diff --git a/TESTING.md b/TESTING.md
index 638b02c8..bafc5529 100644
--- a/TESTING.md
+++ b/TESTING.md
@@ -1373,8 +1373,10 @@ Capture store (#249, `utils/media_capture.py`, `tests/test_media_capture.py`):
 one explicit action captures one rooted media file into an owner-only
 `prompt-manager-captures-*` temp directory, streaming it in 1 MiB chunks while
 hashing, with the opened descriptor compared to the path (`dev`, `ino` where
-meaningful, `size`, `mtime_ns`, `ctime_ns`) before and after the copy; any
-disagreement is `CaptureChanged` and the copy is removed. Aliases (a symlinked
+meaningful, `size`, `mtime_ns`) before and after the copy and `ctime_ns`
+compared between the two `fstat` reads (Python 3.12+ on Windows reports the
+change time from `stat` but the creation time from `fstat`); any disagreement
+is `CaptureChanged` and the copy is removed. Aliases (a symlinked
 file or directory, even inside the root), escapes, non-media names and
 directories are `CaptureDenied`; the locator is
 `normcase(join(realpath(root), relative))`, so a symlinked root shares the
diff --git a/tests/test_media_capture.py b/tests/test_media_capture.py
index d1a4986e..e5eb812d 100644
--- a/tests/test_media_capture.py
+++ b/tests/test_media_capture.py
@@ -247,7 +247,9 @@ class CaptureStoreTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(
             cap.locator, os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(link_root / "sub/a.png"))
         )
-        self.assertTrue(cap.locator.startswith(os.path.normcase(str(real_root))))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            cap.locator.startswith(os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(real_root)))
+        )
         self.assertEqual(cap.sha256, hashlib.sha256(source_bytes).hexdigest())
 
     # -- change detection ----------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/utils/media_capture.py b/utils/media_capture.py
index cf5874bc..eeafee10 100644
--- a/utils/media_capture.py
+++ b/utils/media_capture.py
@@ -146,13 +146,18 @@ class _Entry:
         self.doomed = False
 
 
-def _same_file(before: os.stat_result, after: os.stat_result) -> bool:
-    """Size, mtime and change time must agree; device/inode where meaningful."""
-    if (
-        before.st_size != after.st_size
-        or before.st_mtime_ns != after.st_mtime_ns
-        or before.st_ctime_ns != after.st_ctime_ns
-    ):
+def _same_file(
+    before: os.stat_result, after: os.stat_result, *, change_time: bool
+) -> bool:
+    """Size and mtime must agree, device/inode where meaningful.
+
+    The change time is compared only between two reads of the same kind
+    (``fstat`` before and after the copy): Windows reports the creation time
+    from ``fstat`` but, on Python 3.12+, the change time from ``stat``.
+    """
+    if before.st_size != after.st_size or before.st_mtime_ns != after.st_mtime_ns:
+        return False
+    if change_time and before.st_ctime_ns != after.st_ctime_ns:
         return False
     if before.st_ino and after.st_ino and before.st_ino != after.st_ino:
         return False
@@ -483,7 +488,7 @@ class CaptureStore:
             raise CaptureChanged(f"The file could not be opened: {error}") from None
         with os.fdopen(fd, "rb") as stream:
             opened = os.fstat(stream.fileno())
-            if not _same_file(before, opened):
+            if not _same_file(before, opened, change_time=False):
                 raise CaptureChanged("The file changed before it was read")
             while True:
                 chunk = self._read(stream, CHUNK_SIZE)
@@ -496,13 +501,17 @@ class CaptureStore:
                 if sink is not None:
                     sink.write(chunk)
             after = os.fstat(stream.fileno())
-        if total != before.st_size or not _same_file(before, after):
+        if (
+            total != before.st_size
+            or not _same_file(opened, after, change_time=True)
+            or not _same_file(before, after, change_time=False)
+        ):
             raise CaptureChanged("The file changed while it was read")
         try:
             current = os.stat(candidate)
         except OSError:
             raise CaptureChanged("The file is no longer there") from None
-        if not _same_file(before, current):
+        if not _same_file(before, current, change_time=False):
             raise CaptureChanged("The path names another file now")
         if os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(candidate)) != locator:
             raise CaptureChanged("The path resolves elsewhere now")