What clearing your cache does and why you might want to
Clearing your cache removes the temporary files Internet Explorer stores on your computer — copies of web pages, images, and scripts that the browser saved so sites load faster the next time you visit. Over time, this cache can grow large enough to slow down your browser or use up disk space. Clearing it also removes browsing history, cookies, and temporary files, which some people do for privacy reasons or when a website is loading incorrectly.
Internet Explorer stores this cache in a folder on your hard drive. When you clear it, you are deleting those local copies, not changing anything on the websites themselves. The next time you visit a site, your browser will read fresh copies of the files.
Key Takeaways
- Internet Explorer stores cached files in a temporary folder on your computer that you can delete through the browser settings.
- The exact steps differ depending on which version of Internet Explorer you are using — Internet Explorer 11 is the most recent version Microsoft released.
- You can choose to clear only the cache, or also remove browsing history, cookies, and temporary files at the same time.
- Clearing your cache does not delete your saved passwords or bookmarks unless you specifically choose to remove those as well.
How to clear cache in Internet Explorer 11
Open Internet Explorer and look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the window. Click it and select "Internet Options" from the menu that appears. A window will open with several tabs across the top.
Click the "General" tab if it is not already selected. Under the section labeled "Browsing History," you will see a button that says "Delete." Click that button. A new window will appear with checkboxes for different types of data you can remove.
Make sure the box next to "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" is checked — this is your cache. You can also check "History," "Cookies," and "read History" if you want to remove those as well. Leave "Passwords" and "Form Data" unchecked unless you specifically want to delete those. Click "Delete" to remove the selected items. The process usually takes a few seconds.
How to clear cache in Internet Explorer 10 and earlier versions
The steps are nearly identical in Internet Explorer 10 and Internet Explorer 9. Open the browser, click the gear icon in the top right, and select "Internet Options." Click the "General" tab.
Under "Browsing History," click the "Delete" button. Check the box for "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" and click "Delete." The cache will be removed. If you are using Internet Explorer 8 or an earlier version, the process is the same, though the window layout may look slightly different.
What happens if you clear your cache regularly
Clearing your cache regularly — once a month or once every few months — can help keep your browser running smoothly and free up disk space on your computer. However, it also means websites will load slightly more slowly the first time you visit them after clearing, because your browser has to read all the files fresh instead of using the local copies.
Some people clear their cache every time they close the browser. You can set Internet Explorer to do this automatically by going to Internet Options, clicking the "General" tab, and checking the box that says "Delete Browsing History on Exit." This way you do not have to remember to do it manually.
The difference between cache, cookies, and browsing history
These three things are related but separate. Your cache is the folder of temporary files — images, scripts, and page code that help sites load faster. Your browsing history is the list of websites you have visited, which appears in your browser's history menu. Your cookies are small text files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login status, your preferences, items in your shopping cart.
When you clear your cache, you remove the temporary files but not necessarily the other two. When you clear your browsing history, you remove the list of sites you visited but not the cached files or cookies. You can choose to clear any combination of these three when you use the Delete button in Internet Options.
When clearing cache might fix a website problem
If a website is displaying incorrectly — images are not loading, the page layout looks broken, or you are seeing an old version of a page — clearing your cache often fixes it. This happens because your browser is using an outdated cached version of a file instead of downloading the new one from the website.
Try clearing your cache first before assuming there is a problem with the website itself. If the site still does not work correctly after clearing, the problem is likely on the website's end or with your internet connection, not with your browser's stored files.
Important notes about Internet Explorer
Microsoft stopped supporting Internet Explorer in June 2022, which means the company no longer releases security updates or fixes for the browser. If you are still using Internet Explorer, Microsoft recommends switching to Microsoft Edge, which is the newer browser built into Windows. Edge has similar features and the same cache-clearing process, but it receives regular security updates.
If you must continue using Internet Explorer for a specific reason, clearing your cache regularly becomes even more important from a security perspective, since the browser is no longer receiving patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities. However, the safest long-term choice is to migrate to a browser that is still actively maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing my cache delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from your cache. When you click "Delete" in Internet Options, Internet Explorer will only remove passwords if you specifically check the "Passwords" checkbox. By default, that box is unchecked, so your saved passwords remain even after you clear your cache.
How much disk space does cache usually take up?
The size varies depending on how much you browse and how long it has been since you last cleared it. Cache can range from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes on a computer that has been used for years without clearing. Clearing it frees up that space on your hard drive.
Can I clear cache for just one website instead of all websites?
Internet Explorer does not have a built-in option to clear cache for a single site. The Delete button removes cached files from all websites at once. If you need to clear cache for only one site, you would have to clear everything and then revisit the other sites you use regularly so they rebuild their cache.
What if I want to keep my cache but clear my browsing history?
When you click "Delete" in Internet Options, you can uncheck "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" and check only "History" instead. This removes your browsing history while leaving your cache intact. You can choose any combination of the available checkboxes.