Why Won't The Clear Cache Button Work?
Since the newest update, it is impossible to simply clear the cache, from the browser. When I click on the "Clear Now" button, it only reduces it by 1 or 1 megs at a time! Well, if I have 550 to clear, am I supposed to sit here all day, to do what used to take five seconds?
All Replies (20)
What do you have as the Time range to clear: ?
It defaults to Last hour, so if you want to clear more you need to select one of the other 4 options.
Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode (Always use Private Browsing mode; Never Remember History).
- Firefox > Preferences > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"
- Deselect: [ ] "Always use Private Browsing mode"
You can clear the cache manually if using the button isn't working.
You can find the location of the disk cache on the about:cache page.
You can open "about:" pages via the location/address bar
- "about:" is a protocol to access special pages
I got this problem after v 45 update yesterday, so as with the previous four or more updates, I uninstalled and downloaded Firefox from Mozilla, instead of my reminder.
In Options > Advanced > Network, "time" is not a factor. I have clear cache set to override at some arbitrary number over 250, but I clear a couple of times daily, anyway. Some websites - like everything related to AT&T and Amazon (for well over a year), are IMPOSSIBLE to navigate. Somehow, Amazon got easier, but it took a very long time.
As StevenCee states, but I will reiterate, clear cache was a one or two-press (button) motion, but it's clearing MB at a time. I am down to 46kb, and it refuses to go any lower. As a matter of fact, as I press again, it will go up and then go back down to 46, but not below.
This is a brand new phenomenon - which is why I tried to fix by doing a reinstall, a method that cleared each previous issue, of which there have been MANY. I will take this time to echo other sentiments that Firefox has too much bloatware- and it seems that with every update, it's always something. Usually the 'somethings' are more critical than this. I've come to expect problems, which is a new feeling for me. Maybe cutting back bloat would help all of us.
I have been a loyal and diehard FF user since at least (or at most) v1.5. Are you listening and heeding some of us?
Kudos to the great people in support!
Thank you.
Hi CiaoBella1, 46.0 KB is not much storage for Firefox to be using. As a point of reference, your screen shot consumes 386.92 KB.
For comparison, you can see how many items are stored in cache on another page. Type or paste about:cache in the address bar and press Enter or Return to load it. The disk category is the most interesting usually. Does it still show a large number of entries or has that come down near zero?
When I tested this myself just now, after clicking Clear Now, I saw no change at all. I waited. After counting to 10, I reloaded the page and got a new number. (Screen shot attached.) So at least in my case, I think there was a problem updating the page after the cache was cleared, even though it was cleared within the 10 seconds without needing a second click.
In another thread yesterday, a Mac user of Firefox 45 was having this problem but reported that it cleared up after using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I think it was just a coincidence. (can't clear cache)
jscher2000,
For as long as I've been paying attention to clearing cache regularly, when I clear, it may take a couple of presses to get to zero. That's what I expect to happen now.
Interesting is right! There are 93 entries. Glad you suggested that I look - I have a couple of "login.skype.com/login" followed by "silent," so I guess I must absolutely remove SKYPE from Windows 10. Creepy!!
Your justification or explanation or more technical detail is still beside the point, though. When FF behaves oddly or differently from a previous version, something is generally wrong. Is what you are saying - essentially - is that the change is more cosmetic?
(I use MBAM weekly, among other security-related programs, so I agree - just a coincidence.)
I'll wait a few and see if anything changes or more people have the same complaint.
Thank you.
Edit, format - removed leading space. ~J99
Athraithe ag John99 ar
Hi CiaoBella1, I guess what I'm suggesting is, after clicking Clear Now, if you don't see it plunge down to 50 KB or so within seconds, reload the page and see whether that reports the correct size. Then we'll have a better idea of what is broken: the cache clearing function, or the page's ability to update the current size of the cache on disk.
CiaoBella1 said
I have a couple of "login.skype.com/login" followed by "silent," so I guess I must absolutely remove SKYPE from Windows 10. Creepy!!
Try just disabling any Skype extensions on the Add-ons page. Either:
- Ctrl+Shift+a
- "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
In the left column, click Extensions. Then find anything Skype-ish on the right side and click Disable.
JScher2000 - well, why didn't you say so!!!!!! It was low, as you can imagine - around 45MB. I pressed and reloaded six times. After four, the lowest amount was 47kb, so when I pressed it the fifth time, it went down to 46. When I pressed it the sixth time, it went UP to 47kb.
Happy to help!
I don't have ANY Skype addons - which is what makes it creepy.
I don't know if you have Win10, but they loaded you (us) up with all of these - to me - useless apps; one of them being SKYPE. Since it isn't in Programs and Features, I have to do a deep uninstall (Advanced System Care) to get rid of it.
If only it were that simple, right?
Thank you.
CiaoBella1 said
I don't have ANY Skype addons - which is what makes it creepy.
It's hard to understand why an external program controlled by Microsoft would be requesting web content through Firefox. That part is very odd. I suspect there is something else it added to Firefox somewhere. But I guess we are going off topic a bit.
I have been a loyal and diehard FF user since at least (or at most) v1.5. Are you listening and heeding some of us
No developers here. Make short simple comments in feedback
That information is analysed, probably largely by computer {just look at the numbers on Desktop alone) and summaries made available to appropriate parties. The comments are public. There is also an interactive viewer (No longer with a charting feature.) with a search function
Just a couple of thoughts.
If you are clearing cache for security /privacy reasons have you considered instead just using the Private Browsing option as and when necessary.
Generally use of Cache is intended to speed up Firefox &/or keep information you may need again.
I'm not using clearing the cache for security reasons, if I want that I use the Private Browsing. I'm clearing it because when it large, it slows things down. So, yeah, I'm doing it to speed up FF.
It's till doing the same thing, going down two or three mgbs each click, however, I took jscher2000's advice, and then re-opened the cache preference, and discovered it HAD gone down, it's just not showing it when I'm doing it, which is still a flaw, altho not anything huge.... thanks jscher2000.
Well, that only worked a couple times, now, no matter how often I refresh the page, it still only goes down a few mbs at a time, which is quite frustrating. I just now had about 550 mbs, and had to click the damn button about 50 times to finally get it down close to zero..... What happened???
Athraithe ag StevenCee ar
Did you try to refresh the about:preferences page via the reload button or Command+R?
the-edmeister said
What do you have as the Time range to clear: ? It defaults to Last hour, so if you want to clear more you need to select one of the other 4 options.
There's no option like that anywhere on the page... are you looking at Advanced -Network?
There is only a time range if you use "History > Clear Recent History" Via "Options/Preferences > Advanced > Network" it is all or nothing.
Did you click the Reload button on the location/address bar after clicking the "Clear Now" button?
cor-el said
Did you try to refresh the about:preferences page via the reload button or Command+R?
By the reload icon in the address window...
StevenCee said
Since the newest update, it is impossible to simply clear the cache, from the browser. When I click on the "Clear Now" button, it only reduces it by 1 or 1 megs at a time! Well, if I have 550 to clear, am I supposed to sit here all day, to do what used to take five seconds?
i am also having this problem i am also having problems with flash player keeps crashing and gett script errors i cant do nothing i open up my task manager and everything runs smoothly but when i close it everything go nutty i can not even post thats why i had to use reply ive down loaded the program 4 times and had a fresh copy sent also
Hi shilow19, could you start a new question for the other issues?
Regarding cache not clearing:
After clicking the button once, if nothing changes after five seconds, try reloading the page -- for Windows, try Ctrl+Shift+r to force a fresh load.
After a reload, does Firefox show that the amount of disk space used by the cache has dropped significantly? I'm trying to figure out whether the problem is (1) the cache not clearing on the first try, or (2) the disk space number not being updated after the cache is cleared successfully.