your game folder (e.g., Steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Advanced Warfare).
Right-click the folder, go to Properties, and select the Security tab. Click Edit and grant Full Control to all users listed.
Manage Windows Pagefile: Set your pagefile to System Managed on your primary (C:) drive. If it is already managed, try disabling it, rebooting, and then re-enabling it. Modify Configuration Files: Open the players2 folder in your game directory.
Find config.cfg, search for the line seta r_videoMemoryScale, and change the value from 1 to 0.5.
Compatibility Mode: Right-click the game executable, go to Properties > Compatibility, and run the game in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 or 8.
Disable UPnP: Some users report that disabling Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) in their router settings resolves the issue, though this may impact other network devices. Core Requirements
If you are genuinely low on space, ensure you meet the official minimum requirements: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Minimum System Requirements
The "Insufficient Free Disk Space" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare —often specifically asking for
of space when you have hundreds of gigabytes available—is typically a game code bug rather than a physical storage issue. Most Effective Fixes Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare — “Insufficient Free
Users have successfully resolved this through the following methods: Adjust Folder Permissions : Go to your Steam installation folder (usually ProgramFiles(x86)/Steam/steamapps/common ). Right-click the Call of Duty Advanced Warfare folder, select Properties , and grant "Full Control" to all listed users/groups. Manage Windows Pagefile : This error is often linked to virtual memory management. Go to Windows System Settings and find Advanced system settings Performance under Virtual Memory.
Ensure "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" is checked, or manually set it to "System Managed Size". Disable UPnP
: In some cases, the error is triggered by network protocols. Try disabling in your router settings.
Note: This may affect the connectivity of other devices on your network. Launch via Single Player
: If you are getting the error when launching Multiplayer, try starting the Single Player
campaign first and then switching to Multiplayer from the in-game menu. Steam Community Additional Troubleshooting
If the primary fixes fail, try these community-vetted workarounds: Regenerate Config Files : Delete the contents of the
folder within the game directory to force the game to create fresh configuration files. Run as Administrator : Right-click the game's file and select Run as administrator to ensure it has disk write privileges. Verify Integrity : Use the Steam client to Verify Integrity of Game Files to ensure no data is corrupted.
For a step-by-step visual guide on applying these specific file and folder fixes, you can watch this video:
The "Insufficient free disk space" error in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
is a well-documented glitch that often appears even when a user has hundreds of gigabytes of available storage. While the error message specifically requests that you "Please free at least 5MB free space on game drive," it is typically caused by software conflicts or permission issues rather than a literal lack of storage. Core Cause of the Error
Unlike modern Call of Duty titles that require massive 200GB+ installs, Advanced Warfare only requires 55 GB of total disk space. The error usually occurs because:
Misused Error Dialogs: Developers may have reused a generic disk space error for various game code failures or network issues. C: drive too full for virtual memory/temp files
Write Privileges: The game lacks the administrative permissions required to write temporary files or save data to the drive.
Virtual Memory Issues: High-load cinematics can trigger memory-related bugs that the game misinterprets as a disk space shortage. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Minimum System Requirements
Introduction: The Frustration of a Pre-Launch Roadblock
You’ve just clicked "Install" on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. You’re ready to don the advanced exoskeleton, boost-dash across Seoul, and listen to Kevin Spacey’s chilling performance as Jonathan Irons. But instead of a progress bar, you are met with a dreaded system prompt: "Insufficient Free Disk Space."
For a game released in 2014 (and remastered/repopularized via modern stores), this error might seem confusing. Do you really need to free up space? The answer is often more technical than you think. This guide will walk you through exactly why this error appears, how to fix it permanently, and how to prevent it from ruining your next gaming session.
If you have a modern 1TB or 2TB SSD, seeing an error saying you don't have space is frustrating. The issue usually isn't your hard drive; it’s the way the game was originally coded.
Advanced Warfare was released during the transition period between console generations. The PC version (and some console code) suffers from a legacy logic error where the game fails to calculate free space correctly if:
Essentially, the game’s installer is counting in 32-bit integers. If the number is too big (too much free space), it rolls over or fails to read it, defaulting to a "Zero Space" error.
Windows Update often stores large files in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
Win + R > services.msc > find "Windows Update" > Stop).Download folder.This routinely frees 5–20 GB.
Provide these concise details:
Even if the game needs 55 GB, try freeing up 100–120 GB temporarily. The installer will release the space after completion. Move large game folders to another drive temporarily.