Is it wise to clear system cache?

I've come across this:


Get rid of system cache.

1. Open a Finder window and select “Go to Folder” in the Go menu, at the top of the screen.

2. Type in ~/Library/Caches and hit “enter” to proceed to this folder.

Important: remove the insides of these folders, but not the folders themselves.

3. Repeat 1 and 2, but replace ~/Library/Caches with /Library/Caches (simply lose the ~ symbol).

4. Restart your Mac.

It's essential to clean it regularly, otherwise it will keep getting slow and overloaded with data.

Should I trash contents of ~/Library/Caches?

Thanks for your time.

Posted on Nov 13, 2016 5:16 AM

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Posted on Oct 10, 2017 6:49 AM

tygb wrote:


I do not go with google sites but with conversation with senior advisors in support always suggest to clean user library caches and so its not a question to be raised , your method might be different to clear caches and my thought is to clear the caches .

*****
There is no reason to periodically clean caches whether they be system or user.


There is nothing that accumulates or grows out of control in the user caches unless there is a problem. Preventative cleaning merely slows down your Mac until the caches are rebuilt. If something causes a particular cache to become corrupt or otherwise problematic, then it might be advisable to remove that particular cache. The others do not need to be removed. Corrupt caches do not occur out of happenstance. They are caused by something interfering with the normal behavior of the OS. You must fix that problem, not repeatedly hide it month-to-month.


That being said, in my 30+ years of using a Mac, I have never needed to clear either the System caches or the user caches, but, as John Galt noted, I have only ever cleaned the System caches when doing a Safe Boot, which I have never done out of necessity, but only for answering questions about it here.

<Edited by Host>
31 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 10, 2017 6:49 AM in response to tygb

tygb wrote:


I do not go with google sites but with conversation with senior advisors in support always suggest to clean user library caches and so its not a question to be raised , your method might be different to clear caches and my thought is to clear the caches .

*****
There is no reason to periodically clean caches whether they be system or user.


There is nothing that accumulates or grows out of control in the user caches unless there is a problem. Preventative cleaning merely slows down your Mac until the caches are rebuilt. If something causes a particular cache to become corrupt or otherwise problematic, then it might be advisable to remove that particular cache. The others do not need to be removed. Corrupt caches do not occur out of happenstance. They are caused by something interfering with the normal behavior of the OS. You must fix that problem, not repeatedly hide it month-to-month.


That being said, in my 30+ years of using a Mac, I have never needed to clear either the System caches or the user caches, but, as John Galt noted, I have only ever cleaned the System caches when doing a Safe Boot, which I have never done out of necessity, but only for answering questions about it here.

<Edited by Host>

Oct 10, 2017 6:52 AM in response to tygb

It's essential to clean it regularly, otherwise it will keep getting slow and overloaded with data


********


There is zero need to clear caches unless you have a cache problem. Further there is zero benefit, as doing so will actually slow your Mac down. Why? Because your Mac is just going to recreate them.


So again, unless you specifically have a cache problem there is no need to clear any caches at all.

<Edited by Host>

Nov 13, 2016 7:27 AM in response to Webhead1990

Is it wise to clear system cache?


To delete system cache files perform a "Safe Boot": Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support.


Then, restart your Mac normally.


It's essential to clean it regularly, otherwise it will keep getting slow and overloaded with data.


No. Cache files exist to increase performance and should not be deleted arbitrarily. Other than a very rare "Safe Boot" I have never, ever "cleaned" cache files on any of my Macs, ever. They are not slow by any stretch of the imagination. "Very rare" might have been once or twice in the past several years.

Nov 13, 2016 5:25 AM in response to Webhead1990

Click on go to go folder & type ~/Library clear the contents of caches folder to trash in a month or two , restart & empty the trash .

But if you type /Library go to caches folder , the contents are removed in rarest condition if major issues are there , but it is avoided .

The reason you are not able to type /Library in go to go folder is you have to click on drop down arrows clear it then type whatever path you need may be ~/Library

Nov 13, 2016 8:49 AM in response to tygb

If the recommendation is from Apple, then post a link to the kb article please. We would all like to see it - personally, I have never heard that with newer OS versions. It used to be recommended years ago, but the OS and its behavior have changed since then.


its not a question to be raised


You do not get to make that decision.

Nov 13, 2016 9:47 AM in response to tygb

No it will not slow down it will definitely increase the speed of system , the lot of caches stuff that is accumulated has to be removed from user library ( hidden library ) .


Perhaps you need to learn what caches are for (frequently accessed data), and how having them speeds up your machine. When you remove them the system has to re-create them, (that takes time) so that it can have quick access to the frequently accessed data. See? Makes everything slower. The logic is quite simple really.


Unless you can provide a link so a respected source for this claptrap, you really should stop.

Mar 15, 2017 11:58 PM in response to jenniferpal

Then you had a corrupted cache. That's not the point. The question is about routinely trashing caches:


There is zero need to clear caches unless you have a cache problem. Further there is zero benefit, as doing so will actually slow your Mac down. Why? Because your Mac is just going to recreate them.


So again, unless you specifically have a cache problem there is no need to clear any caches at all.

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Is it wise to clear system cache?

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