Published 2005-08-28

How to clean the computer cache for better performances

Windows 2000 and XP

1. Close every application.
2. Items in the following folders have to be deleted to clean PC, Internet Explorer (IE) and MicroSoft Office cache.
   • IE cookies:
     "%userprofile%\Cookies"
   • IE history:
     "%userprofile%\Local Settings\History"
   • List of programs that you most recently used:
     "%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temp"
   • IE temporary internet files:
     "%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files"
   • List of files and documents that you most recently used:
     "%userprofile%\Recent"
   • Empty this folder to restore IE security settings to default level:
     "%userprofile%\UserData"
   • Flash cached files:
     "%userprofile%\Application Data\Macromedia"
   • MicroSoft Office temporary files:
     "%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent"
   • IE7+ internet feeds cache:
     "%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Feeds"
"%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Feeds Cache"
   • To open a folder, click Start, then Run, in the Open box type the folder path and then click OK.
3. Clean Java cache:
   Start, Settings, Control Panel, Java, General, Temporary Internet Files, Delete Files, check all the boxes, OK.
4. Disable Java cache:
   Start, Settings, Control Panel, Java, General, Temporary Internet Files, Settings, View Applets, uncheck Enable Caching, OK.
5. Empty Recycle Bin.

How to automatically clean the computer cache for better performances

Windows 2000 and XP

Important !!! This article contains information about how to modify the Microsoft Windows Registry.
Make sure to back up the Registry before you modify it.
Make sure that you know how to restore the Registry if a problem occurs.
For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the Registry, click [256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry] to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

1. Download the text file [c-cleanup-cache_bat.txt] to your C: drive.
2. Rename the file as "c-cleanup-cache.bat".
3. Open Windows Registry by clicking Start, then Run, in the Open box type "regedit" and then click OK.
4. Go to the string "Userinit" contained in the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon".
5. With a standard Windows installation the Userinit string contains the value:
   • Windows 2000: Userinit = "C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe,"
   • Windows XP: Userinit = "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"
   • Do not delete anything already present in Userinit !!!
6. Modify Userinit by adding the value "C:\c-cleanup-cache.bat," in front of the already present values.
   • Windows 2000: Userinit = "C:\c-cleanup-cache.bat,C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe,"
   • Windows XP: Userinit = "C:\c-cleanup-cache.bat,C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"
7. Make sure that every file name is separated by a comma [ , ] and there is no single quotation mark [ ' ] nor double quotation mark [ " ].
8. Close the Registry and restart the Computer.

This batch file will provide to automatically clean up the computer cache, also removing the index.dat files, at every start up.

See also:

• What are index.dat files?
• Clean Internet Explorer (up to version 6) Cache