How to Remove Temporary Internet Files on Windows

What Causes This?

Temporary internet files build up when browsers save cached pages, images, scripts, and cookies to speed up websites you visit often. Over time, these files can become outdated, corrupted, or simply take up too much disk space. If you use multiple browsers or rarely clear browsing data, the problem gets worse and can affect both storage and browser performance.

Common Symptoms

• Your browser feels slow when opening websites
• Web pages load incorrectly or show outdated content
• You’re running low on disk space for no obvious reason
• Browser settings or sign-in sessions behave strangely
• Windows or your browser feels sluggish during normal use

How to Fix It Manually

1. Clear temporary internet files in Microsoft Edge

   1. Open Edge.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open Clear browsing data.
   3. Set Time range to All time.
   4. Check Cached images and files. You can also check Cookies and other site data if you want a more complete cleanup, but this may sign you out of websites.
   5. Click Clear now.

2. Clear temporary internet files in Google Chrome

   1. Open Chrome.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
   3. In the Basic tab, set Time range to All time.
   4. Check Cached images and files.
   5. Optionally check Cookies and other site data if websites are acting up.
   6. Click Delete data.

3. Clear temporary internet files in Mozilla Firefox

   1. Open Firefox.
   2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
   3. Set Time range to clear to Everything.
   4. Check Temporary cached files and pages.
   5. If needed, also check Cookies.
   6. Click Clear.

4. Use Windows Disk Cleanup to remove leftover internet cache

   1. Press Windows key + S, type Disk Cleanup, and open it.
   2. Select your C: drive and click OK.
   3. Wait while Windows scans for files.
   4. Check items such as Temporary Internet Files, Temporary files, and Thumbnails.
   5. Click OK, then click Delete Files to confirm.

5. Delete temp files from Windows Settings

   1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
   2. Go to System > Storage.
   3. Click Temporary files.
   4. Review the list and check items you want to remove, especially browser-related temporary files and general temp files.
   5. Click Remove files.

6. Restart your browser and PC

   1. Close all browser windows completely.
   2. Restart your PC from Start > Power > Restart.
   3. Open your browser again and test the websites that were slow or loading incorrectly.

If a site still looks broken after clearing cache, try opening it in a private/incognito window. That helps confirm whether old cached data was the problem.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can scan your PC for browser cache, temporary internet files, and other junk that wastes space or slows things down. Instead of clearing each browser and Windows cache manually, Kudu finds the clutter for you and removes it safely in a few clicks.

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