How delete WebCacheV01.dat from Win 10

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I’ve now manually installed Chredge and it appears that it stores its temporary internet files, cache, bookmarks, cookies, etc in a new location C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default and its subfolder \Cache.

IE 11 and old Edge used the database WebCacheV01.dat which is still present and in my case using 101MB of space.  The file has been hard to crack and delete in the past.

If Chredge is no longer using it, why does the date modified in File Explorer continue to show the current date?

Has anyone found a way or credible program to delete the contents of this .dat file?

 

 

Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2 and Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 (RIP)

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The .dat file itself can be deleted but only by logging out of the current account and logging in with a different one that has administrator access (full admin access is needed to be able to delete files in other accounts).

So if you don’t currently have another account create one and make it a full administrator then log off the current user, not switch user but a full log off which will be sure to close the .dat file so it can then be deleted. Once logged in to the other account be sure to set Windows Explorer folder options to “Show hidden files, folders and drives” as well as uncheck “Hide protected operating system files” in order to see the file. When done log off then back in with the usual account in which the file will be re-created.

I’ve been doing this for years via a batch file to clear various cache files that are normally locked when logged in with the current account.

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Interesting idea.  Right now I do not have another Admin account, so I’ll have to look into.

However, I’m confused.  If I sign into a entirely different account, why would that account not have it’s own WebCacheV01.dat file?

Is there another step to access the WebCacheV01.dat file of my current account from within the new account?

Is there a way to create a batch file to run at startup on my current account to delete the WebCacheV01.dat file before Windows has a chance to lock it?

Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2 and Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 (RIP)

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Tex265 wrote:
If I sign into a entirely different account, why would that account not have it’s own WebCacheV01.dat file?

It would, but that shouldn’t be an issue as you won’t be using the web browser in the “different” account. Anon above is just suggesting that you use the “different” (admin) account to delete the offending WebCacheV01.dat file in (the userspace of) your primary account.

In other words, after logging in to the “different” admin account…

don’t worry about this file:
C:\Users\<different>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache\WebCacheV01.dat

delete this file:
C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache\WebCacheV01.dat

(Note: sorry, but not near Win10 box right now, so specific paths are from Win7 box I’m using, but hopefully you get the idea…)

Hope this helps.

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