This tutorial will show you how to delete the Flash cache on your computer to help improve your privacy and security.
Please note: This guide was initially published back in 2010 and since then Flash has been retired. In fact, most web browsers no longer support it at all. However, if you’re still using a browser that supports Flash, this will still work and is still as relevant now as it was in 2010 – except that you’re much, much less likely to encounter sites that still use Flash.
When you clear your browsers history, cache, passwords etc – you’re still leaving behind traces of your browsing history – in the form of the “Flash cache”.
While this process used to be a bit more complicated, Adobe (the folks who used to develop Flash) have made it considerably more easy in one of the more recent versions of Flash.
- To get started, simply visit this page. This will take you to the Settings Manager for the Flash Player. It should also take you directly to the Website Storage Settings section. If it doesn’t, simply click the Website Storage Settings button (see screenshot below) to bring that section up.
- Towards the bottom of that window, you’ll see a section with a list of all the sites that have left some piece of Flash on your computer. To delete just one of the sites in the list, select it by clicking on it once, and then click the Delete website button.
- You’ll be prompted to confirm that you wish to delete that site – click the Confirm button.
- If you want to delete all of the sites that Flash has saved (the history/site-name itself, and often some Flash content) – click the Delete all sites button.
- Again, you’ll be prompted to confirm this action. Click Confirm to delete your entire Flash cache.
- And now your computer is free of the history of sites that you have visited with Flash content.
- That’s it! It is of course important to note that the next time you visit a site that you had previously deleted, it will re-appear in you Flash history list.
