Electron Runtime Cache
Electron stores runtime download artifacts and web-engine caches under its shared cache directory, including downloaded runtime archives, extracted distribution files, Chromium HTTP cache entries, GPUCache data, and compiled V8 code cache created to speed up launches and embedded web content. These files accumulate as apps update, reinstall different Electron versions, or rebuild browser resources, and some cache entries become invalid after Chromium, driver, or runtime changes. Kudu removes the temporary Electron runtime cache so stale archives, obsolete extracted files, and invalidated Chromium cache data can be downloaded or regenerated without affecting app data, settings, accounts, or passwords.
Why clean Electron Runtime Cache?
- Obsolete downloaded Electron ZIP or tar archives pile up after app updates and reinstalls, wasting gigabytes of disk space even though only the current runtime is needed
- Partially downloaded or corrupted runtime archives can leave Electron-based apps stuck at launch, repeatedly retrying downloads, or failing with missing runtime errors
- Invalidated V8 code cache after an Electron or Chromium update causes a noticeably slow first launch until JavaScript bytecode is rebuilt
- Stale Chromium HTTP cache entries can make an Electron app show old UI assets, broken styling, or blank windows until fresh resources are fetched
- GPUCache shader data from a previous graphics driver version can cause black screens, flickering, or stuttering until Chromium regenerates the cache
- Leftover extracted distributions from older Electron builds can confuse runtime detection, leading to startup failures or repeated self-repair behavior
- SQLite-backed Chromium cache indexes can become fragmented over time; VACUUM rewrites the database into a compact file without deleting rows, reducing bloat and helping cache lookups behave normally
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%LocalAppData%/electron/Cache |
macOS
~/Library/Caches/electron |
Linux
~/.cache/electron |
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.