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An unusual bug on Windows PCs is causing a single file to mysteriously inflate with many gamers very likely affected.
AI has made life difficult for the gaming industry as of late.
As AI is pointlessly utilised more and more by the wider public, the demand for environment-harming data centres increases.
Those data centres require both RAM and SSD, key storage components for both PCs and games consoles.
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That, as you’re likely aware, has led to shortages, causing RAM and SSD prices to skyrocket.
We’re not likely to see those prices drop for some time which is why Valve’s new Steam Machine has reluctantly launched at an inflated base price of $1,049.
All of this is to say that if you do own a PC, you’re probably not going to be considering upgrading your storage or even your PC as a whole anytime soon.
It’s very much not ideal then that Windows’ latest bug is needlessly consuming your console’s storage with one particular file randomly inflating to as much as a whopping 500GB.
The entirety of a behemoth game like Crimson Desert on PC is only 150GB so the idea of an individual mundane file potentially inflating to 500GB is enough to send a shudder down anybody’s spine.
The good news is that Windows is aware of the problem, with all PC users advised to keep an eye out for an important patch update.
READ MORE: Steam Machine Doubles In Price As Gamers Settle For Paying Extortionate Resellers
It was Twitter/X user Pirat_Nation that shone a spotlight on the issue.
“The file is called CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal. It’s normally only a few MB, but due to the bug it can grow to hundreds of GB on some PCs,” they said.
“If your storage suddenly looks much lower than expected, search for CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal in File Explorer to see if you’re affected.”
If you locate the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal and it looks relatively small, you’re fine to carry on as normal.
However, if you find it and it is taking up as much storage as a handful of AAA games, then here’s what you can do to free that storage back up.
Windows has already issued an optional update rectifying the issue. Simply head over to your PC’s Windows Update hub and find the optional KB5095093 update.
Hit download and it should return the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file back to normal.
Alternatively, Windows will be rolling out a non-optional patch update for Windows 11 sometime today, Tuesday July 7, so you could wait for that.
Admittedly though, it’s perhaps safer to rectify this issue sooner rather than later so you’re not putting unnecessary strain on your PC.
“Just a monthly occurrence of Microsoft trying to brick your PCs,” said Twitter/X user kingofallgamez in response to Pirat_Nation’s post.
“This happened on Windows 10 in the past with tmp files. It seems like Microslop doesn’t learn from its past,” added MrMarkilys.
READ MORE: Steam Machine 'Red Line of Death' Discovered After 20 Minutes Of Use
“I thought my storage was super low for no damn reason. Even disk clean-up showed nothing which confused the f**k out of me,” replied NokaAngel.
The sentiment towards Microsoft isn’t great at the moment, especially when you take Xbox’s mass layoffs and studio separations into account.
Xbox is reducing its headcount by 3,200 which equates to 20% of its workforce.
They are parting ways with Compulsion Games and Double Fine, with Undead Labs and Ninja Theory seemingly set to be snapped up by new buyers.
Arkane Lyon is also due to be sold or closed. No studios have yet been closed with alternative routes pursued where possible.
