How to Clear the FiveM Cache (Windows, MacOS & Linux)

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Resolve in-game issues with this fast & simple solution

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Clearing Your FiveM Cache
|
• When to Clear
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• Why the Cache Causes Issues
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• Cache Maintenance
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• Benefits
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

So you’re trying to play GTA V using FiveM, but keep running into performance issues and crashes—but that’s no problem. One easy potential fix for this involves clearing FiveM’s cache. FiveM’s cache is full of temporary, sometimes outdated or corrupted files that can really get in the way of a smooth performance, especially if the cache is really cluttered. In this guide, we’ll show you how to safely and quickly clear out FiveM’s cache so you can get back to what’s important: playing GTA (Grand Theft Auto) on your favorite customizable server!

How to Clear Your FiveM Cache (Windows/Mac)

1. Close FiveM and any open windows.
2. Open the main FiveM folder in AppData (Windows), Application Support (macOS), or .local (Linux).
3. Navigate to FiveM Application Data → data to find the cache folders.
4. Delete the cache, server-cache, and server-cache-priv folders.
5. Empty your computer’s Recycle Bin or Trash to get rid of the old cache files.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Clearing Your FiveM Cache

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1. 
   1
   Close FiveM and your GTA game entirely. You should absolutely not be running FiveM (or the accompanying Grand Theft Auto V) while clearing out its cache, so make sure you don’t have any windows minimized or hidden. Close everything out entirely!
2. 2
   Find your main FiveM folder. FiveM’s cache is located in the main FiveM data folder. To open it, right-click on the FiveM launcher’s icon and select Open File Location from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can just navigate to the following locations (depending on your platform):

   • Windows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\FiveM\
   • macOS: Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/FiveM/
   • Linux: /home/[username]/.local/share/FiveM/
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3. 3
   Open the FiveM “data” folder. From your main FiveM folder, open FiveM Application Data. Then, look for the folder labeled data and open that, too. Inside the data folder is where you’ll find all of FiveM’s cache folders!
4. 4
   Delete the necessary cache folders. There should be five folders in the data folder—but you’ll only need to worry about three of them. Select the cache, server-cache, and server-cache-priv folders, and delete all three of them.

   • The other two folders are game-storage and nui-storage. Leave those alone; if they get deleted, you’ll have to reinstall FiveM entirely.
   • If you’re worried about losing data, you can make a backup of your data folder (a copy of it) and store it elsewhere on your computer. This ensures you won’t lose important configuration settings or mods.
5. 5
   Empty your computer’s Recycle Bin or Trash. While you don’t necessarily need to do this before firing up GTA V again, it’s still a good idea (to clear up device storage, if nothing else). This will permanently delete those old FiveM cache files from your computer—and with that, you should be all set to start gaming again.

   • Windows: Right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select Empty Recycle Bin.
   • macOS: From the menu bar, select Finder → Empty Trash.
6. 6
   Restart FiveM. Just launch FiveM the same way you always do—no special steps necessary. This first startup after clearing your cache will take a bit longer than usual (usually 2 to 3 minutes) because the cache is rebuilding. After that, you should be good to go!
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Section 2 of 5:

When should you clear your FiveM cache?

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1. Noticeable glitches or crashes could mean it’s time to clear your cache. Generally, clearing your FiveM cache is a good troubleshooting option anytime you encounter annoying glitches—especially ones that result in CTDs (crashes to desktop). For reference, here’s a little checklist of signs it’s time to clear out your FiveM cache, pronto:

   • The game’s loading times are way too long
   • The game crashes during startup
   • Mods go missing from the game
   • Textures or skins don’t display correctly
   • You get disconnection error messages or server join failures
   • The game starts stuttering or has a major dip in performance that it didn’t have before
   • You’ve just installed a big FiveM update or switched servers

Section 3 of 5:

Why does the FiveM cache cause issues?

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1. 
   Temporary files in the cache can slow your game down. Basically, your FiveM cache is full of temporary files from game data, mods, updates, and other sources. If left over time and not emptied frequently, the cache will become cluttered with files—some of them outdated or even corrupted. Those files may end up slowing down your game, causing stuttering, or even causing it to crash, which is why routine cleaning is the way to go!
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Section 4 of 5:

Preventing a Corrupted FiveM Cache

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1. Make a point to empty your cache regularly. Every couple of weeks (or even every week), empty your cache preemptively to ensure it stays relatively clean while you play. Additionally, clear it out after every major FiveM update to get rid of outdated temporary files. This will help you avoid performance issues in the future! Here are a few other ways to prevent corrupted files from taking over your cache:

   • Pay attention to your cache size. Anytime it gets bigger than 8 GB, clear it out!
   • Try not to force-close FiveM. This is especially important during resource downloads.
   • Keep 15 GB of free space on the FiveM drive. This makes it easier for FiveM to manage the cache.
   • Watch out for conflicting mods. Remove outdated mods before installing new ones!
   • Keep a dedicated FiveM folder. Ensure it’s kept separate from other GTA and mod files.
   • Run disk checks. If your computer’s hard drive is failing or has any major issues, it can corrupt files. So, run disk checks to make sure everything is A-okay.

Section 5 of 5:

Benefits of Clearing Your FiveM Cache

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1. 
   Benefits of clearing your cache include better performance and load times. With a clean cache, running a modded GTA game is smooth, with faster load times (meaning you won’t have to wait for ages while something loads) and a more stable, consistent performance overall—no stuttering or sudden performance drops. Basically, a clean cache means a better gaming experience! Additional benefits are:

   • Fewer crashes. You’re way less likely to be suddenly kicked out of a server or experience a sudden crash when your FiveM cache is clean.
   • Mods work better. Your installed mods are more likely to work the way they’re supposed to, without conflicting or messing up the game.
   • A stable server connection. Your sessions online will be smoother and more consistent as well; you’re less likely to disconnect unexpectedly.
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