Buzz
During computer usage, your actions and data are stored in cache. However, sometimes this cache data can be quite heavy and consume a considerable amount of system disk storage. Hence, many users often wonder whether clearing cache is necessary. To address this question, Mytour invites you to read on in the following article.
Is clearing cache necessary?
Understanding Cache: What You Need to Know
Types of Cache to Clear
1. Windows Update Cache
By default, Windows often keeps a cache of all Windows Update files to save users time when resuming interrupted update processes. However, this feature becomes inconvenient as it occupies too much storage space. Nevertheless, these Windows Update files consume quite a bit of your disk space. To clear the Windows Update cache files, simply follow these steps:
Step 1: On the user interface, click the Windows icon, type cmd, and open Command Prompt with Run as administrator mode.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt dialog, type the command net stop wuauserv and press Enter.
Step 3: Next, open File Explorer and navigate to the path C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download, then proceed to delete everything inside the Download folder.
Step 4: Finally, type the command net start wuauserv in Command Prompt and press Enter to reactivate Windows Update.
Optimize Temporary Files Cache
Windows has a dedicated system folder to hold temporary files. These files serve as an intermediary while other files are created by actions using some software and they are often deleted after the session ends. However, not all software automatically clears their cache. Therefore, over time, these data accumulate and occupy more space. To delete Temp Files Cache, simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type cleanmgr, and press Enter or OK to execute.
Step 2: A partition selection dialog appears; keep the partition selection as 'C' and press OK.
Step 3: Wait a few seconds for Disk Cleanup to scan and tally the data types of the selected partition.
Step 4: When the Disk Cleanup dialog appears, uncheck all options except Temporary Files. Then press OK.
Step 5: Press Delete Files to confirm the process.
Managing Thumbnail Cache
Windows boasts a useful feature of displaying previews for all files in the system, generated by File Explorer to ensure swift subsequent views. However, prolonged usage may degrade Windows performance, necessitating periodic clearing of this cache to prevent sluggishness. To do so, you can follow a similar process as clearing Temp Files cache mentioned earlier, but this time, simply check the Thumbnails box and click OK to clear the thumbnail cache.
5. Cache System Restore
System Restore proves invaluable in swiftly reverting Windows to a stable previous state. However, its drawback lies in heavy storage usage. Therefore, deleting unnecessary System Restore points is advisable to reclaim storage space. Alternatively, you can reduce System Restore allocation or disable it entirely, but be mindful that insufficient allocation may compromise its functionality. To clear System Restore cache, follow these steps:
Step 1: On the user interface, click the Windows icon, type system in the search bar, and select the corresponding result.
Step 2: The System dialog box appears; now, click on the System Protection option on the left side of the window.
Step 3: Next, click on the Configure option.
Step 4: Press Delete to complete clearing the System Restore cache.
6. Cache Web Browser
