Move browser cache?

ricker26 · Dec 13, 2022

Hi
Is it possible to move the browser cache to another hard drive to save writes on the SSD?
I did this in Windows 10 the way they do it in the attached video but I have tried several browsers in Windows 11 and it doesnt seem to work anymore and the browser write like crazy to the SSD...

OAT · Dec 13, 2022

You know I have been installing almost a weekly Dev Insider build (an entire OS, not a patch) for the last 38 months
The count is almost 120 builds now.
My SSD is at 77% after almost 4 years of hardcore use.
Look at it that way, with an SSD you get plenty of time to see it coming,unlike a HDD.
Besides that, your browsing would probably slow down.

TairikuOkami · Dec 13, 2022

Just use symlinks. I moved browser caches/profiles to ramdisk.

Code:

taskkill /im brave.exe /f
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%LocalAppData%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data" /r /d y
xcopy "%LocalAppData%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data" "Z:\Brave" /s /i /y
rd "%LocalAppData%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data" /s /q
mklink /d "%LocalAppData%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data" "Z:\Brave"

taskkill /im msedge.exe /f
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" /r /d y
xcopy "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" "Z:\Edge" /s /i /y
rd "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" /s /q
mklink /d "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" "Z:\Edge"

taskkill /im librewolf.exe /f
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%AppData%\Librewolf" /r /d y
xcopy "%AppData%\Librewolf" "Z:\Librewolf" /s /i /y
rd "%AppData%\Librewolf" /s /q
mklink /d "%AppData%\Librewolf" "Z:\Librewolf"

OAT · Dec 13, 2022

I used symlink for the pagefile and swapfile but not for not for browsers.
Cool, thanks.

ricker26 · Dec 14, 2022

Thank you both!
I am not very good at computers so I have no idea how to make a Symlink. The last 24 hours Firefox has written 28 gb to my SSD. 😥

OAT · Dec 14, 2022

If you click on the spoiler button above, you will see an example of a .bat/.cmd file to create a symlink.
I have adapted it for you for firefox


taskkill /im firefox.exe /f
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%AppData%\Mozilla" /r /d y
xcopy "%AppData%\Mozilla" "D:\Mozilla" /s /i /y
rd "%AppData%\Mozilla" /s /q
mklink /d "%AppData%\Mozilla" "D:\Mozilla"
pause

Run notepad and paste the content above.
Modify the D: drive to any of your drives and save the file as a cmd file, such as MoveFoxCache.cmd
Close notepad.
Right click on the .cmd file you created, choose run as administrator.
The result is that you are 'fooling' the file system to write to one drive when in fact it is going elsewhere.

BTW: 'Firefox has written 28 gb' >> there is something not right here.

ricker26 · Dec 14, 2022

Thank you, I will try to do that. Do I copy the original folder to my D drive?
Btw there was two Windows updates during the night so I am sure those are some of the writes too.

I will try another 24 hours with Firefox, Edge wrote 13 GB the day before.

OAT · Dec 14, 2022

No. The code provided does everything for you.
Nothing else to do.

tbmljk · Dec 14, 2022

What worked for me was to move my firefox profile to another drive

How to Migrate a Firefox Profile the Right Way

So you’ve scored a new Windows machine. Congratulations! But now comes the annoying bit: Firefox profile migration. You’re now tasked with migrating your web browser profile to your new computer. [...]

helpdeskgeek.com

OAT · Dec 14, 2022

This is exactly what the code does. Cache and profile.
This is what the "%AppData%\" area is there for.
The difference though, with a symlink, is to the executable, it is transparent whilst the actual move
requires the program to go to that 'move' location.
It's all 'geeky' stuff anyway.

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