6 Ways to Find Temporary Internet Files

This article will teach you how to view the list of your browser's temporary internet files. These files contain information that helps load the websites you visit faster. This list cannot be accessed on a smartphone or tablet, only on computers.

Steps

Method 1 of 6: Finding Cache Files on Mac

Step 1. Open Finder on Mac

To do this, click on the blue smiley face icon in the lower left corner.

Make sure the menu bar in the upper left corner appears labeled "Finder."

Step 2. Press the Alt key or ⌥ Keyboard option.

Doing so allows the folder Library is displayed in the menu Go.

Step 3. Click on the Go tab in the menu bar With the key alt (option) pressed, click on Jump at the top of the screen.

Then a dropdown menu will open.

Step 4. Click Library from the menu

Doing so will open your user "Library" folder.

• This option only appears with the screen alt (option) pressed.

Step 5. Double click on the Caches folder

In it, all the computer's internet caches are stored.

Step 6. Find and double click on the "com.apple.safari" folder

There you can find different types of Safari browsing cache.

If you are using another web browser, look for the developer company name on this screen. For example, search for "Google" if you're using Chrome, and "Mozilla" if you're using Firefox

Step 7. Double-click on the "fsCachedData" folder

There you find data files from Safari's browsing cache.

Method 2 of 6: Finding Cache Files in Windows

Step 1. Open the Start menu

To do this, click on the Windows icon in the lower left corner or press the ⊞ Win key on your keyboard.

You can also open the search screen or the Cropped screen from the menu bar

Step 2. Type Show hidden files and folders in the search menu

Then the file and folder settings will be displayed at the top of the search results.

Step 3. Click Show hidden files and folders in search results

Doing so will open the "Folder Options" window.

Step 4. Select the "Show hidden files, folders and drives" option in the "Advanced settings" checkbox

When this option is selected, you can view and access all hidden and system folders on your computer.

Step 5. Click the Apply button

You can now view and open hidden folders.

Step 6. Open the This PC app or My computer.

It has the icon of a desktop computer and can be found in the "Start" menu or on the desktop.

Step 7. Double click on your main hard drive

This should be the disk where Windows is installed.

• It is usually labeled as local disk and/or Ç:

Step 8. Double-click on the Users folder

Inside you will see a list of all users saved on the computer.

Step 9. Double click on your user folder

Your user folder is named after your username. There you can find all your account files.

Step 10. Double click on the "App data" folder

This is a hidden folder so it has a somewhat transparent icon.

Step 11. Double click on the "Local" folder

Step 12. Find and double click on the "Microsoft" folder inside "Local"

This folder contains the cache for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge browsers.

If you are using a different internet browser, look for the developer company name on this screen. For example, search for "Google" if you're using Chrome, and "Mozilla" if you're using Firefox

Step 13. Find and double click on the "Windows" folder inside "Microsoft"

Step 14. Find and double click on the "Caches" folder

This folder contains the entire browser cache for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge browsers.

Method 3 of 6: Firefox

Step 1. Open Firefox

It has the icon of a red and orange fox curved into a blue globe.

Step 2. Click on the address bar at the top of the window

Step 3. Type about:cache in the address bar

Doing so will display temporary internet files.

Step 4. Press the ↵ Enter key

Then the "Network caching settings" page will open.

Step 5. Click on the "List cache entries" link under the "disk" header in the middle of the page

Then the list of temporary internet files will open in a new tab.

Method 4 of 6: Microsoft Edge

Step 1. Understand how Microsoft Edge stores temporary files

Edge stores temporary files in different folders, all of which are generally inaccessible if you don't know the exact path. Fortunately, the "IECacheView" application can display these files.

Step 2. Download IECacheView

Go to https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/ie_cache_viewer.html in a web browser, scroll down to the "Feedback" header near the bottom of the page and click on Download IECacheView. Then the IECacheView ZIP folder will start downloading to your computer.

Depending on your web browser settings, you may need to specify a location to save the file or confirm the download before it begins

Step 3. Extract the IECacheView folder

Browse to the location where the IECacheView ZIP folder was saved and do the following:

• Double-click on the "IECacheView" folder.
• click on the tab To extract at the top of the folder.
• click in Extract everything at the top of the folder.
• click in To extract at the end of the pop-up window.
• Wait for the extracted folder to open.

Step 4. Open IECacheView

In the extracted folder, double click on the blue and pink "IECacheView" icon. Then the IECacheView window will open.

Step 5. Scroll down and click on the Full Path header on the right side of the window in the upper right corner

Step 6. View the temporary files stored by Microsoft Edge

Any file with "microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe" in the middle of the address Full Path is a temporary Microsoft Edge file.

• Access the location of a specific file by right-clicking on it and selecting Open Cache Sub-Folder (Open Cache Subfolder) in the resulting drop-down menu.

Method 5 of 6: Internet Explorer

Step 1. Open Internet Explorer

It has a blue icon with the letter "e" with a yellow circle around it.

Step 2. Open "Settings"

by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner of the window.

Then a dropdown menu will open.

Step 3. Click on Internet Options at the bottom of the dropdown menu

Step 4. Click Settings at the bottom of the "Internet Options" window in the "Browsing history" section

Step 5. Click View files near the bottom of the window

Step 6. View the temporary files

This folder contains the cache of websites visited in Internet Explorer.

Method 6 of 6: Safari

Step 1. Understand how Safari stores your temporary internet files

Similar to Microsoft Edge, it stores these files in several different folders. To access them in one place, you can download the free app "SafariCacheExplorer".

Step 2. Download SafariCacheExplorer

Step 3. Install SafariCacheExplorer

Double-click on the "SafariCacheExplorer" DMG file, check the software if necessary, then click and drag its icon to the "Applications" folder.

Step 4. Open SafariCacheExplorer

Open Launchpad and click on the SafariCacheExplorer icon, or open the spotlight

, type safaricacheexplorer and double click on SafariCacheExplorer in the results list.

Step 5. Click Show all cache files in the upper left corner of the window

Doing so ensures that SafariCacheExplorer displays all of Safari's temporary internet files.

Tips

Temporary internet files range from copies of website images and icons to files containing website encoding

Notices

• Google Chrome and Firefox do not store usable files on your computer.
• Some temporary internet files are inaccessible without the context of the website they were created for.