A friend disabled the Capability Access Manager service so she could remove a roughly 45 GB cache, then deleted the contents of its folder. Now she cannot re-enable the service and Windows no longer shows any available Wi-Fi networks. Starting the service produces Error 1067, saying the process terminated unexpectedly. Restarting the network adapter and following a basic troubleshooting guide did not help. Could restoring the service or resetting the PC fix the problem? She has backups, so a reset is an option if necessary.
3 Answers
The exact files that were removed matter here. Clearing the entire Capability Access Manager folder is much more serious than deleting one temporary cache file, and it could explain why the service now fails with Error 1067. Before resetting the PC, try System Restore or an in-place Windows repair installation, since either may restore the missing service files without deleting personal data.
Deleting the cache alone should not normally make every network disappear, so she may have removed more than temporary files or damaged the service registration. In an elevated Command Prompt, try running `sfc /scannow` to repair missing or corrupted Windows components. The Capability Access Manager service can also be checked in the registry under `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicescamsvc`; its `ImagePath` should point to the normal Windows service host. If the service is repaired but networking is still broken, run `netsh winsock reset` and `netsh int ip reset`, then restart the computer.
It sounds like something beyond a normal cache file was deleted. If system-file repair does not restore the service, a Windows reset could help, especially since she has reliable backups. Choose the option that reinstalls Windows while removing applications, and make sure important files and hardware drivers are backed up first. A reputable repair shop is another safer option if she is uncomfortable editing the registry or resetting the system.
Thanks, she is trying those steps now. Even if they do not solve it, the suggestions are appreciated.