Keep running low on storage and don't know why? Mysterious Windows 11 file that ate tons of drive space is fixed in latest update

Date:
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:45:09 +0000

Description:
If your drive space has been mysteriously disappearing of late, the problem could be Capability Access Manager.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Some Windows 11 users have
found their drive space has been mysteriously dwindling In some reported cases, this is down to a database file for a Windows component that grows massively due to an apparent bug The optional update for June fixes this, albeit that patch is still in testing If you use Windows 11 and have been wondering why your drive space seems to have been mysteriously dwindling of late, the culprit could be a background process called Capability Access Manager.

Capability Access Manager (CAM) is a rather obscure Windows component which, as the name suggests, manages the apps on your PC in terms of permissions to access the camera, mic and so forth. CAM keeps a database that logs app requests and this is stored as a file called CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal and it's that file which is growing hugely on the drives of some unlucky Windows 11 users. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Neowin reports that Microsoft just implemented the fix for this aggravating issue in the latest update for Windows 11. This is patch KB5095093 which is the optional update for June (so it's still in preview, or testing, at this point).

In the changelog for this release, Microsoft tells us : "This update improves disk space usage for the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file." You may like Windows 11's File Explorer finally gets the update it deserves Microsoft
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So, with any luck, this will be an end to the gremlin, and those who install the June preview will find this database file has been changed so it doesn't spiral out of control and eat their storage like some kind of log-based black hole. Analysis: a baffling case of bloat (Image credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock) This is a nasty little problem, especially for those who've got a modest main drive for Windows 11, such as a 256GB SSD (or maybe even smaller). With reports of the database file expanding to a size of 60GB to 100GB, or even larger ( 200GB according to this Redditor ), you can see how problematic this could be when you're already short on space with your SSD. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
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Microsoft doesn't explicitly say that this is a bug, but surely it must have been? Albeit a situational one that only occurred on certain systems by all accounts ( Dell PCs are mentioned in a few reports, I should note). It's clear, however, that there are a lot of reports of CAM woes on Reddit and Microsoft's own help site , with some folks left scratching their heads as to what on earth was going on and why their drive space was disappearing into some apparent void.

Unfortunately, these problems have been around for some time, with those reports going back to March 2026, and some dating from almost a year ago. As one Redditor explained in a post some 10 months ago: "Turns out it's the 'CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal' file which ate up 25GB. Looked through some forums and seems like it's a notorious culprit for system bloat. That file is supposed to slowly build up then be emptied each month, but mine bugged and never emptied itself."

There are workarounds to delete the CAM database file and effectively empty
it out, but they're somewhat fiddly, and the log will rebuild itself if buggy conditions still abound on your PC. As one Redditor observed : "I spent hours trying to delete that file. Like in a horror movie, it just wouldn't die,
even when I thought I had killed it. Your procedure [workaround] worked perfectly. Thanks!"

So, the whole thing has been a bit of a headache really, and while it's good to see an apparent cure now, it's taken Microsoft long enough. And frankly, I'm not impressed with the communication on this issue from the software giant.

To be clear, the fix right now is to download and install the June optional update for Windows 11, but bear in mind that as noted, it's a preview, so there's no guarantee it'll work as it should. The resolution will be provided with the full July update, mind, in tested form, and that's just around the corner so you might just want to wait for that. Assuming your drive isn't chock-full and causing you a whole load of grief, anyway. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/keep-running-low-on-storage-and-do nt-know-why-mysterious-windows-11-file-that-ate-tons-of-drive-space-is-fixed-i n-latest-update


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