How To Clear All Cache in Windows 11 & 10

To run your system as efficiently and fast as possible, Windows creates several different caches. Generally, users never need to worry about Windows cache. But, when one or more cache types get corrupted, Windows can sometimes behave oddly, slow down, or even unstable. There might be any number of reasons for the corrupted cache, including, but not limited to sudden power failure, corrupted program(s), failed uninstallation, etc.

The good thing is, if you suspect cache is your problem, clearing the cache in Windows is straightforward. While you don’t have a single button to get the job done, it’s still pretty easy. This tutorial shows you how to clear several different caches in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.

Before You Begin

• Administrative rights are required to clear some types (e.g. Windows temp cache) of cache.
• After deleting the cache, Windows will automatically build the cache as you use your system.

Steps to Clear All Cache in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 save cache in several different places. I’ve shown the steps to clear each cache type below. Follow one after another.

1. Clear Local Temp Cache (%temp% folder)

Windows stores a lot of cache files in the Local Temp folder. You can clear it as and when needed. Here’s how.

1. Press “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog.
2. Type “%temp%” and press Enter.
3. Select all the folders and files in the temp folder with “Ctrl + A” keybinding.
4. Press the “Delete” key on your keyboard to clear the cache.

Note: If you see a warning message or admin prompt, press “Yes” or “Continue“.

As soon as you press the Delete button, Windows will delete all the files in it and clear the local temp cache. If some files are in use, Windows will not delete them and shows an error message. It is perfectly fine. Ignore the files/folders you cannot delete and proceed with the rest.

2. Clear Windows Temp Cache

Along with the Local Temp folder, you will also find another temp folder in the main Windows folder. Deleting the files in that folder will clear the Windows temp cache.

1. Press the “Win + R” shortcut.
2. Type “temp” and click “OK“.
3. Select all the files and folders and press “Delete“.
   
4. If you see a warning message, click “Yes” or “Continue“.

As soon as you confirm the action, the Windows temp cache is cleared. If any files are in use, Windows cannot delete them. It is normal. Just delete what you can in the Windows temp folder and close File Explorer.

3. Clear Prefetch Cache

Prefetch is a system folder that caches the files related to applications that you open or run daily. It helps applications start faster. By default, the Prefetch folder is self-maintaining. i.e., Windows takes care of what cache files to delete and when to delete. However, when needed, you can manually delete the Prefetch cache files.

1. Open the Run dialog by pressing “Windows key + R”.
2. Type “prefetch” and press “Enter“.
3. If you see a warning message, press “Continue“.
4. Select all the files and folders with the “Ctrl + A” shortcut.
   
5. Press the “Delete” key to delete the files.
6. If you see a confirmation window, press “Yes“.

Once you confirm the action, Windows clears the prefetch cache. If some files are in use, Windows might not be able to delete them. Ignore those files and delete the rest.

4. Delete Windows Update Cache

Most don’t know this but Windows caches downloaded updates and related files in a special folder called “Software Distribution”. When the cache in the folder is corrupted, it can cause issues with Windows Update. Additionally, it can sometimes become too big wasting a lot of the C drive space. Here’s how to clear it.

1. Open the Run dialog using the “Windows key + R” shortcut.
2. Enter “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution” and click “OK“.
3. Go to the “Download” folder.
   
4. Click the “Continue” button.
5. Select all the files and folders.
6. Press the “Delete” key to delete them.
   

That is all.

5. Clear Windows Store Cache

Like with many things, the Microsoft Store has its own cache in Windows. If the cache is corrupted, you will face problems installing apps from the store. You can clear the Windows store cache using the wsreset command. Here’s how.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type “Command Prompt“.
3. Right-click on the Command Prompt.
4. Select “Run as administrator“.
5. In the CMD window, type “wsreset” and press “Enter“.

As soon as you execute the command, Windows will clear the Microsoft Store cache and completely reset the store app.

Related: How to reinstall Microsoft Store in Windows 11 & 10

6. Clear DNS Cache Completely

Since we want to clear all cache in Windows 10, it is better to flush the DNS too. Here’s how.

1. Press “Win + R” to open the Run window.
2. Type “cmd” and press “Enter“.
3. Execute the “ipconfig /flushdns” cmd in the Command Prompt window.

As soon as you execute the command, Windows will completely clear the DNS cache. If you want, you can also, clear Edge and Chrome browser cache too.

7. Delete the Icon and Thumbnail Cache

Every thumbnail and icon you see in Windows is cached in their respective folders. These are called icon cache and thumbnail cache folders. This cache makes the icons and thumbnails load faster without having to regenerate every time you open the File Explorer.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type “CMD” in the search bar.
3. Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select the “Run as administrator” option.
4. In the CMD window, execute the below command.
   cd %homepath%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
5. Now, end the Windows Explorer process using the below command. Your taskbar and desktop might go blank. It is normal.
   taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
6. Next, execute the below command delete icon cache.
   del iconcache*
7. Now, execute this command to delete the thumbnail cache.
   del thumbcache_*.db
8. After clearing the icon and thumbnail cache, start Windows Explorer using the below command.
   explorer.exe
9. Close the Command Prompt window.

With the above actions, you’ve successfully cleared both icon and thumbnail caches.

8. Clear RAM Cache

Here’s how you can clear the RAM cache in Windows.

That is all. By following all the above steps, you’ve successfully cleared all cache in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Keep in mind that Windows will automatically rebuild the cache as you use your system.

I hope that helps. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.