0-byte<\/a>) WAL* files are created by Norton 360. They can be cleared. Turning off “Product Tamper Protection” in Norton seems to fix the issue.<\/p>\nLinks for reference<\/h4>\n
Weird 0 byte files appearing in C drive : r\/WindowsHelp: https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/WindowsHelp\/comments\/1cdivfi\/weird_0_byte_files_appearing_in_c_drive\/<\/p>\n
What are WAL files and can I remove them – Microsoft Community:
\nhttps:\/\/answers.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/forum\/windows_10-files\/what-are-wal-files-and-can-i-remove-them\/7fac58b6-8ac4-40b4-b2ad-e67228bc82d9<\/p>\n
Wal files being created on C: drive – Archive – Norton Community:
\nhttps:\/\/community.norton.com\/t\/wal-files-being-created-on-c-drive\/231518<\/p>\n
Update<\/h4>\n
Norton Security update released in October 2024 seems to fix the issue.<\/p>\n
Those empty WAL – files on C: drive – Norton 360 for Windows – Norton Community:
\nhttps:\/\/community.norton.com\/t\/those-empty-wal-files-on-c-drive\/242359\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You may find many 0-byte files in the root of the C:\\ drive. The file names may start with WAL. You wonder what causes these files to be created and whether they can be deleted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[982],"class_list":["post-77725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-utilities","category-windows","tag-norton"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9357,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/find-and-delete-zero-byte-files-recursively-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":0},"title":"How to Delete Empty files (0 byte) in Windows?","author":"Ramesh","date":"May 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Some applications create empty 0-byte files in their data folders and fail to clear them up. Over time, if you see many zero-byte files in a folder hierarchy, here are some methods to find all those 0-byte files and delete them. Find and\/or delete empty (0 byte) files in Windows:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"delete empty files recursively","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/delempty-0-byte-files-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/delempty-0-byte-files-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/delempty-0-byte-files-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/delempty-0-byte-files-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4144,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/recover-backup-sticky-notes-data-file-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":1},"title":"How to Backup and Restore Sticky Notes Data in Windows 10","author":"Ramesh","date":"September 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Microsoft Sticky Notes is the simple way to quickly save something for later, so you can stay in the flow. With Sticky Notes, you can create notes, type, ink, or add a picture, and stick them to the desktop. With Windows 10 v1607, the classic desktop version of Sticky Notes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"sticky notes backup plum.sqlite","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/plum-sqlite-sticky-notes-backup.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/plum-sqlite-sticky-notes-backup.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/plum-sqlite-sticky-notes-backup.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5576,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/onedrive-demand-block-automatic-file-downloads\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":2},"title":"OneDrive Files On-Demand Downloads – Block and Unblock Apps via Settings","author":"Ramesh","date":"October 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"OneDrive Files On-Demand, a new feature which is essentially like OneDrive placeholders, has been made available with the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. OneDrive Files On-Demand feature which is enabled by default, allows you to set a file or folder available \"online only\". These \"online\" files in your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"onedrive on-demand online file","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/onedrive-on-demand-cloud-only-file.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/onedrive-on-demand-cloud-only-file.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/onedrive-on-demand-cloud-only-file.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":700,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/green-tick-or-blue-arrows-icon-overlay-displayed-for-files-in-windows-explorer\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":3},"title":"Green Tick or Blue Arrows Icon Overlay Displayed for Files and Folders","author":"Ramesh","date":"October 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're wondering why Explorer shows certain files or folders with some icon sign in the corners, such as a white tick mark in a green box, or chevron in a blue box, or any other symbol such as a white tick in round green background regardless of the file\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"norton - turn off backup overlays","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/norton-disable-backup-overlays.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/norton-disable-backup-overlays.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/norton-disable-backup-overlays.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/norton-disable-backup-overlays.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74717,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/get-appxpackage-database-disk-image-malformed\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":4},"title":"Get-AppxPackage: The database disk image is malformed","author":"Ramesh","date":"April 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"You may be unable to install or update Store apps. Also, when you run the Get-AppxPackage command, the following error may appear: Get-AppxPackage : The database disk image is malformed The database disk image is malformed At line:1 char:1 + Get-AppxPackage + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-AppxPackage], Exception\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"get-appxpackage database disk image malformed","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/get-appxpackage_malformed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/get-appxpackage_malformed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/get-appxpackage_malformed.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/get-appxpackage_malformed.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8771,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/find-and-delete-empty-folders-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":77725,"position":5},"title":"How to Find and Remove Empty Folders in Windows","author":"Ramesh","date":"April 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Over time, hundreds of empty folders and junk files may take up your hard disk. While the junk files occupy disk space and can be cleaned up using Disk Cleanup or Storage settings, the empty directories remain. The empty folders don't take up disk space, but to organize your data\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Utilities"","block_context":{"text":"Utilities","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/utilities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"find and delete empty directories using searchmyfiles utility","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/searchmyfiles_find_empty_folders_1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/searchmyfiles_find_empty_folders_1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/searchmyfiles_find_empty_folders_1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77725\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"WAL](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/wal-files-norton.png\")
<\/p>\n