Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 Bug That Let CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal Swell to 500GB
Updated
Updated · WindowsLatest · Jul 6
Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 Bug That Let CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal Swell to 500GB
3 articles · Updated · WindowsLatest · Jul 6
Summary
KB5095093, released as Windows 11’s June 2026 optional update, contains Microsoft’s fix for a storage bug that let CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal consume tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.
The file is the write-ahead log for Windows’ app-permission database, and reports indicate it kept growing because repeated privacy-access events were logged without being properly compacted back into the main database.
500GB is the largest reported case, with other users citing 70GB, 110GB and 200GB; affected PCs typically show the bloat only as unusually high “System files” usage under Settings > Storage.
Microsoft quietly noted the disk-space improvement in KB5095093 release notes on June 29, but still has not published a full explanation or listed the issue clearly on its known-issues dashboard.
July 2026 Patch Tuesday is expected to roll the fix out automatically, while users whose drives are already full may need Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment to rename the oversized WAL file.