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Error 0x3AEB means that Windows Event Collector cannot save another subscription credential because its credential store is full. The code is the Win32 error ERROR_EC_CREDSTORE_FULL, not a disk-space warning and not a graphics, printer, or game-hardware fault. It normally appears on a computer collecting forwarded events from remote Windows machines.
The supported repair is administrative: identify the affected Windows Event Collector (WEC) subscription, inspect its configuration and runtime state, remove or correct obsolete sources and credentials, retry the subscription, and verify that events reach the destination log. Microsoft does not document a supported command for purging individual hidden credential-store records, so avoid registry deletion or blanket Credential Manager cleanup as a supposed fix.
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What does error 0x3AEB mean?
Windows assigns decimal value 15083 and hexadecimal value 0x3AEB to ERROR_EC_CREDSTORE_FULL. The official message is “The credential store that is used to save credentials is full.” In this context, “EC” refers to Windows Event Collector, the Windows component that receives events from remote computers over WS-Management and writes them to a local event log through subscriptions.
A WEC subscription contains the information needed to contact event sources and authenticate to them. Depending on the subscription model, those credentials may be stored per source or shared across many sources. When the credential store reaches its usable limit, Windows cannot save a new or changed credential and the subscription operation can fail with 0x3AEB.
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The message does not tell you that the physical disk is full. Check disk capacity if you have a separate storage alert, but deleting random files will not normally resolve this code. It also does not identify a failing consumer device. A game, graphics card, USB adapter, or printer can generate events that are forwarded by WEC, but the error itself concerns the collector’s subscription credentials.
Where should I investigate the error first?
Start on the computer acting as the event collector, not automatically on the source computer that generated an event. Confirm that the message appeared while creating, changing, starting, or querying a WEC subscription, or in software that uses the Event Collector API.
Confirm the collector context
- Record the computer name, the time of the failure, and the exact command or management action that produced 0x3AEB.
- Determine whether the deployment uses source-initiated subscriptions, collector-initiated subscriptions, or both.
- Identify the destination log, commonly
ForwardedEvents, and note whether collection stopped for all sources or only one subscription. - Use an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session. The commands below change service and subscription state and may fail without administrative rights.
If the error came from unrelated application software and there is no WEC subscription involved, do not force the WEC procedure onto it. The Win32 symbol is specific, but an application can surface a code in an unexpected context; verify the calling component before changing subscriptions.
How do I list and inspect WEC subscriptions?
Microsoft’s wecutil utility is the supported command-line tool for creating and managing event-forwarding subscriptions. Save the output from each command before making a change so you can restore the previous configuration.
1. Enumerate subscription names
- Open an elevated Command Prompt on the collector.
- Run
wecutil es. - Copy the returned subscription identifiers to a secure administrator’s note. Treat names and configuration output as operational data.
The command lists subscriptions known to the collector. If the list is empty, the failing operation may be attempting to create the first subscription, or the message may not be coming from WEC. Verify the context before proceeding.
2. Inspect each subscription’s configuration
For every relevant identifier, run:
wecutil gs <SubscriptionId>The configuration output shows how the subscription is defined, which sources it targets, how credentials are scoped, the selected authentication type, transport and delivery settings, and the destination log. Preserve this output before editing anything.
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3. Inspect runtime health
Run:
wecutil gr <SubscriptionId>Runtime status helps separate a credential-storage failure from a network, authorization, or service problem. Look for inactive sources, repeated connection failures, or a subscription that is stopped while other subscriptions remain healthy. Compare the runtime result with the configuration from wecutil gs; a source can be configured correctly but currently unreachable.
How do I find stale or excessive credentials?
The practical goal is to reduce credentials that are no longer needed and correct credentials that are being written repeatedly under the wrong scope. Make one subscription change at a time and test it before changing another.
Audit every source
- List each event source and confirm that the computer still exists and is intended to forward events.
- Check the username associated with each source and whether the account is disabled, expired, renamed, or no longer authorized to read the requested logs.
- Determine whether the subscription uses a separate credential for each source or one shared credential.
- Confirm that the credential type matches the deployment.
wecutilsupports default, negotiate, digest, basic, and localmachine credential types; use only the type required by your environment and security policy. - Look for duplicate or abandoned subscriptions that target the same computers and logs.
Do not paste passwords into a shared transcript, ticket, or shell history. If a command requires a credential, use the documented prompt or protected configuration procedure used by your organization. Password rotation should be coordinated with the account owner and any other subscriptions that use the same account.
Understand credential scope
Collector-initiated subscriptions explicitly list their event sources. Their configuration can use per-source username and password settings, represented by the /un and /up options, or shared credentials in configuration-file mode through /cun and /cup. A shared credential reduces repeated entries but increases the impact of an account change; per-source credentials isolate changes but can create more stored records to maintain.
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Source-initiated subscriptions discover or associate sources through policy. The collector still stores the subscription definition and the credentials required for delivery, but the source list is not maintained in exactly the same way as a collector-initiated list. Do not delete a source from a collector-initiated configuration and assume that a policy will remove it from a source-initiated deployment; identify the model first.
How do I update a subscription without deleting it?
Use wecutil ss when the subscription is still needed and only its credentials, source list, or related settings are wrong. The exact switches depend on whether you are changing per-source values or applying a configuration file, so use the syntax documented for your installed Windows version and preserve the original XML or command output.
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Update credentials or sources
- Export or copy the current result of
wecutil gs <SubscriptionId>. - Prepare the smallest possible change: remove a decommissioned source, replace an expired account, or correct the credential type.
- Run
wecutil sswith the documented options for that change. Per-source credentials use/unand/up; shared credentials in configuration-file mode use/cunand/cup. - Re-run
wecutil gs <SubscriptionId>and verify that the intended source list and credential scope are present. - Run
wecutil gr <SubscriptionId>to check whether sources become active.
If the update itself returns 0x3AEB, stop adding credentials. Re-examine the subscription list for obsolete entries and move to the targeted deletion-and-recreation procedure below rather than trying random registry edits.
When should I delete and recreate a subscription?
Delete a subscription only when it is abandoned, irreparably misconfigured, or easier to rebuild from a known-good configuration. First record its settings, source list, query, delivery mode, and destination log. A deletion unsubscribes its sources, but Microsoft documents that events already received in the destination log are not deleted.
Safe deletion sequence
- Run
wecutil gs <SubscriptionId>and save the complete configuration. - Confirm with the service owner that collection can pause for the affected sources.
- Delete only the identified subscription:
wecutil ds <SubscriptionId>- Confirm that
wecutil esno longer lists it. - Review or edit the saved XML configuration, removing obsolete sources and correcting credentials.
- Recreate it with:
wecutil cs <ConfigFile>- Run
wecutil gsandwecutil gragainst the new subscription, then validate event delivery in the destination log.
Deletion is not a credential-store purge command. It removes the subscription and its source associations; it does not expose or individually erase every underlying credential record. If the store remains full after obsolete subscriptions and credentials have been removed, escalate rather than deleting undocumented registry data.
How do I retry inactive sources and restart the collector?
Once the configuration is corrected, retry delivery and make sure the Windows Event Collector service is prepared to run continuously.
Retry a subscription
Use:
wecutil rs <SubscriptionId>This requests a retry for inactive sources. Recheck with wecutil gr <SubscriptionId>. A retry cannot fix an invalid account, blocked WinRM traffic, an unreachable host, or a source that has been retired; it only causes WEC to attempt the configured connection again.
Start the service if RPC is unavailable
If wecutil reports that the RPC server is unavailable, start the collector service:
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net start wecsvcUse wecutil qc when the collector has not been prepared for sustained subscriptions. Microsoft documents that this configuration can enable the ForwardedEvents log when disabled, set the service to delayed start, and start the service. Run it deliberately: changing service startup behavior on a shared server should follow your organization’s change-control process.
Check WinRM and permissions
WEC depends on Windows Remote Management and appropriate permissions on both sides. Microsoft’s configuration procedure calls for WinRM preparation on source computers, collector preparation with wecutil qc, and suitable Event Log Readers or administrator permissions. A credential-store error can coexist with a separate authorization failure, so resolve each error reported by the runtime status instead of treating every failure as 0x3AEB.
How do I validate that the fix worked?
Validation should prove both configuration acceptance and actual event delivery.
- Run
wecutil gs <SubscriptionId>and confirm the intended sources, credential scope, authentication type, transport, and destination log. - Run
wecutil gr <SubscriptionId>and verify that previously inactive sources are connected or progressing without new credential errors. - Generate or wait for a matching event on a test source that you are authorized to use.
- Open the configured destination log, commonly
ForwardedEvents, and confirm that the event arrives with the expected source and timestamp. - Repeat the runtime check after the normal polling or push interval. A one-time successful connection does not prove that a scheduled subscription will remain healthy.
If events still do not arrive, classify the remaining symptom. A credential rejection points to account or authentication settings; an unreachable source points to WinRM, DNS, firewall, or network routing; an active subscription with no matching events points to the query or source logging configuration. Keep the saved before-and-after outputs for the administrator who owns the event-forwarding deployment.
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The two models change who owns the source list and how you should audit a 0x3AEB incident.
| Characteristic | Source-initiated | Collector-initiated |
|---|---|---|
| Source list ownership | Sources associate with the collector through policy, such as SubscriptionManager settings. | The collector subscription explicitly lists the event sources. |
| Credential review | Check policy-associated sources and the credentials used by the subscription and source connections. | Inspect each listed source, per-source credentials, or the shared credentials in the subscription configuration. |
| Typical change | Correct policy or source association, then verify the collector subscription. | Edit the subscription source list or credential settings with wecutil ss. |
| Validation | Use runtime status and confirm policy-associated sources deliver to the destination log. | Use runtime status for every explicitly listed source and confirm delivery. |
| Deletion impact | Removing the subscription stops collection for associated sources; policy may still need cleanup. | Deleting the subscription removes its listed source subscriptions; stored destination events remain. |
Neither model provides a documented “flush all credential entries” button. The correct response is still targeted configuration cleanup, followed by a controlled retry and delivery test.
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What should I avoid when fixing 0x3AEB?
- Do not treat it as a disk-full error. Disk cleanup does not remove WEC credential records.
- Do not delete registry files or undocumented credential databases. Microsoft’s documented procedures do not provide a blanket purge command for individual store entries, and destructive edits can damage other subscriptions.
- Do not delete every subscription to see what happens. Collection stops for those sources, even though events already in the destination log remain.
- Do not rotate a shared account without checking all consumers. A password change can break multiple subscriptions at once.
- Do not expose passwords in command history or support tickets. Redact credentials from copied output.
- Do not assume a successful retry proves durable health. Confirm delivery after the normal collection interval and review runtime status again.
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What if the credential store is still full after cleanup?
At that point, stop making broad changes. Confirm that obsolete subscriptions and unused credentials have actually been removed, verify that the failing operation is still WEC-related, and gather the saved wecutil es, wecutil gs, and wecutil gr output. Escalate to Microsoft support or a Windows administrator who manages the collector. The available Microsoft procedures do not establish a supported manual command for deleting individual hidden credential-store entries, so a qualified administrator may need to determine whether the store requires a platform-level repair or redesign.
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Does 0x3AEB mean my Windows hard drive is full?
No. The code names the WEC credential store, not general disk capacity. Check storage separately if Windows reports low disk space, but the event-forwarding fix is subscription and credential management.
Will deleting a subscription erase forwarded events?
Deleting a subscription unsubscribes its sources and stops that collection path. Events already received in the subscription’s destination log are retained according to the log’s own retention and overwrite settings.
Can I clear the error by removing entries from Credential Manager?
Microsoft’s documented WEC procedures do not provide a command that enumerates and purges individual underlying credential-store entries. Removing unrelated Credential Manager items or registry data is therefore not a supported, guaranteed remedy and can create additional authentication failures.
Which command shows why a source is inactive?
Run wecutil gr <SubscriptionId> for runtime status, then compare it with wecutil gs <SubscriptionId> for the saved configuration. Together they show whether the problem is a stored setting, an inactive connection, or a separate network or permission error.
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After correcting the subscription, run a retry, check runtime status, and generate a permitted test event on one source. Confirm that the event appears in the configured destination log, commonly ForwardedEvents, and repeat the check after the normal collection interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a full credential store affect only one event source?
Yes. A subscription may fail when saving one source while other subscriptions or already stored credentials continue to operate. Inspect each subscription’s runtime status instead of assuming the entire collector is down.
Should I switch from shared to per-source credentials?
That is a design choice, not a universal fix. Shared credentials simplify rotation but create a larger blast radius; per-source credentials isolate failures but increase the number of credentials the collector must manage.
Does restarting the Windows Event Collector service delete credentials?
No. Restarting or starting wecsvc prepares the service to run, but it does not purge subscription definitions or hidden credential-store records.
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