When we browse the different Internet sites, without us noticing, they are installing useful information on our computer so that the next time we enter them, the loading of that page is much more fast and so we have broadband savings (among other benefits).
But not only do these sites host information in our cache, so do all those applications we use most often . The reason for this is to make them work better, recharge faster and remember our data.
There are different types of cache memory and there are also steps to be able to erase them in different operating systems. In this article we will show you the most important points you need to know about this memory .
Index:
What is a cache and what are they for in computing?
The cache is the place where all the latest data that has been generated on our computer is stored . This data can be the result of some process or duplicate files that exist elsewhere in our PC and that are needed for faster access.
It is very similar to the main memory, but it is smaller, faster and faster.
It is said that there is a cache hit when the data being searched is stored in this memory, while a cache failure is performed when it is not Find the requested information there.
Generally we will find the volatile memory located between the CPU and RAM , this location is not random but rather mandatory because staying there improves the exchange of data between these units.
What are the main types of cache memories that exist?
By staying in this memory all kinds of information that our computer needs to accelerate the boot process and can translate all this into a better user experience, there are different sources or memory according to where the data comes from.
Next we will show you each cache:
Web
Maybe it’s the volatile memory that we know the most or talk more daily .
When we want to increase the efficiency of loading pages or Internet sites and at the same time we want to reduce data consumption or broadband, this memory is necessary to meet those objectives.
All data stored in this memory is stored only for the user which we will call “private cache” , the information that different websites and several users will use, we will call this “cache public » and those data that only work for the server that originates them is the ” gateway cache “
Track
This memory has a high acquisition cost since it is solid state. They are intended for supercomputers , that is, it is intended for those computers that need to perform higher or specific calculations and have high performance.
Disk
It is much easier and faster to find a byte in RAM than a byte of information in the central memory or hard drive .
By saving in the RAM those data that were used recently we will considerably increase the performance of the software that we have installed in the CPU.
When we associate a small part of the RAM memory, the hard disk is known as a disk cache , which is used to store this data and make the startup and processing of installed applications more efficient.
How does a cache work on your computer?
The cache works on those requests for input and output operations (which are measured per second), which are necessary to increase data recovery and reduce, as a final result, hardware or software acquisition costs .
If we did not have a cache we should allocate other resources to be able to supplant its operation which would increase costs, but likewise, would not have the same performance as a team.
Storing information in this memory will obtain better results in installed applications since latency is significantly reduced.
An important point to keep in mind is what we mentioned before with the cache success. A cache will work well if we can assign or classify the correct data to be stored in it and thus cause an increase in the speed of application processing.
Steps to clear any cache memory in Windows or MacOS
Although the cache has many advantages and benefits when it comes to the performance of the different resources of a computer, it also has a point against it. This negative factor arises when the memory is full and begins to slow down the processing of our CPU.
A previous clarification: DNS is responsible for translating or relating all complex number addresses, existing in a global database, in domain names. When we access through an IP what we are doing (basically) is, through the DNS , write that complex data.
The DNS cache stores those domain names that we have accessed so that when we want to log in again you don’t have to search the global database.
Next, we will show you all the steps you need to do to clear the memory for Windows, MacOS and Linux operating systems :
In Windows
In our Windows operating system we will perform these steps :
- We click on clearlyHome Startup
- We write the word subsequentlyEducate
- We choose the application «Execute»
- A box will appear where we will write «ipconfig / flushdns»
- Press «Accept»
The command will allow emptying and resetting the content that has the cache in relation to the DNS
On MacOS
When our operating system is MacOS we will have to perform these tasks:
- We click on importantApplications for
- We select permittedUtilities each
- Choose «Terminal »
- We will get a box and write « sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder »
- If no warning appears, we will write the administrator password of the team
- We click on accounted for accepts
On Linux
If our computer works with the Linux operating system and we need to clear the DNS cache we will follow this simple step by step :
- We enter accounSystem accoun
- We write «sudo systemd-resolve –flush-cachres»
- And then we execute that command
If we are using RedHat or ArchLinux:
- The command we will use will be «sudo systemctl restart nscd»
Why is it important to periodically clear cache memories?
We know that the cache is designed to improve the user experience, it is also true that it causes certain damages in the processing and performance of the equipment .
There are situations in which we are not going to re-enter certain Internet sites, or we will save information on the hard drive that we will not use permanently. These two operations store information in our cache and we don’t really need it to stay in that place.
This is why we recommend cleaning the cache periodically because you will get benefits that we will mention below :
- Many sites changed their interface and the cache does not let it work well on our PC because it has old information.
- When emptying the memory there is more capacity to host other data that will be useful for other applications or sites, causing our range of resources to be larger and can cover more programs.
- Protect our privacy , Many sites store information in our cache to spy on us and get our tastes and preferences.
- When the memory is overwritten when it is full (many times of things we don’t need) we lose information that we do need > and we put aside other useless ones.