Prunable

What Prunable cleans

Every kind of file Prunable can clean on Windows: what it is, where it's kept, and what happens once it's gone. 41 categories, written from the app's own rules.

Prunable sorts everything into three kinds. Safe categories (19) are rebuilt automatically, so they're ticked for you. Side effect categories (12) are safe too, but you'll notice something afterwards, so you tick them yourself. Ask first categories (10) depend on what's in them: Prunable lists each item and never selects one for you. Ask-first categories appear in Advanced mode, which is part of Pro.

Nothing is deleted until you've seen the list and confirmed it, and a final check refuses Windows itself, Program Files and your documents whatever a category found. How Prunable stays safe

Windows

Your temporary files

SafeFree edition

Files that programs and installers left in your Temp folder. Only files older than 3 days are removed, so nothing an app is using right now is touched.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. Programs recreate temp files when they need them.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp (files older than 3 days)

Windows temporary files

SafeFree edition

The system-wide Temp folder used by Windows services and installers. Only files older than 3 days are removed.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows\Temp (files older than 3 days)

Windows Update downloads

SafeFree edition

Installer files Windows Update downloaded. Once an update is installed its download is no longer used. Files from the last 10 days are kept in case an update is still pending.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. If an update still needs a file, Windows downloads it again.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download (files older than 10 days)

Delivery Optimization cache

SafeFree edition

Copies of Windows and Store updates that Windows keeps so it can share them with other PCs. Cleared with Windows' own command.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\DeliveryOptimization\Cache, cleared with Windows' own Delete-DeliveryOptimizationCache

Crash dumps and error reports

SafeFree edition

Memory dumps and reports written when Windows or an app crashed. They are only useful to a developer diagnosing that crash.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. New reports are written if something crashes again.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP
  • C:\Windows\Minidump
  • C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports (*.dmp files)
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps
  • %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\WER: ReportArchive, ReportQueue and Temp
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\WER

Old Windows setup logs

SafeFree edition

Archived servicing (CBS) and DISM logs older than 14 days. Current logs are kept.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows\Logs\CBS (CbsPersist_* files older than 14 days)
  • C:\Windows\Logs\DISM (*.log files older than 14 days)

Thumbnail cache

SafeFree edition

Preview images File Explorer saved for your photos and videos. Explorer keeps some of these files open; those are skipped.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Folders full of pictures show thumbnails a little more slowly the first time you open them.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer (thumbcache_*.db files)

Legacy web cache (INetCache)

SafeFree edition

Cache used by Internet Explorer components that some apps still use to show web content.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache

Unpacked installer leftovers

SafeFree edition

Folders that driver and program installers unpack into and forget to remove: C:\NVIDIA, C:\AMD, msdownld.tmp, and the randomly named folders (like 3f9a…c21) that Windows Update and Visual C++ installers leave at the top of a drive.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. The installed drivers and programs don't use these.
Where it is
  • C:\NVIDIA and C:\AMD (unpacked driver installers)
  • %ProgramData%\NVIDIA Corporation\Downloader
  • msdownld.tmp at the top of each drive
  • Folders with long hexadecimal names at the top of a drive that contain installer files

Previous Windows installation

Side effectFree edition

Leftovers from upgrading Windows (Windows.old, $Windows.~BT, $Windows.~WS, $WinREAgent, $GetCurrent).

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
You can no longer roll back to the Windows version you had before the last upgrade.
Where it is
  • C:\Windows.old
  • C:\$Windows.~BT, C:\$Windows.~WS, C:\$WinREAgent and C:\$GetCurrent

Old Windows component versions

Side effectFree edition

Runs Windows' own cleanup tool (DISM /StartComponentCleanup), which removes component versions that newer updates replaced. This is the supported way to shrink the WinSxS folder; the size isn't known until it runs.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Takes 5 to 15 minutes. Installed updates can still be uninstalled afterwards.
Where it is
  • Windows' component store (C:\Windows\WinSxS), through dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Recycle Bin

Side effectFree edition

Files you deleted earlier that are still in the Recycle Bin, on every drive.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Those files can no longer be restored.
Where it is
  • $Recycle.Bin on each drive you include

Browsers

Web browser caches

SafeFree edition

Copies of web pages, images and scripts your browsers saved to load sites faster. Only caches are touched: history, passwords, cookies, logins, bookmarks and extensions stay as they are.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Sites you visit often load a little slower the first time, then the cache fills up again.
Where it is
  • Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Opera GX, Chromium and Chrome Canary: Cache, Code Cache, GPUCache, DawnCache and Media Cache in each profile, plus GrShaderCache, ShaderCache and the extension download caches beside the profiles
  • Firefox: cache2, startupCache, thumbnails, jumpListCache and shader-cache in each profile under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

Website offline caches

Side effectFree edition

Copies of website files that service workers keep so sites and installed web apps (PWAs) open faster or offline. Firefox's downloaded resources (such as translation data) are included too.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Installed web apps may need an internet connection the next time you open them. Logins and site settings are not affected.
Where it is
  • Service Worker\CacheStorage and Service Worker\ScriptCache in each profile of a Chromium-based browser
  • Firefox: remote-settings in each profile

Chrome on-device AI model

Side effectFree edition

The AI model (Gemini Nano) Chrome downloads for built-in AI features such as writing help.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
If those features are switched on, Chrome downloads the model again (a few GB) in the background.
Where it is
  • OptGuideOnDeviceModel in the browser's User Data folder, for example %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel

Apps and games

Desktop app web caches

SafeFree edition

Apps built on web technology (Discord, Notion, Spotify, VS Code, Tauri/WebView2 apps and many more) each keep their own copy of a browser cache. Only those cache folders are touched, never the apps' settings, logins or documents.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Each app loads a little slower the first time you open it, then the cache refills.
Where it is
  • Cache, Code Cache, GPUCache and shader caches inside the data folders of Electron, WebView2 and CEF apps in %LOCALAPPDATA%, %APPDATA% and Microsoft Store app storage

App updater downloads

SafeFree edition

Installer files that auto-updating apps downloaded (folders named <app>-updater, and SquirrelTemp). Once an update is installed they are no longer used.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. If an update is still pending, the app downloads it again.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\<app>-updater
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\SquirrelTemp

Old versions of auto-updating apps

Side effectFree edition

Apps that update themselves (Discord, GitHub Desktop, Slack…) keep the previous version and its update package after installing a new one. The newest version is always kept.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
You can't roll those apps back to the previous version.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\<app>\app-<version> folders beside the newest version, and old update packages in %LOCALAPPDATA%\<app>\packages

Code editor caches

SafeFree edition

VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf keep downloaded extension installers, compiled code caches for past versions, and logs.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. Installed extensions and your settings are untouched.
Where it is
  • %APPDATA%\Code, Code - Insiders, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Kiro and Trae: CachedExtensionVSIXs, CachedData, and logs older than 7 days

App logs and pending updates

SafeFree edition

Old OneDrive sync logs (kept 7 days) and update installers that Ollama downloaded.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\OneDrive\logs (older than 7 days)
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Ollama\updates and updates_v2

Dropbox's cache of replaced files

SafeFree edition

Copies Dropbox keeps on this PC of files you changed or deleted (old_files inside the hidden .dropbox.cache folder). Dropbox is meant to clear them every three days, and its help pages say clearing them by hand is safe. Only copies older than three days are offered; files Dropbox is downloading right now are in a different folder and aren't touched.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes. Deleted files and earlier versions can still be restored on dropbox.com for as long as your plan keeps them.
Where it is
  • .dropbox.cache\old_files in your Dropbox folder (older than 3 days)

Spotify streaming cache

Side effectFree edition

Songs Spotify cached while you streamed them.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Recently played songs stream again instead of loading from disk. Playlists you downloaded for offline listening may need to download again.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Spotify\Data, and the same folder in the Microsoft Store version's storage

Steam caches and logs

SafeFree edition

Steam's store and community page cache, old logs and crash dumps. Games and saves are not touched.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
The Steam store loads a little slower the first time.
Where it is
  • appcache\httpcache, logs (older than 7 days) and dumps in your Steam folder
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Steam\htmlcache

Graphics shader caches

Side effectFree edition

Pre-compiled shaders that your graphics driver (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel), DirectX and Steam keep for games and apps.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Games rebuild these automatically. The first launch of each game may stutter or show "compiling shaders" for a while.
Where it is
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache
  • NVIDIA: %LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCache and GLCache, plus the PerDriverVersion and NV_Cache folders
  • AMD: %LOCALAPPDATA%\AMD\DxCache, DxcCache, VkCache and GLCache
  • Intel: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Intel\ShaderCache
  • Steam: steamapps\shadercache in each library

Unfinished Steam downloads

Side effectFree edition

Partially downloaded game updates and Steam's download staging area.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Paused or interrupted downloads start again from the beginning.
Where it is
  • steamapps\downloading and steamapps\temp in each Steam library

Cities: Skylines II downloaded mods

Ask firstPro

Mods the game downloaded from Paradox Mods for your playsets. Your own local mods and saves are kept.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
The game downloads your subscribed mods again the next time it starts (you need to be signed in to Paradox).
Where it is
  • %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II\.cache\mods\pdx_mods

Developer tools

Package manager download caches

SafeFree edition

Copies of packages that npm, pip, uv, Yarn, Bun, Go, NuGet, node-gyp, Electron and Chocolatey downloaded so the next install is faster. Installed packages and your projects are not touched.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
The next install of a package downloads it again.
Where it is
  • npm: %LOCALAPPDATA%\npm-cache (_cacache, _logs and _npx)
  • pip and uv: %LOCALAPPDATA%\pip\cache and %LOCALAPPDATA%\uv\cache
  • Yarn and Bun: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Yarn\Cache and %USERPROFILE%\.bun\install\cache
  • Go: %LOCALAPPDATA%\go-build
  • NuGet: %LOCALAPPDATA%\NuGet\v3-cache and plugins-cache
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\node-gyp\Cache, electron\Cache, electron-builder\Cache and Microsoft\TypeScript
  • Chocolatey: %ProgramData%\ChocolateyHttpCache

Build dependency stores

Side effectFree edition

Package stores that builds read from directly: NuGet packages, Cargo's crate registry, Gradle caches and the Maven repository.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
The next build of each project downloads its dependencies again, so it needs internet and takes longer once.
Where it is
  • NuGet: %USERPROFILE%\.nuget\packages
  • Cargo: %USERPROFILE%\.cargo\registry\cache, registry\src and git\checkouts
  • Gradle: %USERPROFILE%\.gradle\caches
  • Maven: %USERPROFILE%\.m2\repository

Project build folders

Ask firstPro

Folders your projects rebuild from scratch: Rust target, node_modules, Next.js .next, Python virtual environments, Unity Library, Godot .godot, Unreal Intermediate/DerivedDataCache and Gradle .gradle. Your source code is never touched. Only folders over 50 MB are listed.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
The next build or install for that project starts from scratch (cargo build, npm install, re-creating the venv…), which takes longer and needs internet. Projects using pnpm may free less than shown because pnpm shares files between projects.
Where it is
  • Node.js: node_modules, and Next.js .next, beside a package.json
  • Rust: target and target-* beside a Cargo.toml
  • Python: .venv, venv or env folders that contain pyvenv.cfg
  • Unity Library (beside Assets and ProjectSettings), Godot .godot (beside project.godot), Unreal Intermediate and DerivedDataCache (beside a .uproject file)
  • Gradle: .gradle beside a Gradle build file
  • Searched for in your user folder and your own folders on the Windows drive, and on every other drive you include; Windows, program, AppData and package-cache folders are skipped

Rust build leftovers

Side effectPro

Inside each Rust target folder: builds of dependencies that Cargo replaced when a version or feature changed, old build-script output, and incremental-compilation data for configurations you no longer build. For each one the newest build is kept, plus any built within 7 days of it; nothing changed in the last 3 days is touched. The folder itself and your current builds stay, so builds stay fast.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
Usually nothing. If something removed was still in use, Cargo rebuilds just that piece on the next build.
Where it is
  • Inside each Rust target folder Prunable finds: superseded dependency builds, old build-script output and stale incremental-compilation data

Test browsers (Playwright, Puppeteer)

Ask firstPro

Browser builds downloaded for automated testing. Each Playwright version downloads its own builds, so old ones pile up.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
A project that still uses a removed build downloads it again (npx playwright install).
Where it is
  • Playwright: %LOCALAPPDATA%\ms-playwright
  • Puppeteer: %USERPROFILE%\.cache\puppeteer

Extra Rust toolchains

Ask firstPro

Rust compiler versions besides your default one and those pinned to folders with rustup override.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
A project that asks for a removed version needs it reinstalled (rustup toolchain install <name>).
Where it is
  • %USERPROFILE%\.rustup\toolchains, except your default toolchain and any set with rustup override

Settings and caches of older IDE versions

Ask firstPro

Android Studio and JetBrains IDEs create a new settings and cache folder for each version and leave the old ones behind. The newest version's folders are always kept.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
Nothing, provided that older version is no longer installed. Only remove these if it isn't.
Where it is
  • Older version folders of Android Studio and JetBrains IDEs in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google, %APPDATA%\Google, %LOCALAPPDATA%\JetBrains and %APPDATA%\JetBrains; the newest version of each is kept

Claude and Claude Code

Claude app caches

SafeFree edition

The Claude desktop app's web cache, plus Claude Code's MCP server logs, shell snapshots and debug logs older than 7 days. Conversations, settings and logins are not touched.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
The app loads slightly slower the first time. Tip: Claude's own Settings › This computer › Storage page can also clear its cache.
Where it is
  • Web caches in %APPDATA%\Claude (and the Microsoft Store version's storage)
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\claude-cli-nodejs\Cache (older than 7 days)
  • %USERPROFILE%\.claude\shell-snapshots and debug (older than 7 days)

Claude app logs

SafeFree edition

Diagnostic logs from the Claude desktop app older than 14 days.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes. It's rebuilt automatically when it's needed, so Prunable selects it for you.
What happens after
Nothing changes.
Where it is
  • %APPDATA%\Claude\logs (older than 14 days)

Claude virtual machine image

Ask firstPro

The Linux virtual machine image Claude uses for Cowork and agent mode tasks.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
If you use Cowork or agent mode, Claude downloads the image again (about 9 GB) the next time you start one. If you don't use them, nothing changes.
Where it is
  • %APPDATA%\Claude\vm_bundles

Old Claude Code conversations

Ask firstPro

Saved Claude Code conversations, grouped by project folder. Only conversations untouched for 14 days are offered. Each project's memory files are always kept.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
These conversations can no longer be resumed, searched or reopened in the Claude app. Your code and project files are not affected.
Where it is
  • %USERPROFILE%\.claude\projects (conversations untouched for 14 days; memory files are kept)

Old Claude Code rewind checkpoints

Side effectFree edition

Copies of files Claude Code saved so you could rewind its edits, for sessions untouched for 30 days.

Is it safe to delete?
Yes, but you'll notice the change described below, so Prunable leaves it for you to tick.
What happens after
You can't rewind file edits in those old sessions. Their conversations stay.
Where it is
  • %USERPROFILE%\.claude\file-history (older than 30 days)

Personal files and leftovers

Old installers and archives in Downloads

Ask firstPro

Setup files (.exe, .msi…) and archives (.zip, .7z, .rar, .iso…) in your Downloads folder that are older than 30 days. Once a program is installed or an archive is unpacked, the download is usually no longer needed.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
You'd have to download the file again if you need it. By default these go to the Recycle Bin, so you can still restore them.
Where it is
  • Your Downloads folder: installers and archives (.exe, .msi, .msix, .zip, .7z, .rar, .iso and similar) untouched for 30 days

Possible leftovers of uninstalled programs

Ask firstPro

AppData folders over 100 MB that don't match any installed program, Store app, Steam game or Start menu entry, and in which nothing has changed for 6 months. This is a best guess from folder names. Check each one before ticking it.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
If the program is in fact still installed, it loses its settings or saved data. By default these go to the Recycle Bin, so you can restore them.
Where it is
  • Folders in %LOCALAPPDATA%, %APPDATA% and AppData\LocalLow that match no installed program and haven't changed in 180 days

Leftovers of removed bloatware

Ask firstPro

Folders left behind by known bloatware and trial software (McAfee, Wondershare, WildTangent, AVG, CCleaner…) that is no longer installed. Only folders on Prunable's bloatware list are offered, and only when nothing from that publisher is still installed.

Is it safe to delete?
It depends on what's in it, so Prunable never selects it: it lists each item for you to choose.
What happens after
Nothing changes. If you ever reinstall one of these programs, it starts with fresh settings. By default these go to the Recycle Bin.
Where it is
  • The folders Prunable's bloatware catalogue lists for each known preinstalled app, checked only once that app is no longer installed

See what it finds on your PC

Scanning deletes nothing. Download Prunable free for Windows, or tell us about a folder you think it should know.