Quick Guide on How to Clear Outlook Cache in Windows & Mac
Have you ever noticed that your Outlook is performing slowly, taking a longer time to load, or sometimes shows outdated information? In such cases, these issues occur because of the cluttered cache & may be a corrupted file. So, if you’re thinking about how to clear Outlook cache without losing critical data? Then this is your complete & quick guide.
Well, in this article, we’ll cover how do i clear my Outlook cache using different methods so that it can enhance my Outlook performance. But first, understand what’s Outlook cache?
Understand the Meaning of Outlook Cache?
Outlook cache is basically a storage location for lesser period of time in which Outlook saves its frequently used data. The main goal of this cache is to make Outlook performance smoother & faster by preventing all redundant data downloads. Moreover, when these cached files become inaccessible due to their size or corruption, it causes slow in performance, older details, and other syncing problems. Here, you need to clean up Outlook cache.
This Outlook cache mainly includes:
- All of the email addresses we compose regularly, also known as the auto-complete cache.
- Templates, along with forms, are used in Outlook.
- Syncing files
- Short-term files which are related to attachments and Outlook mailbox data.
Why is There a Need to Clear Outlook Cache Habitually?
With the passage of time, these outlook cache files become large in size, outdated, and corrupted, which tends to slow down the performance speed. Every user needs to delete Outlook cache to improve the speed, also to maintain the Quality of Outlook. Here are some common reasons given below:
- The main reason a user needs to clear Outlook cache file is that Outlook tends to slow down its performance due to excessive cache, and it’s important to clean up storage capacity and allow Outlook to run smoothly.
- Outlook sometimes shows outdated or already given suggestions, and it’s a sign of autocomplete errors, which causes confusion between old & new data. So, deleting the cache will probably eliminate the problem and allow the user to have only updated & new details.
- If you’re facing the issue of attachments are not opening, then it’s likely that your temporary cached files are interfering with your attachments. This is an indication of removing cached data to avoid such errors.
- And, regularly cleaning up Outlook cache files makes your client’s performance speed better than earlier, improves its emailing experience, & ensures have safer and secure operation.
How to Clear Outlook Cache Using Step-by-Step Methods
Let’s walk through the effective solutions to safely and securely clean up Outlook cache, which mainly depends on the faced issues:
- Delete Outlook Cache Files Manually
- Clear AutoComplete Cache
- Delete Forms cache
- Clean Up Temporary Cache Data
Let’s understand more by knowing how they work:
Method 1: Delete Outlook Cache Files Manually
Steps for Windows:
- Close Outlook
- Click Windows+R, write %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook and press Enter.
- A folder will pop up having (.dat, .ost, .tmp) files.
- Delete all unwanted files.
- Then, restart your Outlook, and your fresh cache will be automatically generated.
Steps to Clear Outlook Cache in Mac:
- Exit Outlook completely.
- Navigate to Go to Folder > Type ~/Library/Caches/Outlook.
- Choose those folders and delete them.
- Launch Outlook again.
This solution helps to enhance the speed and fix the synchronisation error.
Method 2: How to Clear Outlook Cache with AutoComplete List
Steps:
- Open your MS Outlook and go to File.
- Click on Options button in the left corner.
- Select the Mail in the general Outlook options.
- Hit on Empty Auto-Complete List.
- Press Yes button on the confirmation pop-up.
- Quit your Outlook and launch it again.
Method 3: Clean Up Outlook Cache in Forms
Templates also get corrupted sometimes:
Steps:
- Launch Outlook
- Navigate to File > Options > Advanced.
- Select the Custom Forms which are under of developer section, then click on Manage Forms.
- Choose the Clear Cache option.
This way of clearing ensures that your forms are loading correctly without facing any errors.
Method 4: Delete All Temporary Outlook Cache Files
Many short-term items, like attachments does also contain caches which have to be eliminated.
Steps:
- Completely close Outlook.
- Tap on Windows+R and enter %temp%.
- Clear all temporary files from the data.
It keeps your local disk clean, which avoids attachment errors.
Precautions Before Clearing Cache
You need to know some precautions before deleting the cache:
- Always take a backup before making any changes to your file to prevent loss of data.
- Avoid deleting the main inbox data; only remove the cache from it.
- Before clean up Outlook cache, close Outlook every time.
- If you’re not confident in eliminating the data manually, then use the best automated software.
How to Clear Cache on Outlook Using Professional Software
If your mailbox is cluttered with duplicate emails, contacts, and calendar caches, then we recommend using SysTools Outlook Duplicate Remover software, which allows you to clear the duplicated items; as a result, their cache will automatically be removed.
This advanced tool has a user-friendly interface which don’t require the user to know any tech skills or knowledge, so that a casual user can also declutter the mailbox in a few seconds.
It’s mostly used when you’re having your Outlook mailbox full, syncing errors, and to avoid all these issues and manage Outlook to improve the speed and performance and a cache-free Outlook mailbox.
Other Ways to Enhance Outlook Performance
Along with clearing the cache, you can also try these tips to manage your Outlook:
- Try to compact your PST file for better optimisation, where you can try the PST Compress tool.
- Remove all duplicated items using the aforementioned software.
- Always update your Outlook to its latest version.
- You can also archive emails if you can’t delete them.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explained how to clear Outlook cache. If your Outlook is slowing down, displaying an outdated suggestion and facing errors in syncing, then you can manually do it by the built-in settings of Outlook and seamlessly remove it with the suggested automated tool, which ensures enhancement of the performance speed of Outlook, smoother syncing and updates all new information. So, whenever you think about how do I clear your Outlook cache quickly, then open this guide and you can easily delete all the cache on your own.
FAQs on How to Clear Cache on Outlook
Q.1 How Often Should I Clean Up Outlook Cache?
A. You can do it every week or month, or when you feel that your outlook is getting slowed down.
Q.2 Does Clearing the Outlook Cache Delete Attachments?
A. It only removes short-term copies, but the original attachment file remains in your Outlook mailbox.
Q.3 How to Clear Outlook Cache on MacOS?
A. You can simply navigate to Go to Folder, where you can search for ~library/Caches/Outlook.