clear_windows.md

Clearing all cache from a Windows system can help improve performance and free up disk space. Here are the steps to clear various types of cache on Windows:

1. Clear Temporary Files Cache

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type temp and press Enter. This will open the Temp folder.
3. Select all files and folders (Ctrl + A) and press Delete. You may need administrator permissions for some files.
4. Repeat the process with %temp% in the Run dialog box.

2. Clear System Cache

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type cleanmgr and press Enter.
3. Select the drive you want to clean (usually C:) and click OK.
4. The Disk Cleanup tool will calculate the amount of space you can free up. Once it finishes, check all the boxes for the files you want to delete, including temporary files, recycle bin, and system cache.
5. Click OK, then Delete Files.

3. Clear Windows Store Cache

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type wsreset.exe and press Enter.
3. A command prompt window will open, and the cache will be cleared automatically. The Windows Store will open once the process is complete.

4. Clear DNS Cache

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. You can do this by searching for cmd in the Start menu, right-clicking on Command Prompt, and selecting Run as administrator.
2. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.

5. Clear Browser Cache

Each browser has its own method for clearing cache. Here are the steps for common browsers:

Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
3. In the popup window, select the time range and the types of data you want to clear (check Cached images and files).
4. Click Clear data.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Edge.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
3. Select the time range and the types of data you want to clear (check Cached images and files).
4. Click Clear now.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
3. Select the time range and the types of data you want to clear (check Cache).
4. Click OK.

6. Clear Windows Update Cache

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits

3. Go to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and delete all files and folders inside.
4. Go back to Command Prompt and type the following commands to restart the services:

   net start wuauserv
   net start bits

7. Clear Thumbnail Cache

1. Open File Explorer and go to This PC.
2. Right-click on the C: drive and select Properties.
3. Click on Disk Cleanup.
4. Check the box next to Thumbnails and click OK.

By following these steps, you can clear most types of cache on a Windows system.