How to Change the Firefox Cache Location and Size

Internet Explorer users have a direct option to move the cache (Temporary files) and change the size of that cache available to them right in the options menu. Not so in the Firefox browser.

For us Firefox users it is necessary to jump through a few hoops to get it to cooperate.

There are a myriad of reasons for moving the cache. Perhaps you’d like it to be on a RAM drive that you painstakingly set up; maybe you want to get it off your system drive to help avoid fragmentation problems; maybe you want to put it on a faster drive. Whatever your reasons, here is how to move and re-size it:

1. Open up your Firefox browser.
2. Type about:config in the address bar
3. You may be prompted by a warning from Firefox; if so, don’t be afraid, just click OK

You’ll then be faced with a window similar to this:

The left column shows all the settings names that Firefox uses for a gazillion things like how to render web site pages, how its interface is displayed, and so on. The list is a lengthy one.

Our goal here is to add a setting that tells Firefox where you want its cache files to be stored.

The setting name is: browser.cache.disk.parent_directory

This setting is not present by default so we will have to create a new one. Pay attention to no capitals. If you type a capital B, for instance, it won’t work.

To do this,

1. Right-Click on any empty spot in the list. This will pop up a little context menu.
2. On this menu choose New, then String. Try it and you will understand.
3. In the next window you will be prompted for a Preference Name. Enter this exactly (you can copy and paste it): browser.cache.disk.parent_directory
4. The next window will ask for the string. That’s Geek talk- you need to enter the path to the folder where you want your cache to be stored. (For the curious: A ‘string’ in computer programming is a ‘string of characters’. )
5. An example might be: D:\FFCache 
6. This would tell Firefox that you want its cache to be stored on the D Drive in a folder called FFCache.
7. Click OK and re-start Firefox. That’s all there is to it.

You can check your drive of choice to assure yourself that the new cache location is being used. Here’s how my entry looks after the changes. I’ve set mine up on the E Drive:

In the above image you will notice an entry called browser.cache.disk.capacity. By Double-Clicking on this you will be able to change the size of your cache. Also, be sure that browser.cache.disk.enable is set to True. Double-Clicking on this will toggle it from True to False and vice versa.

With today’s fast internet connections a huge cache size is no longer necessary. In fact, it can actually slow things down if you have a very large cache, a very fast internet connection, and a relatively slow hard drive.

For most DSL and Cable connections today I use a cache size of around 50 Megabytes. You can see that mine is set at 51200 in the above image. That happens to be exactly 50 Meg due to binary math (51200 / 1024).

Also, here’s how to change the Chrome, , Opera, and Internet Explorer  cache locations and sizes as well.

I hope this helps,

Richard

—

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
Subscribe in a reader

Sig Created by Arc

 

Other posts that might interest you:

1. How To Change Google Chrome’s Cache Location And Size | ghacks
2. Firefox 7 – Leaner, Faster and More Stable – browser war, Firefox 7, Firefox 7 Features, Firefox7, mozilla – Technically Personal!
3. Memory Fox Add-on for Firefox makes Firefox use less Memory in Windows | Computer Repair and Web Design Help Tips
4. Backup and Change Firefox Settings With One Extension – Mar Mod