Windows 10 is a bit of a packrat. It saves everything. Every thumbnail you scroll past, every update file you download, and every tiny fragment of data from a website you visited once in 2022 stays tucked away in a corner of your hard drive. Most of the time, this is actually a good thing. It’s meant to make your PC feel snappy. But when things start feeling sluggish, or your storage bar is turning a frantic shade of red, it’s time to clear Windows cache Windows 10 style.
Honestly, it’s not just one "cache" we’re talking about. It’s a messy collection of temporary files scattered across the system.
If your computer is acting weird—maybe the Start menu is lagging or your disk space vanished overnight—cleaning these folders is usually the first thing a tech support pro will do. It’s the digital equivalent of taking out the trash. If you don't do it, the smell eventually starts to bother you. Or in this case, the lag does.
The Massive Update Cache That’s Eating Your SSD
Microsoft loves updates. We all know this. But what you might not know is that after Windows 10 finishes installing those "quality improvements," it often keeps the installer files just in case. These live in a folder called SoftwareDistribution.
It’s huge. Sometimes it's several gigabytes.
To get rid of this safely, you can't just hit delete. You have to stop the Windows Update service first. Open your Command Prompt (as an admin, obviously) and type net stop wuauserv. Once that’s done, you head over to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download and wipe it all out. Don't worry; you aren't breaking anything. You’re just clearing the staging area. Once you’re done, restart the service with net start wuauserv.
Suddenly, you have an extra 4GB of space. It feels like finding money in an old pair of jeans.
How to Clear Windows Cache Windows 10 for Better Performance
There is a big misconception that "cleaning your PC" requires some paid, shiny software with a "Boost" button. It doesn't. Most of those apps are just glorified scripts that run the built-in Windows tools anyway.
The Disk Cleanup tool is an oldie but a goodie. Type it into your search bar. When it pops up, don't just click "OK." Click the button that says "Clean up system files." This is the secret sauce. It re-scans the drive and finds the "Windows Update Cleanup" and "Delivery Optimization Files." These are the real space-hogs.
Check those boxes. Hit delete. Walk away for five minutes.
The DNS Cache: When Websites Stop Loading
Sometimes your internet isn't actually broken; your computer just forgot the directions. The DNS cache stores the IP addresses of the websites you visit. If a site moves to a new server and your PC is still looking at the old address, you get a 404 or a timeout.
Fixing this is fast. Run ipconfig /flushdns in the Command Prompt. It takes half a second. You’ll see a message saying it successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache. It’s a tiny bit of data, but it solves a massive amount of "why won't this page load?" frustration.
The Microsoft Store Is Probably Glitching
If you use the Microsoft Store for apps like Netflix or Minecraft, you’ve likely dealt with a download that gets stuck at 99%. Or maybe the app just closes the second you open it. This is almost always a cache issue.
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There is a specific command for this: wsreset.exe.
You don't even need to be a tech genius. Just press the Windows Key + R, type that in, and hit Enter. A blank Command Prompt window will pop up. Don't touch it. Just wait. After about 30 seconds, it will disappear and the Store will launch automatically. It’s one of the few "fix-it" buttons in Windows that actually works without a reboot.
Location History and Privacy Caches
Windows 10 tracks where you’ve been to give you better weather reports and "local" suggestions. This builds up a history cache. While it doesn't take up much space, it’s a privacy thing.
Go to Settings > Privacy > Location.
Scroll down. You’ll see a "Clear location history on this device" button. Click it. It feels good to know Microsoft has a slightly shorter memory of your movements.
The Temp Folders: Where Junk Lives
There are two main temp folders you need to know about.
- The System Temp:
C:\Windows\Temp - The User Temp:
%temp%(type this into the Run box)
The second one is usually the disaster zone. It’s filled with logs from apps you uninstalled months ago and temporary images from installers. You can usually select everything in there and hit Shift+Delete. If Windows tells you a file is "in use," just skip it. That just means a program you’re currently running is using that file. Everything else? Garbage.
Browser Cache vs. System Cache
People often confuse these two. Clearing your system cache won't log you out of Facebook or clear your Chrome history. To do that, you have to go into the browser settings (Ctrl+Shift+Del is the universal shortcut for most browsers).
Why bother? Because browsers like Chrome and Edge are notorious for hoarding data. If you haven't cleared your browser cache in a year, you’re likely sitting on 2GB of cached images and scripts that are doing nothing but slowing down your initial page loads because the browser has to sort through the old junk to see if it needs the new junk.
Why Some "Experts" Say Don't Clear Cache
There is a counter-argument here. Some folks will tell you that clearing your cache is a waste of time because Windows will just rebuild it.
They aren't entirely wrong.
A cache exists to speed things up. If you delete your thumbnail cache, the next time you open your "Pictures" folder, Windows has to recreate every single tiny preview image. This causes a momentary spike in CPU usage and makes the folder feel slow for a few seconds.
However, caches get "stale." Files get corrupted. Old update data stays long after it's useful. Clearing it once every few months is like a "reset" for your system's efficiency. You trade a few seconds of rebuilding time for a cleaner, more stable environment.
Actionable Steps for a Faster PC
To keep your Windows 10 machine running at peak performance without overthinking it, follow this simple routine once a month:
- Run the Disk Cleanup tool and specifically target System Files.
- Use the
%temp%command to wipe out user-level temporary files that apps leave behind. - If your browser feels "heavy," use Ctrl+Shift+Del to clear out cached images and files (you can leave cookies alone if you don't want to log back into everything).
- For those with limited SSD space, check the Storage Sense settings in your System menu. You can actually automate most of this so Windows deletes old temp files every 30 days without you lifting a finger.
Maintaining a clean system isn't about being obsessed with every megabyte. It's about preventing the "digital rot" that makes a powerful computer feel like a 10-year-old laptop. Empty the trash, flush the DNS, and let your OS breathe.