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


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  • 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
 

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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 ..
 

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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.
 

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I have Brave. Is this happening with Brave too?
 

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@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 ..
 

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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?
 

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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.
 

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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
 

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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.
 

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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...
 

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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
 

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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.
 

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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.
 

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