How to Reduce Word’s Cache Size on Disk

Word stores temporary files and cached data on your hard drive to improve performance during editing sessions. Over time, these cache files can consume several gigabytes of space, especially on systems with limited storage. This article explains where Word stores its cache and how to safely delete it without losing any documents or settings. You will learn the exact steps to reduce Word’s disk footprint and prevent cache buildup from slowing down your system.

Where Word Stores Cache Files and Why They Grow

Word creates temporary files during normal use to protect against data loss and speed up operations. These files include AutoRecover drafts, clipboard data, image thumbnails, and index files for search. The cache grows over time because Word does not automatically delete temporary files after the application closes. Each time you open a document, Word may create a new temp file while leaving the old one behind.

There are three primary locations where Word stores cache data:

AutoRecover Folder

Word saves a copy of your current document every 10 minutes by default. These AutoRecover files are stored in a dedicated folder. If you close Word normally, these files are deleted. However, if Word crashes or you force close the application, the AutoRecover files remain on disk and accumulate.

Windows Temp Folder

Word also writes temporary files to the system Temp folder. These files have names that start with a tilde (~) or begin with a dollar sign ($) followed by the document name. They contain cached formatting, undo history, and image data. Many users never check this folder, so it can grow to hundreds of megabytes over months of use.

Office Document Cache

Microsoft 365 applications maintain a local Office Document Cache for files opened from cloud locations like OneDrive or SharePoint. This cache stores a local copy of the file plus metadata to enable offline editing and faster syncing. The cache can become bloated if you open many large files from the cloud.

Steps to Delete Word Cache Files Manually

Follow these steps to remove all cache files Word has created on your disk. You will need to close Word first, then delete files from three locations.

1. Close Word and all Office applications
   Save your work and close Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, click Task Manager, and verify that no WINWORD.EXE or MSOSYNC.EXE processes are running. If any remain, select them and click End task.
2. Open the AutoRecover folder
   Open Word, go to File > Options > Save. Copy the path shown in the AutoRecover file location box. Close Word again. Paste the path into File Explorer and press Enter. Delete every file and folder you see inside.
3. Clear the Windows Temp folder
   Press Win+R, type %temp%, and press Enter. In the Temp folder, sort by Date modified. Look for files or folders whose names start with ~, $, or contain the word Word. Select those items and press Delete. If you are unsure about a file, leave it. You can also select all files older than 7 days.
4. Clear the Office Document Cache
   Open any Office app, go to File > Options > Save. Scroll to the bottom and click the Office Document Cache button. In the dialog that opens, click Delete cached files. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
5. Empty the Recycle Bin
   After deleting files from all three locations, right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. This permanently frees the disk space.

If Word Still Shows Large Disk Usage After Cache Cleanup

Word Displays a Large File Size but the Document Is Small

The issue may not be cache but a bloated document. Word documents can contain embedded preview images, unused styles, and revision history that inflate file size. To reduce document size, go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document. Run the inspection and remove hidden data. Then save the document as a .docx file instead of .doc to use the newer compressed format.

AutoRecover Files Do Not Delete After Closing Word

If AutoRecover files remain after you close Word normally, the application may be crashing silently. Check Windows Event Viewer for Word crash logs. As a workaround, reduce the AutoRecover save interval to 5 minutes in File > Options > Save. This causes Word to write smaller, more frequent files that are easier to clean up manually.

Office Document Cache Clearing Fails with an Error

If the Office Document Cache button does not work or gives an error, close all Office applications and restart the Microsoft Office Upload Center from the system tray. Right-click the Upload Center icon and select Settings. Click Delete cached files. If that still fails, navigate to %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache and delete all files inside that folder manually.

Word Cache Disk Usage: Before vs After Cleanup

Item	Before Cleanup	After Cleanup
AutoRecover folder	150 MB to 2 GB	0 MB
Windows Temp folder (Word files)	50 MB to 800 MB	0 MB
Office Document Cache	200 MB to 5 GB	0 MB to 50 MB
Total disk space recovered	400 MB to 7.8 GB	0 MB

The actual numbers depend on how long you have been using Word and how many large cloud documents you open. The cleanup process typically recovers 1 to 3 GB on a system used daily for six months.

You can now safely delete Word’s cache files from the AutoRecover folder, Windows Temp folder, and Office Document Cache. To prevent future buildup, set a monthly reminder to repeat these steps. You can also reduce the AutoRecover save interval to 5 minutes in File > Options > Save so that unsaved files use less space per save cycle.