Browsers usually cache static content on pages to help websites load faster by keeping some of the online files stored temporarily on your computer (uh yeah – Cache.) When an Internet site isn’t loading or functioning properly, or you think the data looks a little old, then one of the things groovy geeks might try is to clear out the browser cache and try again. But there is another way.
If the rest of the Internet seems to be at peace, but you’re just having problems with one particular site, most browsers allow a built-in shortcut for clearing out individual page caches. Depending on what browser and operating system the key variation will differ, so here’s the breakdown of different ways to get it done:
Windows
- Hold Shift and Click the Refresh button in your browser. (This is the fallback move and works in all browsers.)
- Press Ctrl + Shift + R simultaneously.
- Press Ctrl + F5.
Mac
- Press Cmd + Shift + R simultaneously.
- In Safari you have to Hold Shift and Click Refresh.
A regular refresh would simply use files that you already have cached to attempt to reload the page, and if it’s a bugged up page, that just won’t work. Using the Shift + Refresh technique will completely clear out the browser’s cache of files pertaining to that page and then download fresh ones from the web server.
The plan isn’t fail-proof, and there’s always about 100 different ways to do the same thing. However, you sometimes might still run into troublesome websites and pages that won’t load no matter how many times you refresh.
When you find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do would be to try opening the page in a new tab. If that doesn’t work, then restart the browser or even your computer.
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