What the cache and cookies in Chrome actually are
The cache is a folder of files Chrome reuses to load pages faster: images, scripts, fonts and whole chunks of pages you have visited. On an actively used Windows PC it lives in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache and routinely grows into gigabytes, because Chrome never deletes anything on its own — it just keeps adding newer copies. Cookies are different: small text files sites store in your profile to remember logins, shopping carts, dark-mode preferences and advertising identifiers.
The two get confused constantly, but they fail differently. A bloated or stale cache shows up as disk space slowly vanishing and pages rendering an old version of a site; cookie trouble shows up as tracking, pushy ads or a site behaving oddly after an update. That is why Chrome's "Delete browsing data" dialog splits everything into separate checkboxes rather than one big button.
- "Browsing history" — the list of addresses in chrome://history; clearing it frees almost no disk space
- "Cookies and other site data" — logins, carts, site preferences; clearing signs you out of most sites
- "Cached images and files" — the actual cache; the item that frees the most disk space
- "Passwords and other sign-in data" — saved logins; only deleted if you tick this box yourself
- "Autofill form data" — addresses and card numbers Chrome fills into forms
- "Site settings" — per-site permissions such as camera, microphone and notifications
Clearing cache and cookies, step by step
Open Chrome and press Ctrl+Shift+Del, or go to the three-dot menu → "Delete browsing data…" — both land in the same dialog, and pasting chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar works too. Set the time range to "All time" — anything shorter leaves older junk in place. On the basic tab tick "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files"; leave "Browsing history" unticked if you want your address history kept. Click "Delete data" and wait for the dialog to close; that is the entire procedure.
Two things change afterwards, and both are normal. First, sites load slightly slower on the first visit while the cache refills — within a page or two everything is back to full speed. Second, you are signed out of most sites, because their "remember me" tokens were cookies; your saved passwords are untouched unless you deliberately ticked "Passwords and other sign-in data" under "Advanced". A two-factor prompt may reappear on the first sign-in after the cleanup.
How often to do it — and doing it automatically
There is no built-in scheduler for this in Chrome: the dialog is manual by design, because wiping cookies on a schedule would log you out of everything daily. A sensible rhythm is a cache-only pass every few months, or whenever a site misbehaves or the C: drive runs low — checking free space takes seconds. Cookies are worth clearing only when privacy is the goal, not as routine housekeeping, since the cost of re-logging in everywhere is real.
If the chore side appeals to you less than the result, Kleaner PRO takes the manual part out: on a schedule it wipes Chrome's cache folders for every profile you have, along with the rest of Windows' temp junk, while leaving cookies and passwords alone so you stay signed in.
Questions and Answers
Does clearing cookies in Chrome delete saved passwords?
No. Passwords sit behind the separate "Passwords and other sign-in data" checkbox and survive as long as you leave it unticked. You will still be signed out of sites, because sign-in sessions are stored in cookies.
Where is the Chrome cache folder located on Windows?
In %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache, with a matching Cache folder inside each profile directory (Profile 1, Profile 2 and so on). The built-in dialog clears all of them at once.
How often should I clear the Chrome cache?
Every few months is enough for most people, or whenever a site shows stale content or the disk is running out of space. The cache refills itself automatically as you browse.
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