How to Clear Your PC’s Cache in Windows 10


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Windows 10 includes the Disk Cleanup utility, which can clear your recycle bin, old temporary files and thumbnails, the DirectX Shader Cache, and other cached files automatically. Launch it from the Start menu. You can also clear your PC’s DNS Cache, the Windows Store Cache, and your location cache.

As with clearing the cache in your browser, clearing the cache in Windows is a good start for troubleshooting system issues, improving system performance, and freeing up disk space. Here’s how to clear your cache in Windows 10.

Update, 11/12/21: Here’s how to clear your PC’s cache after updating to Windows 11.

RELATED: How to Clear Your Cache on Windows 11

Clear the Temporary Files Cache with Disk Cleanup

To clear the temporary files cache, enter “Disk Cleanup“” in the Windows search bar found in the bottom-left corner of the desktop.

RELATED: How to Enable Hidden Options in Windows’ Disk Cleanup Tool

Search for disk cleanup

Select the “Disk Cleanup” app, which will appear in the Windows search results.

Disk cleanup app in search results

Once selected, Disk Cleanup will start calculating how much space you can free up on the operating system drive (C:).

Disk cleanup calculation

The Disk Cleanup for OS (C:) will now appear. Scroll down and check the box next to “Temporary Files.” You can also choose to delete files from other locations, such as “Recycle Bin” or “Downloads.”

Once you’ve selected what you’d like to clear, click “Clean Up System Files.”

Select and clear system files

Once Windows calculates the amount of storage space that will be freed up, you’ll be brought to the same page again. This time, select the files and locations a second time that you’d like to delete and then click “OK.”

Select and clear system files 2

A warning will appear, prompting you to confirm you are sure you want to permanently delete the files. Select “Delete Files.”

Permanently delete files

Disk Cleanup will now clean up unnecessary files on your machine. This process could take several minutes.

Clear DNS Cache

If you want to clear your Windows 10 PC’s DNS cache, open Command Prompt as an admin. To do this, type “Command Prompt” in the Windows search bar found in the bottom-left corner of the desktop.

RELATED: 10 Ways to Open the Command Prompt in Windows 10

Search for command prompt

The “Command Prompt” app will appear in the search results. Right-click it and select “Run As Administrator” from the menu.

Run command prompt as admin

Next, run the following command:

ipconfig/flushDNS

flush dns command

You’ll receive a message letting you know you’ve successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

Success message

Clear Windows Store Cache

To clear the Windows Store cache, open “Run” by pressing Windows+R on your keyboard. The “Run” window will appear. In the text box next to “Open,” type WSReset.exe and then click “OK.”

WSReset command

Once selected, a black window will appear. There’s nothing you can do here, so just wait a few moments while it clears the cache.

Blank windows window

Once the window closes, the cache is cleared, and Windows Store will launch. You can close the Windows Store app if you like.

Clear Location Cache

To clear the location cache, click the “Windows” icon in the bottom-left corner of your desktop to open the start menu, From there, select the “Gear” icon to open Windows settings.

The “Settings” window will appear. Scroll down and select the “Privacy” option.

Privacy option in windows settings

You’ll now be in the “Privacy” group of the settings. In the left-hand pane, select “Location,” found in the “App Permissions” section.

Location option

In the next window, scroll down until you find the “Location History” group. Here, select “Clear” under the “Clear Location History On This Device” heading.

Clear location history

RELATED: How to Disable or Configure Location Tracking in Windows 10





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