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

Adobe Employee ,
Sep 26, 2019 Sep 26, 2019

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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.

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New Here ,
Nov 19, 2020 Nov 19, 2020

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This is outdated.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

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New Here ,
Jan 06, 2021 Jan 06, 2021

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@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 🙂 

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New Here ,
Mar 01, 2021 Mar 01, 2021

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me too

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New Here ,
Jan 17, 2021 Jan 17, 2021

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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

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People's Champ ,
Oct 02, 2021 Oct 02, 2021

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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

~Gutterfish

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New Here ,
Sep 10, 2021 Sep 10, 2021

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

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Participant ,
Sep 12, 2021 Sep 12, 2021

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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 

How to CLEAR CACHE on MAC | how to clear adobe cache on MacBook In this Video Tutorial, you will learn how to clear the cache on mac fast. Clear cache mac is so easy and quick Go to Library and select caches and delete all caches move to trash. ⬛ Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE ⬛ #applemackbookpro

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New Here ,
Sep 20, 2021 Sep 20, 2021

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Thanks a lot 

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New Here ,
Aug 15, 2022 Aug 15, 2022

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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

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New Here ,
Nov 27, 2022 Nov 27, 2022

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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?

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New Here ,
Feb 09, 2023 Feb 09, 2023

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2023 & Same problem, on Windows

ZEEM

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New Here ,
Nov 08, 2023 Nov 08, 2023

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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?

 

 

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New Here ,
Nov 08, 2023 Nov 08, 2023

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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?

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Community Expert ,
Nov 14, 2023 Nov 14, 2023

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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.

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New Here ,
Nov 15, 2023 Nov 15, 2023

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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 ).

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Community Expert ,
Nov 15, 2023 Nov 15, 2023

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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)

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