PREVENT ERROR.LOG FROM BECOMING HUNDREDS OF GB IN FILE SIZE

For anyone using mods, you may have run into an issue where the "error.log" file located in the Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\logs directory slowly becomes the size of three AAA title video games (or more...). For people on an SSD, this presents an issue if you are at all concerned about wasting literally hundreds of GB of Writes to your drives whenever you launch CK3 and play it for an hour or two with mods installed. Moreover, if you are on OneDrive, this presents an issue for some people who are already close to their 1 TB storage limit cap, as for some reason this file is saved in Documents which syncs automatically with OneDrive.

After spending a few days trying to solve this problem via a number of different methods, I have finally managed to figure out a workaround that is a little annoying but seems to be the simplest solution available until Paradox determines that, yes, this is an issue that needs to be fixed on their end someday - Hopefully?

Guide

• 1. Find where your "Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\logs\error.log" file is located on your system.
  
• 2. Open the "error.log" file in a word processing application (e.g. Microsoft Word).
  
  • 2.1 Right-click on "error.log"
    
  • 2.2 Select "Open with"
    
  • 2.3 Select "Choose another app"
    
  • 2.4 Click "More apps" arrow
    
  • 2.5 Scroll down until you find Word or another word processing application
    
    • 2.5.1 If you are not seeing any word processing apps on the list, scroll all the way down and click on "Look for another app on this PC"
      
    • 2.5.2 Browse for your word processing app on your PC
  • 2.6 Select the app
    
  • 2.7 Click OK
• 3. Launch Crusader Kings 3 with your mods enabled.
  
• 4. Check the "error.log" file's size; it should remain at 0 KB.
  
• 5. If this solution worked for you, create a shortcut to the "error.log" file on your Desktop and be sure to open it with some word processing app before you launch CK3.
  
  Because the "error.log" file is already in use in the open Word Document, CK3 is unable to access the file and write any data to it. This means that the file will stay at 0 KB.
  
  In my testing, I was also able to close the document AFTER loading up a save file (not BEFORE loading the save file) and the .log file remained at 0 KB.
  
  I have only tested this on my one PC because it is the only system I have available to test this on. Hopefully this works for you as well!
  
  Please provide feedback if this worked or did not work for you. If this did not work then provide some info and I will see if I can help. Thanks!

[Benedicter]

Well, my error.log is empty before, during and after game sessions.

[Ourg]

read only doesn't prevent the game to write on the error log

[Drakkenrush]

I'm leaving this guide so people can find Benedicter's comment further down. Setting the file to Read Only is definitely the best solution to this.

[Lusurfer]

could easily tell a difference thanks for this

[Benedicter]

:)

[Wolverine1987]

Thank you! I cleared the log and marked the file ‘read only’ and it more than halfed my game load time!

[Benedicter]

I just set the file to Read-Only. Problem solved.

[Panda BaoBao PL]

I invite you to my ultimate guide about millitary
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2846475771