Unable To Open Bigfile Bigfile000 Exclusive | UPDATED • 2024 |

Troubleshooting the "Unable to Open Bigfile BIGFILE000 Exclusive" Error

If you’ve encountered the error message "Unable to open bigfile BIGFILE000 exclusive," you’re likely trying to run a game or application—most commonly associated with Square Enix titles like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, or Hitman—and finding yourself stuck at a crash-to-desktop or a black screen.

This error essentially means the game engine is trying to access its primary data archive (BIGFILE000) with "exclusive" read/write permissions but is being blocked by another process or a system restriction.

Here is a step-by-step guide to fixing the issue and getting back into your game. 1. Disable Exclusive Fullscreen

The most common culprit for this specific error is the "Exclusive Fullscreen" setting in the game's launch options. While this mode is designed to give the game priority over system resources, it often clashes with modern Windows display drivers or background overlays. How to fix:

Open the game’s Setup or Options menu (the small window that pops up before the game actually starts). Look for the Display or Graphics tab. Uncheck the box labeled Exclusive Fullscreen.

Try launching the game in standard "Fullscreen" or "Windowed" mode. 2. Run as Administrator

Sometimes the system prevents the game from gaining "exclusive" access to its own files because of Windows User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. How to fix: Navigate to the folder where the game is installed. Right-click the game’s .exe file (e.g., TombRaider.exe). Select Properties > Compatibility tab. Check the box Run this program as an administrator. Click Apply and restart the game. 3. Verify Game File Integrity unable to open bigfile bigfile000 exclusive

If BIGFILE000 is corrupted or missing a few kilobytes of data, the engine won't be able to open it correctly. Steam and other launchers have a built-in way to repair this without a full reinstall. For Steam users: Right-click the game in your Library. Select Properties > Installed Files. Click Verify integrity of game files.

Wait for the process to finish; it will automatically redownload any corrupted parts of the bigfile. 4. Check for Background Interference

Since the error mentions "exclusive" access, it’s possible another program is already "hooked" into the file or the display.

Antivirus/Firewall: Sometimes security software flags large data archives as suspicious. Add your game folder to the Exclusion List in Windows Defender or your third-party antivirus.

Overlays: Disable overlays from Discord, Steam, or NVIDIA GeForce Experience, as these sometimes interfere with how a game takes control of the screen. 5. Update Graphics Drivers

An outdated GPU driver can struggle to hand over "exclusive" control to the game engine, leading to a handshake failure.

Check the NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Software app for the latest updates. A "Clean Install" of drivers often resolves deeper handshake issues between the OS and the game. Another process has the file open (exclusive lock)

In 90% of cases, unchecking "Exclusive Fullscreen" in the game's launcher settings fixes this error instantly. If that fails, administrative privileges and file verification are your next best bets.

Are you seeing this error on a Steam Deck or a Windows PC, and which specific game are you trying to launch?

Here’s a helpful troubleshooting text you can use for the error “unable to open bigfile bigfile000 exclusive”:

Possible causes

Quick checks to try (ordered)

  1. Close other programs that might use the file (editors, viewers, backup/scan tools).
  2. Reboot the machine to clear stale locks.
  3. Check file permissions:
    • Windows: right-click → Properties → Security; ensure your account has full control.
    • Linux/macOS: run ls -l bigfile000 and chmod/chown as needed.
  4. Check for processes holding the file:
    • Windows: use Resource Monitor (ResMon) or handle.exe (Sysinternals).
    • Linux/macOS: run lsof bigfile000 or fuser -v bigfile000.
  5. If on network share, verify network connectivity and that no other client holds the file; try copying it locally and opening the local copy.
  6. Temporarily disable antivirus or backup agents and retry (if policy allows).
  7. Run filesystem checks if you suspect corruption:
    • Windows: chkdsk /f on the drive.
    • Linux: unmount and run fsck (or use recovery tools).
  8. Try opening in a different program or with read-only mode if exclusive write lock isn't necessary.
  9. If the file is huge, ensure the application supports large files and you have sufficient free disk space and memory.

If those don’t work, gather diagnostic info

Suggested message to send to IT or support (copy/paste) "I’m getting the error: 'unable to open bigfile bigfile000 exclusive'. OS: [insert OS/version]. App: [insert app/version]. File path: [insert path], size: [insert size]. I’ve tried closing apps and rebooting. Attached are outputs from lsof/ResMon showing current handles and a screenshot of the error. Please check for locks, permission issues, and filesystem errors." Quick checks to try (ordered)

If you want, tell me your OS and app and I’ll provide exact commands and next steps.

This error message typically originates from Backup Exec (Veritas/Symantec) or similar enterprise backup software running on Windows. The error unable to open bigfile bigfile000 exclusive indicates that the backup job is attempting to access a specific file—named bigfile000—but cannot do so because another program or process is currently holding a lock on it.

Here is an informative breakdown of why this happens and how to resolve it.

5. The File is Marked as "Read-Only"

If the Read-only attribute is set on bigfile000, the operating system will deny exclusive write access. Even if the program only needs read access, requesting "exclusive" can fail if the file is flagged as read-only by the OS.

4. Antivirus or Security Software Interference

Modern antivirus solutions (Windows Defender, McAfee, Norton) perform real-time scanning. When your game tries to open bigfile000 exclusively, the antivirus might intercept the request to scan the file for malware, creating a sharing violation.

2. Common Causes

| Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | File already opened exclusively | Another process or thread holds an exclusive lock on the same file. | | Insufficient filesystem permissions | The process lacks write access to the file or its directory. | | File doesn’t exist and creation failed | If the process expects the file to be present or to create it, lack of write permission or space can cause this. | | Filesystem limitations | Some filesystems don’t support large files or exclusive locking properly (e.g., NFS with nolock option). | | Stale lock or orphaned process | A previous process crashed, leaving an exclusive lock behind (especially on Windows or with mandatory locking). | | Anti-virus or backup software | Real-time scanning tools may temporarily hold a handle to the file, blocking exclusive access. |

Diagnostics & logging

macOS (CrossOver/WineSkin)

macOS’s APFS file system handles locks differently.

Step 6: Take Ownership of the File (Windows)

If permission errors persist, take full ownership.

  1. Right-click the folder containing bigfile000 > Properties.
  2. Go to Security tab > Advanced.
  3. Next to "Owner," click Change.
  4. Type your username (e.g., YourName@PC or Administrators) and click Check Names > OK.
  5. Check the box: Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Run the game again.

Step 4: Disable Real-Time Antivirus Protection (Temporarily)

Your security suite may be the blocker.