FAQ: How to clear (delete or trash) media cache files in After Effects

[caroline_edits]

What are media cache files?

When importing video and audio into Adobe After Effects, it processes versions of these files that it can readily access for faster performance. These are referred to as "media cache" files. These are stored in the Media Cache Files folder. In addition, there is a folder containing a database, which retains links to each of the media cache files. These are referred to as "media cache database" files. They are located in the Media Cache folder.

Note: there is a delay in proper audio and video playback while newly imported media is being processed and cached. A progress bar in the lower right of the application shows the progress of the media cache being processed.

Where are these files stored?

Sometimes, these cache folders get too large, or contain a corrupt file, so you need to know where to locate them for deletion. By default, both the cache files (in the Media Cache Files folder) and the media cache database files (in the Media Cache folder) are stored in these locations:

Mac: /Users//Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common

Windows: \Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common

NOTE: By default, AppData is a hidden folder. Check this tutorial on how to access it: How to Find the AppData Folder in Windows 10 - YouTube

You can change the media cache location under Preferences > Media Cache in After Effects

How to clean media cache files?

Open any After Effects project and navigate to the toolbar at the top of your screen to select Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache...

You'll be shown a dialogue box that allows you to choose if you want to clear the disk cache for all versions, or if you only want to clear for the current version of After Effects. This is helpful if you have multiple versions of After Effects downloaded on your machine.

After deleting the files, you should see additional hard drive space become available, as the media cache files can take up significant space. If you have older projects you have completed, it is a good idea to delete these files to save storage space and to keep your computer's hard drive tidier.

Keep in mind that a delay also occurs after you delete all cache files and then open a current project as the files need time to rebuild. If you have a large project, budget enough time for the media cache files to rebuild. This can be done overnight, for example.

[danielm41434900]

This is outdated. No Media Cache in the Common folder.

[Canal Noises]

@danielm41434900, no, the Common folder is still the Media Cache location. If it's empty for you it's because you've already cleared the cache 🙂 

[aoki5FD9]

me too

[Prudhvi5C3F]

I can't find Common in the following process, i mean there is no common folder/file showing up in the following process - Mac: /Users//Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common

[P.M.B]

If you go to setting>media and disk cache  it TELLS you where your media cache is.   There may also even be a big button there to empty it although sometimes you gotts go in and do it manually.   Either way.  The path is displayed in the settings

[stimfish]

What about /Users//Library/Caches/Adobe ? Can i delete the whole Adobe folder? It 52GB, eating up so much space on my mac.

[windowsexpert]

safe to delete your cache files but dont delete the folder. may be adobe will create a new one still to be on safer side go into the cahce folder   /Users//Library/Caches/Adobe  and delete those things 

also checkout this guide he teaches how to remove those caches to free up your disk space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MInMB0goPcw

go through this artcle :adobe memory storage 

[MohamedBasim]

Thanks a lot 

[nicolef1988]

I have purged my Cache files from After Effects (mine was 82GB.... so I would love to get that space back!) They have gone from the folder but my mac is still saying that it has the same amount of space left... I am running very low on space, so I would love to get this space back for files that I actually want to keep on my computer. Any help would be amazing! Thank you

[jkrazylitb]

hoping you figured this out by now - my assumption was they were in your trash and just needed to be removed entirely from your machine?

[3b3zim]

2023 & Same problem, on Windows

[Information26224947tkms]

How can i change the location of media cache files? i am an administator in a university need to change the media cache files to the D: and not in the user profile.  Is there a reg key to edit or create for this?

[Information26224947tkms]

Can i silently change the media cache location for a large number of users? I am an administrator for a University and want to change the location, but, not going to walk around 100s of users to edit the path..  Is there a Reg Key to edit or Create that will enable me to do this?

[Warren Heaton]

You could remotely overwrite the preferences file (for example, "Adobe After Effects 23.6 Prefs.txt"), but that'll change all the preferences, not just the Disk Cache location.

I'm thinking that sending an email asking users to make the change might be easiest.

[Information26224947tkms]

Thankyou for your reply.  Sending an email isnt an option. We have 7000 students..  

Is there no reg key that points to where the media cache file path is? ( If there is one, i cant find it ).

[Warren Heaton]

I reached out to a few personal contacts who adminster systems for a large numbers of AE users.

Here's the first thing to come back:

If they're technically capable of setting reg keys remotely, they could also likely set up a system script to update just that value in the prefs.txt file remotely as well.  They'd want to make sure that:

• AE is closed on the devices
• They're not corrupting the preferences file (which can happen sometimes depending on how a text editor saves it; they should verify that their solve works seamlessly before running at scale)