Windows 10 cache location, how to delete cache

If you are having trouble with your computer running slow, the cache may be the cause.

This time, we will explain what a cache is, its location, and how to delete it.

If your computer is slowing down due to cache, you may be able to resolve the issue by following the steps we will introduce here.

What is Windows 10 cache?

So, what exactly is cache?

Cache on a computer refers to temporarily stored data.

Rather than starting from scratch when processing previously processed information, you save it in a location that is easy to access and then load it.

When viewing Internet homepages, various information such as images, text, and videos are displayed, and caching can speed up the display of such information.

This is because instead of downloading images from the Internet and displaying them each time, the images are loaded from the cache and displayed.

In addition, there are various types of cache as shown below.

• [Browser cache]
  The internet cache I mentioned earlier is browser cache.
  Saving website information in cache has the advantage of speeding up loading, but if old page data is loaded, the original page may not be displayed.
• [Thumbnail cache]
  This is cache data for displaying data thumbnails in Explorer.
  It is created every time you open a folder and display a thumbnail.
• [System restore cache]
  This is a cache for restore points that will be used in case something goes wrong. If you have a restore point, you can restore your data to that point.
  Restore points use disk space, so if you have a lot of them, your computer may become slow.
• [Windows Update cache]
  Cache for Windows Update, which downloads a lot of data when updating.
  Updates may require a large amount of data, so if there is not enough space, your computer may slow down.
  Files are not automatically deleted even after downloading, which is one reason why they take up space.
• [DNS cache]
  When you visit a website from your computer, your IP address and other information is stored for a certain period of time.
  Normally, when a PC accesses a website, it queries a server called a cache server.
  However, a DNS cache is created so that you do not have to make the same inquiry again when accessing the same website during the period.
  DNS caching allows you to reuse IP address information, reducing the time spent waiting for inquiries and responses, speeding up access.
• [Outlook cache]
  The email software Outlook also has cached data.
  This means that data that has already been used is saved, which helps speed up usage.
  Outlook's cache is stored in a specific folder, but even if you delete it, your contacts, emails, etc. will not be deleted.
  Also, if you restart Outlook after deleting it, the cache data will be created again.
• [Microsoft Store Cache]
  When you download an application using the pre-installed Microsoft Store, a temporary file is created.
  As a result of this Microsoft Store cache increasing too much, problems such as failure to download applications may occur.

If these caches increase too much, problems such as slow computer operation may occur.

Therefore, if your computer is slow, we recommend checking to see if there is too much cache.

In the next section, we will show you how to delete these caches.

Windows 10 system cache location and how to delete it

So, what can you do to delete too much cache?

Basically, you can reduce accumulated cache by deleting cache data in the Temp folder.

You can also set the cache to be deleted at regular intervals instead of manually. (Depending on Windows 10 version)

In this section, we will explain the following:

• How to automatically delete system cache
• Move the temp folder to another location to speed up the process

How to automatically delete system cache

Automatic cache deletion automatically deletes the cache after a certain period of time.

It is a good idea to manually delete the cache on a regular basis, but some people may find it a bit of a hassle or forget about it. However, if you have Windows 10 version 1709 or later, you can set automatic cache deletion, which is convenient.

You can automatically delete the cache from the settings as follows.

[How to automatically delete system cache]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Settings"
3. Select "System"
4. Select "Storage"
5. Turn on "Storage Sense"
6. Select "Change how I automatically free up space"
7. Check "Delete temporary files not used by apps" under "Temporary files"
8. Set deletion period in "temporary files"

Move the Temp folder to another location to speed it up

If your computer is slowing down due to too much cache, you may be able to resolve the issue by moving the temp folder to a different location to speed it up.

Basically, cache data is stored in the C drive, but if too much data accumulates, the PC tends to become heavy.
If you can specify another drive to save cache data, you can prevent the C drive from becoming overwhelmed.

If you have a D drive in addition to the C drive, try this.

[Change the Temp folder to a different location to speed up operation]

1. Log in to an account with administrator privileges
2. Create a “TMP” folder on another drive (here we will call it D drive)
3. Select "Start"
4. Select "Windows System Tools"
5. Select "Control Panel"
6. Change the display method to "Large icons"
7. Select "System"
8. Set "Advanced System Settings"
9. Select "Environment variables"
10. Select "TMP" and "TEMP" in "User environment variables" and select delete.
11. Edit "TMP" and "TEMP" in "System Environment Variables" and set them to the "TMP" folder created in the D drive.

How to delete memory cache in Windows 10

If your computer is slow due to cache, deleting the memory cache may solve the problem.
There are several ways to delete cache, so I will introduce three of them.
Please use this as a reference depending on the type of temporary files you want to delete and your needs.

[How to delete Windows 10 memory cache ①]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Settings"
3. Select "System"
4. Select "Storage"
5. Select "Temporary File"
6. Wait for temporary file scan to complete
7. A list of temporary files will be displayed.
8. Check the temporary files you want to delete
9. Select "Delete File"

[How to delete Windows 10 memory cache ②]

1. Right click "Start"
2. Select "Explorer"
3. Select the “Display” tab
4. Select "Options"
5. Select "General"
6. Select "Clear" next to "Clear Explorer history"
7. Select "OK"

[How to delete Windows 10 memory cache ③]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Windows Administrative Tools"
3. Select "Disk Cleanup"
4. Select the drive with the data you want to delete from the pulldown and select "OK"
5. Check "Temporary files" from "List of files to delete"
6. Select "OK"

How to delete Excel cache on Windows 10

If your computer is running slow due to cache, deleting the cache of office applications such as Excel may solve the problem.

Caches such as Excel and Word are saved in the location "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.MSO", but they are usually deleted when you exit the application.
If it remains after you finish, you can delete it.
However, just to be safe, you may want to move it to another drive/folder without deleting it.

How to delete Outlook cache in Windows 10

If your computer is running slow, Outlook's cache may be the cause. In this case, deleting the Outlook cache may solve the problem.

1. Make sure Outlook is closed
2. Press Windows key and R key to open dialog box
3. Type “%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook” in the dialog box and press Enter
4. Delete the "extend.dat" file

Even if you delete this "extend.dat" file, it will be created again when you start Outlook.
Also, this temporary file is used to speed up usage, so even if you delete it, your contacts, emails, etc. will not disappear.

Location of cache in Windows 10 browsers (Edge, Chrome) and how to delete it

If you are experiencing problems such as your computer running slowly or pages in your browser not displaying properly, your browser's cache may be the culprit.
In this case, clearing your browser's cache may resolve the issue.

Having a browser cache is convenient because it speeds up the display of websites, but if there are too many old ones, it is a good idea to delete them from time to time.

In this article, we will introduce how to delete the cache of the following browsers.

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome

Microsoft Edge

[How to delete Microsoft Edge cache]

1. Launch Microsoft Edge
2. "..." mark at the top right of the screen (when you hold the pointer over it, "Settings etc." will be displayed)
3. Select “Cached data and files” under “Clear browsing data”
4. Select "Clear"

Google Chrome

[How to delete Google Chrome cache]

1. Start Google Chrome
2. Select "Google Chrome Settings" (three vertical dots, etc.) at the top right of the screen.
3. Select "Privacy and Security"
4. Select "Delete browsing history data"
5. Select "Cached images and files"
6. Select "Delete data"

Summary of Windows 10 cache location and how to delete it

This time, we introduced the location of the cache in Windows 10 and how to delete it.

If your computer is running slow, temporary data stored on your computer may be the culprit.

Cleaning up these caches may solve problems such as slow operation.

Also, if you find it difficult and troublesome to delete the cache data yourself every time, you can apply the setting to automatically delete the system cache, which is convenient as it will perform the cleanup at regular intervals. .

In this way, whether you do it automatically or manually, regularly checking and deleting your cache will prevent your computer from becoming slow.

Another method is to set a drive other than C drive as the cache folder.