PeriMost users have probably wondered how you can clear the cache on a PC with Windows 10 installed, especially this question is relevant for owners of PCs with a drive volume less than 100 GB, where random cache files take up a lot of space on the hard drive.

What do you need to clear all cache in Windows 10

In the context of a PC, the cache is a non-permanent file that may be needed in the future and is therefore hidden deep in the system until its time comes. The cache is important to improve system performance but at the cost of valuable disk space. The good news is that, in most cases, cache files can be safely deleted, clean up disk space.

The caching feature on PCs is mainly designed to store the most frequently used data for reuse by apps, programs, and processes running on the PC. Although it usually helps improve the overall speed and performance of apps, the cache ends up being filled with outdated files, resulting in poor device performance.

Sometimes cached files may even become corrupt or malfunctioning, preventing apps from working properly and creating other problems. Consequently, you need to remove all types of temporary and cached files from your device, especially if it’s slow or experiencing problems.

Well, here’s how to clear all cache in Windows 10.

How to safely remove the cache from the Windows Update folder

For your convenience, Windows keeps a cache of all updated files received that may be useful, so you can reapply them. The disadvantage is that system updates can take up a lot of space.

Before you can remove these files, you must disable Windows Updates to make sure that no updates are downloaded.

• To do this, open the “Start” menu and run the command prompt as administrator.

• Then type the following command:
  • net stop wuauserv

• After that, open “Explorer” and go to “C:{Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download”.

• Now you can delete all the contents inside the “Download” folder.

After these steps, you must re-enable the Update Center by entering the “net stop wuauserv“ command in the command prompt

How to clear cache in Windows Store

As you may have already guessed, Windows also caches downloads made through the Windows Store, not only does this cache take up space, it can cause loading problems by interrupting or stopping apps from loading. If this happens, clearing the cache can solve any potential problems you might encounter.

Now let’s take a closer look at how to clear Windows Store cache using a utility developed by Microsoft called WSReset.exe.

• Press the “Win + R” key combination to open “Run”.
• Then, enter “WSReset.exe” in the text field that appears and click “OK”.

After you have done this, a black window will open, similar in appearance to the standard command prompt, and at first glance, it may look like nothing is happening, but you have to wait for it to close. This may take several minutes, depending on how fast your PC is.

When this happens, the Windows Store will launch on the desktop, letting you know that the cache has been cleared and you have done everything correctly.

How to delete temporary files in Windows 10

Windows has a system directory that is designed to contain temporary files. Temporary files are usually created as an intermediary, but unfortunately, some programs and apps leave behind unnecessary components after performing necessary actions, littering the system directory with a whole bunch of garbage.

In order to fix this drawback, you need from time to time to delete files that haven’t been used for a week. And the built-in tool provided by Windows 10 will help you do just that.

If you want to delete temporary files, you have to follow these steps:

• First of all, open the “Start” menu and find the “Windows Administrative Tools” folder.

• After that, select “Disk cleanup”.

• When prompted, select the drive on which Windows 10 is installed (usually the C drive). Wait for the utility to analyze the file system.

• In the “Disc Cleanup” program window, uncheck all the checkboxes except for the temporary files item, and then click the “OK” button.

How to delete thumbnails in Windows 10

Every time you preview images and folders in explorer, Windows must create thumbnails of images that will accumulate and be stored in the cache, slowing down and affecting system performance. To prevent this, it’s important to clear the thumbnail folder at least once a month.

The whole process of using the program to clean components and files on the system disk is described above, the only change you need to make is to check the thumbnails box and leave all other items unchecked, and then follow the recommendations described above.

How to delete the system restore cache in Windows 10

System Restore is one of the most useful features in Windows. The disadvantage is that System Restore uses a lot of space. This is due to the caching of all the parameters and variables that are needed to recover the system.

You can free up this space by clearing the saved restore points also reducing the space taken up by the system restore or disabling the feature altogether, but you should be aware that allocating too little space can cause the system restore feature to malfunction.

• Go to the “Start” menu and open “Control Panel”.

• After that, open the “Recovery” submenu.

• Next, click on the “Configure System Restore” link.

• In the “System Properties” window, go to the “System Protection” tab.

• Then, select your system drive and click “Configure”.
• Now, disable system protection and click on the “Delete” to delete all restore points for this drive.

After deleting all the restore points, you should create a new restore point, securing the system.

For a more thorough system cleaning, it’s recommended to use a tool such as CCleaner, which is designed to scan the entire system and free up disk space, and not only.