Clear the Teams Cache on Windows Without a Full Reset

Teams has two different cache locations on Windows, and deleting the old one will not clear the new client's cache. Before removing anything, identify the client and decide whether you want to reclaim disk space or reset a broken local app. A small disk-cache cleanup and a reset of all local app data have different costs.

Choose What You Want to Remove

Microsoft's cache guidance specifically warns against clearing caches for those chat and channel symptoms. Do not repeat the operation just because a conversation still looks wrong afterward. Record the symptom first, especially on a work PC where your administrator may need the diagnostic logs.

Find the Client and Its Data

Open these locations individually with Win + R. They refer to the current Windows user, so check while signed into the Windows account that runs Teams.

New Teams:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams

Classic Teams:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams

Microsoft spells the first location with %userprofile%\appdata\local in its instructions. On a standard Windows profile that is the same location as %LOCALAPPDATA%. If your profile is redirected and they differ, use the literal location in Microsoft's instructions rather than guessing another package name.

Both directories may exist after an upgrade. Their existence alone does not show which client is running, and an empty classic folder says nothing about new Teams. Microsoft's instructions distinguish new and classic clients, not a separate cache path for every personal, work or school account. Match the installed client and the actual folder, rather than choosing by account type or assuming Teams Free uses the classic layout.

Try the App Repair Route First

For a malfunctioning app, start with the Windows repair options. The following menu labels are from English Windows. On Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft Teams, open its More menu and select Advanced options. On Windows 10, use Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Teams and open Advanced options.

Choose Repair if offered, then reopen Teams and test the original problem. Microsoft describes Repair as preserving app data. It is a troubleshooting step, not a promise of reclaimed gigabytes. Some installations have no advanced options or repair button, so a missing control is not a reason to remove unrelated Microsoft folders.

If Repair fails, decide between the narrow cleanup below and a reset. Before either, finish pending work and save important downloaded documents somewhere you can find them. Before Reset, also make sure you can sign back into the correct account, including any organization authentication requirements.

Clear Only the Rebuildable Disk Caches

Quit Teams completely. Microsoft's procedure uses the Teams taskbar icon's Quit action, not just the window's close button. Do this outside a call or meeting. If Windows reports that files are in use, stop and close Teams instead of forcing their deletion or terminating every WebView2 process on the PC.

For new Teams, open the first location above and look inside EBWebView. The narrow disk-cache targets are Cache, Code Cache and GPUCache inside a profile folder there. The profile name can vary, so do not assume it must be Default. For classic Teams, the narrow targets covered here are Cache and GPUCache directly inside the classic location.

Remove the contents of those cache folders only, leaving the folders themselves. Keep neighboring IndexedDB, Local Storage, cookies and other profile state. This narrow selection follows the cache boundaries in Mole's catalog, and is smaller than Microsoft's full-folder procedure. It is suitable for disk-cache cleanup, but it does not perform a complete client reset or guarantee a repair.

If these leaves are absent, do not substitute the whole profile, EBWebView, LocalCache or the package directory. There may simply be no matching cache in that installation. Keep your manual deletion recoverable where Windows permits, and read its confirmation: a permanent deletion has no Recycle Bin restore path.

When You Need the Broader Microsoft Procedure

Microsoft documents two broader methods for new Teams. One is Reset in the Windows advanced options page, followed by restarting Teams. The other is to quit Teams, open the exact new Teams location above and remove all files and folders inside that location, then restart. Its classic Teams procedure likewise removes all contents of the classic location after quitting.

Keep %APPDATA%\Microsoft, the entire package family and other apps' data intact. Reset explicitly deletes app data, including personalization settings. Treat both full-folder clearing and Reset as broader interventions than removing disk-cache leaves, with possible sign-in and local-state consequences. Neither method guarantees that every local setting will survive.

Check the Result and Keep Downloads Separate

Before cleanup, record the affected drive's free space and the size of the specific cache folders. Afterward, refresh the same drive before reopening Teams, then launch Teams and test the original action. A slower first launch is expected while caches rebuild. Some growth afterward is normal, so an empty cache is not a useful permanent target.

If space did not return, check whether the removed files are still in the Recycle Bin. They occupy the original drive until permanently removed. Keep them until you have checked recovery needs, rather than emptying the whole bin as a troubleshooting reflex. Also check that you measured the client you actually use. If the cache was small, inspect other owners with Windows cache cleanup.

Files downloaded for offline work are separate. Microsoft's download instructions place the desktop download-location control under Settings and more > Settings > Files and links, then Downloads > Location > Change in English Teams. Check your chosen location instead of assuming every document lives in the cache. Changing it affects future downloads, not files already saved.

For work or school Teams, channel uploads live in SharePoint and chat uploads in OneDrive for Business. That does not make a downloaded, edited local copy disposable. Keep unsynchronized work. If sign-in is lost after a broader clear, select the correct account and complete authentication, then restore personal settings. If the same fault remains, stop clearing and take it to support with the remaining evidence.

Where Mole Fits

Mole for Windows lists new Teams Cache, Code Cache and GPUCache beneath EBWebView profiles, plus classic Cache and GPUCache, in Clean. Available rows start selected, not review-only, and Teams in use holds them back. Clean excludes IndexedDB and Local Storage and does not reset the whole Teams profile. Ordinary caches are permanently deleted by default. For recoverable removal, choose Settings > Cache removal > Recycle Bin before cleaning. This narrower cleanup is not Microsoft's full client-reset procedure.

FAQ

Will Clearing the Cache Delete My Downloaded Files?

The narrow cache folders above do not target your chosen download location. Review downloaded documents separately and keep edits or offline copies you still need. A reset of app data has a wider scope than cache-only cleanup.

Why Does Teams Download Data Again?

You removed resources Teams uses again, so it rebuilds its caches. Judge success by the original problem and actual free space, not by whether the cache stays empty.

Can I Clear the Classic Folder to Fix New Teams?

No. They use different locations. Check the new Teams package path and preserve unrelated folders, especially when both clients have left data on the same PC.