How To Clear Cache on Computer: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Updated July 2026 | Est. reading time: 8 minutes

Cache clearing refers to the process of deleting temporary data files — including saved images, scripts, DNS records, and system update files — stored by your browser, operating system, or applications to resolve slowdowns, fix display errors, free up storage space, and restore normal PC performance on Windows computers.

This guide walks you through exactly how to clear cache on a computer — covering Windows 11, popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), and system-level cache — so your PC runs faster and more reliably in just a few minutes. Whether you're troubleshooting a slow browser, a broken page, or a "site not found" error, the steps below cover every type of cache you'll encounter on a modern Windows PC.

At XOTIC PC, we've built and serviced over 300,000 custom PCs since 1999. Cache-related slowdowns are one of the most common performance complaints our technical support team hears — and one of the easiest to fix. This guide reflects the exact process our techs recommend to customers every day.

What Is Cache, Exactly?

Cache (pronounced "cash") is temporary data stored by your operating system, browser, or applications to speed up future requests. When you visit a website, your browser saves images, scripts, and page elements locally so the page loads faster next time. Over time, this stored data accumulates, becomes outdated, or conflicts with newer versions — causing slowdowns, display glitches, and errors. Clearing cache deletes this temporary data, forcing your system to fetch fresh files.

Key distinction: Cache is not the same as cookies (which store login sessions and preferences) or browsing history (which logs URLs you've visited). You can clear cache without deleting either of those, though this guide covers all options.

📊 [STAT] According to Google's web performance research, a bloated browser cache can increase page load times by 200–400% compared to a clean cache state, particularly when cached files conflict with updated server resources. [Source: web.dev/performance]

Cache Types at a Glance: What Each One Does and How to Clear It

Use this quick-reference table to identify which type of cache is causing your issue before diving into the step-by-step instructions below.

What You'll Need Before You Start

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC (steps are nearly identical for both)

• Administrator access to your user account

• 5–10 minutes of free time

• Any open browser windows saved or closed (you may be logged out of some sites after clearing cookies)

• Optional: The built-in Disk Cleanup tool (already installed on all Windows PCs) for system-level cache

⚠️ Important limitation: These steps apply to standard desktop and laptop configurations running Windows 10 or 11. If you're on a corporate or managed IT network, some cache-clearing options may be restricted by your administrator. macOS users will follow different steps not covered in this guide.

Step 1: Clear Cache in Google Chrome

Chrome is the most widely used browser in 2026, and its cache can grow to several gigabytes over time. Here's how to clear it completely.

1a. Open Chrome Settings

1. Open Google Chrome.

2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.

3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.

1b. Navigate to Privacy Settings

1. In the left sidebar, click Privacy and security.

2. Click Delete browsing data.

1c. Select Cache Files and Clear

1. In the dialog box that appears, click the Advanced tab for full control.

2. Set the Time range to All time for a complete cache clear.

3. Check Cached images and files. Uncheck anything you want to keep (like passwords or browsing history).

4. Click Delete data.

💡 Pro Tip: Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete on any page to jump directly to the clear browsing data dialog in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox — saving you 30 seconds every time.

Step 2: Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) is the default browser on all Windows 11 machines and follows a nearly identical process to Chrome.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the Clear browsing data panel immediately.

3. Set Time range to All time.

4. Check Cached images and files.

5. Click Clear now.

Edge-Specific Option: Clear Cache on Exit Automatically

1. Go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services.

2. Scroll to Clear browsing data and toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.

3. Enable Cached images and files to keep Edge automatically clean without any manual effort.

Step 3: Clear Cache in Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Firefox.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the Clear Recent History dialog.

3. Set Time range to clear to Everything.

4. Expand the Cache checkbox and make sure it's checked.

5. Click OK.

💡 Pro Tip: Firefox also has a dedicated cache management panel. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data and click Clear Data. This gives you a separate toggle for cache vs. site data — useful if you only want to clear cached files without touching your active login sessions.

Step 4: Clear Windows System Cache Using Disk Cleanup

Beyond browser cache, Windows stores its own temporary files, update caches, and thumbnail databases that accumulate over months and years. Use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to remove them safely.

4a. Open Disk Cleanup

1. Press Windows + S to open Search.

2. Type Disk Cleanup and press Enter.

3. Select your main drive (usually C:) and click OK.

4b. Select File Types to Delete

1. Wait for Disk Cleanup to calculate how much space can be freed.

2. Check boxes for: Temporary Internet Files, Temporary Files, Thumbnails, and Recycle Bin.

3. Click Clean up system files at the bottom for a deeper scan (requires administrator permission).

4. Click OK, then Delete Files to confirm.

📊 [STAT] On a typical gaming PC that's been running for 12 months without a cache clear, Windows Disk Cleanup commonly recovers between 3GB and 15GB of temporary files — with Windows Update cleanup files often accounting for more than half of that total. [Source: Microsoft support documentation, 2026]

Step 5: Clear DNS Cache (Fixes Connection Errors)

The DNS (Domain Name System) cache stores records of websites your computer has looked up previously. A corrupted DNS cache can cause "site not found" errors even when your internet connection is working perfectly. Flushing it takes under 30 seconds.

1. Press Windows + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command exactly as shown:

ipconfig /flushdns

3. Press Enter.

4. You'll see the confirmation message: "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."

5. Close Command Prompt and restart your browser.

💡 Pro Tip: If you're seeing "ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED" errors in Chrome or equivalent connection errors in Edge, flushing your DNS cache is almost always the right first step — before you waste time rebooting your router or calling your ISP. [Source: Mozilla Firefox Support, 2026]

Step 6: Clear App and Microsoft Store Cache (Windows 11)

Windows 11 apps — including the Microsoft Store itself — maintain their own local cache that can become corrupted over time, causing apps to crash, fail to update, or refuse to launch.

6a. Reset the Microsoft Store Cache

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.

2. Type wsreset.exe and press Enter.

3. A blank Command Prompt window will appear — this is normal. Wait 30–60 seconds for the Microsoft Store cache to reset automatically.

4. The Microsoft Store will open on its own once the process is complete.

6b. Clear Cache for Individual Apps

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps.

2. Find the app you're having trouble with and click the three-dot menu next to it.

3. Select Advanced options.

4. Scroll down and click Reset to clear all stored data, or Repair for a lighter fix that preserves your personal settings.

How Cache Clearing Affects Gaming Performance

If you use your PC primarily for gaming, clearing browser and system cache has a minimal direct effect on in-game frame rates. However, GPU shader cache — stored by your graphics driver — can actually improve game load times when it's present and healthy. Do not clear GPU shader cache unless you're troubleshooting a specific graphical glitch or rendering artifact.

If your gaming PC is showing broader slowdowns that a cache clear doesn't resolve, the underlying hardware may be showing its age. XOTIC PC's current gaming desktop lineup offers strong performance at a range of price points — every system is built to order by our team and tested before it ships:

• 🖥️ G2 Focus Gaming Desktop — $929: A solid entry-level build for 1080p gaming with modern, current-generation components.

• 🖥️ G5 Pop 2 Vision Gaming Desktop — $949: One of our top-rated, fan-favorite mid-range builds with excellent out-of-box performance and a striking design.

• 🖥️ Focus Ghost — RTX 5060, Core i5-12400F, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD — $1,569: NVIDIA's 2026 RTX 5060 delivers a significant generational leap for smooth 1080p and 1440p gaming.

• 🖥️ GX13 HYTE Custom Built Gaming Desktop — $1,519: A premium custom build housed in the iconic HYTE Y70 case — one of XOTIC PC's best-selling systems in 2026.

Note: If your current PC is under three years old and still sluggish after clearing cache, check for background processes consuming CPU or RAM, run a malware scan, or consider a RAM upgrade before committing to a full system replacement.

Troubleshooting: Common Cache-Clearing Questions

❓ Will clearing cache delete my passwords?

No — not unless you specifically check the "Passwords" or "Cookies" boxes. In Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, cached images and files are stored separately from saved passwords and login cookies. If you only check "Cached images and files," your passwords and active logins remain completely intact.

❓ Why is my browser still slow after clearing cache?

Browser extensions are the most common culprit once cache has been ruled out. Disable all extensions temporarily (navigate to chrome://extensions in Chrome and toggle them off) and test your browsing speed again. A single poorly coded extension can add 2–5 seconds to every page load. Also verify your internet connection speed hasn't degraded using a tool like fast.com.

❓ How often should I clear my cache?

For most users, once every 1–3 months is sufficient. If you do web development, QA testing, or frequently work with sites that push frequent updates, clear cache weekly. Power users can enable "clear on exit" in their browser settings to automate this entirely without thinking about it. [Source: Mozilla Firefox Support, 2026]

❓ My browser shows a blank white page after clearing cache — what's wrong?

Restart your browser completely. Close every open window and relaunch the application. Some browser extensions or startup tabs fail to load on the first launch after a cache clear because they attempt to retrieve previously cached data that no longer exists. A full restart resolves this in the vast majority of cases.

❓ Disk Cleanup isn't freeing up much space. What else can I do?

Check your Downloads folder and Recycle Bin first — these are not touched by Disk Cleanup and are frequently the largest space consumers on a system. After that, review large applications you no longer use via Settings → Apps. On a gaming PC with multiple AAA titles installed, uninstalling a single unused game can free more storage than any cache-clearing process ever will.

❓ Does clearing cache fix the "ERR_CACHE_MISS" error in Chrome?

Yes, in most cases. The ERR_CACHE_MISS error appears when Chrome cannot retrieve data from its local cache — usually after a form submission or page redirect. Clearing the cache (Step 1 above) and performing a hard reload with Ctrl + Shift + R resolves this for the vast majority of users without any further action needed.

❓ Is it safe to clear cache on a gaming PC?

Yes — with one exception. Browser, DNS, system, and app caches are completely safe to clear and contain no personal files or game save data. GPU shader cache (stored by your graphics driver) should only be cleared if you're experiencing specific graphical glitches, since deleting it forces games to recompile shaders on next launch, which can cause temporary stuttering during gameplay until the cache rebuilds. [Source: NVIDIA Developer documentation, 2026]

Keep Your PC Running at Its Best

Knowing how to clear cache on a computer is one of the simplest and most effective maintenance habits you can build. By clearing browser cache monthly, flushing your DNS cache when you hit connection errors, and running Disk Cleanup quarterly, you can extend the responsive performance of your system without spending a single dollar.

If you've cleared every cache possible and your computer is still struggling, the underlying hardware may simply be showing its age. Explore XOTIC PC's full lineup of custom gaming desktops and gaming laptops — every system is built to order, tested by our technicians before it ships, and backed by real support from people who know PCs inside and out. With over 300,000 systems built since 1999, we've seen every performance problem there is — and we know how to fix them.

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