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How to clear NuGet cache?

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Whenever a new NuGet package is installed, the NuGet package will be stored in NuGet cache location and afterwards that particular NuGet package with same version will be referred from the cache location instead of the package sources that we are configured in package manger/packages.config. If some NuGet package is updated/refreshed/patched with some additional changes with same version, it is always better to clear NuGet cache before install the updated NuGet package with same version.

 

We can clear the NuGet cache locations either using Visual Studio or Command Line Interface.

 

Using Visual Studio

 

  1. Open Visual Studio, go to Tools -> NuGet Package Manager -> Package Manager Settings menu.
     
  2. Click Clear All NuGet Cache(s) button in options dialog then clearing process is started.

    NuGet Cache clear form Visual Studio

  3. Once NuGet cache location is cleared, click ok button.

 

Using Command Line Interface

  1. Download the latest NuGet executable from here.

  2. Navigate the directory of the downloaded exe in command window and run the following command. 

 

OS

Command

Windows

nuget locals <all | http-cache | packages-cache | global-packages | temp> -clear

Mac

mono nuget.exe locals <all | http-cache | packages-cache | global-packages | temp> -clear

 

 For Example:

Windows:

Command: nuget locals all -clear

NuGet Cache clear form CLI

Mac:

Command: mono nuget.exe locals all -clear

Mac nuget cache clear command

 


Now the NuGet packages will get removed from cache location.

Note:

The above process will clear all the NuGet packages from cache location. So once cleared the NuGet cache location then every NuGet package will be downloaded/restored from source location to cache location again. If we want to avoid this case, we can navigate to NuGet cache location and delete the particular NuGet package manually. Find the NuGet cache locations by using the below command.

 

Windows:

Commandnuget locals all -list

NuGet Cache location list form CLI

Mac:

 

Command: mono nuget.exe locals all -list

 

Mac nuget cache location list command

 

Navigate the listed cache locations by file explorer (Windows)/finder (Mac) and remove the unrequired NuGet packages manually.

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments (2)
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JR
Jan Rosa

Please note that on OSX the cache is in by default, is .nuget/packages in the user's home directory


AK
Abbas K

Hi Jan,


Thank you for notifying us, the KB has been republished and also the details have been added.


Thanks,

Abbas K

SA
Sameer
SA
Sameer

There is an extension to clear packages from the solutions folder as well as from the cache. The extension also deletes bin and obj folders. It is available for both VS2017 and VS for Mac (7.7.2). 

Check out Brute Clean in extensions.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Sameerk.BruteClean
https://addins.monodevelop.com/Project/Index/364

SA
Sameer

More info on the Blog:

https://sameer.blog/brute-clean-a-vs-extension/

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