# About temporary Internet files

When you view a Web page, Microsoft Internet Explorer stores a copy of the page and its linked files, such as picture files, in the cache. These temporary Internet files are stored in a single file in the MS Internet Cache folder on your hard disk. This file is called the IE cache.

By storing Web pages and their linked files in the cache, Internet Explorer can display pages you previously visited more quickly. That’s because when you return to a Web page, Internet Explorer uses the cache to display the page, instead of retrieving the files from the Web. You can specify how often you want Internet Explorer to update the cache.

Increasing the size of the cache can help Internet Explorer display Web pages you previously visited more quickly, but it also decreases the amount of available space on your hard disk. You can specify a maximum size for the cache to control how much space it uses on your hard disk.

When you make Web pages available for offline browsing, Internet Explorer also stores these pages and their related files in the cache.

Related topics

Changing how often the cache is updated

Changing the size or location of the cache

About offline browsing

Change how often the cache is updated

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. In the Cache area, click the option you want.

   For help on an option, click .

| To make sure you’re seeing the latest version of a Web page, click Refresh. Internet Explorer checks the Web for a later version of the page, and, if available, displays it.

Related topics

About temporary Internet files

Changing the size or location of the cache

Change the size or location of the cache

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. In the Cache area, do one or more of the following:
   - To allocate more or less hard disk space for the cache, type a new value in the Size box.
   - To change the location of the cache, click Change Location, select a new location, and then click Choose.

Related topics

About temporary Internet files

Changing how often the cache is updated