Your web browser is likely storing web page content including images, cookies and other things like stylesheets and configuration details on your computer. This is part of its job and it is called cache. Sometimes it can be important to clear the cache occasionally to ensure that you are seeing the latest content on websites and also to free some space on your computer. Every browser works differently, so we have put together a list of the various ways to clear cache in the most common web browsers that are available today.

First choose the browser you are using

Internet Explorer 8

  1. View Image Click "Tools". Once your browser is open, press ALT on keyboard,click the Tools menu.
  2. View Image Delete Browsing History... Click on Delete Browsing History...
  3. View Image "Temporary Internet Files". Select "Temporary Internet Files".
  4. View Image Delete! Click on "Delete".
  5. Once the files have been deleted, you can dismiss the "Internet Options" dialogue by clicking the "Okay" button.

Internet Explorer 7

  1. Once your browser is open, press ALT on keyboard (If your Menu Bar is not already visble), click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
  2. Make sure the General tab is selected.
  3. Under "Browsing History" click "Delete"
  4. In the new window, click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files section. If you want, you can also opt to delete cookies and browsing history.
  5. Alternatively, 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).

Internet Explorer 6

  1. Once your browser is open, click the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
  2. Make sure the General tab is selected.
  3. Click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files section and click OK.
  4. 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.

Firefox 3.5

  1. View Image "Tools". After the browser opens, click on "Tools".
  2. View Image Clear Recent History... Now click on Clear Recent History. Alternatively, you can access this menu directly by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
  3. View Image Time range to clear View Image Everything Now, beside "Time range to clear", click "Everything".
  4. View Image Details View Image Cache. Click on Details and select only Cache.
  5. Select Clear Now.

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, or to just press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. Please note that these options clear what you have set the browser to clear in Tools > Options... > Privacy, which can mean the cache, although it may also include passwords, and search and browsing history, so be careful.

  1. View Image Go to Tools and select Options... (Edit then Preferences... on Linux).
  2. View Image Go to the Privacy tab, and click Settings... (in the blue box in the image).
  3. View Image Select what you would like to have cleared.
  4. Return to the Options menu. If you want your cache cleared automatically, every time you close the browser, click the appropriate checkbox (shown in red in an earlier image).
  5. Press "Clear Now" under the Settings button.

Firefox 1.0

  1. Once your browser is open:
  2. Click the Tools menu and select Options... (Edit then Preferences... on Linux).
  3. Click the Privacy button and select the Cache tab.
  4. Click the Clear Cache Now button.

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.

Google Chrome

  1. View Image Tools menu. Once your browser is open, select the tools menu. (the spanner(UK) / wrench(US) in the upper-right corner).
  2. View Image Clear Browsing Data Select Clear Browsing data....
  3. View Image Cache... Select the Empty the cache checkbox.
  4. If you do not wish to delete cookies, etc., remove checks from them in the list.
  5. Select the period of time for which you wish to delete cached information using the Clear data from this period: dropdown menu. (If in doubt select Everything).
  6. View Image Done! Click the Clear Browsing Data button.

Opera

  1. Once your browser is open, select the tools 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.

Safari

  1. Once your browser is open, click the Safari menu and select Empty Cache
  2. Confirm the action by clicking Empty in the pop-up window

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.