Where Internet Explorer stores your cache and why you might want to clear it
Internet Explorer stores copies of web pages, images, and files you visit in a folder on your computer called the cache. This speeds up browsing — when you revisit a page, IE loads the cached version from your hard drive instead of downloading it again. Over time, this cache grows large and can slow down your browser or use disk space you need elsewhere.
Clearing the cache also removes browsing history, cookies, and temporary files. Some people clear it for privacy reasons, others to fix a page that displays incorrectly, and others simply to free up storage. Internet Explorer has been discontinued by Microsoft as of June 2022, but if you still use it, the steps to clear the cache remain the same across older versions.
Key Takeaways
- Open Internet Explorer, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, and the Delete Browsing History window opens immediately.
- Check the "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" box to clear the cache specifically, or check multiple boxes to remove cookies and history at the same time.
- Click "Delete" and wait for the process to finish — the time depends on how much data you have stored.
- If you want IE to clear the cache automatically every time you close the browser, you can turn on that setting in Internet Options.
The fastest way: keyboard shortcut
The quickest method is to use the keyboard shortcut. Open Internet Explorer, then press Ctrl+Shift+Delete all at once. The Delete Browsing History window appears immediately.
In that window, you will see several checkboxes. The one labeled "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" is your cache. Check that box, then click the "Delete" button at the bottom. Internet Explorer removes the cached files and shows a confirmation message when it finishes.
Using the Internet Options menu
If the keyboard shortcut does not work on your version of IE, you can reach the same window through the menu. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the browser, then select "Internet Options" from the dropdown.
In the Internet Options window, find the "Browsing History" section near the top. Click the "Delete" button. The Delete Browsing History window opens — the same one you would see with the keyboard shortcut. Check "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" and click "Delete".
What each checkbox does
| Checkbox | What it removes |
|---|---|
| Temporary Internet Files and Website Files | Cached web pages, images, and media files |
| Cookies and website data | Login information, preferences, and tracking data stored by websites |
| Download History | The list of files you have downloaded |
| Browsing History | The list of websites you have visited |
| InPrivate Filtering Data | Data from InPrivate browsing sessions |
You can check one box or several at once. Most people check only "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files" if they want to clear just the cache, but checking "Cookies and website data" as well is common for privacy reasons.
How long the deletion takes
The time depends on how much cached data you have. If you clear the cache regularly, it usually finishes in a few seconds. If you have not cleared it in months or years, it can take a minute or longer. Internet Explorer shows a progress bar while it works.
Do not close the browser or shut down your computer while the deletion is running. Wait for the window to show that the process is complete before you do anything else.
Setting Internet Explorer to clear the cache automatically
If you want IE to clear the cache every time you close the browser, you can turn that on. Click the gear icon, select "Internet Options", then go to the "General" tab. Under "Browsing History", check the box that says "Delete browsing history on exit".
With this setting on, Internet Explorer will remove temporary files, cookies, and history automatically whenever you close the browser. You can still choose which types of data to delete by clicking "Settings" next to that checkbox.
If a page displays incorrectly after clearing the cache
Sometimes clearing the cache causes a website to display incorrectly because the browser has to download all the files fresh. If this happens, try pressing Ctrl+F5 to do a hard refresh. This tells IE to download the page again without using any cached version.
If the page still looks wrong, wait a few minutes and try again. Occasionally a website's server is temporarily unavailable, and a hard refresh will work once the server is back online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing the cache log me out of websites?
Yes, if you check the "Cookies and website data" box. Cookies store your login information, so removing them logs you out of most sites. If you check only "Temporary Internet Files and Website Files", you stay logged in.
Can I recover files after I clear the cache?
No. Once you click "Delete" and the process finishes, those files are gone. If you need to keep something, do not clear the cache. You can also choose which types of data to delete by checking only certain boxes.
Does clearing the cache speed up my computer?
It frees up disk space, which can help if your hard drive is nearly full. It does not usually make browsing faster, since the cache is meant to speed things up. Clearing it means IE has to download pages fresh next time, which is actually slower at first.
What is the difference between clearing the cache and clearing browsing history?
The cache stores the actual files — images, videos, web page code. Browsing history is just a list of website addresses you visited. You can clear one without the other by checking only the box you want.
Why does Internet Explorer still exist if Microsoft discontinued it?
Microsoft stopped updating IE in June 2022 and recommends using Microsoft Edge instead. However, older versions of Windows still have IE installed, and some organizations continue to use it for legacy websites that do not work in modern browsers.