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Caches

# User

User caches are caches created by OS X as well as applications but belongs to the user. User caches are either ColorSync, Dock, font, Java or QuickTime caches. ColorSync is built into OS X and are used to calibrate your screen colors.
Caches related to font handling such as names of font files and character encoding are divided into subgroups "Adobe System Incorporated", "Microsoft Corporation", "Quark Software Incorporated". Font caches can become corrupt which lead to problems. Erasing the font caches can solve font related problems. Clearing of the font caches may cause the loss of font registration states and affect fonts activated outside of the standard font directories. New caches will be regenerated from fonts installed the standard font directories (/System/Library/Fonts, /Library/Fonts and ~/Library/Fonts).
Dock cache is related to the Dock and can be erased to solve problems with Dock icons. Java caches are caches created when running a Java applet in a browser, with Java Web Start or as an application. Clearing Quick Look cache resets the Quick Look Server and all Quick Look client's generator cache. QuickTime caches are caches of QuickTime movies viewed online. QuickTime's cache size can be set in QuickTime.

Available options

- User caches
  /Library/Caches/com.apple.ImageCaptureExtension2.ICADeviceDatabase.UID
  /Library/Caches/com.apple.ImageCaptureNotifications.DeviceDiscoveryDatabase.UID
- ColorSync caches
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.colorsync.profiles.UID
- Dictation & Speech caches
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.SpeechRecognitionCore/
- Dock caches
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.dock.iconcache
- Font caches
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.FontRegistry/
  - Adobe System Incorporated
    ~/Library/Caches/Adobe/TypeSupport/*
    File system is searched for files named AdobeFnt*.lst and IllustratorFnt.lst.
  - Microsoft Corporation
    ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Preferences/Office 2011/Office Font Cache
    ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2011/Office Font Cache
    ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Office Font Cache (12)
    ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office Font Cache (11)
    ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office Font Cache (10)
  - Quark Software Incorporated
    ~/Library/Preferences/Quark/QuarkXPress*/jaws/FontStubs/
    ~/Library/Preferences/Quark/QuarkXPress*/jaws/FontStubs/EAFonts/
    ~/Library/Preferences/Quark/QuarkXPress*/jaws/FontStubs/FontSet/
    ~/Library/Preferences/Quark/QuarkXPress*/jaws/FontStubs/WesternFonts/
- Help caches
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpd/
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpviewer/
- Icon Services caches
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.IconServices
  /private/var/folders/*/*/T/com.apple.IconServices
- Java caches
  ~/Library/Application Support/Oracle/Java/Deployment/cache/
  ~/Library/Caches/com.oracle.java.Java-Updater/
  ~/Library/Caches/net.java.openjdk.cmd/
  ~/Library/Caches/Java/
  ~/Library/Caches/Java Applets/
  ~/Library/Caches/Java Web Start/
- Quick Look caches
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.QuickLookDaemon
  ~/Library/Caches/qlmanage
  ~/Library/Caches/quicklookconfig
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.QuickLook.thumbnailcache
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/QuickLookSatellite-general
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/QuickLookSatellite-personal
- QuickTime caches
  ~/Library/Caches/QuickTime/
  /private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.qtkitserver
- Saved application states
  ~/Library/Saved Application State
- Spotlight caches
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Spotlight/
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.metadata.SpotlightNetHelper/
- Temporary files
  ~/.TemporaryItems/
  /private/tmp/
  /private/var/folders/*/*/T/
- VoiceOver caches
  ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.voiceover/

Online information

- Cache by Wikipedia.