ParetoLogic Privacy Controls > Tutorials > How to Delete Windows Media Player Cache
Delete Windows Media
Player Cache and Playlist History
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Windows Media Player is the single most popular media player available. As well as playing audio files it will also play video and other media formats and can be used to burn and rip music and MP3 files, and video files to CD and other media formats. Like many other applications that rely on the regular opening of various files Windows Media Player relies on the use of page caching to reduce time and improve performance.
Information That Media Player Stores
Media Player also lets users browse websites to find new media files to listen or watch. Again, these are stored in the Windows Media Player folders in order to help reduce future loading times and improve the overall user experience that one gains when using the Media Player. Recently played files are another list of files that are retained by the Media Player application and these too can be found within the Windows system program folders.
The Memory Intensive Media Player
While Windows Media Player is designed in such a way that users can reduce the time they spend opening files and waiting for them to load it can also become memory intensive, especially for regular users. Every time you open a file, listen to or watch a media file some sort of log of this action is kept. Over time these logs become congested. This can cause interactions between numerous existing files subsequently leading to a poor performing application and even other software interactions. Eventually, even without any interactions between files and logs, the sheer size of the logs and any stored files can cause your system to slow down.
Using ParetoLogic Privacy Controls To Scan And Clear Media Player
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is a powerful scanning engine and a secure file shredder in one. It can be used to scan numerous areas of your Windows system including Windows application folders, but also third party application folders. Included in the areas that ParetoLogic Privacy Controls can scan is the Windows Media Player Cache. By regularly clearing out the cache it is possible to ensure that Media Player runs at its best and that your computer does not suffer from fatal exceptions and other errors.
1 – Opening ParetoLogic Privacy Controls
Open ParetoLogic Privacy Controls and, in the top left of the main screen, click on the Options tab. This will take you to the main scanning options page where you can select the areas of your system that you wish to scan.
2 – Selecting Windows Media Player Options
Ensure there is a tick next to the Windows Media Player option and, clicking the arrow next to it, also ensure that a tick appears in the box next to the Windows Media Player Cache option. The other options available for Windows Media Player are as follows:
Other Media Player Options
Recently Opened Files List – This list is populated with all the files that you have opened recently in Windows Media Player. Clearing this list will free up hard drive space and should ensure that your Media Player continues to run smoothly.
Recently Opened URL List – Whenever you visit a web page in Windows Media Player a copy of the URL you visit is store for access later. Again, clearing this folder can help to improve the performance of your system as a whole and, more specifically, Windows Media Player. Deleting Internet history is always a good idea in order to protect your personal data and your privacy.
3 – Selecting Deletion Method
On the same options screen you should also decide the level of deletion you wish to use. There are four options ranging from the standard deletion, with no file overwriting completed before deletion, to the most secure. The most secure method entails overwriting the file seven times before it is deleted. Secure deletion helps to ensure that nobody can access the information that has been deleted and while seven overwrite passes may not be necessary for most people's uses it can be beneficial when trying to protect personal information or your privacy.
4 – Start Scanning Your System
Once you have selected the areas of your system that you wish to scan and you have determined the level of deletion you wish to use click the Scan & Erase link in the top left of the screen. Click the Start button to being scanning.
5 – Scan Progress And Scan Results
While the scan is being completed the screen will be replaced with a scan progress update. Once completed this will be replaced with a scan results page.
6 – Selecting Files For Deletion
When the scan results are first displayed they are all selected for deletion by default. A tick will appear next to each individual entry, however, you can scroll through the list and remove the tick from next to any files or logs that you wish to keep. In some cases it may be possible to view a short preview of the file by double clicking it. The preview will appear in the right of the screen if one is available.
7 – Starting The Deletion
Once you have finished selecting and deselecting the files for deletion click on the Erase button and click Yes on the confirmation screen that will appear. This will begin the deletion process. As with scanning you will first be presented with a progress screen, which will be replaced by a results screen. Click Finish to be taken back to the main ParetoLogic Privacy Controls window from where you can continue scanning your system and deleting files or you can close the application.
Regular Use Of ParetoLogic Privacy Controls To Clean Out Windows Media Player
Regular Windows Media Player users will notice an improvement if they regularly scan and erase the cache and other logs from the Media Player folders. The more regularly you use the application the more regularly you should scan and delete the results. Getting into the habit of using ParetoLogic Privacy Controls after every couple of uses is a very good idea to protect the performance of the application and the integrity of your system.