Clear disk cache. How do I clear the cache on my computer? Basic methods. Here's how it's done

The cache memory is used in operating system Windows with the most early versions... It is a temporary storage of information that can be used by random access memory. It is easier for the system to find the necessary data in the cache, and not through an external memory module. Thus, the cache memory is the way to quickly access the most popular files.

Storing information in the cache

In any personal computer there are several types of such memory:
- thumbnails;
- DNS (Domain Name System);
- memory cache.

If you do not periodically clean these storages, then the performance of the computer will noticeably decrease, and its performance will slow down. An inexperienced user may not immediately notice any problems or deterioration in work, and an experienced programmer knows to clear the cache regularly.

When cleaning and deleting temporary files, a significant amount of hard disk space is freed up, and this also allows you to solve emerging problems with Internet access.

How to flush DNS

In the computer you need to find command line by pressing the "Start" button (or the keyboard shortcut Win + R). If you click on this line, a black screen will appear with the cursor at the text input position. There you need to enter the phrase ipconfig / flushdns. Then press the Enter key. When the system cleans up, it will notify the user accordingly.

How to clear the memory cache
Click anywhere on the desktop right click mouse to bring up a menu with functions. Select "Create", then "Shortcut". In the line indicating the path to the file location, specify:

% WINDIR% \\ system32 \\ rundll32.exe

In this text, the% sign is the directory where the operating system files are located. To start cleaning, click the "Next" button. To make it easier to use, you can immediately assign a name to the shortcut, for example, Cache clearing.

How to clear thumbnails cache

Another method is no less simple and fast, but it also allows you to free up significant space and improve the performance and operation of the operating system. Find the item " Utilities". It should have the function "Clean up disk". The user can specify exactly the drive that he wants to free from unnecessary junk and unnecessary files. After that, it remains to click "Ok" and wait until the system performs the required actions.

Special programs for cleaning your computer

One of the programs that allows you to timely get rid of temporary data and empty the basket is CCleaner. She successfully copes with unnecessary information from Internet browsers. The program is easy to install, after downloading it to your computer you need to select the language of use and after a few minutes already evaluate the advantages of its options.

In CCleaner, you need to select the "Service" item, where all programs and applications available on the PC will be displayed. Files that are marked with check marks will be deleted (you can either remove them or select them yourself). In this case, the required documents will not be affected.

The first cleaning with CCleaner can take about 10 minutes or more. In the process, from several megabytes to ten gigabytes of free space will be freed, depending on how long ago the last cleaning was. When installed on a computer, the memory will be automatically re-read and checked for unnecessary information. The program will notify the user about this, offering to delete files.

In the settings, you can set the time and frequency of automatic cleaning. For example, every time you turn on your computer or shutdown. In addition, the program allows you to configure startup, correct and delete unnecessary information, which also takes up additional space in the PC memory.

You can often hear the recommendation "clear your browser cache". Basically, this needs to be done when the browser starts to work slowly or some sites are displayed incorrectly. For example, the page formatting is completely confused, and instead of the website content, you see something incomprehensible.

First of all, in such cases, I recommend simply refreshing the page (F5), and if it does not help, then refresh it using the combination "Ctrl + F5". This technique tells the browser to reload the page from the Internet, i.e. without using your internal cache. If this does not help, then you still need to delete the cache. I will show you how to do this using the example of popular browsers, as well as a universal solution using a special program.

How to clear Google Chrome browser cache

In chrome, click on the upper right button of the settings and select "History" in the menu, or simply press "Ctrl + H"

In the next window, you need to select what exactly we want to delete. To clear only the cache, leave one tick "Images and other files saved in the cache". Don't forget to select "All the time". Click "Delete data". Everything is ready.

Microsoft Edge

The Edge browser is a successor to IE, but its menu is completely different. Go to "Options"

Scroll down to the "Clear Browser Data" section

And click "Select what you want to clear"

We leave only "Cached data and files".

Maxthon Cloude Browser

The very interesting Maxthon browser is gaining popularity. It is on the chrome engine and seems to many more convenient and flexible. The cache is cleaned almost the same way here. We go into the menu and select "Clear browser history". Well, further it is already clear

Universal cleaning method - CCleaner

Go to the site, download and install the CCleaner program.

In principle, you can download the portable version and then installation is not required, you can immediately run

By default, the tab opens "Cleaning -\u003e Applications", this is what we need. The program can work with major browsers: Firefox, Opera, Google chrome and Internet Explorer... On the "Applications" tab, uncheck all the boxes, except for "Internet cache" and click "Cleanup". For IE, go to the "Windows" tab and leave only "Temporary Internet Files". In general, CCleaner is very useful programwhich allows you to remove a bunch of garbage from your computer, but that's the topic of a whole article.

What is a cache for?

When a browser loads a website, it saves it to its storage - cache. When you visit this site again, the browser will not completely download it from the Internet, but will refer to the files that are already saved on disk.

But do not think that without access to the Internet you can go to previously viewed sites, this will not work. To do this, you need in advance using special programs... But still, you can get some information from the cache, for example.

Many have noticed that over time, the computer starts to work slower: someone's browser pages take longer to load, and someone manages to brew some tea during the system restart. The reason for this was not the frayed gears inside the filling; most likely, it is necessary to clean the garbage in Windows. One of its components is redundant cache.

What is cache

Cache or cache (English cache, from the French cacher - "hide"; pronounced - "cache") - an intermediate buffer with quick accesscontaining the information that is most likely to be requested. Accessing data in the cache is faster than fetching raw data from slower memory or a remote source, but its volume is significantly limited compared to the original data storage.

Wikipedia

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache

At its core, a cache is a place where the most frequently used information is stored for faster retrieval. So caching is designed to speed up the operation of the operating system, data exchange and preservation of relevant information. The "fast memory" method is used in various industries of the PC: it is the central processor, hard drive, Internet browsers, DNS and WINS services.

Why it needs to be cleaned

Despite its purpose, the cache can slow down your PC. The main reason is the excessive amount of information stored in the buffer. This makes navigation through the data difficult. In the case of browsers, information can be layered on top of each other and duplicated, since some Internet files have properties to be renamed.

In addition, like any place on a hard disk, the cache can be prone to errors, in which case accessing it can even lead to the computer freezing and critical errors... It is for these reasons that experts recommend deleting the contents of fast memory from time to time.

How to clear cache on Windows 10 computer

There are several methods for clearing the cache, and only a specific method is suitable for each type. For example, DNS fast memory can be deleted either through the command line, additional software, or cleaned directly in the browser.

Flushing the DNS cache

Errors and cluttering of the DNS cache can lead to incorrect display of web pages, the speed of downloading and downloading files. At the same time, browsers can work correctly, do not cause any errors, and open most sites in a normal format. With the above "symptoms", it is recommended to clear the DNS cache.

Through the command line

Exists simple command for a terminal that flushes the DNS cache instantly. It is enough to run ipconfig / flushdns and the fast memory will be deleted.

Video: how to clear the DNS cache through the command line

Browser cleaning

Some browsers whose engine is based on Chromium (Yandex, Google Chrome, Opera and others) allow you to clear the cache directly inside the browser. To do this, go to a special address and click Clear host cache.

Go to the special address and click Clear host cashe

Input data in address bar for browsers:

• chrome: // net-internals / # dns - for Google Chrome;
• browser: // net-internals / # dns - for Yandex Browser;
• opera: // net-internals / # dns - for Opera.

Clearing the RAM cache

With cache random access memory everything is easier and more difficult at the same time. On the one hand, any reboot of the PC will clear the fast memory, on the other hand, frequent computer restarts are considered undesirable. In addition, sometimes processes do not want to be interrupted in order to clear the cache, for example, watching a movie or running a game.

Windows 10 has a special built-in utility for cleaning up fast RAM memory.

You can also use the "Run" utility to launch the program in a similar way without looking for it in the system folder.

Clearing the browser cache

Oddly enough, but the browser cache can be several GB of information. This is especially felt when watching movies online, playing games and similar loads. Therefore, it is very important to clean the cache and browser history from time to time.

Clearing the cache in Chromium-based browsers is the same.

Clearing the cache in Firefox is slightly different from the browsers described above.

1. In an empty tab, click the settings icon at the top right.
   In an empty tab, click the settings icon in the upper right
2. In the left column, go to the "Privacy and Security" tab, then click on "Delete history".
   In the "Privacy and Security" tab, click "Delete history"
3. Next, click to open "Details", leave a check mark only on the item "Cache" and click "Delete now".
   We leave a tick only on the item "Cash" and click "Delete now"

Cleaning internet browser Explorer is also slightly different from the rest.

By personal experience I can say that immediately after clearing the cache, the pages may take a little longer to load, but the work of browsers immediately improves. Freezes become invisible when the program just stops, indicators stop responding, and so on. But updating the page after its first load becomes much faster.

Cache cleaning programs

As usual, third-party software developers strive to replace standard Windows tools, which they often succeed in doing. Clearing the cache is no exception, because the software market is widely represented by various applications.

CCleaner

CCleaner is one of best programs to remove garbage from the operating system and all its components. The application is very convenient in terms of work, you just need to run a scan and then clean Windows. The utility takes up very little space on your hard drive, but is very functional: it cleans browsers, temporary files, RAM, application logs and much more.

CCleaner is one of the best programs for removing garbage from the operating system and all its components.

• removal of all traces of user activity on the computer;
• registry checking, which includes everything from invalid file extensions to faulty shortcut paths;
• removing even standard windows applications without additional conditions such as disabling the service;
• cleaning up RAM;
• deleting temporary files and cache;
• full cleaning of browser history;
• search for duplicate files;
• wiping information on the disk.

I constantly use cCleaner to clear cache and junk on the system. As for me, its only drawback is that if you carelessly treat the settings, you can lose not only the cache, but also cookies, passwords, and so on. Since the codes for all sites are different for me, I once ran into a problem that some of them were simply lost in memory. I had to use the recovery functions.

Video: how to delete browser cache with built-in function or CCleaner program

NetAdapter Repair

NetAdapter Repair is a handy utility for fixing network errors. DNS flushing is one of the basic functions. Unfortunately, the application is budgetary, and therefore does not have a Russian interface. However, you just need to click Flush DNS cache and the program will do everything for you. A separate plus is that the utility does not need to be installed, you just need to run it.

NetAdapter Repair is a handy utility for fixing network errors and cleaning DNS cache

Key features of the program:

• dHCP settings;
• hosts file;
• dNS addresses (replace with public ones from Google);
• flushing the DNS cache;
• routing table;
• operation of the NetBIOS protocol;
• network cryptography and privacy settings; Windows network services settings.

It is very easy to delete the cache and thereby improve the performance of your PC. It is enough to remove all unnecessary from the system and Windows will delight you with its speed.

During windows work 7 uses useful temporary information stored in a high-speed buffer memory area. This speeds up the work time, since the subsequent access to the previously selected instruction windows program will refer to the information stored in the cache memory, without performing a full search for it on the hard disk and in the computer's RAM.

When working with the same type of information for a long time, the volume of the buffer memory area increases, taking up more and more volume, and reducing the speed of work.

All this requires regular cleaning of the high-speed buffer, since the computer is not able to independently determine the usefulness of the information stored in the cache memory. You can clean it both with built-in tools and with third-party programs.

What is Windows 7 cache, what types are there, when cleaning is necessary

Cache is a high-speed memory buffer that stores copies of data recently used in main memory. This improves the performance of the computer when the program repeats the execution of the same instructions.

There are two levels of cache memory. The first level is inside the chip central processing unit... The data in this cache is constantly available immediately, which allows the processor to operate at maximum performance.

The second level of cache memory is located on fast static memory chips.

Using cache memory allows the processor to order execution on its own additional instructionsretrieving data from the first and second level caches. At any time, the processor can block an instruction from the first-level cache, fetch data from the second-level cache, and use it by executing instructions that do not depend on the blocked instruction.

Processed Windows 7 and saved intermediate information can be stored in four different types cache memory requiring periodic cleaning. These include:

1. DNS-cache. It stands for Domain Name System - domain name system. This is the domain name system buffer memory, which stores requests to various network servers. It helps not to waste time on secondary calls to servers, since the processed information is already stored in the cache memory. When the data from the server is fully updated, the information in the DNS cache is updated. Information from memory must be deleted to free the working volume.
2. Thumbnail cache. This type of cache stores various icons, pictures, video icons, and program icons. After deleting pictures or icons, their thumbnails are not deleted from the cache, so they need to be cleaned regularly.
3. RAM cache. Random access memory stores numerous temporary files using cache technology. Not all of them are removed automatically due to existing software bugs. Portions of temporary files may remain in the cache memory that require additional cleaning.
4. Browser cache. In this buffer area of \u200b\u200bmemory, video can be cached during online viewing, various pictures, program interface elements, animation of sites that you have visited before. To reduce the loading time of web pages, some of them, loaded earlier, are completely stored in this type of cache memory. Over time, this information increases, taking up more and more space.

Let's take a look at ways to clear all types of computer cache.

How to clear the cache memory on a computer with Windows 7

DNS cache

Memory type DNS cache can be cleared using built-in windows tools 7.

Press the key combination "Win + R" on the keyboard.

2. In the Run pop-up window, type cmd in the field.

3. Click on the "OK" button.

Alternatively, you can perform the same operation by pressing the "Start" function key, select the "Accessories" section and launch the "Command Line".

1. In the opened DOS window, enter the ipconfig / flushdns command.

2. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

3. When the command has finished processing, the line "The DNS resolver cache was flushed successfully" appears.

Clearing the DNS cache from junk successfully.

How to release Thumbnail cache

There are two ways to start cleaning this type of cache:

First way.

1. Press the key combination "Win + R" on the keyboard.

2. In the Run window that appears, enter the cleanmgr.exe command in the field.

3. Click on the "OK" button.

The same operation can be performed using the built-in File Explorer.

Second way.

1. Start the explorer.

2. Right-click on the selected section hard disk.

3. Select the line "Properties" in the pop-up menu.

4. In the panel that opens, go to the "General" tab.

5. Click on the "Disk Cleanup" button.

6. After the program evaluates the amount of space to be cleaned, put a "tick" in the "Sketches" item (if not checked).

7. Click on the "OK" button.

8. Confirm the deletion of files.

After the operation, the Thumbnail cache was cleared of junk successfully.

RAM cache

The main way to free up the RAM cache by built-in means is to use the rundll32.exe utility.

If you have a 32-bit system, the utility is located in the system directory C: \\ Windows \\ System32 or in another section of the hard disk where the Windows directory is installed.

If the system is 64-bit, then this file is located in the C: \\ Windows \\ SysWOW64 folder or in another disk partition with the Windows folder.

1. Launch "Explorer".

2. Go to one of the above folders and double-click the left mouse button on the rundll32.exe file.

The main storage cache is being cleared.

If the utility does not want to start, then click on the rundll32.exe file with the right mouse button and in the pop-up window we perform "Run as administrator".

For the convenience of working with the utility, create a shortcut on the desktop to periodically clear the RAM cache.

1. In the same pop-up window, select the line "Create shortcut".

2. Based on the version installed by the operating windows systems enter the line into the field:

• 32-bit system:% windir% \\ system32 \\ rundll32.exe advapi32.dll, ProcessIdleTasks;
• 64-bit system:% windir% \\ SysWOW64 \\ rundll32.exe advapi32.dll, ProcessIdleTasks.

We give a name to the shortcut, for example, "Cleaning the RAM cache" and save it.

When the utility is launched via a shortcut, the program processes will be analyzed in the system and the unused part of the RAM will be deleted.

Browser cache

All Internet browsers use cache technology, automatically saving copies of the web pages you visit to a high-speed buffer. At the same time, a large number of small files accumulate in the browser's cache memory, eventually growing to large volumes.

The browser cache is cleared using the settings of the browser itself. Let's consider this with an example mozilla browser Firefox.

1. Launch the browser Mozilla Firefox.

2. Click on the "Open Menu" icon in the right upper corner window.

3. In the drop-down menu, select "Settings".

4. On the left side of the window that opens, select the item "Privacy".

5. Click on the blue line "delete your recent history".

6. Select the period for which the history will be deleted.

7. Click on the "Delete now" button.

Mozilla Firefox browser cache has been cleared.

Clearing the intermediate buffer with a third-party program

In reality, it is very inconvenient to clear the cache memory with built-in Windows utilities or built-in browser tools. It takes a lot of time, requires a certain level of user training and causes uncertainty about the reliability of the result. It's no secret that the built-in windows utilities are secondary in terms of the quality of development by the manufacturer of the operating system and are more of an applied nature.

A more constructive way to clear the cache is to use third-party programs specially designed for this purpose. Such programs are created by individual manufacturing companies and are focused on specific goals. They are constantly being improved and updated based on the analysis of the results obtained and user feedback. According to a specially created algorithm, the programs completely clean the computer from unnecessary junk, including the cache memory.

The most popular programs are CCleaner, Wise Care 365, Glary utilities 5 and other programs of the same type. The most common utility is CCleaner, but the degree of cleaning it produces is poor. We recommend using Wise Care 365 and Glary Utilities 5, which have a deeper cleaning level. You can download a free or paid version of the programs on the official sites.

• Wise Care 365 - http://wisecare365.ru/
• Glary Utilities 5 - http://www.glarysoft.com/

Glary Utilities 5

1. Download and install the Glary Utilities 5 utility.

2. Run the utility.

3. On the "1-click" tab, press the "Find problems" button.

4. At the end of the search, click on the "Fix problems" button.

5. Go to the "Modules" tab.

6. On the "Modules" tab, go to the "Security" menu section in the left part of the window. In this section, on the right, select the item "Erase traces".

7. The program determines the information to be removed.

8. When finished defining the information, click on the "Erase traces" button.

9. Confirm the erasure of traces by clicking on the "Yes" button.

10. In the left part of the window, check the boxes necessary for cleaning traces that you want to add and repeat the check.

11. When finished erasing traces, close the program.

As a result of the actions performed, the computer's cache memory is completely and correctly freed from unnecessary information.

What difficulties may arise and how to fix them

The most common are two types of cache flushing problems.

Unable to delete any file

These are the messages that the file is in use running program and cannot be deleted. If such a message is received, the temporary file from the cache cannot be cleared. In this case, you need to start the task manager by pressing the key combination "Ctrl-Alt-Del". Next, you need to select the required application and click on the "End task" button. Then you can clear the cache memory without any problems.

Unable to clear browser buffer

When using the browser cache, an error may occur when trying to delete temporary files. Also, the browser may freeze during the cleaning operation. In this case, you need to close all bookmarks and restart the browser. If this does not help, then you can try restarting your computer to completely clear the cache memory.

Clearing the cache will delete the stored intermediate information - both unnecessary and those that are still useful. This leads to some slowdown of the system. Therefore, cleaning must be approached with due care.

You will have to choose between convenience and safety.

Caching information always speeds up your computer, but at the same time reduces security. For a safe and stable work it is necessary to regularly clean the cache memory. The choice of the programs used for these purposes is made by the user for reasons of optimization and security of personal data.

Cache on Android is data that applications create as they run. They are needed to make these programs run faster. For example, image viewers create thumbnails of images so that they can be displayed immediately in the future, rather than burdening the processor every time in order to create miniature copies. In the case of browsers, the cache is needed so that to display a site that has already been opened in the application, it does not load data that usually does not change (for example, images).

While the cache stores useful data that allows the applications that built it to run faster and consume less power, it can sometimes cause one significant inconvenience to the user - running out of storage space. This is understandable, because over time, a lot of the corresponding files may appear, and some of them will have an impressive size.
For example: if, say, 25 applications are installed on the device, which are regularly used, then after a month the cache will most likely grow to 7 gigabytes, and possibly more. If the device has only 32 gigabytes of storage, then having such a large amount of relevant data will be a problem. As a result, you will need to clear the Android cache.

Why clearing the cache is dangerous

In general, cleaning the cache in android is completely safe, with only one exception - you can lose unsaved information in running applications. Therefore, before clearing the cache, you need to save all the important information for you in the applications already running.

Types of cache

Operating room cache android system is divided into three types:

1. Dalvik-Cache;
2. system cache;
3. application cache.

Dalvik-Cache Is the data created virtual machine Dalvik. It stores optimized application files that are needed to run programs faster. Those, in turn, are on a special section that is invisible to the user who does not use special applications.
In the system cache stores data of programs that are built into Android. In the process, the system creates files in which it records information that can be reused.
Application cache is a store of data that was created third party applications (e.g. loaded from Play Market). It may contain: thumbnails of pictures, images loaded in the browser, game files, etc.

The main ways to clear the cache in Android

The cache of the system and applications can be cleared in two ways: using the built-in utility and using one of the special programs that are available in the Play Market.
Deleting the cache using the built-in utility is more in a safe way get rid of the relevant data. The system is guaranteed not to harm the files that are needed for the operation of programs and the system, as well as user information. When working with third-party applications, in turn, you should be more careful.

How to manually clear the cache on Android

Now let's go directly to the question of how to clear the cache on an Android phone.
To delete the relevant data without using third-party software, you will need:

• go to "Settings" (through the menu or shutter);
• find the category "Device" and select the item "Memory";
• click on the item "Cache data";
• in the pop-up dialog box, click on "OK".

After a few seconds (the exact time depends on the amount of accumulated files), the mentioned window will disappear, and the "Available" value will increase by a number equal to the number of megabytes / gigabytes that was previously indicated in the "Cache data".

How to clear the cache of only one application

Now about how to clear the cache on Android only for one specific application. To do this, you need to perform the following series of actions:

• go to "Settings";
• select "Memory";
• tap on "Application data ...";
• go to the "All" tab;
• find and select the application whose cache you want to clear;
• on the displayed screen, click on "Erase data";
• confirm the action by clicking on "OK".

After a few seconds, the cache data of this application will be deleted.

After deleting application data, it may be necessary to re-authorize (for example, in the case of clients social networks). Therefore, before cleaning, make sure you have credentials for accountwhich you want to connect to through the application.

Android apps to clear the cache

One of the most popular apps for clearing the cache on Android is. This program can be downloaded for free from the Play Market. It's easy to use:

• first you need to download and install it;
• running, you will need to click on the "JUNK FILES" ("Files in the basket");
• on the screen that appears, select the applications whose cache you want to clear;
• click on "CLEAN JUNK".

This application can be configured to clear the cache at a specified time.
There are also other programs for clearing the cache, for example,