Microsoft update reins in Windows 11 file eating disk space
The optional KB5095093 preview update addresses a Windows 11 app-permissions file that some users said swelled by hundreds of gigabytes.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Microsoft has released a Windows 11 preview update aimed at a file that could consume large amounts of storage on affected PCs. The fix matters for users whose system drives were filling up because a permissions-related database log kept growing.
In its support notes for the optional June 2026 update, KB5095093, Microsoft says the release improves disk-space use for the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file. The update applies to Windows 11 builds listed by Microsoft as OS builds 26200.8737 and 26100.8737 in preview form.
The file is present by default on Windows 11 computers and is tied to app permissions, according to The Verge. Microsoft’s support note does not describe the underlying cause of the storage problem or say how many devices were affected.
Reports from users over recent months show how large the file could become. One Reddit user said the file reached 500GB on their device, while other posts on Reddit and Microsoft’s Answers forum described sizes ranging from 12GB to 200GB.
Windows Latest, which earlier highlighted Microsoft’s fix, said the file may have been expanding because Windows 11 was repeatedly writing events tied to access requests or privacy controls, including location. Microsoft has not confirmed that explanation in the support note cited by The Verge.
The file name gives some clue to its role. Capability Access Manager is associated with Windows controls that govern what apps can use system capabilities, such as privacy-sensitive permissions. The reported problem involved the .db-wal file, a write-ahead log connected to that database, according to the reports cited by The Verge.
How to get the fix
Microsoft is distributing the fix through an optional update rather than a standard mandatory release, according to The Verge. Users who want to install it now can open Settings, go to Windows Update, choose Advanced options, and then select Check for optional updates.
From there, affected users can choose the June 2026 update, KB5095093, and install it. As with other optional Windows updates, users who do not install it manually may need to wait for Microsoft’s regular update process to deliver the change later.
The available information does not say whether the update automatically shrinks an already bloated CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file or only prevents further runaway growth. Microsoft’s note is limited to saying the update improves disk-space use for that file.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.