Clear cache on Windows 11 (9 ways)

• To clear the cache on Windows 11, open Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files, check the items, and click on “Remove files.”
• You can also open Disk Cleanup > Clean up system files, check the cache data to remove, click “OK,” and “Delete Files.”
• You can also clear the cache data for apps individually and delete the location, activity history, and search data, as well as for the Microsoft Store, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Update.

UPDATED 10/30/2023: On Windows 11, you can clear the cache in different ways, depending on the application, and in this tutorial, I’ll show you how.

The term “cache” typically refers to the temporary files the operating system and applications need to download to speed up the experience. The only caveat is that, over time, these files can take up a lot of space, affect system performance, and cause different problems as the files become stale and corrupted.

Although these files are essential for the functionality of Windows 11 and applications, regularly clearing them can help to free up space on the computer, improve system performance, and resolve common issues.

In this tutorial, I’ll outline the different ways you can use to clear the cache data on Windows 11.

• 1. From Temporary Files
• 2. From Disk Cleanup
• 3. From apps
• 4. From system location
• 5. From activity history
• 6. From search history
• 7. From Microsoft Store
• 8. From Microsoft Edge
• 9. From Windows Update

Clear cache on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can clear the cache in many different ways, depending on the feature. For example, you can use the “Temporary files” and “Disk Cleanup” to delete the temporary system and app files. You can erase the cache for apps individually. In addition, you can clear the location, activity, search history data, and temporary files for Windows update, Microsoft Store, and the Edge browser. Here’s how.

1. From Temporary Files

To clear the cache on Windows 11 from Temporary Files in the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Storage tab.

4. Click the Temporary files setting.

   

5. Check the cache files to delete.

   

   Quick note: Choosing the “Downloads” option will delete the files in that folder. If you have important files, it’s recommended not to check this option.

6. Click the Remove files button.

Once you complete the steps, the cache will be deleted from Windows 11.

The items you can clear will depend on the state of your setup. However, usually, you want to remove “Windows Update Cleanup,” “Windows upgrade log files,” “System error memory dump files,” “Delivery Optimization Files,” “Temporary files,” “System Recovery log files,” and “Previous Windows installations.”

2. From Disk Cleanup

To clear the cache on Windows 11 with Disk Cleanup, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Disk Cleanup and click the top result to open the app.

3. Click the “Clean up system files” button.

   

4. Check the items to delete.

   

5. Click the OK button.

6. Click the Delete Files button.

After you complete the steps, the selected temporary files will be removed from the system.

While it’s still possible to use the Disk Cleanup tool, you should use the “Temporary files” settings in the Settings app to complete the task.

3. From Apps

To clear the cache of apps individually on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Apps.

3. Click the Installed apps tab.

4. Click the menu for the app and choose the Advanced options item.

   

5. Click the Repair button to clear the cache without affecting the state of the app.

   

6. (Optional) Click the Reset button to clear the cache and reset the application.

   Quick note: This option will reinstall the app, and you will need to reconfigure it. You only want to use this option if the repair feature isn’t working.

7. Click the Reset button one more time.

Once you complete the steps, the cache date for the application will clear automatically.

This option is only available for modern Microsoft Store apps. If you have a traditional desktop application, you may need to check the software vendor documentation for specific instructions.

4. From system location

To clear the location history cache information on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Click the Location tab.

4. Click the Clear button for the “Location history” setting.

   

After you complete the steps, the location history information will be deleted from Windows 11.

5. From activity history

To clear the activity history cache information on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Click the Activity history.

4. Click the Clear button for the “Clear activity history for this account” setting.

   

Once you complete the steps, the activity history data will be deleted from the device.

6. From search history

To wipe out the search history cache on your computer, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Click the Search permissions.

4. Click the “Clear device search history” button for the “Search history on this device” setting.

   

After you complete the steps, the search history on Windows 11 will be erased from the computer.

7. From Microsoft Store

To delete the cache files from the Microsoft Store app on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to clear the cache on the Microsoft Store and press Enter:

   WSReset.exe

   

Once you complete the steps, the Microsoft Store will reset its cache to resolve common problems.

8. From Microsoft Edge

To clear the Microsoft Edge browser cache on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.

2. Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button in the top-right corner and select the Settings option.

3. Click on Privacy, search, and services.

4. Under the “Clear browsing data” section, click the “Choose what to clear” button.

   

5. Use the “Time range” drop-down menu to select the “All time” option (recommended).

6. Check the “Cached images and files” option.

   

7. Check the “Cookies and other site data” option to clear cookies.

8. Check any other data to remove from Microsoft Edge, including “Browsing history,” “Download history,” “Autofill from data,” “Site permissions,” and “Media Foundation data.”

   Quick note: If you check all the available options, you will be clearing all your Microsoft Edge cache data.

9. Click the Clear now button.

After you complete the steps, the browser will delete the temporary files to resolve issues with the application or specific site. While navigating websites, they may take a little longer to load since Microsoft Edge has to re-cache the information.

9. From Windows Update

To clear the Windows Update cache files, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

   

3. Select all the folders and files (“Ctrl + A” or choose the “Select all” option from the “See more” menu) inside the “Download” folder.

4. Click the Delete button to delete the system update cache.

Once you complete the steps, you should be able to check and download updates one more time. However, since the system has to re-cache the files again, Windows Update may take a while to complete the process.

It’s important to note that clearing these temporary data doesn’t disable the feature. As you continue using the application or feature, the system will again start caching information.