In current Microsoft 365 desktop apps, you do not need the old Office Upload Center to clear the Office Document Cache. The supported control is inside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: File > Options > Save > Cache Settings > Delete cached files.
This removes local cached document content, not the original file from OneDrive, SharePoint, or another server. Take care with files that have unsynchronized changes: deleting their cached copy can remove the only local copy of those changes.
Clear the Office cache in Microsoft 365
Use any current Microsoft 365 desktop application. The setting is shared by the Office installation, so clearing it from Word also affects the Office document cache used by Excel and PowerPoint.
- Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
- Select File in the upper-left corner.
- Select Options. In Excel, this may appear near the bottom of the left-hand menu.
- In the Office Options window, select Save.
- Find the Cache Settings section.
- Select Delete cached files.
- Confirm the deletion if Office asks you to do so.
The same procedure is documented for Microsoft 365 and the desktop editions of Office 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024. The exact wording or layout can vary slightly between builds.
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Before you click Delete
Make sure important cloud documents have finished saving. In particular, check files you recently edited while offline, during a network outage, or after seeing a synchronization warning.
In Microsoft 365, open the relevant Office app and go to:
File > Open > Files Needing Attention
This section appears only when that application has files that failed to save successfully to Microsoft cloud storage. It is application-specific:
| App you open | Files shown |
|---|---|
| Word | Word files needing attention |
| Excel | Excel files needing attention |
| PowerPoint | PowerPoint files needing attention |
Open a listed file and save it again, or use the available option to discard its changes if you are certain they are not needed. This page is not a cache-clearing tool; it is a recovery area for failed cloud saves.
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The Office Document Cache stores local working data for documents opened from cloud locations. Clearing it removes document content from that cache, but Microsoft says a listing of files that were opened can remain on the computer.
It does not:
- Delete the original document from OneDrive or SharePoint.
- Delete a file from a company server or other remote storage.
- Remove every Office-related temporary file from Windows.
- Automatically resolve a failed upload.
After the cache is cleared, large cloud documents may take longer to open because Office has to download them again. Clearing the cache is therefore not a routine performance tweak unless you have a specific storage, corruption, or troubleshooting reason.
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Pending uploads and Office Version 2512
Office treats unsynchronized data differently from ordinary aged-out cache data. Before Office Version 2512, the normal cache-deletion action might leave files with pending uploads or upload errors in place because Office protected changes that had not reached the server.
Beginning with Version 2512, Office displays an additional confirmation when cached items include pending uploads or upload errors. Selecting Delete in that confirmation removes those items too. Do not approve that prompt unless you have either recovered the changes or deliberately decided to discard them.
Office Version 2512 also gives files with pending changes or upload errors a default maximum retention period of 365 days. Administrators can change that behavior with the AgeOutPolicyIncludingFilesPendingUpload policy.
Do not delete the cache folder manually
The default Windows cache location is:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache
That path is useful when identifying the cache discussed in Microsoft documentation, but it is not a recommended cleanup target. Do not open it in File Explorer and delete its contents, and do not use a script or command such as rd, rmdir, or PowerShell Remove-Item against the folder.
Microsoft warns that manually deleting or programmatically clearing the directory can result in:
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- Office crashing when a SharePoint Online or OneDrive document opens.
- A document crashing immediately or later while it is being edited.
- File not Found errors.
- Path not Found errors.
- Unrecoverable loss of unsynchronized local changes.
There is no Microsoft-supported command-line cache-clearing command in the current cache-management guidance. Use the in-app Delete cached files control instead.
If your goal is to free disk space
When Office detects low disk space, use the Free Up Space button in the warning shown by the Office application. This is Microsoft’s current in-app remediation for that situation.
Do not assume that clearing the cache is harmless simply because it frees local storage. Rebuilding the cache can cause large files to download again, and files with pending uploads require extra caution.
Optional administrator policies
Administrators can control some cache-retention behavior through policy. These settings are not a substitute for the supported end-user deletion procedure.
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| Disable long-term caching | HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\fileio!disablelongtermcaching | Prevents long-term caching, but can interfere with reopening and uploading recently co-authored files. Microsoft warns it may cause “Upload failed” errors because Office needs retained metadata to reconcile local and server versions. |
| Age-out policy | HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\fileio!ageoutpolicy | The documented default is 14 days. A value of 0 causes eligible documents to be deleted after they have been closed for one hour. |
| Age out files pending upload | HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\fileio!ageoutpolicyincludingfilespendingupload | A value of 0 means files with pending uploads or upload errors are not aged out by this policy. |
Policy changes should be tested before deployment. A shorter retention period can reduce disk usage but increases the risk of losing a local copy before a synchronization problem is resolved.
What about the old Office Upload Center?
The visible Upload Center was removed from Microsoft 365 applications, but the underlying Office Document Cache still operates in the background. That is why current Microsoft 365 instructions use the Save options rather than a tray application.
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The old Upload Center procedure remains relevant to older installations that actually include Office Upload Center:
- Search Windows for Microsoft Upload Center.
- Open the Upload Center application.
- Select Settings.
- Select Delete Cached Files.
This legacy procedure applies to Office Upload Center 2010, 2013, and 2016 documentation. It is not the current general-purpose method for Microsoft 365. Older corruption-repair instructions may also tell you to perform a Windows clean boot before deleting cache files; that workflow is for legacy troubleshooting and should not replace the current in-app method.
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Microsoft’s documented Upload Center cache instructions for Mac apply to Word for Mac 2011, Excel for Mac 2011, and PowerPoint for Mac 2011:
- Open the Upload Center menu.
- Select Preferences.
- Under Office Document Cache, select Delete Files.
Microsoft notes that files waiting to upload or containing errors are not deleted by that Mac procedure. The current Windows Microsoft 365 path should not be assumed to exist in modern Office for Mac.
Quick decision guide
| Problem | Use this action |
|---|---|
| You want to clear ordinary Office cached document data | File > Options > Save > Cache Settings > Delete cached files |
| A cloud file failed to save | Open File > Open > Files Needing Attention, then re-save or discard the file’s changes. |
| Office reports low disk space | Use the Free Up Space button in the Office warning. |
| You found the OfficeFileCache folder online | Do not delete it manually; use the in-app cache setting. |
| You use an older Office installation with Upload Center | Open Upload Center > Settings > Delete Cached Files. |
FAQ
Does clearing the Office cache delete my OneDrive or SharePoint files?
No. It removes local document content from the Office Document Cache. The original files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint, or another server are not deleted.
Why can’t I find Office Upload Center in Microsoft 365?
Microsoft removed the visible Upload Center experience from Microsoft 365 apps. The document cache still works in the background, but its supported deletion control is now in File > Options > Save > Cache Settings.
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What should I do if Delete cached files does not remove a file?
The file may have a pending upload or an upload error. Check File > Open > Files Needing Attention. In Office Version 2512 and later, an additional confirmation lets you explicitly delete pending-upload items.
Can I clear the Office cache from Command Prompt or PowerShell?
Microsoft does not provide a supported command-line cache-clearing command in its current guidance. Do not script deletion of %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache; Microsoft warns that manual deletion can cause crashes, path errors, and data loss.
Will clearing the cache make Office run faster?
Not necessarily. It may help with a specific cache problem or recover local disk space, but cloud documents may take longer to open afterward because Office must download them again.
The Bottom Line
For current Microsoft 365 and supported modern Office desktop versions, clear the document cache from File > Options > Save > Cache Settings > Delete cached files. Check Files Needing Attention first if a cloud save failed, and never delete the OfficeFileCache folder manually. The old Upload Center steps are only for older Office installations that still include that application.
Sources: Microsoft: Managing Office document cache size, Files Needing Attention FAQ, and Microsoft Office Upload Center.
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