If you are on Windows 7, under other versions too, know that it is necessary from time to time to do a little cleaning on your hard drive by emptying the various hidden folders opened by the system, applications and other utilities. It is also the moment to make disappear the temporary files which pile up.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Clear Windows 7 General Caches
Step 1. Open the Start menu (
).
Click on the multicolored Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Type Disk Cleanup in the Start menu
This is how you will be able to access the Disk Cleanup tool.
If the blinking mouse cursor does not appear in the text field, just click in that field and you can type disk cleanup
Step 3. Click Disk Cleanup
The icon for this utility is in the form of a hard drive with a brush on it. You will find it at the top of the menu To start up. The cleaning program is then opened.
- It is also possible to access Disc cleaning by clicking on the icon for that program at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4. Check all the boxes in the Disk Cleanup window
Click on each of the empty boxes in the frame Files to delete. When you get to the bottom, scroll down the elevator to check off the rest.
Step 5. Click OK
The button is at the bottom of the window.
Step 6. Click Delete Files
By confirming the deletion, the program starts removing temporary files and empties thumbnail and trash caches.
- When the cleaning operation is finished, the window Disc cleaning closes automatically.
Method 2 of 4: Delete app data files
Step 1. Open the Start menu (
).
Click on the multicolored Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Click the My Computer tab
It is on the right of the start window and allows to open the window My computer.
- If the tab My computer does not appear on the screen, type my computer in the menu To start up, then click on My computer at the top of the start window.
Step 3. Enable the display of hidden files and folders
For this, from the window My computer:
- click on the tab To organise in the upper left corner of the window,
- in the menu, click Folder and search options,
- click on the tab Display,
- in the game Hidden files and folders, Check the box Show hidden files, folders and drives,
- click on OK at the bottom of the window.
Step 4. Double-click the name of your hard drive
In the game HDDs, double click Local disc.
- The hard drive is conventionally identified by the letter "C" and looks like this: (VS:).
Step 5. Double-click on the Users folder
He's almost at the top of the window.
Step 6. Open your own user folder
Double-click on the folder with either your name or your Microsoft account address.
Step 7. Double-click on the AppData folder
It's in the middle of the window, but if you're not in full screen, you'll need to scroll through the contents of the folder.
Step 8. Double-click on the Local folder
This option is almost at the top of the window.
Step 9. Scroll down the screen
Select the Temp folder. Click once to just select it.
Step 10. Remove the read-only attribute from the folder
For that:
- click on the tab To organise,
- click on Properties,
- uncheck the box Read only,
- click on To apply,
- click a first time on OK,
- click again OK.
Step 11. Double-click on the Temp folder
It can then open.
Step 12. Select all the files in the folder
Click on a file, then Control + A, otherwise you can click on the menu To organise and choose Select all.
Step 13. Empty the temporary folder
Just press the Delete key on your keyboard.
- Not all files may be deleted, as some are in use at the time of deletion, such as system files. If a refusal message appears, check the box Do this for all current items, then click Ignore.
Step 14. Empty the trash
All the files you deleted are there. Empty it to get rid of them for good.
Method 3 of 4: Delete files from Internet Explorer
Step 1. Open the Start menu (
).
Click on the multicolored Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Tap Internet Options
Windows will search for the location of these options and display the results.
If the blinking mouse cursor did not appear in the text field, you would just have to click in that field and you could type Internet Options
Step 3. Click Internet Options
The button is at the top of the menu To start up. The Internet options window appears on the screen.
Step 4. Click the General tab
It is at the top and to the left of the series of tabs.
Step 5. Click Settings
You will find this button in the section Navigation history.
Step 6. Click View Files
Of the three buttons, this is the furthest to the right. A window opens with all the hidden Internet Explorer files.
Step 7. Select the contents of the folder
Click on a file, then Control + A, otherwise you can click on the menu To organise and choose Select all.
Step 8. Delete the selected items
Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Step 9. Empty the trash
All the files you deleted are there. Empty it to get rid of them for good.
Method 4 of 4: Clear Windows 7 DNS cache
Step 1. Open the Start menu (
).
Click on the multicolored Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Flushing the DNS cache resolves some Internet connection issues, such as site timeouts
Step 2. In the Search field, type cmd
The command prompt (cmd) opens on the screen.
If the blinking mouse cursor does not appear in the text field, just click in that field and you can type cmd
Step 3. Right click on the command prompt (
).
She's at the top of the menu To start up. A drop-down menu will then appear.
- If your mouse does not have the traditional two buttons, click the right side of the mouse in question or click with two fingers.
- If your computer has a touchpad, touch it with two fingers or press the lower right quarter of the touchpad.
Step 4. Click Run as administrator
The option is at the top of the drop-down menu. Thus, you will be able to use the command prompt with absolutely all privileges.
- This granting of administrator privileges is mandatory, otherwise you will not be able to do anything.
- In general, you have to click on Yes to be able to continue the current operation.
Step 5. Type the command to flush the DNS cache
Type ipconfig / flushdns and validate with the Enter key.
Step 6. Wait for the result of the current operation
If all went well i.e. if the DNS cache is flushed, you should read on screen DNS resolver cache flushed.
