3.1.1 Internet
Cache
Internet cache
clean-up deletes files downloaded during browsing/surfing
Internet pages.
As you surf the Internet, your browser keeps («caches») the content of
pages you visited in a special folder on a hard disk. This Internet cache
folder contains web pages (HTML files), including text and graphics (in JPEG
and GIF graphic files). Page caching speeds up Internet access and viewing.
If you want to return to a previously visited page, your browser will take the
majority of its contents from the cache to show on-screen instead of
downloading it again.
The Internet Explorer cache is kept in the C:\Windows\
Temporary Internet Files
folder
under
Windows 95/98/Me, and in the C:\Documents and Settings\<user
name>\Local Settings\
Temporary Internet Files
folder
under
Windows XP.
Internet Explorer cache contents
Attention! Each cached file has the «Internet address» property to track its origin. It
is therefore better to set the «Address» setting instead of «Files» when erasing
Internet cache. This enables you to delete files downloaded from specific addresses
(see ««Address» setting»). By providing «Address» setting values, you can also
specify the type of files to clean!
Netscape Navigator cache is kept in a folder that can be specified by the
user. Under Windows XP, cache is created in the user profile folder by
default: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\
Profiles\<profile name> as a folder named \
Cache
.
Keeping Internet cache files can threaten the confidentiality of your PC
activity, as everything that interested you on the Web remains in cache.
When you’re absent any person – your children, spouse, or co-workers -- can
easily get access to your home or work PC, to look through your Internet
cache contents thus showing what has attracted your attention for the last
week or month.
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Chapter 3 : Separate PC Components Clean-up
