Your internet browser’s cache stores certain information about webpages you visit. Here are instructions on how to clear the cache for all major browsers.
1 Steps
1.1 Internet Explorer 9
1.2 Internet Explorer 8
1.3 Internet Explorer 7
1.4 Firefox 4.0 / 5.0 / 6.0 +
1.5 Firefox 3.5 / 3.6
1.6 Firefox 1.5 / 2.0 / 3.0
1.7 Firefox 1.0
1.8 Chrome v10 +
1.9 Chrome v1 – v9
1.10 Safari for Mac OS X
1.11 Safari for Windows
1.12 Mobile Safari
1.13 Opera
1.14 Mozilla SeaMonkey
1.15 Konqueror
1.16 iPhone
1.17 Android
2 Warnings
3 Tips
1. Steps
1.1 Internet Explorer 9
1. Open Settings > Safety Once your browser is open, click the gear at the top right to open the settings menu. Then, select Safety and Delete Browsing History… Or, optionally you may simply press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open the Delete Browsing History window.
2. Choose what to delete Select Temporary Internet Files. You will also need to uncheck all of the other boxes, especially Preserve Favorites website data. This option makes the window also delete objects from websites in your Favorites folder, which is necessary to completely clear your cache.
3. Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to perform the operations (i.e. clear your cache by deleting temporary files).
4. Your computer will work for a moment, and then the process will be complete. You’ve successfully cleared Internet Explorer 9′s Cache!
1.2 Internet Explorer 8
1. Click “Tools”. Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu. Or, optionally you may simply press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open the Delete Browsing History window (and skip step 2)
2. Delete Browsing History… Click on Delete Browsing History…
3. “Temporary Internet Files”. Select Temporary Internet Files.
4. Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to delete your temporary files (i.e. clear your cache).
5. If you want the browser to automatically clear the cache whenever you close it, click the Advanced tab. Click to check the box next to the Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed option (in the section labeled Security). Click OK. This will delete everything except cookies.
Note: IE8 has a “feature” which retains some cookies even after you clear your cache if you do not UNCHECK the “Preserve Favorites Website Data.” If you truly need to clear your cache, you will want to uncheck this!
1.3 Internet Explorer 7
1. Open IE 7 and click the Tools menu. Click the Delete Browsing History link at the top.
2. Under the Temporary Internet Files heading, click Delete files…
3. Click Yes when you see the prompt asking if you are sure you want to delete all temporary files.
4Alternatively, clear your cache for just the current page you’re visiting. Press and hold [Ctrl] on your keyboard, then Press [F5] or click on the Refresh button (square button on the toolbar with opposite-facing arrows).
1.4 Firefox 4.0 / 5.0 / 6.0 +
1. Firefox Menu Click the Firefox menu in the top left corner. Next, select the right arrow next to History >, and click Clear Recent History (or click on Tools then Clear Recent History if you don’t have the Firefox Menu) Or, you can press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open the recent history window.
2. Select ‘Cache’ Make sure ‘Details’ is expanded, then select Cache from the list. Uncheck everything else.
3. Choose ‘Everything’ In the Time Range to Clear: drop down, select Everything.
4. Select Clear Now.
5. Your computer will work for a moment, and the process will be complete. You’ve successfully cleared Firefox’s Cache!
1.5 Firefox 3.5 / 3.6
1. Tools > Clear Recent History Click the Tools menu, then select Clear Recent History.
Note: If you don’t see the Tools menu, hold down the Alt key then press the T key to access Tools.
2. Everything Choose the time range of cache you’d like to clear.
3. Cache Click on Details and make sure Cache is checked.
4. Select Clear Now.
1.6 Firefox 1.5 / 2.0 / 3.0
Below is the full method, although it is possible to simply go to Tools, and select Clear Private Data.
1. Tools > Options Go to Tools and select Options… (on Linux, go to Edit then Preferences).
2. Privacy > Settings Go to the Privacy tab and click the Settings button.
3. Clear private data Make sure Cache is checked on the list of options to clear.
4. Return to the Options menu and click the Clear Now button.
1.7 Firefox 1.0
1. Click the Tools menu and select Options (on Linux, go to Edit then Preferences).
2. Click the Privacy button and select the Cache tab.
3. Click the Clear Cache Now button.
1.8 Chrome v10 +
1. Click on the wrench Once your browser is open, select the Wrench icon (the settings menu, located in the upper-right corner) then, Tools, and Clear Browsing Data…. You can also access the Delete Browsing History window by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Delete, or clicking on this link: [chrome://settings/clearBrowserData].
2. Check ‘Empty the Cache’ Select the Empty the cache check-box. Uncheck everything else to avoid deleting data unintentionally.
3. In the Obliterate the following items from: dropdown menu, select the beginning of time.
4. Click the Clear Browsing Data button. Chrome will work for a moment, and then the process will be done. You’ve successfully cleared Chrome’s Cache!
1.9 Chrome v1 – v9
1. Tools menu Once your browser is open, select the Tools menu (the wrench in the upper-right corner) and select Options (Preferences on Mac).
2. Clear browsing data On the Under the Hood tab, click the Clear Browsing data… button.
3. Clear cache Select the Empty the cache check-box.
4. Select your time period. You can also choose the period of time you wish to delete cached information using the Clear data from this period dropdown menu.
5. Done! Click the Clear Browsing Data button.
1.10 Safari for Mac OS X
1. “Click Empty Cache” Once your browser is open, click the Safari menu and select Empty Cache….
2. Click Empty.
1.11 Safari for Windows
1. Once your browser is open, click the Edit menu and select Empty Cache. Once your browser is open, click the Edit menu and select Empty Cache….
2. Click Empty.
1.12 Mobile Safari
1. Click on Settings from the home page. Click on Settings from the home page.
2. Scroll down until you see “Safari. Scroll down until you see “Safari.” Click on it to bring up the option page.
3. Click “Clear Cookies and Data. Click “Clear Cookies and Data.”A popup box will appear. Click “Clear Cookies and Data” again to confirm your choice.
1.13 Opera
1. Once your browser is open, select the settings menu and click delete private data.
2. Click the details button.
3. If you do not wish to delete cookies, saved passwords, etc., remove checks from them in the list.
4. Press delete.
5. If you are using the browser, go to History (accessible from the start page (press start button) & extended toolbar) and touch Delete All.
6. Then go to the start page again and touch Settings.
7. Then scroll down until you find Delete Cookies and touch that.
1.14 Mozilla SeaMonkey
1. Once your browser is open, click the Edit menu and select Preferences.
2. In the left-side list, open the Advanced node and select Cache.
3. Click the Clear Cache button.
1.15 Konqueror
1. Once your browser is open, click the Settings menu and select Configure Konqueror.
2. Scroll down in the list of images and select Cache.
3. Click Clear Cache.
1.16 iPhone
1. Click on Settings from the home page. Click on Settings from the home page.
2. Scroll down until you see “Safari. Scroll down until you see “Safari.” Click on it to bring up the option page.
3. Click “Clear Cookies and Data. Click “Clear Cookies and Data.”A popup box will appear. Click “Clear Cookies and Data” again to confirm your choice.
1.17 Android
1. Open the browser. Open the browser.
2. Hit the Menu Key. Hit the Menu Key.
3. Click on the “More Options” button. Click on the “More Options” button.
4. Click on “Settings”
5. Hit “Clear Cache. Hit “Clear Cache.” You’ll then be presented with a verification menu. Hit “Okay” or “Clear Cache” again (depending on the version of your phone) to complete the process.
2. Warnings
Deleting your browser’s cache is NOT the same as deleting cookies.
3. Tips
If you wish, you can disable the cache entirely in your browser’s options panel by choosing the ‘do not remember history’ option or simply browse incognito. The cache is used to speed up access to websites by loading data from the local memory rather than downloading it, however you probably will not notice a difference from a high-speed internet connection.
You may also want to clear your browser’s cookies.
You can use Portable Firefox from a USB flash drive, which will store the data (cache, cookies, etc.) on the portable device, rather than your computer’s hard drive.
Courtesy of WikiHow.