Electron Runtime Cache
Electron-based installers and updater tools often keep downloaded runtime ZIP or 7z archives and extracted Electron distributions under the per-user runtime cache so they can launch or package apps without fetching the same binaries again. That cache can accumulate versioned runtime bundles, partial downloads, and outdated extracted files after interrupted updates or abandoned app versions. Kudu removes those cached Electron runtime archives and extracted distributions from %LocalAppData%/electron/Cache without touching installed apps, user profiles, settings, accounts, or passwords.
Why clean Electron Runtime Cache?
- Interrupted runtime downloads leave partial archives behind, and the next install or update may loop on verification errors or repeatedly restart the download
- Old cached Electron versions pile up across multiple app updates, consuming hundreds of megabytes or more and showing up as unexplained growth in LocalAppData
- A stale extracted runtime can be reused after a failed update, causing an app window to flash and close immediately until a clean runtime is downloaded
- Corrupted cached archives trigger checksum or unpack failures, which users see as installer errors, rollback messages, or an app that never finishes updating
- When the cache keeps both old and new runtime bundles, launcher tools may spend extra time scanning and selecting versions, leading to noticeably slower first start after an update
- Leftover files from cancelled installs can keep retrying from a bad local copy instead of fetching a fresh one, so the same startup or install failure happens every time until the cache is cleared
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%LocalAppData%/electron/Cache |
Common questions about Electron Runtime Cache
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.