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How To Clear Cache In Excel: A Simple Guide

7 min read 11-15-2024
How To Clear Cache In Excel: A Simple Guide

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Clearing the cache in Excel can be an essential step for ensuring that your spreadsheets run smoothly. Excel, like any other software, may slow down over time due to accumulated data, old files, and cached information. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of clearing the cache in Excel, helping you to enhance your performance and functionality.

What is Cache in Excel?

Cache in Excel refers to the temporary storage space that holds data and information about your files. When you open or work on Excel files, certain data is stored in the cache for quicker access in the future. While this can help speed up the performance initially, over time it may lead to slowdowns and other issues if not managed properly. ⚡

Why You Should Clear Cache?

There are several reasons to clear the cache in Excel:

  1. Performance Improvement: Overloaded cache can slow down your system. Clearing it can enhance speed and responsiveness. 🚀
  2. Fix Errors: Sometimes, issues like error messages, slow opening of files, or crashes can be resolved by clearing the cache.
  3. Free Up Space: Cache can consume considerable disk space; removing unnecessary files can help free up storage. 📦

How to Clear Cache in Excel

There are different ways to clear cache in Excel depending on the specific data you want to remove. Here are the steps for various methods:

1. Clear the Excel Cache Manually

Windows

  1. Close Excel: Before you start, ensure that all instances of Excel are closed.
  2. Open Run Command: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
  3. Type the Command: Enter appdata and click OK.
  4. Navigate to Excel Cache: Go to the path:
    C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache
    (Note: The version number might vary depending on your Excel version).
  5. Delete Cached Files: Select all the files in this folder and delete them.

Mac

  1. Close Excel: Close all Excel applications.
  2. Open Finder: Go to the Finder.
  3. Navigate to Library: Press Command + Shift + G and enter:
    ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Caches/
  4. Delete Cached Files: Select and delete the cache files.

2. Clear Recent Files List

Sometimes, it helps to clear the list of recently opened files. Here’s how:

  1. Open Excel: Launch Excel and go to the File tab.
  2. Select Options: Click on Options.
  3. Go to Advanced: In the Excel Options dialog, select Advanced.
  4. Clear Recent Items: Look for the Display section and set Show this number of Recent Documents to 0. This will clear the list.

3. Clear Data Connections Cache

Excel may store data connections which might also slow down performance. You can clear these as follows:

  1. Open Excel: Launch Excel.
  2. Access Data Tab: Click on the Data tab from the ribbon.
  3. Edit Links: Select Edit Links. This shows all the connections to external data sources.
  4. Break Links: If there are any links to external workbooks, you can break them or update them as necessary.

4. Clear Add-Ins and COM Add-Ins

If you have added any add-ins, they might be causing performance issues. Here’s how to clear them:

  1. Open Excel: Launch Excel.
  2. Go to Options: Click on File and then Options.
  3. Select Add-Ins: Click on the Add-Ins section.
  4. Manage Add-Ins: Choose the type of add-ins you want to manage from the dropdown at the bottom. Click Go….
  5. Disable Add-Ins: Uncheck any add-ins you want to disable.

Important Notes

Clearing cache can result in loss of temporary data stored for quick access. Ensure you save your work before proceeding with any cache-clearing actions.

Always create backups of important files to prevent data loss. Regular maintenance can prevent cache issues from becoming more significant problems down the line.

Conclusion

Clearing cache in Excel is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance your overall experience. By following the steps above, you can effectively improve performance, fix errors, and free up space. Remember to regularly maintain your Excel environment, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently. Whether you are a casual user or a professional, keeping your cache in check can lead to a more productive and frustration-free Excel experience. Happy Excel-ing! 🎉

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