A cache is a set of files or data stored on your computer so that future requests for the same files or data can be handled much faster. When we talk about clearing the cache in Windows 10, it depends on the cache you want to clear, because there are many types of caches that can be stored in Windows 10 when you use your computer.
The most common caches in Windows 10 are the temporary file cache, the memory cache (RAM) and the browser cache (Chrome, Edge or Firefox). These cached files are often the cause of slow computer performance or lack of hard disk space. As a best practice, users should erase this cache on Windows 10 from time to time.
In this guide we’ll show you how to quickly empty each of the listed caches on your Windows 10 laptop or desktop computer.
To clear the cache (temporary files) in Windows 10
Windows 10 creates temporary files when you create, change, or open a file or program on your computer or from the Internet in a folder often called the Temp folder. Most temporary files are deleted when they are no longer needed. However, some temporary files tend to remain in the folder indefinitely due to improper handling of temporary files in some applications or programs. By cleaning up temporary files, you can often save a lot of disk space.
If you’re worried about whether it’s safe to delete temporary files, you don’t have to. Deleting and emptying the file is perfectly fine and harmless. When a temporary file is needed, Windows simply creates a new file. Follow these steps to clear the temporary file cache in Windows 10.
- Press the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run window.
- Type %temp% in the open field and click OK. This will open the Temp. .
- To clear the temporary file cache, press CTRL+A to select all files and folders in the Temp folder.
- Then press Shift + Del to permanently remove it.
Accompanying note : You can also type %temp% directly into the search box of the Start menu or Cortana to open a temporary folder without going through the start window.
You can also clean temporary files using the Windows 10 disk cleaning utility. You can also use the Disc Cleaner to clean other caches that may get clogged. For example, the trash can, thumbnails, error messages and Windows comments, etc. Follow these steps to do so.
- Open this computer.
- Right-click on the main hard drive where Windows 10 is stored (usually the C: drive) and then select Properties.
- On the General tab, click Disk Cleaning.
- In the Disk Cleaning window, under Files to be deleted, select Temporary and other cached files you want to delete, and then click OK.
To clear memory or RAM cache in Windows 10
If you notice a noticeable slowdown of your computer because the memory is being used in such a way that it is approaching its limit, this may be due to the fact that Windows 10 uses too much memory as cache. This even leads to errors such as insufficient RAM or memory problems during program execution.
When you run a program or game, Windows uses part of your RAM as a cache to give you faster and easier access to that specific program or game. However, when you close the program, the memory used as cache is often not erased. This cache memory then becomes inactive or the RAM inactive until the next time the program is opened.
You can see how much RAM is currently cached in Task Manager. Open the task manager by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC. Then click on the Performance tab. You can see the total cache memory under Cache Memory, as shown in the following figure.
If you do not want the memory in the cache, even after closing a program or game, you can erase it with a well-known exe program called EmptyStandbyList.exe. This is a simple program that erases backup lists, i.e. it erases the RAM cache of Windows 10.
Before we start, I know that sometimes we have doubts about the security of downloading and running unknown programs on our computer, especially if it is an exe program. This is really a good idea when it comes to downloading, installing and running things on your computer. While I can assure you that it is an excellent program if downloaded via the suggested link below, I suggest you do some research on EmptyStandbyList.exe on reddit or other forums to see if it is legitimate. However, you must act at your own risk.
- Download EmptyStandbyList.exe from: https://wj32.org/wp/software/empty-standby-list/.
- Once downloaded, place it on your desktop for quick access in the future. To run it, right-click and choose Run as Administrator.
- As soon as it boots up, the entire cache of your Windows 10 is erased immediately. Check the cache value in Task Manager to see how much memory is currently being emptied.
- The executable only erases the RAM cache once. You will need to restart it when your RAM cache is too large again, or when you deem it necessary.
EmptyStandbyList.exe can only be run as an administrator. So you don’t have to right-click each time and choose Run as Administrator, you can set it as Run as Administrator by default. To do so, right-click and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab and select the Run this program as administrator checkbox. After installation, the next time you double-click on the executable file, it will be automatically run as an administrator.
To clear the browser cache for Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows 10
When you visit a website, your browser automatically caches files such as B. Images and other media you see on the website. The purpose of caching files on your local computer is to be able to control the same images and media much faster than if you were to visit the same web page again.
Over time, Internet files in the cache can become so large that they become a problem for the limited space on your hard drive. It is advisable to clear your browser’s cache from time to time. Here’s how to clear the cache of different browsers – mainly Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.
To clear the browser cache in Chrome
- In Google Chrome, click the three-point button on the same line as the address bar in the upper right corner of the Chrome window.
- Then click on the Settings button. Search for the cache on the settings page.
- Then click Delete Data from View when it appears in the result.
- For Time Range, select the time range you prefer. If you select the last 24 hours, only files stored in the last 24 hours will be deleted from the cache. To delete all cached files ever stored on your computer, select All the time.
- Select the images and files in the cache and then press Delete Data to delete them.
To empty the cache of the navigator in the edge
- In Microsoft Edge, click the three-point toolbar icon, similar to the address bar in the upper-right corner of the window.
- Then choose Settings.
- Search for the cache on the settings page.
- When the search results appear, click Choose what you want to delete except the Clear Navigation Data button. cache
- Then select the desired time range (usually All Time if you want to erase all cached edges ever stored).
- Select the images and files in the cache and click Delete Now.
cache
To clear the browser cache in Firefox
- In Mozilla Firefox, click the three-line icon in the upper right corner of the window to open the Firefox menu.
- Select Options from the menu.
- Then use the search field to find the cache.
- Under Cookies and Site Data, click on Delete Data.
- Select Cached Web Content and click Clear to clear the entire Firefox cache.
Description to share : Do you wonder why your PC has slowed down lately or why the space on your hard disk is getting smaller and smaller? Here is how to clear temporary files, the browser cache, and the RAM cache on Windows 10.
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