How to clear and clean cache on any device to free up space? step by step guide

Junk files are one of the most unknown inhabitants we have on our devices. Without knowing anything about them they are in our cache and can significantly affect the performance of our equipment.

While it is true they were developed for improve our experience As users, it is also correct to say what causes complications if we do not eliminate them from our devices.

We have analyzed the different tools that exist to to be able to eliminate this data from the virtual memory of each of our electronic components. We will demonstrate each of the steps that are necessary to eradicate cache data and recommend the best programs and applications out there so you can perform scheduled maintenance.

What programs leave files in the virtual memory of our devices?

There are different programs that, little by little, store their data in our virtual memory of the different devices that we may have.

Next, we will show each of these programs:

Internet pages

One point to keep in mind from the programs that generate temporary files is when we browse the Internet.

Every time we visit pages or websites, without us realizing it, they are depositing small data that will be stored in the virtual memory of our device in order to obtain information from us and thus be able to improve our navigation.

In other words, these junk files are installed through our browser.

Operating system

The operating system is a great generator of files that fill the cache memory that we have in our devices, since it needs to generate temporary files for its correct operation so that they can serve as support for the different functions that it performs.

Once it finished processing the data packet it evicted them in virtual memory and they are useless in the future.

installed apps

The programs or software that we have installed on our devices they also deliver a large amount of data to virtual memory or files that are hosted on it.

As is the case with the operating system, these programs are necessary to be able to function correctly through the different apps that we have on our device, and thus we can have good experiences as a user and better browsing speeds, faster loading of images.

Thanks to these files we do not need to load the data again in those apps that need to identify us.

What are the benefits of deleting the cache of our mobile or computer?

When we eliminate the cache of our device, be it a computer or our mobile, we obtain benefits.

Some of these advantages are detailed below:

Improve the storage capacity of our hard drive, thus generating greater utility for it and its reading head, because by working less, the rate of wear is lower, causing the temperature with which the SSD rotates to be controlled. In this way the useful life of all our hardware is extended.

When there is more storage capacity programs work better because they have more space to be able to install those backup files they need to be more efficient.

When we remove the files from virtual memory, we are also granting benefits for the antivirussince these programs are very large and often require a lot of space.

Many times we do not install an antivirus due to lack of space on the disk, therefore, when we clear it of useless data we can install this kind of security programs.

By sweeping virtual memory we are also collaborating with RAM memoryin this way we can obtain a much faster and more agile storage device to deliver all the data it needs to the processor, causing a shorter amount of time in which we request the information and receive it.

Delete the cache too means increasing our level of privacyin it, different viruses or malware are hidden through the browser, as well as those files that contain advertisements and are annoying.

Steps to remove cache from our Windows 10 PC

The steps that we can state to you to eliminate the cache of our PC with a Windows 10 operating system are the following:

From Disk Cleanup

When we need to clean the cache through the tool that Microsoft offers us internally, we can do it with this step by step:

• We’re going to “Start”identified with the Microsoft logo at the bottom of our screen
• we will write “Disk Cleanup”
• We select the configuration panel
• We choose the option “Disk Cleanup”
• We will have to activate “Downloaded Program Files”
• We remove the box “Temporary Internet Files”
• Next, we choose “To accept”

Freeing up RAM

RAM is the fast storage unit that is designed to deliver all the data needed by the processor in one way.

To be able to clean it we can carry out this guide:

• We choose the option “Start”
• We immediately write “Task Manager”
• We choose the application by clicking on it
• A box will appear with different options, which will show us the processes that are active, the performance of the CPU, memory, etc. It will also show us a history of applications among other details, to which we choose the tab of “Processes”analyzing the percentage of yields
• We click on the application that we want to delete
• Later we select “Finish homework”

Another way to quickly access task manager is to perform the key combination:

• “Ctrl + Alt + Del”
• we choose “Task Manager” and follow the indicated steps

If we need to generate a lower and upper limit to the virtual memory to improve its performance, we will carry out these steps:

• We’re going to “Start”
• We select “Control Panel”
• We look for the option “System”
• We click on “Advanced System Settings”
• we choose “Advanced Options”
• We look for the option “Performance”
• We click on “Setting”
• We choose the flap “Advanced Options”
• We select “Virtual memory”
• We click on “Change”
• And we write the limits that we need for the RAM

from terminal

We can delete the temporary files from the Windows 10 configuration. To do this we will go to:

• We click on “System”
• We look for the option “Storage”
• we choose “This team”
• We select the temporary files
• We click on “To accept”

After a few minutes we will have our computer clean of junk files.

To clear the cache from our computer We will carry out the steps that we detail below divided according to the browser we use.

firefox:

• We’re going to “Tools”
• We click on “Clear private data”
• We choose the option “Cache”
• We select “Clear private data now”

Safari:

• We click on “Safari”
• We select “Empty cache”
• We choose the option “Empty”

Opera for Windows operating system:

• We select “Tools”
• we seek “Options”
• We click on “Advanced”
• We look for the option “Record”
• we choose “Disk Cache”
• We click on “empty now”
• We select “To accept”

Opera for macOS:

• We select “Opera”
• We look for the option “Preferences” and we click on it
• We select “Advanced”
• we seek “Record”
• We click on “Disk Cache”
• Next, we choose “empty now”
• We click on “OKAY”

In Chrome:

• we choose “Plus”
• We look for the option “more tools”
• We click on “Clear browsing data”
• We choose the interval that we want to delete, if we want to delete all the data we will click on “all periods”
• We look for the boxes “Cookies and other site data” Y “Cached files and images” and we activate them
• We select “Clear data”

With external software

If we want to use an external software we can use “Win Utilities Free”which is free to download and with simple steps we can clean our device.

We detail these steps:

• We open the application
• we choose “Modules”
• We look for the option disk cleaner
• We click on “next”
• We select the analysis method that we want to perform, which will depend on the depth of the analysis.
• We select “Okay”
• After a few minutes it will issue a report about the result it obtained
• We choose the flap “Status”

Download WinUtilities Windows

Steps to clean the virtual memory of our MacOS computer

We can clean the virtual memory through the tools that we present below for our Mac.

From system tools

To clean the virtual memory of our Mac we will perform these steps:

• We turn to the Apple icon
• We select “System preferences”
• We look for the option “Share and we click on it”
• We select “Content caching”
• we choose “Options”
• We look for the option “Restore”
• We click on “Restore” again

With an external program

Onyx. This free application allows us to clean the cache and automate this option on our Mac.

To do this we will do the following steps:

• We open the application
• We select “Cleaning” and we look for the drives we want to analyze
• We choose the period
• We click on “Run”
  

Download OnyX macOS

Steps to delete the cache of our Linux computer

To clear the cache when we use a Linux system, we are going to do it according to these steps:

Cleaning RAM memory in Ubuntu

We are going to start this task through the terminal startup using the command “Ctrl + Alt + T”.

Next, we will type this command:

• sudo su
• sync && echo 3
• /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

In this way we have entered as root and we will obtain the cleaning of the buffer with with “sync”.

At the same time we are deleting the cache without deleting any apps.

Creating a Script

We need to perform the cleaning automatically, for this we will write these functions:

• $ sudo su
• # nano /root/wipe_cache.sh
• #!/bin/sh
• sync; echo 3
• /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

Automatic and also periodic function

Once we already have a script to do it automatically, what remains for us is that it is automation that can be done for certain periods.

Let’s generate this command:

• 0 * * * * /root/wipe_cache.sh

Steps to delete the cache of our Android or iOS mobile

To eliminate the cache of our mobile device we will carry out the steps that we indicate below.

on Android

If our mobile has an Android operating system, we will carry out this guide:

• We’re going to “Settings”
• We select “Applications”
• The option “See all apps”
• We click on “Plus”
• We select “Storage”
• we choose “Clear cache”

on iOS

Our iPhone device we will do this step by step to clear the cache:

We can do it in a direct way, following these steps by steps:

• We press the button on off
• when we appear “to turn off”we press the button “Home” and we keep it pressed until our mobile device automatically starts.

If we want to delete the files from the browser, we will do this guide:

• We select “Menu”
• We look for the option “Settings”
• we choose “Safari”
• We click on “advanced”
• We look for the option “Website data”
• We click on “Delete all data”

List of the best programs to free virtual memory and delete temporary files on the computer

We present the best tools to free the memory of our computer.

daisy disk

This €9.99 application is available for Windows operating systems. It offers us the possibility of eliminating all those junk files and we can do it in a programmed way.

Download Daisy Disk Windows

Wise Disk Cleaner

It allows us to clean and analyze our entire disk and cache memory to eliminate data that is of no use to us. It is available for Windows 10.

Download Wise Disk Cleaner Windows

Clean Master PC

Designed to keep our privacy well protected, virtual memory files and schedule maintenance on a regular basis. Available for Windows.

Download Clean Master PC Windows

AShampoo Win Optimizer

It is an application for Windows that we can download to our computer for €20, it has 12 optimization tools to provide us with a very good service.

Download AShampoo Win Optimizer Windows

IObit Uninstaller 9

It allows us to optimize the operation of our computer to the maximum, its tools to protect security are very easy to use and adaptable to any level of user. It is available for Windows.

Download IObit Uninstaller 9 Windows

List of the best apps to clear cache on Android and iPhone

We want to present you the applications for our mobile with which you will be able to delete all the data from the virtual memory in a simple way and with a few steps.

Next, we detail what they are:

iMyFone Umate

Connect application we will be able to carry out a deep scan of our iPhone, finding and eliminating all those files that slow down its performance.

Download iMyFone Umate Windows

Download iMyFone Umate MacOS

Clear Cache

Available for both iPhone and Android, it allows us to optimize the performance of our mobile thanks to the elimination of those files that are housed in the cache memory.

Fast Cache Cleaner

Oriented for Android, we can clean the virtual memory of our device thanks to the tools that this application offers us. Its download is free.

RAMCleanup

If we need to have an Android mobile free of junk files and for its performance to be optimal, this application is the ideal one to be able to carry out each of the tasks that we need.

Fast Task Killer

With very few cases we can have our Android device with the most adequate performance. Among its tools is the configuration of periodic maintenance so that we have to forget about this task.