Trashing the cache folders

_I was introduced to need for routinely trashing the caches about 7 or 8 days ago. In reading another thread concerning "disk images won't mount", the poster was advised to include such trashing. "Oh good", i thought "i needed to see that again !, form some muscle-memory"
But ! here's exactly what his responder tells him to do :
Trash the cache folders
/Library/Caches
/Systems/library/Caches
/Users/account/Library/Caches
Am i correct in seeing this as trashing from every possible point. . .a house-cleaning from top-to-bottom ?
And is this NoT the routine sort of trashing i should preform ?
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7) Intel / 20 " / 2 GB Ram / "500" GB memory / LaCie 500 GB external. . .
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.6)

What I am posting here is based purely on personal experience and what I have read and learned since the days of using 10.0. I have five Macs all currently running 10.4.7. Some of them started with 10.0 , some with 10.3. I have in all the time since OS X came out only had two kernel panics, both due to hardware issues. In all that time I have never had to reinstall the operating system except when I had to replace a failed hard drive.
I have never ever cleaned a cache. I have never felt the need to do so and to this day I think routinely clearing the caches is unnecessary and pretty much a waste of time. I have yet to read any evidence that it does any good as a routine maintenance step.
It is a valuable troubleshooting step for particular types of problems but other than that it accomplishes nothing that I have ever been able to determine.
If you want some excellent, well researched advice about maintenance I would suggest you follow the steps in the FAQ from Doc Smoke's web site. Here is the link:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html
The advice given at that site is about the best I have seen. And no, I don't get paid for suggesting the FAQ or the site. I do own his book though and it ias an excellent resource.

Similar Messages

Cache folders not visible

Has anyone else noticed that the cache folders are not visible under OS X 10.7? I found a forum where a user had posted a supposed 'fix' by using the Termial App, and the following command:
chflags nohidden ~/Library/
However, this did not seem to work for me.
As an aside, I bought my frist Apple IIe when I was in 7th grade, been a LOYAL Apple user ever since. However, Lion just flat out *****. No pretty way to say it. Hangs, Safari crashes, email crashes, Time Machine hang ups, etc, etc, etc.... If I had a dollar for every minute I have sat and whatched the pinwheel................
Thanks for any help/advice.

Yes. That must be the issue. When I tried your suggestion, I received the following message:
The file /Users/yourHome/Library/Caches does not exist.
I first noticed this issue when I was trying to locate the cache folder for Opera (browser). I can see it is saving files to `Library/caches/Opera/temporary files. I just can't locate the Opera cache folder.
Thanks for the suggetion.

IE 11 cache folders are empty

I normally access the cache folders in IE but recently NOTHING is saved there? I checked the folder location and even moved the cache location and moved it bad. I deleted the folder (forcing IE to re-create it) and did a 'reset' on IE but still nothing shows
in the cache. I expect it to be in c:\users\profile\appdata\low\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files. This is an install of Windows that is only two days old.
I'm on Win7 64 HE, with IE 11.
Rick E.

Hi,
I think you should check the following path already:
And this is the defined temporary internet files folder. And in fact the temporary file folder is a hidden folder:
Alex Zhao
TechNet Community Support

My iPhone 4s keeps showing more space being used for photos than i have - i have deleted cache folders, unselect and reselect in iTunes and nothing appears to work my iPhone still shows 6.5 gig use of photos when i only have the camera roll listed

my iPhone 4s keeps showing more space being used for photos than i have -
i have deleted cache folders, unselect and reselect in iTunes I read one post
where they said keep syncing and in a couple days it would correct itself, that
hasnt happened. I have see others have the same issue but no solution and nothing
appears to work my iPhone still shows 6.5 gig use of photos when i only have the camera roll listed

i thought the photo stream only holds 1000 i usuaaly take each month and save them to iphoto but if thats the my ipad should say the same amount and it doesnt - it shows 2.5 gig which is correct for iphoto. and i havent ever had that much but if for some reason icloud has that much saved how do i delete and again if it does why doesnt ipad show that amount _ HELP!

Why have individual files in the cache have been placed in their own folders

I was servicing a client's laptop this morning and on checking the cache found that all the individual files that are normally there have been put into single directories. This mean there are directories marked as A,B,C etc, and each of those directories contain sub-directories numbered up to 100, followed by alpha characters, AD,AC and on. Each of these numerous folders contain just one file.
I have never before encountered this and am wondering how I can get the cache back to its normal state. System is XP Home SP3, fully updated; Firefox version 5 [self installed update to version 6 before I powered down].
I appreciate any clues or remedies.
Clinton

Firefox 4 and later versions use a more sophisticated file structure and creates many subdirectories in the main cache folder to make it possible to store more files in the cache.
You can do a search for all files *.* in Windows Explorer (or another file manager) to see all the files in the cache in one list.
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=597224 Bug 597224] - HTTP Cache: use directory tree to store cache files

I am having trouble with the cache in bridge. When i open I get a message saying bridge has encountered a problem reading the cache try purging in the central cache to correct the situation. I did that but now when I try to get to the folders where my p

I am having trouble with the cache in bridge. When i open I get a message saying bridge has encountered a problem reading the cache try purging in the central cache to correct the situation. I did that but now when I try to get to the folders where my photos are stored bridge never gets to where I can work. The message appears "building criteria" and I get an endless loop on the lower left panel. How do I correct?

You correct it by leaving Bridge alone until it finishes rebuilding its cache, overnight if necessary.

Can the cache be set to a single folder instead of 10000000 folders?

Cache used to be stored in a single folder now its is split into hundreds of folders.
Can it be set back to a single folder.?

No.
Firefox 4 and later versions use a more sophisticated file structure and creates many subdirectories in the main cache folder to make it possible to store more files in the cache (Bug 597224).
You can do a search for all files *.* in Windows Explorer (or another file manager) to see all the files in the cache in one list.

Why does FF need to create 10,000 folders for the cache? How do I make it go back into single folder mode?

Before it was x:\\Cache\"stuff"...Simple easy to find files if you need to.
Now its..
x:\\Cache\X\x1\"a little stuff"
x:\\Cache\X\xA\"a little more stuff"
x:\\Cache\X\x0\"a even more little stuff"
x:\\Cache\X\x9\" crap... I'm lost now""
What is the purpose for the extra folders? I want to be able to revert it back to single folder mode.

You would need to revert to Firefox 3.6.23 to have the old cache setup.
The multiple cache folder setup is to allow for a larger cache which works more efficiently that earlier versions worked.

No entry for mailbox id ... in the cache; this should never happen

I'm seeing this in my Console Log. Multiple entries for specific ids (see below). Should I be concerned? (I am not really concerned about the "this should never happen," having been a programmer and supervised programmers.)
I've got the latest system patches. I have AttachmentsScannerPlugin.mailbundle, Imap-idle-plugin.mailbundle, MailActoOn.mailbundle, and MailFollowup.mailbundle.
Thanks!
Fred
From the log:
2006-10-03 10:20:58.308 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 137 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.324 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 153 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.326 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 153 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.328 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 153 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.329 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 137 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.331 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 137 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.333 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 137 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.370 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 185 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.373 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 185 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.376 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 185 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.379 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 185 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.388 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 139 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.391 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 157 in the cache; this should never happen
2006-10-03 10:20:58.623 Mail[6088] no entry for mailbox id 175 in the cache; this should never happen
...

The following procedure would probably solve the problem if the plugins were properly uninstalled first. I don't know whether it'll work in the current situation:
1. Quit Mail.
2. In the Finder, go to ~/Library/Mail/. Make a backup copy of this folder, just in case something goes wrong -- e.g. by dragging it to the Desktop while holding the Option (Alt) key down.
3. Locate Envelope Index and move it to the Trash. If you see an Envelope Index-journal file there, delete it as well.
4. Move any "IMAP-", "Mac-", or "Exchange-" account folders to the Trash. Note that you can do this with IMAP-type accounts because they store mail on the server and Mail can easily re-create them. DON'T trash any "POP-" account folders, as that would cause all mail stored there to be lost.
5. Open Mail. It will tell you that your mail needs to be "imported". Click Continue and Mail will proceed to re-create Envelope Index -- Mail says it's "importing", but it just re-creates the index if the mailboxes are already in Mail 2.x format.
Note: For those not familiarized with the ~/ notation, it refers to the user's home folder, i.e. ~/Library is the Library folder within the user's home folder.

How to trash pref./folders relocation & save projects

Hi all
My equipment is iMac2011 version 10.6.8, with 2 HD – one for system and the other one is for scratch. I have 3 questions:
(1) I have some projects done and I already burn them to idvd. Now I wish to know how do I clear these projects at the same time to keep enought materials for future dvd burning.
(2) I understand some preferences folders should be trashed to refresh the FCE system that is including the com.apple.FinalCutExpress.plist Folder and the Final Cut Express User Data Folder. It’s easy to trash the .plist but when I open the User Data Folder, there are several items inside: i.e. Custom Settings folder (it is empty); Plugins folder containing: PieroF_AutoPanZoom_v1.1Rfxscrip (Simple Text Format); Final Cut Express Obj Cache.fcmch file (Final Cut Express File); Final Cut Express Prof Cache.fcpch (Final Cut Express configuration file); and Final Cut Express 4.0 Prefs fcset (Final Cut Express Configuration File). I appreciate some one would take time to explain these items and tell me which one should be trashed and why.
(3) Right now my Project File is sitting inside the Autosave vault (Scratch Disk>Final Cut Express Documents> Autosave Vault) which I think is not right and I think it should be in the System Disk>Documents>Final Cut Express Documents. If what I think is right, then I should relocate the Autosave Vault Folder from Scratch to System Disk and at the same time, the Project file in trhis folder shgould be removed from there and to store it in the Movie Folder, but I don't know
how.
There must be some one out there don’t mind to take time to explain the above and show me how to solve all these problems. P Sum
Thank you all

(1) Make and save a disc image of the final DVD; you can burn future copies from the disc image ... or just keep a finalized DVD disc to use for making copies.
(2) Normally you would only trash preference files if they become corrupted, but when you do need to trash them, use this free app to trash do it the proper (and easy) way: http://www.digitalrebellion.com/prefman/ . It will also allow you to make backups of preferences so you don't lose all of your settings files in case of corruption.
(3) The project file will reside wherever you choose to save it in the first place. Normally, one would not choose the Autosave Vault since autosave files are simply backups of your project file. The Autosave Vault should be on another physical hard drive so if the drive your project file resides on crashes, the latest autosave file will keep you from losing all your work. I save project files in my User folder on the main hard drive and keep autosave files on the drive I use as the Capture/Scratch disc.
-DH

FCE4.0.1 won't open when the App Icon is clicked. I've checked all Ext HD (verified prefs)- have trashed the FCE App and reinstalled from FCE discs, have downloaded the Plug In. I clicked on the FCE icon, the windows that says :registered to...and then l

FCE 4.0.1 won't open when I click the icon in the Dock or in the Applications icon of FCE. It had been working well but I had trouble when I trashed the reference Scratch disk to a project and I was asked to get it back. I checked all my drives through verify in Disk Utility and a couple needed repair - eventually were given the OK. I then Shut Down and rebooted, I then trashed the FCE App and reinstalled from the Install discs and , finally, I tried opening a FCE project. None of these caused the FCE App to open with Browser, Viewer, Canvas,. Time Line. All that happens is the the first FCE window, the one that says FCE registered to...and the other that says loading AE Effects, Video Effects does show but then nothing except my Desktop with it's various folders and files I also downloaded the Plug In Tom Wolsky suggested to a recent query.
All I can think of is to backup everything to HDs and take this iMac in for a service.It is only six months old - I reckon it will be poor driving by it's proud but unskilled driver!
James Bowman
New Zealand

Don't panic . . . . . yet!
You may not have trashed FCE properly.
Deleting the application icon is useless as there are a number of files hidden elsewhere which may be corrupt.
Download this free app to uninstall FCE completely and then reinstall it.
FCS Remover - Uninstall Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, Soundtrack Pro, Color, DVD Studio Pro, LiveType, Cinema Tools
I know it is called FCS Remover but it also works for FCE.

FF 12.0 saves images of each webpage I visit to my cache folders. Is this a feature or malware?

FF 12.0 is saving images of the top of each webpage I visit into my profile's cache folders.
I'm running Mac OS X 10.6.8 Build 10K549, MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 160GB HD, and Intego VBX6, updated daily.
In Terminal, the "file" command with the path to an image file, shows e.g.:
.../Cache/7/63/DB1B8d01: PNG image, 201 x 127, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced
Though the images are small, someone might be able to see, e.g., a credit card number that the user entered!
In the Finder, Quick Look shows each image as the top of each webpage visited, but for externally loaded webpages it is an image of only the webpage portion of the window, not the window's toolbar nor status bar.
Images of webpages are saved two seconds after the page loads (per Quick Look which, unlike Get Info, shows Date Modified time including seconds).
The problem occurs even in Safe Mode after a reboot.
It occurs in FF 12.0 at the administrator user account level and in FF 12.0 running in standard level user accounts.
After backing up my profile and deleting the 04/24/2012 installed update of FF 12.0 (from FF 11), and downloading a new version today 04/29 from http://mozilla.org/firefox (the cache was already cleared from the last FF session), I tested it again, via Help menu, Firefox Help. The page loaded and the cache contained the pages normal icons and images, AND an image of the top portion of this webpage.
The images do not match those used by Tab Groups, nor those used when tabs are moved around each other (comparing the images shows they don't quite match either one).
Keeping the browse window's width the same, but pulling the bottom of the browse window up, until only a couple of inches of the page is visible causes the image to show only the top left corner of the webpage.
If the Add-ons page is also opened and another page is visited (where a new tab is created), an image of the newly visited page is created, AND an image of the Add-ons is created too, but NOT the page the user sees, but rather the older style Firefox window with gray tab buttons in the toolbar showing 4 tabs "Get Add-ons, Extension, Themes, Plugins (which is depressed)". In this window's toolbar on the left are the normal three buttons, each grayed out as if the window is inactive, then the Add-ons title, with the pill button on the right. Below are whatever plugins you have installed with blue lego block icons to the left and their related text, listed below in rows. The top row is highlighted in yellow and that row alone has a "Disable" button. This image even includes a white background around the window. Yet this image does NOT match what the user sees, which is the Add-ons newer full-page style, where the tabs are in a column on the left side and Add-ons are listed in the column on right with a Gear button above, over a blue background.
BTW: I've just pasted the Troubleshooting Information data into the field below, but the copy and paste isn't showing tabs between the preference names and their values, nor return characters, so everything runs together.

I see these, too, running Fx12 on Windows 7. They are described in the (extremely voluminous!) about:cache interface as page thumbnails. I've attached some screen shots.
The text is extremely difficult to see, so I don't know whether it is a serious privacy/security risk. I would be curious to know how long they linger.
I think these support the Windows feature of showing a preview of a window or tab when you float over a taskbar button. (No idea whether there is a similar preview feature on Mac.) This feature is not enabled by default; users need to enable it in about:config. However, add-ons may be able to use the thumbnails because they have privileged access to the cache.
(Note: This feature was added pursuant to [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=497543 497543 – Provide a thumbnail service]. It "landed" on or about Jan. 28, 2012, so its first appearance in a released version of Firefox might have been Fx12.)

How can I set the cache in version 6 to the same format as 3.5's - a single folder without branches?

Version 3.5 of Firefox featured a cache that kept all files in a single folder, which allowed for easy selection and download of multimedia and other content in webpages. However, version 6.0.2 organises its' cache into a maze of folders, making finding the correct content difficult. Is there a method or planned feature that allows you to use 3.5's cache system, as opposed to 6.0.2's?

No, the cache works the way the cache works.
Try using '''about:cache''' to help find what you're looking for in the cache, or try one of these add-ons.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cacheviewer-fx4/ <br />
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cacheviewer-continued/

How do I clear the cache in Safari 8.0?

How do I clear the cache in Safari 8.0? I am running Yosemite ios 10.10.1 on a Macbook Pro.

Empty Caches
1. Safari > Preference > Advanced
    Checkmark the box for "Show Develop menu in menu bar".
    "Develop" menu will appear in the Safari menu bar.
    Click Develop and select "Empty Caches" from the dropdown.
2. Quit Safari if open.
    Option click the "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.
    Select "Library" and then "Caches".
    Look for the folder 'com.apple.Safari"
    Right click "com.apple.Safari" and select "Move to Trash"
    Relaunch Safari.

I want to empty the Safari cache in OS 10.8.5, but cannot find the cache in the drop down menus. Where is it? Or do I go to preferences-privacy and select remove all cookies and website data?

I received a 'bogus' email saying I had a virus and to click to scan my entire OS. I did not click - I trashed the email.
I wanted to empty my cache but couldn't find it (OS 8.10.8.5) -- In the main menu, under Safari, the only thing I found was to select preferences, then privacy -- where a window showed an option of removing some or all cookies and other website data.
Is that what I should do or is there a cache somewhere on the laptop?
Thanks

You were scammed. There's nothing wrong with your computer. You don't need to empty the cache.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems
If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)
Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.
The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.
Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.
Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.
Quit Safari
Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.
Relaunch Safari
If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.
This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.

Trashing the cache folders

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