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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Internet Web Browsers

What is a web browser?

A web browser is a software application which enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music and other information typically located on a Web page at a website. Popular examples include Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox.

Clearing your web browser's cache

Each time you access a file through your web browser, the browser caches (stores) it. In this way, the files (including any images on the page) do not have to be retrieved anew from the remote web site each time you click the Back or Forward buttons. You should periodically clear the cache to allow your browser to function more efficiently.

On this page:

Windows

Internet Explorer 7

  1. Press the ALT key to reveal the Menu bar if it is not already visible
  2. Click Tools and select Delete Browsing History
  3. Click Delete Files from the Temporary Internet Files section and Delete Cookies from Cookies Section

Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x for Windows

  1. Click the Tools menu on your browser
  2. Select Internet Options
  3. In the General tab, and under the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Temporary Internet Files
  4. Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog.

Internet Explorer 4.x for Windows

  1. Click the View menu on your browser
  2. Select Internet Options
  3. In the General tab, and under the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Temporary Internet Files
  4. Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog.

Netscape 9 for Windows

  1. Click Tools and select Options
  2. Click Privacy
  3. Click Clear Now under the Private Data section
  4. Check the box Cache and Clear Private Data Now then click OK

Netscape 8 for Windows

  1. From the Tools menu, select Options... 
  2. Click Privacy.
  3. Next to "Cache", click the Clear button.
  4. If you'd like to set the size of the cache and set the browser to clear the cache when you close it, click the + (plus sign) next to "Cache" and change the settings as needed.
  5. Click OK.

Netscape 7.1 for Windows

  1. From the Edit menu, select Preferences...
  2. In the left panel of the Preferences dialog box, click the + (plus sign) in the box to the left of Advanced. Click Cache.
  3. Click Clear Cache.
  4. In the Preferences dialog box, click OK.

Firefox 3.0 and 2.0 for Windows

  1. Click Tools and select Clear Private Data
  2. Check Browsing History, Cache, and Cookies from the menu
  3. Click Clear Private Data Now

Firefox 1.0 and 1.5 for Windows

  1. From the Tools menu, select Options... , and then click Privacy.
    • In 1.5, select the Cache tab, and then click the Clear Cache Now button.
    • In 1.0, next to Cache, click the Clear button, and then click OK.

Google Chrome

  1. Click the Customize button (wrench).
  2. Click Clear Browsing Data..., and this will open up a new window.
  3. Click in each of the check boxes to select them, and change the drop-down menu to specify Everything.
  4. Click the Clear Browsing Data button.

AOL 5.0 for Windows

  1. Click MY AOL and select Preferences on the AOL menu bar
  2. Click the WWW button
  3. Click the General Tab
  4. Click Delete Files
  5. Click OK

AOL 6.0 – 8.0 for Windows

  1. Click Settings and select Preferences on the AOL menu bar
  2. Click Internet Properties (WWW).
  3. Click Delete Files
  4. Click OK

Mac OS 9.x and OS X

Safari

  1. Click Safari and select Empty Cache
  2. When prompted, click Empty to confirm that you want to empty the cache.

Firefox 1.x, 2.0 and 3.0 for Mac OS X

  1. From the Firefox menu, select Preferences... 
  2. From the sheet that drops down, select Privacy.
    • In 2.0, click Clear Now.
    • In 1.5, click Clear Cache Now.
    • In 1.0, next to Cache, click the Clear button, and then OK.

Netscape 6.x or later for Mac OS 9.x

  1. From the Edit menu, select Preferences... 
  2. In the left panel of the Preferences dialog box, click the arrow to the left of Advanced. Click Cache.
  3. Either click the Clear Cache button, or click both the Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache buttons.
  4. In the Preferences dialog box, click OK.

Netscape 6.x or later for Mac OS X

  1. From the Netscape menu, select Preferences...
  2. In the left panel of the Preferences dialog box, click the arrow to the left of Advanced. Click Cache.
  3. Either click the Clear Cache button, or click both the Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache buttons.
  4. In the Preferences dialog box, click OK.

Mozilla for Mac OS X

  1. From the Mozilla menu, select Preferences...
  2. In the left panel of the Preferences dialog box, click the arrow to the left of Advanced. Click Cache.
  3. Either click the Clear Cache button, or click both the Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache buttons.
  4. In the Preferences dialog box, click OK.

Internet Explorer 4.x & 5.x for Mac OS 9.x

  1. Click the Edit menu on your browser
  2. Select Preferences
  3. Choose Advanced from the Web browser heading on the left side
  4. In the Cache section, click the Empty Now button
  5. Click OK

Internet Explorer 5.x for Mac OS X

  1. Click the Explorer menu on your browser
  2. Select Preferences
  3. Choose Advanced from the Web browser heading on the left side
  4. In the Cache section, click the Empty Now button
  5. Click OK

AOL for Mac

  1. Click Members
  2. Click Preferences
  3. Scroll down to Web
  4. Click Empty Cache