Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

I have Tools --> Options --> Privacy --> Clear History when Firefox Closes (checked) and --> Settings --> Cache (checked). After I close all open Firefox applications and run CCleaner it takes quite a while clearing Internet Cache for Firefox and removes 300mb or more each time. Why is this not being cleared each time Firefox is closed?
Last edited by TwoShoes on December 4th, 2011, 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by VanillaMozilla »

Let Firefox maintain its own files. If you want to look at the cache, type
about:cache
in the URL box.
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

VanillaMozilla wrote:Let Firefox maintain its own files. If you want to look at the cache, type
about:cache
in the URL box.


I complete agree with you that Firefox should maintain its own files. I was just surprised that one time a while back I happened to check that box in CCleaner and was shocked that it took CCleaner well over 1/2 hour to clear Internet cache files that Firefox should have been maintaining. CCleaner usually runs in a matter of seconds normally so this is what prompted my post. Is Firefox really maintaining its files correctly as it should be doing?
User avatar
dfoulkes
Posts: 22525
Joined: June 28th, 2008, 10:31 pm
Location: Mesquite, Nevada

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by dfoulkes »

Is Firefox really maintaining its files correctly as it should be doing?

It does here.....
I think that this about:config setting handles that cache-clearing so you might want to see what yours is set as... mine is true..
privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache

I also see some talk about that here... and I suppose that there is a lot more.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1762685

One more thing, you might want to un-check that Privacy cache-setting and close the options window (and maybe even Firefox) ... and then set it back to active... maybe it needs a push???
As you can see she's (The CAT) always alert and on the prowl for Meoware !!
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by VanillaMozilla »

I wouldn't trust a third-party program to do what you think it's doing, without some verification. Look at the cache before you decide what's going on. You can also look at the cache folder directly. About:cache tells you where it is. And don't forget that you could have other profile folders, where you could have had some old cache files that were not set to be cleared.

On my computer that about:config option is absolutely (and instantly) controlled by the check box in the dialog Tools --> Options --> Privacy --> Clear History when Firefox Closes (checked) and --> Settings --> Cache. I suppose Private Browsing Mode might cause it to temporarily ignore settings that have no effect, but otherwise, that setting should apply, I would think.

If that doesn't work correctly, then something has munged with Firefox. As always, extensions and malware are the prime suspects. I suppose there could be some strange bug, but that's a long shot. Such a bug did appear in a development (nonreleased) version, but that was fixed over a year ago.
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

I can definitely see in the about:config the clear setting changing whenever I check or uncheck the cache setting. Right now the about:cache has a relatively small number in the amount of disk storage used. I am going to let the number increase until it gets fairly large. And then if I understand the responses so far, if I close down my Firefox sessions, cache should be cleared and then bring up a new Firefox session and immediately do an about:cache I should see a huge drop in the amount of disk storage used. Is this a correct assumption on my part?
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by VanillaMozilla »

You don't even have to wait until it builds up. Just set your home page to about:blank and you should have 0 in the cache when you restart.

In fact, you should have zero in the cache before you restart. You can even watch the cache with Windows Explorer (that's your file manager, NOT Internet Explorer) and you'll see the cache files disappear.
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

Will do and will report back with my findings, thanks. Home page is always set to about:blank.
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

Did a short little test today and wanted to show the results I recorded.

Before Firefox Startup and After CCleaner ran

about: cache results
Memory Cache Device
No entry

Disk Cache Device
0 Storage in use

Offline Storage Device
0 Storage in Use

Windows Explorer Results
Cache Folder
Bytes: 0

Before Firefox Shutdown

about: cache results
Memory Cache Device
2502 KiB Storage in use

Disk Cache Device
45650 KiB Storage in use

Offline Storage Device
0 Storage in Use

Windows Explorer Results
Cache Folder
Bytes: 39.6 MB

After Firefox Shutdown

about: cache results
Memory Cache Device
No entry

Disk Cache Device
0 Storage in use

Offline Storage Device
0 Storage in Use

Windows Explorer Results
Cache Folder
Bytes: 29.2 KB

CCleaner Analyze Results - Files that can be deleted

Firefox/Mozilla Internet Cache 30 KB 4 Files

This test was for a short period of time and with little use of Firefox throughout the period but the results show that we both may be correct in what we have previously stated. The about:cache (after a Firefox shutdown) results does show that Firefox did delete everything. However both Windows Explorer and CCleaner both show that some did remain although it is a very small part of the overall cache size before the shutdown. I did not have CCleaner delete this amount. I am going to look at it again after the next shutdown to see if what remains continues to increase with each cycling of Firefox. Any comments appreciated and thanks for your help.
User avatar
patrickjdempsey
Posts: 23686
Joined: October 23rd, 2008, 11:43 am
Location: Asheville NC
Contact:

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by patrickjdempsey »

TwoShoes wrote: about: cache results

Windows Explorer Results
Cache Folder
Bytes: 29.2 KB

CCleaner Analyze Results - Files that can be deleted

Firefox/Mozilla Internet Cache 30 KB 4 Files


Coincidence? Did you try pressing the "List Cache Entries" to see which specific files these are?
Tip of the day: If it has "toolbar" in the name, it's crap.
What my avatar is about: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/seamonkey/addon/sea-fox/
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

patrickjdempsey wrote: Did you try pressing the "List Cache Entries" to see which specific files these are?



I did not but did go into the Cache Folder with Windows Explorer and the 4 files were:

CACHE_001
CACHE_002
CACHE_003
CACHE_MAP

Didn't record the size of each file however.
User avatar
patrickjdempsey
Posts: 23686
Joined: October 23rd, 2008, 11:43 am
Location: Asheville NC
Contact:

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by patrickjdempsey »

For reference, don't comment in this old thread:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1950401

Seems like Firefox is deleting these files on the next startup not at close.
Tip of the day: If it has "toolbar" in the name, it's crap.
What my avatar is about: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/seamonkey/addon/sea-fox/
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

patrickjdempsey wrote:For reference, don't comment in this old thread:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1950401

Seems like Firefox is deleting these files on the next startup not at close.


Thanks for the link to a prior post on this problem. Does that mean it was corrected sometime back but is now a possible new problem by again clearing it at startup?
VanillaMozilla
Posts: 13808
Joined: November 7th, 2005, 11:26 am

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by VanillaMozilla »

That thread refers to Bug 580892. I posted a link to that. It's supposed to be fixed, although the paper trail for approval and checkin is missing. If you can reproduce the problem, you should file another bug report, I think. I would use Windows Explorer rather than CCleaner to show what's in the directory.

I cannot verify the problem. Mine clears completely. I don't know what information is left in those files, but it shouldn't be left to chance.
TwoShoes
Posts: 19
Joined: November 23rd, 2011, 4:58 pm

Re: Firefox Ver 8.0 clear Internet cache

Post by TwoShoes »

VanillaMozilla wrote:That thread refers to Bug 580892. I posted a link to that. It's supposed to be fixed, although the paper trail for approval and checkin is missing. If you can reproduce the problem, you should file another bug report, I think. I would use Windows Explorer rather than CCleaner to show what's in the directory.

I cannot verify the problem. Mine clears completely. I don't know what information is left in those files, but it shouldn't be left to chance.


Sorry but I didn't look deep enough into the link you posted. I just thought it was corrected awhile back. Just using Windows Explorer I was able to reproduce the problem. After a shutdown WE said there was 29.2KiB remaining and was the same 4 files as posted earlier. After a new startup with about:blank WE still showed the 29.2 KiB and 4 files. Another shutdown and CCleaner Analise showed the same. Ran CCleaner again and the 4 files were removed. The strange thing is that the amount left and files were exactly what was left yesterday with no increase in size. However as mentioned in my original post I have seen, via CCleaner, that sometimes 300MB or more remains to be deleted and takes many minutes (15 plus) to remove all of the files. Cannot explain what/why it is so large sometimes. Can you tell what to do to file a bug report?
Post Reply