To clear cache in Windows 11 quickly and comprehensively, use three high-impact actions in sequence:
- Clear temporary files via Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files.
- Run Disk Cleanup via Start search → cleanmgr → Clean up system files.
- Reset Microsoft Store cache via Win+R →
wsreset.exe.
Those three actions alone typically reclaim several gigabytes and resolve most cache-related issues. The full guide below covers ten additional cache types — DNS, thumbnails, icons, Prefetch, browser, Windows Update, and more — for a complete cleanup pass.
Windows 11 stores cache in more places than most users realise. Some of it is helpful — thumbnails so folders load faster, DNS entries so websites resolve quicker, Microsoft Store data so apps launch immediately. Some of it becomes a problem — corrupted cache causing Explorer to crash, stale DNS records blocking websites, gigabytes of old Windows Update files consuming disk space with nothing to show for it. Knowing where each type of cache lives and how to clear it is what turns “my PC feels slow” into a specific set of actions with measurable results.
This guide walks through the twelve cache locations in Windows 11 that most benefit from periodic clearing, in the order that produces the most impact. If your goal is to clear cache Windows 11-wide as maintenance, work through all twelve. If you are troubleshooting a specific issue, jump to the section that matches — the cache type is often the direct cause.
Before you begin — what to know about clearing cache
Cache files are non-essential by definition. Windows and applications create them to speed up repeat operations, and they regenerate automatically as needed. Clearing cache does not delete personal files, installed applications, browser passwords stored in your password manager, or any system settings. What it does is reset the temporary layer that sits between you and the underlying data — sometimes reclaiming significant space, sometimes fixing corruption-related bugs, and occasionally producing noticeably better responsiveness on constrained systems.
The trade-off is that immediately after clearing cache, some operations feel slightly slower for a short time as the cache rebuilds. Thumbnails may take a moment to render the first time a folder opens. Websites may resolve a fraction slower on first visit. Application startups may take an extra second or two. All of this is normal and disappears within a day of regular use.
Not every cache in Windows 11 benefits equally from clearing. Temporary files, Windows Update cache, and Microsoft Store cache have the highest impact. Thumbnail and icon caches have modest impact. DNS cache is a targeted fix rather than a maintenance action. This guide covers them in order of impact so you can stop at any point once you have addressed what matters to you.
The twelve cache types this guide covers
- Temporary files
General workspace data from Windows and applications — usually the largest single cache category.
- Windows Update cache
Downloaded update files that remain after installation, often several gigabytes.
- Microsoft Store cache
Store data that can corrupt and cause apps to fail with errors like 0x803f8001.
- DNS cache
Stored website address lookups — clearing fixes many browsing and network issues.
- Thumbnail cache
Preview images generated for folders — can grow to hundreds of megabytes.
- Icon cache
Cached icon images — clearing fixes broken or missing icons in Explorer.
- Browser cache
Cached web page assets from Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
- Windows Search index
Index of file locations for fast searching — rebuilding fixes broken search.
- Prefetch files
App launch acceleration data — clearing rarely helps but is included for completeness.
- Delivery Optimization cache
Peer-to-peer Windows Update files shared with other PCs.
- Font cache
Font rendering cache — clearing fixes font display issues.
- Clipboard history
Stored copy/paste history — clearing removes sensitive copied data.
Methods to clear cache in Windows 11 — in order of impact
Clear temporary files via Windows Settings
This is the highest-impact single action for most users. It clears temporary files, Windows Update leftovers, thumbnails, Recycle Bin contents, and Delivery Optimization files in one operation.
- Press
Win + Ito open Settings. - Click System in the left pane, then Storage.
- Click Temporary files — Windows takes a moment to calculate what can be removed.
- Review the categories: Temporary files, Windows Update Cleanup, Delivery Optimization Files, Thumbnails, Recycle Bin, and others.
- Check the boxes for what to remove. Uncheck Downloads if it appears (Windows would delete everything in your Downloads folder).
- Click Remove files and confirm.
Never check the Downloads category unless you have specifically confirmed the folder is empty of anything you want to keep. Windows treats it as cache-eligible even though it typically contains user files.
Clear the %temp% folder manually
Some temporary files persist even after the Settings-based cleanup. Manually clearing the user temp folder catches the remainder.
- Press
Win + Rto open the Run dialog. - Type
%temp%and press Enter. - File Explorer opens to the temp folder. Press
Ctrl + Ato select all items. - Press
Delete. Confirm any prompts. - If Windows reports certain files are in use, click Skip — those are being used by running applications and will be cleared on the next boot.
Repeat with temp (without the percent signs) if prompted for administrator permission — that opens C:\Windows\Temp, the system-wide temp folder.
Run Disk Cleanup for deep cache removal
Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) accesses cache categories the Settings interface does not expose, including DirectX Shader Cache, old Windows installation files, and system error dumps.
- Press
Win, type Disk Cleanup, and press Enter. (In recent Windows 11 builds, Disk Cleanup is no longer available from the right-click menu on the C: drive — search is the only entry point now.) - Select C: from the drive dropdown and click OK.
- Check all the categories you want to clear. For maximum cleanup, click Clean up system files — this reopens Disk Cleanup with additional categories including Windows Update Cleanup and Previous Windows Installations.
- Review categories again, check everything relevant, and click OK.
- Confirm the deletion. Cleanup can take several minutes on drives with a lot to remove.
Windows Update Cleanup, Delivery Optimization Files, Previous Windows Installations, and DirectX Shader Cache typically reclaim the most space in this tool.
Enable Storage Sense for automatic cleanup going forward
Manual cleanup is worth doing once. Automating it so it never needs to happen again is worth doing after that. Storage Sense handles temporary file cleanup and Recycle Bin emptying on a schedule.
- Open Settings → System → Storage.
- Turn on the Storage Sense toggle.
- Click Storage Sense to open its configuration.
- Set Run Storage Sense to Every Week for balanced maintenance.
- Configure Delete files in my recycle bin if they have been there for over — 30 days is a safe default.
- Leave Delete files in my Downloads folder disabled unless you want the Downloads folder auto-cleaned.
Clear the Windows Update cache manually
Windows Update cache can grow to many gigabytes over time and is a common cause of stuck updates. Clearing it manually is more thorough than the Settings-based Windows Update Cleanup option.
- Press
Win, type services.msc, press Enter. - Find Windows Update in the list. Right-click and choose Stop.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. - Select all files (
Ctrl + A) and delete them. - Return to Services, right-click Windows Update, and choose Start.
Do not clear this folder while an update is downloading — you may need to re-download the update. Wait until any active update completes or is paused first.
Reset the Microsoft Store cache
Microsoft Store cache corruption is behind many Store app errors — including the widespread 0x803f8001 error where apps like Notepad and Paint refuse to open. Resetting the Store cache is a single command.
- Press
Win + R. - Type
wsreset.exeand press Enter. - A blank Command Prompt window opens for several seconds and then closes.
- The Microsoft Store launches automatically when the reset is complete.
No further action is required. The reset does not remove installed Store apps — only the cached Store data.
Flush the DNS cache to fix browsing issues
DNS cache stores website address lookups so your browser does not need to resolve them repeatedly. When entries become stale or corrupted, websites may fail to load, load the wrong content, or produce security warnings. Flushing the DNS cache resolves all of these.
- Press
Win, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator. - Type:
ipconfig /flushdns - Press Enter. You should see: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
While you have Command Prompt open, two related commands often help alongside a DNS flush:
netsh winsock reset— resets the Winsock network catalog (requires reboot).netsh int ip reset— resets the TCP/IP stack (requires reboot).
Clear the thumbnail cache
Thumbnail cache stores preview images for images, videos, and documents in File Explorer. On systems with large media collections, this can grow to hundreds of megabytes. Clearing it also fixes cases where thumbnails display incorrectly or fail to update.
- Run Disk Cleanup (as in step 3).
- Check only the Thumbnails category.
- Click OK and confirm.
Alternatively, delete the thumbnail cache files directly:
- Close all File Explorer windows.
- Navigate to
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorerin File Explorer. - Delete all files starting with
thumbcache_andiconcache_. - Restart Windows.
Rebuild the icon cache
Broken or blank icons in File Explorer, on the desktop, or in the Start menu often indicate a corrupted icon cache. Rebuilding it is a two-step process.
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Escto open Task Manager. - Find Windows Explorer, right-click, and choose End task. The taskbar and desktop disappear temporarily.
- In Task Manager, click Run new task (File menu).
- Type
cmd, check Create this task with administrative privileges, and click OK. - In Command Prompt, run these commands one at a time:
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorerattrib –h iconcache_*.dbdel iconcache_*.db
- In Task Manager, click Run new task, type
explorer.exe, and click OK to restore the taskbar.
Clear browser caches (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
Browser cache is separate from Windows cache and needs to be cleared inside each browser. The shortcut is the same across all major browsers.
- Open your browser.
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Delete. - Select the time range — All time for a complete clear.
- Check Cached images and files. Leave Cookies unchecked if you want to stay signed in to websites.
- Click Clear data.
Clearing browser cache does not remove saved passwords, bookmarks, or history unless you specifically check those boxes. Only “Cached images and files” is needed for a cache-only clear.
Rebuild the Windows Search index
The Windows Search index is not a cache in the strict sense, but a corrupted index behaves identically — searches return incomplete results, take too long, or fail entirely. Rebuilding it takes several hours but resolves persistent search issues.
- Press
Win, type Indexing Options, press Enter. - Click Advanced.
- Under Troubleshooting, click Rebuild.
- Confirm. Windows begins rebuilding the index in the background.
Search functionality is degraded until the rebuild completes — typically 2–8 hours depending on the size of your indexed content. Best to start the rebuild before bed or during a period when you will not need search.
Clear Prefetch files (only if troubleshooting a specific issue)
Prefetch files help Windows launch frequently used applications faster. Clearing them rarely improves performance — quite the opposite, since Windows must regenerate them on next launch. Include this step only if you are troubleshooting a specific application launch issue or performing a complete cache purge.
- Press
Win + R, typeprefetch, press Enter. - Grant administrator permission when prompted.
- Select all files (
Ctrl + A) and delete them.
Windows regenerates Prefetch files during normal use. Clearing them is more of a troubleshooting step than routine maintenance. If your PC is running well, leave Prefetch alone.
- Clear temporary files via Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files.
- Clear the %temp% folder manually to catch remaining items.
- Run Disk Cleanup with Clean up system files for the deepest pass.
- Enable Storage Sense for weekly automatic cleanup.
- Clear Windows Update cache via services.msc and SoftwareDistribution folder.
- Reset Microsoft Store cache with
wsreset.exe. - Flush DNS cache with
ipconfig /flushdns. - Clear thumbnail cache via Disk Cleanup or the Explorer folder.
- Rebuild icon cache if icons are broken or blank.
- Clear browser caches with
Ctrl + Shift + Deletein each browser. - Rebuild the Windows Search index if search is misbehaving.
- Clear Prefetch files only if troubleshooting a specific issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Does clearing cache in Windows 11 really improve performance?
Yes, in specific situations. Clearing cache reclaims disk space (often several gigabytes), resolves issues caused by corrupted cache files, and can improve responsiveness on systems with limited storage. On modern systems with plenty of free space and no cache corruption, the performance improvement is minimal — cache exists to make things faster, not slower. The biggest gains come from clearing DNS cache, Microsoft Store cache, and Windows Update cache.
-
Is it safe to clear all cache files in Windows 11?
Yes. Cache files are non-essential by definition — Windows and applications will regenerate whatever they need automatically. Clearing cache does not delete personal files, installed applications, saved passwords in your browser’s password manager, or system settings. It only removes temporary data used to speed up repeat operations.
-
How often should I clear cache in Windows 11?
For most users, monthly is sufficient — or on-demand when you notice performance issues, disk space warnings, or specific problems like DNS errors or Microsoft Store apps failing. Enabling Storage Sense automates temporary file cleanup and eliminates the need for manual cleanup of most cache types.
-
Will clearing cache delete my personal files?
No. All cache-clearing methods target temporary files, downloaded update files, browser cache, thumbnails, and system-generated data. Personal files in Documents, Pictures, Videos, Desktop, and Downloads folders are not touched. The only exception is if you specifically configure Storage Sense to delete files from the Downloads folder, which is off by default and clearly labelled.
-
What’s the difference between temporary files and cache?
The distinction is subtle. Cache is data stored to speed up repeat access to something (thumbnails, DNS results, Store data). Temporary files are workspace data created during operations (installer extraction files, autosaves, print spooler files). Both are generally safe to clear. In Windows 11 Settings, they are often shown together under Temporary files.
-
Does clearing cache speed up my PC?
Sometimes significantly, sometimes barely. If your disk is nearly full, clearing gigabytes of cache reclaims meaningful space and improves system responsiveness. If cache files have become corrupted, clearing them directly resolves the resulting bugs. On a well-maintained system with adequate free space, the speed improvement is modest — but the practice is still worthwhile as regular maintenance.
-
What is the fastest way to clear cache in Windows 11?
The fastest single action is Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → Remove files. This clears the largest categories in one operation and takes under two minutes. For a more thorough one-shot cleanup, combine that with running Disk Cleanup (
cleanmgr) andwsreset.exe. Those three actions together typically reclaim more space than any other combination.
For Microsoft’s own comprehensive guidance on freeing up disk space and managing Windows cleanup, the canonical reference is Free up drive space in Windows on the Microsoft Support site — worth bookmarking for the broader Windows maintenance guidance beyond cache specifically.
“Cache is meant to make things faster. When it stops doing that, it needs clearing — and once you know where each type lives, the whole thing takes an hour or less.”
Twelve cache locations, most cleared in a couple of clicks each. Combined with Storage Sense running weekly in the background, your Windows 11 machine will rarely need this level of manual attention again — and when it does, you now know exactly where to look.
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