Solved Why Chrome may have quietly downloaded a 4GB file to your PC - and how to get rid of it


Borg 386

Borg 386

Well-known member
Power User
VIP
Local time
7:05 PM
Posts
2,558
Location
In a crazy house with a cat trying to kill me
OS
Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver
  • Google is downloading a 4GB file to the PCs of many Chrome users.
  • The file is harmless and is used for the Gemini Nano on-device LLM.
  • You'll see it if you've opted into the on-device AI setting in Chrome.
Click to expand...

Though there's nothing risky or dangerous about the file, Hanff and others have expressed concerns that it's being downloaded without users' knowledge or permission. And if you delete the file, it eventually comes back, Hanff said. That by itself is hardly alarming; that's part of any software update. Rather, some of the criticism centers on the file's size. If you have ample hard disk space, then 4GB is likely not a big deal. But if you're running low, that big a file might chew up space you can't spare.
Click to expand...

www.zdnet.com

Why Chrome may have quietly downloaded a 4GB file to your PC - and how to get rid of it

The file, which appears to be related to Google's on-device AI model, is harmless enough. Here's why some users may still be concerned.
www.zdnet.com www.zdnet.com
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
OS
Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
It's a Dell Dude
CPU
12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz
Motherboard
Father is bored too...
Memory
64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAM
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Sound Card
N/A
Monitor(s) Displays
27" Samsung Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
Screen Resolution
Fuzzy after a couple drinks
Hard Drives
2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
PSU
Shockingly active
Case
Don't get on my case....man
Cooling
Scotch on the rocks on the weekends.
Keyboard
Steel Series Lighted Glow in the dark something or another
Mouse
Currently being stalked by the cat...
Internet Speed
DSL
Browser
Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
Antivirus
Yep
all of them seem to like pushing this AI malarkey even without user consent
i wonder if this will cause a drop in Google Chrome usage.

best of luck Steve ..
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Debian 13 KDE .. Windows 11 HomeRyzen 7 5825u64GB DDR4 3200Ryzen 7 5825u
    OS
    Debian 13 KDE .. Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP 24" AiO
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    64GB DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Sound Card
    RealTek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HP AiO
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD Blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
    2x 1TB USB HDD External Backup/Storage.
    PSU
    90W external power brick
    Case
    24" All in One
    Cooling
    Default Air Cooling
    Keyboard
    HP WiFi UK extended
    Mouse
    HP WiFi 3 Button
    Internet Speed
    1GB full fibre
    Browser
    Edge & Firefox
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security/Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software

  • At a glance

    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTSi5 7200u16GB DDR4Intel
    Operating System
    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 13" Latitude 2017
    CPU
    i5 7200u
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13" Dell Laptop
    Hard Drives
    250GB Crucial 2.5" SSD
    Mouse
    Generic WiFi 3 button
    Internet Speed
    WiFi only
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    ClamAV TK
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software
I spotted this a few ago and uninstalled Chrome to use Edge. I then found issues using Edge with some key UK sites e.g. National Savings and had to revert to using Chrome! You can't win.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProCore i7-13700K64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Self build
CPU
Core i7-13700K
Motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
Memory
64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
Graphics Card(s)
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
Sound Card
Realtek S1200A
Monitor(s) Displays
Viewsonic VP2770 & Dell (secondary)
Screen Resolution
2560 x 1440
Hard Drives
Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
PSU
EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
Case
Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Microsoft Digital Media Pro
Mouse
Logitech Wireless
Internet Speed
80 Mb / s
Browser
Chrome
Antivirus
Defender, Malwarebytes Free & AdwCleaner
I have Brave. Is this happening with Brave too?
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)32GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro
    Memory
    32GB

  • At a glance

    Microsoft 25H2 ProIntel Core Ultra 764GBIntel Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Microsoft 25H2 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro 14 - PC14250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Micron 1TB SSD
@Steve C
have a look at Vivaldi browser. its chrome based but no AI.
vivaldi.com

Download Vivaldi | Vivaldi Browser

Download the latest version of the Vivaldi browser for Windows, Mac or Linux. Browse your way with a fully customisable browser packed with advanced features.
vivaldi.com vivaldi.com

i use Vivaldi on Windows and Linux but i use Firefox on my phone.
best of luck Steve ..
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Debian 13 KDE .. Windows 11 HomeRyzen 7 5825u64GB DDR4 3200Ryzen 7 5825u
    OS
    Debian 13 KDE .. Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP 24" AiO
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    64GB DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Sound Card
    RealTek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HP AiO
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD Blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
    2x 1TB USB HDD External Backup/Storage.
    PSU
    90W external power brick
    Case
    24" All in One
    Cooling
    Default Air Cooling
    Keyboard
    HP WiFi UK extended
    Mouse
    HP WiFi 3 Button
    Internet Speed
    1GB full fibre
    Browser
    Edge & Firefox
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security/Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software

  • At a glance

    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTSi5 7200u16GB DDR4Intel
    Operating System
    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 13" Latitude 2017
    CPU
    i5 7200u
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13" Dell Laptop
    Hard Drives
    250GB Crucial 2.5" SSD
    Mouse
    Generic WiFi 3 button
    Internet Speed
    WiFi only
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    ClamAV TK
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software
This isn’t exactly new, by the way.

Chrome Installs 4 GB File weights.bin?

there is a large 4gb file weights.bin used by chrome in "C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel\2025.8.8.1141" what is this for and how to stop it being installed?
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com


cheaterslick said:
I have Brave. Is this happening with Brave too?
Click to expand...
Do you have a big ol’ file named weights.bin?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)12th Gen Core i7-1260P64 GB Micron PC4-25600Intel Iris Xe Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Intel NUC12WSHi7
CPU
12th Gen Core i7-1260P
Motherboard
NUC12WSBi7
Memory
64 GB Micron PC4-25600
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Sound Card
on-board Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
Crucial MX500 2 TB
Keyboard
CODE 104-Key mechanical with Cherry MX Clears
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
XxXxX said:
all of them seem to like pushing this AI malarkey even without user consent
i wonder if this will cause a drop in Google Chrome usage.

best of luck Steve ..
Click to expand...
I agree, seems they're all adding AI to their functions. Whether you want it or not.

cheaterslick said:
I have Brave. Is this happening with Brave too?
Click to expand...
Brave is one of the browsers I use & I couldn't tell you if they've done the same thing, but they do have a built in AI (Just like the rest of them nowadays :rolleyes:) called Leo, so it's a possibility.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
OS
Win 11 Pro, Win 10 pro, Win 13.7 Pro Chinese Ver
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
It's a Dell Dude
CPU
12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 2.40 GHz
Motherboard
Father is bored too...
Memory
64.0 GB of transcendental dimensional RAM
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Sound Card
N/A
Monitor(s) Displays
27" Samsung Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
Screen Resolution
Fuzzy after a couple drinks
Hard Drives
2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
PSU
Shockingly active
Case
Don't get on my case....man
Cooling
Scotch on the rocks on the weekends.
Keyboard
Steel Series Lighted Glow in the dark something or another
Mouse
Currently being stalked by the cat...
Internet Speed
DSL
Browser
Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
Antivirus
Yep

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2AMD Rysen 5 4600H32 GB (2 x 16 GB Samsung SO-DIMM DDR4-3200)GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo Legion 5-15ARH05
CPU
AMD Rysen 5 4600H
Memory
32 GB (2 x 16 GB Samsung SO-DIMM DDR4-3200)
Graphics Card(s)
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
SSD M.2 512 GB SAMSUNG MZALQ512; SSD M.2 1 TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Mouse
Logitech M650L in Bluetooth mode
There’s a policy setting for Edge and one for Chrome, as the article points out.

chromeenterprise.google

GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings: Settings for GenAI local foundational model | Chrome Enterprise

Configure how Google Chrome downloads the foundational GenAI model and uses for inference locally. When the policy is set to Allowed (0) or not set, the model is downloaded automatically, and used for inference. When the policy is set to Disabled (1), the model will not be downloaded, and the...
chromeenterprise.google chromeenterprise.google
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)12th Gen Core i7-1260P64 GB Micron PC4-25600Intel Iris Xe Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Intel NUC12WSHi7
CPU
12th Gen Core i7-1260P
Motherboard
NUC12WSBi7
Memory
64 GB Micron PC4-25600
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Sound Card
on-board Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
Crucial MX500 2 TB
Keyboard
CODE 104-Key mechanical with Cherry MX Clears
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
pseymour said:
Do you have a big ol’ file named weights.bin?
Click to expand...

Doing a drive search, I can't find it. How can I make sure? Those articles are pointing to a Chrome path, not a Brave pathway.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)32GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro
    Memory
    32GB

  • At a glance

    Microsoft 25H2 ProIntel Core Ultra 764GBIntel Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Microsoft 25H2 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro 14 - PC14250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Micron 1TB SSD
Hey, they did the nice thing:

When the policy is set to Disabled (1), the model will not be downloaded, and the existing model (if already downloaded) will be deleted.
Click to expand...
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7
OS
Windows 7

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)32GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro
    Memory
    32GB

  • At a glance

    Microsoft 25H2 ProIntel Core Ultra 764GBIntel Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Microsoft 25H2 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro 14 - PC14250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Micron 1TB SSD
cheaterslick said:
I checked and both of those were already set to 1

Brave doesn't have that policy at all and I suspect it's using it's AI from the cloud. I think Firefox is doing the same thing.
Click to expand...
In Brave the settings for AI are at: brave://settings/leo-ai
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i9 13900KCorsair Dominator Platinum 64gb 5600MT/s DDR5...Sapphire NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Vapor-...
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Z790 Creator WiFi - Bios 3107
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 64gb 5600MT/s DDR5 Dual Channel
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X 24GB
    Sound Card
    External DAC: Cambridge Audio DACMagic200M - Headphone Amp: Topping L50
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Panasonic MX950 Mini LED 55" TV 120hz
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 120hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 2TB (OS)
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Files)
    Lexar NZ790 4TB
    LaCie d2 Professional 6TB external - USB 3.1
    Seagate Expansion 16TB external - USB 3.2
    Seagate One Touch 18TB external HD - USB 3.0
    PSU
    Corsair RM1200x Shift
    Case
    Corsair RGB Smart Case 5000x (white)
    Cooling
    Corsair iCue H150i Elite Capellix XT
    Keyboard
    Incase Ergonomic USB (Microsoft clone)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S
    Internet Speed
    Fibre 900/500 Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    AMD Radeon Software & Drivers 26.1.1
    Hasleo Backup Suite
    Dashlane password manager
    Kensington Verimark fingerprint reader
    Logitech Brio 4K webcam
    Orico 10-port powered USB 3.0 hub

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel® Core™ i9-13900H32GB DDR4-3200 Dual channel*Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics G7
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivobook X1605VA
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-13900H
    Motherboard
    Asus X1605VA bios 309
    Memory
    32GB DDR4-3200 Dual channel
    Graphics card(s)
    *Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics G7
    Sound Card
    Realtek | Intel SST Bluetooth & USB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16.0-inch, WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio, IPS-level Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 60hz
    Hard Drives
    512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Ergo Trackball
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    720p Webcam
    WiFi & USB to ethernet
cheaterslick said:
Brave doesn't have that policy at all and I suspect it's using it's AI from the cloud. I think Firefox is doing the same thing.
Click to expand...
I think it can be easily checked by the presence (or lack of) the file about 4GB size with AI model. Chrome devs added their own AI, while Edge is able to use the Copilot and doesn't need extra model, at least in Windows 11. Other Chromium-based browsers and Firefox should decide separately.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2AMD Rysen 5 4600H32 GB (2 x 16 GB Samsung SO-DIMM DDR4-3200)GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo Legion 5-15ARH05
CPU
AMD Rysen 5 4600H
Memory
32 GB (2 x 16 GB Samsung SO-DIMM DDR4-3200)
Graphics Card(s)
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
SSD M.2 512 GB SAMSUNG MZALQ512; SSD M.2 1 TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Mouse
Logitech M650L in Bluetooth mode
Marcus Vinicus said:
In Brave the settings for AI are at: brave://settings/leo-ai
Click to expand...

Yeah, Leo is all turned off. I did those settings awhile back.

Slavic said:
I think it can be easily checked by the presence (or lack of) the file about 4GB size with AI model. Chrome devs added their own AI, while Edge is able to use the Copilot and doesn't need extra model, at least in Windows 11. Other Chromium-based browsers and Firefox should decide separately.
Click to expand...

That's fine but I don't know the path to where that specific 4GB file or folder might be at with Brave.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)32GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro
    Memory
    32GB

  • At a glance

    Microsoft 25H2 ProIntel Core Ultra 764GBIntel Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Microsoft 25H2 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro 14 - PC14250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Micron 1TB SSD
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom