How to clear Outlook cache in Windows 11/10

The best way to send email is via Microsoft Outlook. In this post, we are going to focus on how to clear the cache in Outlook. This is important because Outlook stores file for easier access, but there might come a time when these same files are the cause of slowdowns.

Cleaning the cache also removes auto-complete data among other things, therefore, one should always consider cleaning the cache at least once per month if Outlook is used regularly. Doing this task is quite simple.

But no worries, we’ll simplify everything to make the guide super easy for even the most novice reader.

How to clear Outlook cache in Windows 11/10

Here is the procedure to completely delete or clear the Outlook cache from its location, and reset it. This includes auto-complete data as well as other temporary files.

Launch Outlook
Find the Outlook cache location
Delete cached files in Outlook
Remove auto-complete cache in Outlook
Restart Outlook

Find the Outlook cache location

To find the location of the cache, ask us. Save what you’re doing, then press the Windows key + R to launch the dialog box.

Copy and paste %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook into the field and hit Enter on the keyboard.

Finally, navigate to the folder known as Roam Cache to view all the files.

Delete cached files in Outlook

So, it’s time to remove all Roam Cache files from Outlook now that we have found the location of these files. To do this, open the Roam Cache folder, select all files from within this folder, then right-click and hit the Delete option.

Alternatively, you could delete the files.

Remove auto-complete cache in Outlook

The best way to clear the auto-complete cache in Outlook is to open Outlook itself.

When you open Outlook, click on “File”, then “Options”. From there, navigate to the “Mail” section, and from there, you should see “Send Messages”. Under that option, click on “Empty Auto-Complete List” to get rid of everything all at once.

How to remove Microsoft respects your privacy notice

We suggest following the guide above if you’re getting the “Microsoft respects your privacy” notice upon launching Outlook. The notice should only appear once and then go away forever, but in some cases, it may not. We think it’s being kept in the Outlook cache and the only way to stop it now is to clear the cache.