ARCHIVED: In a web browser, how do I speed up purging the cache?
When you access a web page in a browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Netscape, the browser caches it. When you return to the same page later, the browser can retrieve it from cache rather than downloading it from the network again. This makes for much faster web browsing, especially when you return to the same page often. However, the cache on the hard disk periodically needs to be cleaned out, which can take some time. Browsers typically clear the cache progressively, while running. You can also empty the cache yourself (see Clear your web browser's cache, cookies, and history).
Decreasing the size of the cache will reduce the amount of time required to clear it. However, the cache will have to be cleared more often, since there will be less space for the browser to store cached files. You could reduce the cache to zero, but previously viewed pages would then need to be downloaded again at each repeat visit. The best size for your cache depends on your browsing habits. If you routinely visit only a few pages, a small cache will do, but if you routinely visit a lot of pages, keep a larger cache.
To find the cache size setting of various browsers, follow the appropriate instructions below:
Firefox
- Firefox 2.0 for Windows: From the menu, select . Click , and then click the tab. Under "Cache", enter your preferred cache size in the text box.
- Firefox 2.0 for Mac OS X: From the menu, select . Click , and then click the tab. Under "Cache", enter your preferred cache size in the text box.
- Firefox 1.x for Windows: From the menu, select . Under "Cache", enter your preferred cache size in the text box. (If you don't see the text box, click the (plus sign) next to "Cache".) Click .
- Firefox 1.x for Mac OS X: From the menu, select . Under "Cache", enter your preferred cache size in the text box. (If you don't see the text box, click the triangle next to "Cache".) Click .
Netscape
- Netscape Browser 8 for Windows: From the menu, select . Click , and then click the (plus sign) next to "Cache".
- Netscape 7 for Mac OS X: From the menu, select . From the list on the left side of the window, click the triangle next to , and then select .
- Netscape Navigator 4.x, 6.x, and 7.x: From the menu, select . Click , and then click .
- Netscape Navigator 2.x and 3.x: From the menu, choose . Select the tab.
- Netscape Navigator 1.1 and 1.2: From the menu, choose . Select the tab.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x (Windows): From the menu, select . Under the tab, under "Temporary Internet files", click .
- Internet Explorer 5.x (Mac OS X): From the
Note: Microsoft is no longer developing or distributing Internet Explorer for the Macintosh. UITS strongly recommends that you use a different browser, such as Safari or Firefox.
menu, select . Under
, click .
- Internet Explorer 4.x and 5.x (Mac OS): From the menu, select . Under , click .
- Internet Explorer 4.x (Windows): From the menu, select . Under the page tab, in "Temporary Internet Files", click .
- Internet Explorer 3.0: From the menu, select . Click the tab.
Related documents
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Last modified on 2023-09-22 17:37:42.