How to auto-clear Chrome cache on exit?

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Hi,
I’ve been searching for a way to automatically clear the Internet Cache in Google Chrome (Version 32.0.1700.41), when the browser is either closed or on the next start-up. I’ve tried three different Extensions (one at a time) in Chrome – Local Storage AutoClear, Click&Clean and Cache Killer, but none of them seem to work.

I also found a reference on the Internet which suggested the following : In Chrome’s Settings, Privacy, Content Settings, select ‘Keep local data only until I quit my browser’, but this didn’t work either.

I know I can clear the Cache manually, but I wish to be able do this automatically.

Can anyone suggest a solution ??

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The “Keep local data only until I quit my browser” option only clears cookies, not the cache, so I wouldn’t expect it to do what you want. I’m surprised the others didn’t work, though.

It sounds like what you want is to use incognito mode all the time. You can set the shortcut you use to start Chrome to use incognito mode by:
– Right clicking the icon
– click on properties
– select the shortcut tab
– In the target field, add a space and then -incognito
– Click OK

This will make Chrome use incognito mode whenever started from that icon. However, if you start it some other way, this won’t help. I don’t know if this is good enough for what you want.

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Thank You for your reply 🙂 Unfortunately, it doesn’t fully address the problem.
It works fine if the shortcut is just used to open Chrome, but doesn’t work on shortcuts which are configured to link to URLs……

The reason I’m looking for a solution to the problem is that I’m trying to configure a friend’s computer who is not at all ‘Computer Savvy’. I placed several shortcuts on the desktop, which link to favourite websites, to make the operation as simple as possible for her.
I’ve just recently cleaned up her PC which was running slow and in a bit of a mess, with loads of useless junk files and a HUGE Chrome Cache, which alone, was taking up hundreds of Mbytes. She does not feel capable of carrying out ‘maintenance’ and is very apprehensive of any such tasks.

So I thought it would help to stop the build up of a large Cache, if I could find a way of automatically clearing the Cache when Chrome closes or restarts.

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Thank You for your reply 🙂 Unfortunately, it doesn’t fully address the problem.
It works fine if the shortcut is just used to open Chrome, but doesn’t work on shortcuts which are configured to link to URLs……

The reason I’m looking for a solution to the problem is that I’m trying to configure a friend’s computer who is not at all ‘Computer Savvy’. I placed several shortcuts on the desktop, which link to favourite websites, to make the operation as simple as possible for her.
I’ve just recently cleaned up her PC which was running slow and in a bit of a mess, with loads of useless junk files and a HUGE Chrome Cache, which alone, was taking up hundreds of Mbytes. She does not feel capable of carrying out ‘maintenance’ and is very apprehensive of any such tasks.

So I thought it would help to stop the build up of a large Cache, if I could find a way of automatically clearing the Cache when Chrome closes or restarts.

See if this can be of help: http://www.ghacks.net/2010/10/19/how-to-change-google-chromes-cache-location-and-size/

It’s not what you asked for, but allows you to limit the cache size, effectively eliminating the problem.

If you still want to clean the cache, a batch file run from the task scheduler may do the job. Haven’t tried it, just thinking it may be a solution.

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Thank You for your reply 🙂 Unfortunately, it doesn’t fully address the problem.
It works fine if the shortcut is just used to open Chrome, but doesn’t work on shortcuts which are configured to link to URLs……

The reason I’m looking for a solution to the problem is that I’m trying to configure a friend’s computer who is not at all ‘Computer Savvy’. I placed several shortcuts on the desktop, which link to favourite websites, to make the operation as simple as possible for her.
I’ve just recently cleaned up her PC which was running slow and in a bit of a mess, with loads of useless junk files and a HUGE Chrome Cache, which alone, was taking up hundreds of Mbytes. She does not feel capable of carrying out ‘maintenance’ and is very apprehensive of any such tasks.

So I thought it would help to stop the build up of a large Cache, if I could find a way of automatically clearing the Cache when Chrome closes or restarts.

willum08

Here is another possibility.

If you go to Settings, you can click on “Open a specific page or set of pages.” and setup just one shortcut to open all of your friends favorite web pages with one click. Then set that shortcut to run incognito. At least that way, unless she opened a different link, it would really reduce the cache, and it sounds like your friend would have an even more simple way to view her favorites. -not to mention, you would be a magician in her eyes.

Hope it helps.

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Hi ruirib,
Thanks for your suggestion, but I’m afraid I was unable to follow the details in that link…..

First, I tried following this instruction :
“In Windows, you locate the Chrome shortcut (on the desktop, start menu or taskbar), right-click it and select properties. The shortcut tab should open in a new window. Locate the Target field in the tab and append the cache directions to the end of the field, e.g.

C:UsersusernameAppDataLocalGoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe –disk-cache-dir=”d:cache” –disk-cache-size=104857600 ”

However, the text shown does not appear in the ‘URL’ shortcuts on the desktop…
For example the shortcut to eBay…..

35743-Shortcut

The next instruction :
“Now another step is required to ensure that Chrome is using the right cache location and size when a link is clicked (this is only necessary if Chrome is the default system browser). Windows users need to open the Windows Registry and do some Registry hacking for this. Open the Registry with Windows-R, typing regedit and the enter key.

Now locate the Registry key

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTChromeHTMLshellopencommand

You should find a path to the Chrome executable there. ”

There is no ‘Path to the Chrome executable there’ !! as can be seen in this screenshot (Chrome IS the default browser)

35744-Registry

I also tried the following :
“Instead of using parameters to set the cache location and size of the Chrome web browser, system administrators can also use policies to do so. This is how it is done in Windows:

Open the Windows Registry by tapping on Windows-R, typing regedit and hitting the enter key.
Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesChromium
Add the Dword DiskCacheSize with a right-click on Chromium and the selection of new > Dword (32-bit value) from the context menu.
Give it a value in bytes.”

However, there is no mention of ‘Chromium’ in the ‘Policies’ section……

35745-Registry2

Maybe the answer would be as you suggested – a batch file on the desktop and instructions to run it every so often……

If you have the time, could you suggest the format of a suitable batch file ?

Thanks Again.

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Hi willum08,

I think the problem with the shortcut resulted from you not using a shortcut to Chrome, but a shortcut to a URL, which is not the same thing. Maybe you don’t have a shortcut to Chrome that just opens the browser, without pointing it to some URL. To create one, do this:

1. Open your Start menu and find All Programs -> Google Chrome -> Google Chrome. Right click this last item (not the folder one) and choose copy.
2. Go to your desktop,right click it and choose “Paste Shortcut”.

This should create the shortcut you need and allow you to apply the advice in step 1.
In your second picture, if you right click the Default item in the right pane and choose Modify, you will find there the command line for Chrome.

Both my Windows 7 and 8.1 computers have the Policies->Chromium key.

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Thank You for your replies – your time and efforts are truly appreciated 🙂

ClarkC : Your suggestion certainly seems to be a feasible solution and I’ll try that approach and see how she gets on……..

Ruirib : There is a direct shortcut to Chrome on the desktop, but this only opens Chrome and then the URL addresses have to be typed in to access specific websites. To make things easier for her, I created several additional shortcuts on the desktop, containing her favourite URLs.

I’ve found another possible solution by creating a bunch of shortcuts on the ‘Bookmarks’ Toolbar, which allows the desktop to be a bit less cluttered. If any of these Toolbar shortcuts are ‘Right Clicked’, there is a direct option in the drop-down menu, to ‘Open in Incognito Window’, which hopefully will help fix the problem…….

I still can’t understand why Chrome doesn’t include the simple option to ‘Clear the Cache on Exit’ or some equivalent setting…….

Once again, thank you all for your responses 🙂

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Hello WS community! I’m a long time lurker that felt compelled to finally register right now, after reading the OP.

Another workaround not previously mentioned is using CCleaner. It could set to run upon computer start-up and clear the Chrome cache, plus lots more. You would need to set up the advanced options for your non-savvy friend, but it should do the trick for now. HTH

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I’ve found another possible solution by creating a bunch of shortcuts on the ‘Bookmarks’ Toolbar, which allows the desktop to be a bit less cluttered. If any of these Toolbar shortcuts are ‘Right Clicked’, there is a direct option in the drop-down menu, to ‘Open in Incognito Window’, which hopefully will help fix the problem…….

I still can’t understand why Chrome doesn’t include the simple option to ‘Clear the Cache on Exit’ or some equivalent setting…….

Yes, I think that may help achieving your objective.

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Hi ibyte,
Thanks for you suggestion and it certainly is an alternative solution, provided the computer is always closed down between uses. However, my friend just prefers to put her laptop into ‘Sleep’ mode, rather than close down, which avoids the long boot process. I could use you suggestion and just ask her to close down her laptop every now and then, which would do the trick.
CCleaner is already installed on her laptop to allow me to do occasional maintenance for her.

As I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I have now added shortcuts to her favourite websites, on her Bookmarks (Favourites) Toolbar, and she just Right clicks on them and chooses ‘Incognito’…….. She seems quite happy with this procedure 🙂

Thanks again for your suggestion……

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