Fix 0x80190009: Could Not Resize Log on Windows 11/10

This error means Windows couldn't resize a log file during an update or disk operation. The fix is straightforward and depends on clearing corrupted log data or freeing disk space.

What's Actually Happening Here

Error 0x80190009 — with the friendly message "The log could not be set to the requested size" — pops up when Windows Update, Event Viewer, or a system component tries to grow a log file and the OS says no. The underlying cause is almost always one of two things: the disk is too full to allow the log to expand, or the existing log data is corrupted in a way that prevents resizing. Sometimes it's a registry cap that's too tight.

This error shows up most often during a Windows Update installation, especially on builds 21H2 through 23H2, or when you're running a DISM repair and it needs to write to the CBS log. I've also seen it after a failed disk cleanup where the chkdsk log got cut short.

Below I've laid out three fixes. Start with the first one — it takes 30 seconds. If that doesn't work, the second one takes about 5 minutes. The third is for the edge cases where nothing else helps. Stop when your error goes away.

Fix 1: The 30-Second Check — Free Disk Space

Before you dive into anything else, check if your system drive (usually C:\) has less than 5% free space. Windows needs room to grow logs, and if it's cramped, it throws this error.

Open File Explorer, right-click on your C: drive, and select Properties.
Look at the free space. If it's below 5% of total capacity, you need to clear space.
Run Disk Cleanup: hit Win + R, type cleanmgr, select C:, and check everything except Downloads and Recycle Bin. Click OK.
If Disk Cleanup doesn't free enough, empty the Temp folder manually: press Win + R, type %temp%, delete everything inside (skip locked files).

Why step 3 works: Disk Cleanup can remove Windows Update cache and temporary files that take up space. The log resizer needs contiguous free space, and old updates often fragment that area.

After you've freed up at least 10% space, try the operation that triggered the error again. If it still fails, move to Fix 2.

Fix 2: The 5-Minute Fix — Clear and Reset the Corrupted Logs

If space isn't the problem, the log files themselves are probably borked. Windows keeps several logs that can get into a state where they refuse to resize. The main culprit is the Windows Update log (C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log) and the Event Viewer logs.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search for cmd, right-click, Run as administrator).
Stop the Windows Update service and the Event Log service so we can delete the logs safely:
```
net stop wuauserv
net stop eventlog
```
Now delete the corrupted CBS log (this is safe — it will be recreated):
```
del /f /q C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log
```
Clear the Event Viewer logs by running:
```
for /f %i in ('wevtutil el') do wevtutil cl %i 2>nul
```
Note: This clears all Event Logs. If you need them for auditing, skip this and only clear the Application and System logs manually via Event Viewer.
Restart the services:
```
net start wuauserv
net start eventlog
```
Run a DISM scan to make sure the component store is clean:
```
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
```

Why this works: The CBS.log file can grow to several GB and get internally corrupted — Windows can't truncate or extend it. Deleting it forces the OS to start fresh. The Event Log clear removes any stale handles that were locking the file. DISM after this rebuilds the state properly.

Fix 3: The Advanced Fix (15+ Minutes) — Registry Tweak and Log Size Limits

If you're still seeing 0x80190009, the problem is likely a registry setting that caps log file sizes too low, or a corrupted registry key controlling the log provider. This is rare — I've only needed it on systems that had aggressive log size limits enforced by group policy or third-party tools.

Open Registry Editor as Administrator (regedit).

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Application

Look for a DWORD value named MaxSize. If it exists, double-click it and set it to 20971520 (20 MB) — decimal, not hexadecimal. If it's missing, right-click, New > DWORD (32-bit), name it MaxSize, set value to 20971520.

Do the same for the System and Security subkeys under EventLog:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\System
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Security

Now navigate to the Windows Update log settings (if it exists — it's optional):
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Log
```
If the Log key is missing, skip this step. If MaxSize is there, set it to at least 10485760 (10 MB).
Restart your computer.

Why this works: The registry keys control the maximum size of the log files. If a policy or a third-party app set them too small (like 256 KB), Windows will fail to resize them when they hit that cap. Setting a reasonable limit — 20 MB for Event Logs, 10 MB for Windows Update — gives the OS enough room. The error code specifically means the size request was denied, and this removes that artificial limit.

If none of these fix it, you're likely dealing with hardware failure (check the disk with chkdsk /f /r) or a corrupted Windows image that needs a repair install. But 90% of the time, Fix 1 or 2 resolves it.