Overview: This guide will assist users in clearing the Office file cache, which can resolve crashes that occur when opening Excel files. The cache stores temporary copies of files accessed from OneDrive or SharePoint, and clearing it can fix corruption issues without deleting your actual files.
Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of key terms used in this article.
Clear the Office file cache using Excel options
You can clear the cache directly from within Excel using the built-in option.
Steps to clear the cache
Close all Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.).
Open Excel.
Go to File > Options > Save.
Under Cache Settings, click Delete cached files.
Confirm the action when prompted.
When prompted, allow Excel to close or restart Office applications.
Reopen Excel and try opening the same file again.
Clear the cache manually if the button is unavailable
If the Delete cached files button is not visible, grayed out, or does not work, you can manually delete the cache files.
When to use this method
This manual method may be needed if:
The button is missing from your Excel Options.
Your organisation has restricted the button through Group Policy settings.
The button does not successfully clear the cache.
You have an older version of Office.
Steps to manually clear the cache
WARNING: Close all Office applications completely before proceeding.
Close all Office apps (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.).
In File Explorer, paste the following path into the address bar and press Enter:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCacheDelete the contents of the folder (not the folder itself).
Open Excel and test the same file again.