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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTo delete the DirectX Shader Cache in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations, review Temporary files, select DirectX Shader Cache if it appears, and choose Clean up. You can also use Disk Cleanup. Removing the cache clears temporary data; Windows or an application may create cache data again as needed.
Delete the cache through Windows Storage settings
- Open Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations.
- Expand or review Temporary files and check the listed items. Windows displays an estimate of the space selected items would free.
- Select DirectX Shader Cache if it is listed. Review your selections before continuing.
- Choose Clean up for the relevant section to remove the selected files.
Windows does not guarantee that the DirectX Shader Cache category will appear on every Windows 11 system or configuration. If it is absent, do not select unrelated categories just to remove it. Microsoft’s Windows storage cleanup instructions cover Cleanup recommendations.
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Use Disk Cleanup instead
- Type Disk Cleanup in the taskbar search box and open the result.
- Choose the Windows drive, usually C:, and select OK.
- In the file-category list, select DirectX Shader Cache if it appears. Leave other categories unchecked unless you also intend to remove them.
- Select OK, then confirm with Delete files.
If the category is not shown, you can try Clean up system files, choose the Windows drive again if prompted, and check the category list once more. The same category may still not be available on every system. Microsoft documents Disk Cleanup and its category-selection flow in its free-up-drive-space guidance.
What happens when you remove it?
Deletion clears cached shader data, not the graphics hardware or DirectX itself. Microsoft says default D3D12 shader caches are stored in temporary storage and can be cleared by Disk Cleanup. Applications may need to generate cache entries again when they run; the available sources do not establish a fixed rebuild time, guaranteed space recovery, or a performance improvement from deleting the cache.
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A Microsoft Q&A answer from an Independent Advisor, in a Windows 10 context, explains that the cache can help application loading; it is not deletion that provides that benefit. Treat that as explanatory guidance rather than a formal Microsoft performance guarantee. See the Microsoft Q&A discussion.
Why Disk Cleanup may not remove every shader cache
The documented cleanup behavior applies to default D3D12 temporary caches. Microsoft’s API documentation describes a working-directory option that stores a cache elsewhere; Disk Cleanup does not clear caches stored in that location. The API reference concerns D3D12 and should not be read as a complete account of every graphics vendor’s proprietary cache.
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Avoid searching graphics-driver folders and deleting unfamiliar files manually. Microsoft’s ID3D12ShaderCacheSession::SetDeleteOnDestroy documentation distinguishes cache cleanup from manual removal and cautions against deleting caches outside the relevant working directory.
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Which cleanup method should you use?
| Method | What it offers | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanup recommendations | Reviews storage categories and estimates the space selected items would free. | The DirectX Shader Cache item may not appear on every Windows 11 system. |
| Disk Cleanup | Lets you select file categories and confirm deletion; Microsoft’s D3D12 documentation identifies it as a way to clear default temporary caches. | It does not clear D3D12 caches stored in a working directory. |
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