A Windows 11 bug is causing some PCs to lose hundreds of gigabytes of storage because of a runaway system log file.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and says a fix is included in update KB5095093. Until then, affected users should avoid deleting or modifying the file manually.
Windows 11 Bug Creates Huge Log Files
The Windows 11 bug affects the Capability Access Manager service, which manages app permissions for features such as the camera, microphone, location, and screen capture.
The service stores activity in a file called CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal.
Under normal conditions, the file should occupy only a few megabytes. However, on some systems it continues growing until it reaches hundreds of gigabytes.
In some cases, it can consume nearly all available storage space. As a result, overall system performance may suffer.
Users Report Drives Suddenly Filling Up
Many users discovered the problem only after Windows warned them that their storage was almost full.
One Reddit user said they had not installed any large files or applications. A disk analysis tool later revealed that the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file was consuming around 500GB of storage.
Other users criticized Microsoft for allowing the problem to continue for so long. Some even compared the behavior to malware because a single log file could fill half of a hard drive.
Microsoft Issues a Fix
Microsoft says the Windows 11 bug is addressed in update KB5095093.
The patch notes include a brief entry stating that the update improves disk space usage for the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file.
The fix is expected to roll out automatically during July 2026 Patch Tuesday.
Users who do not want to wait can install the optional update through Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates.
Don’t Delete the File Yourself
Users should not attempt to delete, uninstall, or manually modify the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file.
Doing so could trigger additional system errors because the file is part of Windows’ privacy and permissions framework.
Microsoft has not listed the Windows 11 bug on its Windows Health Dashboard. The company also has not explained why only some systems were affected or why the file was able to grow so large before the fix became available.
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