If you're a Discord user, you may be getting hundreds of messages a day, not to mention countless images, memes, and links. All of these pictures and messages are stored by the Discord app in a cache folder on your system. This means that, with time, this cache folder can increase in size and start using up a considerable chunk of your disk storage.
When the cache folder becomes too big, it can affect system performance. The chances of files becoming corrupt also increase, which can cause problems when running the Discord app, such as freezes and overlay issues. Luckily, you can clean up the cache folder on your Windows 11 machine easily in just a few steps, which we've explained below.
Clearing the App Cache
The approach you use for clearing the Discord cache on your Windows 11 computer will depend on how you use the app. If you use the dedicated Windows app, you will need to clear the app cache.
- Open the Start menu and type
%appdata%
and press the 'Enter' key or click on the first option.
- In the window that opens up, double-click on the 'Discord' folder to view its contents.
- Next, find the 'Cache' folder and open it by double-clicking on it. Inside you will find another folder called 'Cache_Data'.
- Open the 'Cache_Data' folder, select all the files within it, and delete them by right-clicking and clicking on the 'Delete' option. Make sure to close Discord completely before deleting the files. Remember to empty the recycle bin afterward.
- To make sure that all cache files are deleted, also remove the contents of the Code Cache and GPUCache folders in the Discord folder.
You've cleared the cache folder and saved space on your disk. However, this method only works if you are using the Discord app for Windows.
Clearing the Web Browser Cache
If instead of the Discord app, you run Discord in a web browser, it will save all data to the browser's cache folder. This means you will need to clear your browser's cache to get rid of the files that are taking up space on your disk.
- Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots on the top right to access the drop-down menu.
- Click on the 'Settings' option in the drop-down menu when it appears.
- On the Chrome Settings page, click on the 'Privacy and Security' option on the left, and then on the 'Clear Browsing Data' option.
- In the pop-up that appears, make sure the 'Cached Images and Files' option is checked. Then click on the 'Clear Data' button.
Once you've cleared the Discord cache folder on your Windows 11 computer, or your browser's cache, you will be able to free up space on your PC and also fix problems affecting its performance. However, once you start using Discord again, the cache folder will again start filling up. So, you need to keep cleaning it periodically to avoid low storage and performance issues.
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