Shadow of the Tomb Raider remains a masterpiece of action-adventure, but in 2026, PC players—whether on Steam, Epic Games, or the Microsoft Store—still occasionally face the dreaded error.
Open the Windows Start Menu, type , and navigate to Virus & threat protection .
: Right-click your main game executable ( SOTR.exe ), click Properties , navigate to the Compatibility tab, and check Run this program as an administrator . shadow of the tomb raider unable to open bigfile.000
: Security software like Bitdefender or Windows Defender can block the game from opening large .tiger files. Add an exception for SOTTR.exe or temporarily disable your antivirus to test.
: Security suites like Windows Defender or Bitdefender sometimes view massive file extractions as suspicious behaviors. Add your Shadow of the Tomb Raider installation path as an exclusive folder exception within your antivirus settings. Quick Troubleshooting Matrix Shadow of the tomb raider crashing bigfile.000.tiger Shadow of the Tomb Raider remains a masterpiece
If you're trying to dive back into Lara Croft’s latest adventure only to be stopped by an "Unable to open bigfile.000" error, you're not alone. This error typically points to , permission issues , or security software interference .
Your security software is a common culprit. It might mistakenly identify the bigfile.000 as a threat and quarantine or block it, preventing the game from starting. : Security software like Bitdefender or Windows Defender
Leftover configuration files or broken download segments stored in your client's cache can repeatedly trigger file loading errors. Clear Steam Cache Click in the top-left corner of the client. Select Settings > Downloads . Scroll down and click Clear Cache . Log back into your account and test the game. Clear Epic Games Cache
