Home-How to open a file-How to move the browser cache to another drive. Correctly transferring Chrome and Firefox cache to RAMDisk

How to move the browser cache to another drive. Correctly transferring Chrome and Firefox cache to RAMDisk

How to move Google Chrome cache to another drive/folder?

To manage the cache in Chrome, only a few options are officially available, and they are arguments for launching from command line(the easiest way to implement, but not the most convenient way to use):

  • : cache location
  • : cache size
  • : folder of all user data (profiles, cache, ...)

Actually, all you need to do is run Google Chrome With correct parameters. All of the following in equally also applicable for Chromium.

Windows

In Windiws 7, Chrome by default stores the cache somewhere in the area. (For other OS, see Sources)

To change the cache location permanently, the following steps are required:

Step 1. Change the shortcut

RMB by shortcut ⇒ "Properties"⇒ tab "Label"

  1. Create a folder somewhere for the future cache.
    For example, at the address
  2. In the field "Object", separated by a space, add full path to this folder as a parameter:

Now the address will be stored cache Google browser Chrome. After restarting Chrome, folders will appear in it Cache, Media Cache etc.

To limit the cache size, for example, to 300MB, add another parameter separated by a space:

If you want to get rid of the cache completely, set its size to :)

But: if chrome is the default browser, then when launched from third party applications, it will still start with default settings.

Antananarivo Stock Photos and Images

Therefore, let's move on to step two.

Step 2. Edit the registry


The final command to run in the registry will look something like (for Win7).

Step 3. Alternative 1

Alternatively, you can not edit shortcuts/registries, but simply place a symbolic link to right place instead of old folder cache.

Step 3. Alternative 2

Also, instead of editing launch parameters, you can use Politicians:

  1. Open the Registry Editor.
  2. Go to the key and add Dword(RMB by ⇒ new ⇒ Dword (32-bit value)).
    Set the cache size in bytes.
  3. To set the cache folder, create String with name and set the value as the full path to the required folder.

Linux

Everything is similar to the situation with Windows shortcuts. It is worth correcting the alias for launching Chrome so that it is called with the necessary parameters.

An interesting usecase is storing a cache in RAM(tmpfs):

Take a look at the arch linux page about Chromium to find out more interesting things :)

Mac OS X

Check out the official Chromium page about User Data.

Sources:

Task: move browsers' working directories, such as cache, from SSD drive in order to increase its service life. The task can be extended to other programs. It may not always work, but browsers have made this decision

Solution:

1) find the directory that annoys us, using the SSDFresh program

2) transfer all its contents to another place.

3) Where the old directory was, create a symbolic link to the new one we just created, use the mklink utility for this:

mklink /D directory_name new_path

for example, for Yandex, which could not be configured manually through some parameters, as happened with Chrome or Firefox:

I find the directory “c:\users\bvrus\AppData\Local\Yandex\YandexBrowser\User data”, move it to d:\users\Yandex_data, and, of course, delete it in the old place. Next, I create a link using mklink: mklink /D “c:\users\bvrus\AppData\Local\Yandex\YandexBrowser\User data” “d:\users\Yandex_data”

Other options, dug up one way or another on the internet:

Chrome browser:

a) or the command line on Chrome with the parameters “C:\ Program Files(x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" —user-data-dir="d:\users\chrome_data". But this method is bad: if the browser is opened automatically by the system, and not from our shortcut, then the parameters will go to default. I mean, I don't like it.

b) either create a parameter in the registry;

"UserDataDir"="d:\users\chrome_data"
Works without issue

FireFox:

firefox.exe -P - launch the profile manager, there we create a profile where we want

similar to chrome on the command line: —user-data-dir="d:\users\yandex_data" with all the ensuing consequences, similar to chrome. Beeeeeeeeee...

There were no registry options similar to Chrome

The option with a symbolic link is suitable for all other browsers; there is no point in torturing yourself further.

You can delete the browser and install it again - this is one way of this action not an experienced user.

In this case, the user of the Google browser will lose most of the data that was not associated with the account and was located in the disk memory cache.

But in the article we will describe the sequence of actions that will allow even experienced user computer to transfer the browser data to the desired disk.

Reasons for installing (transferring) a browser from Google

Basically, such actions are resorted to if problems begin with the operation and stability of the computer, but there are also the following less significant reasons, in which it is also worth installing the browser on a different drive:

  • The memory of the disk on which Google Chrome is installed is full, and the second disk has predominantly a larger amount of free space;
  • In order to optimize operation and save disk memory for other processes and programs;

This transfer of the Chrome browser will extend the life of your RAM and SSD in general and free up space for correct operation programs individually and as a whole of the entire computer. So you can start transferring the Chrome browser from Google to another drive according to the points below.

Find out the size and location of the browser cache from Google

First, let’s find out exactly where the Chrome cache is stored and its size in order to make sure that the “root of all evil” lies in the browser, and not in another program that can also slow down the speed of the computer and freeze its processes. To do this, find a folder called “Google Chrome” in the root of the disk. This can be done through a program search engine or simply by following the browser location bar from the desktop.

In Windows 7, Google Chrome is located by default at the following address: C:\Users\your_profile_name\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Cache. But it may differ from yours and should not be used as a guide.

Changing the shortcut - the first step

If, after all, the Google browser occupies large size and you need to transfer it to another drive, first change the browser shortcut:

We also recommend limiting the new cache space to the cache size. This can be done by adding a space this parameter– “—disk-cache-size=314572810” (this is a 300 megabyte limit). Or, if you don’t want to have cache memory at all, set the value to “1”.

But when you open the browser and check the folder, it does not turn out to be the folder for saving the cache and the native folder for Google Chrome.

This is because we haven't fixed the path registry yet.

Editing the registry to transfer the browser

Of course, in order for our new folder Under the Google Chrome browser, it began to use that space as the main thing, it is necessary to change its registry. This move is made using the following algorithm:


If you do not understand what the final command will be that needs to be written in the registry, then here is an example: “C:\Users\your_profile_name\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe” —disk-cache-dir=” D:\program\Google Chrome" -disk-cache-size=314572810 - "%1".

"--disk-cache-size=314572800" is added if you wish to limit the amount of cache space. If this is not needed, then it will look like this: “C:\Users\your_profile_name\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe” —disk-cache-dir=”D:\programm\Google Chrome” - "%1".

These steps are only suitable for Windows systems 7, 8, 10. For others operating systems use other methods Google installations Chrome to another drive. But other operating systems are used extremely rarely and there is no need to talk about all platforms in one article.

AMD Radeon RAMDisk officially introduced

The principle of a RAMdisk or random access memory drive is not new; it has been used in a number of systems for many years. The principle lies in the fact that on the hard drive or SSD data are not stored, they are always in RAM, which guarantees faster access to them. Data transfer rates in RAM are much higher, access times are much lower than hard drives, and SSDs are also left behind. Of course, the downside is the complete loss of data in volatile memory after a reboot. So when you turn off the system, the data needs to be saved somewhere. In addition, such memory is seriously limited in capacity. For example, if you installed 12 GB of RAM in the system, you are unlikely to be able to use more than 8 GB of it for RAMDisk.

RAMDisk creation is provided by various programs, although many of them require payment to organize disks of significant capacity. When AMD first announced the release of a program that would create disks in RAM, hopes were raised for its free use. After all, the new "Trinity" desktop APUs can address up to 64GB of memory. AMD has now officially introduced a new solution, you can create RAMDisk with a capacity of up to 4 GB for free.

When using Radeon RAM, the disk capacity can be increased to 6 GB.

AMD's solution was developed in conjunction with Dataram, which also offers free version programs for disk capacities up to 4 GB, and to create disks with a capacity of up to 64 GB you need to pay $18.99. AMD's offer is not much different, since you will have to pay the same $18.99 to upgrade.

Visit www.radeonramdisk.com for more detailed information about the solution and the full range of modules AMD memory. There you can also read the FAQ and instructions on how, for example, to transfer the browser cache to RAMDisk.

Designed to speed up the loading of the pages you visit. Fragments of sites are recorded in it, and when returning to them, there is no need to re-download large amounts of data, because they are already in the cache on the hard drive. Installed in most browsers automatic control the volume of this storage in order not to overload the system resource. This way, only as much memory will be allocated as the computer can afford.

To speed up the browser, it makes sense to transfer the cache to another disk.

But sometimes computers use not an HDD as a system drive, but an SSD, which, as you know, has a very limited write/rewrite resource. And while surfing, the browser constantly records information, replacing old information with new information when the allocated space is exhausted. In this case, it makes sense to move the browser cache to another disk or to random access memory (RAM disk).

Transfer to another hard drive

The easiest way to transfer the Google Chrome browser cache to another drive is as follows:

  • Find the folder on your computer where the cache is stored:
  1. First, go to the AppData folder, which is located on the system disk in the folder named username.
  2. In AppData, go to Local, then Google, Chrome, User Data, Default, and there it will be desired folder Cache.

  1. Launch Command Prompt, preferably as administrator.
  2. Enter the mklink command, followed by a space: /D “entire source path” “entire new way».

All specified actions must be carried out when closed Google Chrome. To transfer Google cache Chrome to a ramdisk, you must first create a virtual disk in RAM using a special application, and then act exactly according to the above instructions. The procedure for creating a ramdisk will be discussed below, since it is relevant for all Internet browsers.

ATTENTION. Transferring the Yandex Browser cache is similar to the procedure for Google Chrome. The only difference is that in AppData folder you need to find the Yandex folder, and in it Yandex Browser and then exactly the same User Data, Default and Cache.

In Opera, actions are performed similarly to Yandex and Google Chrome:

  • In AppData\Local, look for Opera Software.
  • Open Opera Stable, it will contain Cache.
  • Copy it to a new location, then click right click by Opera shortcut.
  • Place in the “Object” line after opera\launcher.exe exactly the same command as for Chrome.

IMPORTANT. If Opera is the default browser, then you also need to put symbolic links. You can do this from the command line as described above.

Instructions for transferring browser cache files Mozilla Firefox slightly different from the previous ones:


Transfer to RAM

As mentioned earlier, sometimes it makes sense to move the browser cache not just to another drive, but to virtual RAM disk. You can create it using one of the many special applications. Let's look at transferring the cache to a RAM disk using the example RAM programs Disk:


After completing these steps, you can transfer the cache from any browser to a RAM disk, similar to the instructions above. Important question here is how much space from your RAM you are willing to allocate for the cache. Agree, acting at random is inconvenient and unwise. After all, there are other programs on the computer that need RAM, and their performance should not be affected.

The Primo Ramdisk program solves this dilemma. It allows you to create a dynamic RAM disk. The point is that you determine only the maximum disk capacity, and the program itself decides how much it can give to the browser in present moment based on system indicators. The downside of the application is that it is paid.

Thus, the cache transfer algorithm is similar for all types of browsers. First, you copy the data folder to a new location. After this, you explain to the system and program that the path has changed. The same goes for transferring to a RAM disk. Just write the path to it in the settings. It is known that RAM is reset to zero after the computer is turned off. But in the case of virtual RAM, you can save the image during a power outage. Or don’t save, then your cache will be automatically cleared when you shut down. Leave your comments if you encountered difficulties changing cache data storage and how you managed to solve them.

Good day, friends! In today’s article I would like to tell you what the browser cache is and what it is needed for, as well as how to increase its size in Yandex and move the folder with it to another location on the computer.

Browser cache - what is it?

There is already an article on the site. It provides a definition for this term. Also, it says in which folder on the computer the folder we are interested in is located.

Information caching is provided in all modern Internet browsers. Thanks to this, the user can play online games, watch movies, and also save consumed Internet traffic.

When you visit the site, a copy of the page is stored in the cache on local disk computer. Let's say you left this site by following a hyperlink and then returned to it again. In this case, it will load faster because the browser will take necessary files already from the computer, and will not access the server.

When watching a movie or video, you probably noticed that if you pause it, a gray bar will continue to run in the playback line. This means that the film is downloaded to the computer, that is, cached. Once fully downloaded, you can even download it from there.

The cache file on your computer has a certain size. And when free space runs out, old entries are deleted and new ones are written.

You can reduce its size if you do not have enough free space on the computer. If you want to download, for example, a movie in this folder, and then save it from it, or you need to save Internet traffic, then it is better to increase this file.

How to increase cache memory in Yandex browser

This cannot be done in the browser itself, since such a function is simply missing. To increase the cache size, find the Yandex browser shortcut on your desktop and right-click on it. Then select from context menu"Properties".

If you don’t have a shortcut, then go to the “Start” menu, or to the “Program Files” folder on drive C: and find the .exe file in it.

A window with properties on the “Shortcut” tab will open. Here we need the "Object" field. Place the cursor at the end of the line, press space and enter: —disk-cache-size=Volume. There are two small hyphens in front without a space. Replace "Volume" with the required value in bytes. For example, 1 GB = 1073741824 bytes. Be careful not to delete the contents of the line itself, otherwise you will need to create a new shortcut.

Don't forget to click "Apply" and then "OK".

How to change the storage location of the cache folder

When installing the Yandex browser, the user does not have the opportunity to specify in which directory on the computer to store the cache folder. Accordingly, everything will be stored on system disk. If you don’t have too much space on your system disk, you can move this folder to another partition of the disk, or even to another hard drive(if there are several of them installed).

Open the shortcut properties again as described above, and in the “Object” field enter: —disk-cache-dir=”D:\ Cache_Yandex”.

There are two small hyphens ahead. In quotation marks, indicate the location on your computer where you want to move the cache folder.

After this line, you can put a space and enter the command described above, which will increase the cache size. Click “Apply” and “OK”.

That's all. I think you understand what a cache is, how to increase the Yandex cache memory and move this folder to another location on the computer.

Everyone good mood! Friends, if you remember, then in I showed you how you can organize the transfer of temporary Windows files to virtual disk. Thus, we significantly relieve the hard drive and speed up the operation of the entire system.

So now let's do it Chrome cache migration and Firefox on RAMDisk. These two Internet browsers are very popular, so this article will be useful to many users of the global web.

Well, let's get started. And first in line will be Google Chrome. First we need to move the already existing folders with a cache so as not to lose any data. To do this, right-click on the “Start” icon and select “Run”.

After this, you need to enter this special command.

  • %userprofile%\\ local settings\\ application data\\ google\\ chrome

In the next step, right-click on Google shortcut Chrome on the desktop and select “Properties”.

Now you need to move the cursor to the end of the line “Object”, put one space, and then enter the following combination:

  • — user-data-dir="F:\\User Data"

Where F is the letter of the virtual disk. That is, it turns out that this is the path along which the folders we just transferred are located. That's all, brothers, cache transfer Chrome browser was a success. But it is important to understand that this scheme will only work when you launch the program through a shortcut where a special parameter is specified.

Well, now let's move on to the no less popular Mozilla Firefox. Here, to move data to RAMDisk, you will need to do a little more action, although everything is basically done by analogy. So, run the “Run” system utility again and enter the following command into its line.

  • %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

After this, a folder with the extension will open . default, in which the profile parameters are stored. Again, we move it to a new location, that is, to a virtual disk in the computer’s RAM.

But this is not all the activities that need to be done using this utility. Now enter the following command like this.

  • %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\profiles.ini

A small file will open in which you should specify a new path for storing cache files (parameter « Path « ) and be sure to correct the value of the line « IsRelative « to zero. To avoid mistakes, look carefully at the screenshot below. Also don't forget to save your changes.

Yes, with system settings seems to be over. Now you need to specify it yourself Mozilla browser, where its current cache is stored. To do this, run the program and address bar enter the following parameter.

  • about: config

Then right-click anywhere and select “New - line”. Next, in the setting name we write the following.

  • browser. cache. disk.parent_directory

And the value, in fact, will be the path to the virtual disk of the computer. With this all settings are completed, all that remains is to restart the browser and check whether transferring the Firefox cache to RAMDisk worked.

To conclude the article, I would also like to add that the settings that were applied to Chrome are suitable for the entire family of browsers on the engine without any problems Chromium, on which, by the way, these are based popular developments, like Yandex. Browser and Amigo.

And at this point the post comes to an end, if there are any unclear points, ask questions in the comments. Now, as always, let's watch another interesting video.



Related publications: