How to Clear FiveM Cache (And Actually Fix the Problem)

To clear FiveM cache on Windows, close FiveM completely, press Windows Key + R, paste %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data, then delete these four folders: cache, server-cache, server-cache-priv, and nui-storage. Relaunch FiveM. That handles 80% of client-side issues — texture glitches, infinite loading screens, random crashes — without touching your character data or server progress.

What Is FiveM Cache, and Why Does It Break?

Every time you join a FiveM server, the client downloads assets — custom vehicles, map textures, clothing mods, UI elements — and stores them locally so you do not re-download everything on the next session. That local store is your cache. The system works well until it does not.

Cache corruption typically happens in three situations: a server updates its resources mid-session, a download gets interrupted (power cut, crashed client, lost connection), or FiveM itself updates and the old cached files no longer match what the new version expects. When any of these happen, the client tries to load a file that no longer matches what the server is sending — and that mismatch produces the symptoms people associate with “FiveM being broken.”

According to data from FiveM community support channels, cache corruption is responsible for roughly 80% of client-side performance issues reported by players, including FPS drops, loading freezes, and missing textures. That number is community-reported rather than from a controlled study, but it tracks with the reality that clearing cache resolves most issues before any deeper troubleshooting is needed.

What people miss: cache does not just store server assets. FiveM maintains three separate cache types — browser cache from the Chromium-based NUI layer (which can reach 2GB on its own), server-specific resource cache (100MB to 5GB per server depending on how heavily modded it is), and subprocess cache from script compilation. Most guides tell you to delete two folders. Deleting all three is what actually clears the slate.

Which Folders Should You Delete — and Which Should You Never Touch?

This is where most guides either skip detail or get it wrong. Here is the complete folder map:

Folder	What It Stores	Delete?
cache/browser/	Chromium NUI temporary files	Yes
cache/subprocess/	Script compilation artifacts	Yes
cache/game/	Core game files	Never
server-cache/	Downloaded server resources	Yes
server-cache-priv/	Private server resource cache	Yes
nui-storage/	NUI persistent storage	Yes (if issues persist)

The game folder is the one that will cost you. Delete it, and FiveM has to re-download the base game cache — that is a multi-gigabyte process that takes significantly longer than a normal cache clear. Every other folder on that list is safe to remove.

A note on nui-storage: most guides list it as optional. In practice, if you are dealing with broken UI elements — menus that do not render, HUD elements stuck on screen, server-specific interfaces that look corrupted — nui-storage is often the actual culprit. Delete it alongside the rest.

How to Clear FiveM Client Cache on Windows (Step-by-Step)

• Step 1 — Kill FiveM completely. Do not just close the window. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), look for FiveM.exe and CitizenFX processes, and end them both. Deleting cache while the application is still holding file locks produces partial deletes — the folders appear gone but some files remain, and the problem does not fully resolve.
• Step 2 — Open the data folder. Press Windows Key + R. Paste this path exactly: %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data — then press Enter. This drops you directly into the data directory without navigating manually through AppData.
• Step 3 — Delete the correct folders. Select cache, server-cache, server-cache-priv, and nui-storage. Delete them. Do not touch game, citizen, or crashes.
• Step 4 — Empty the Recycle Bin. This step gets skipped constantly. The files are not actually removed from your drive until the Recycle Bin is emptied — they just get flagged for deletion. On a heavily modified server with years of accumulated cache, you can recover 5 to 10GB this way. Right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin.
• Step 5 — Relaunch FiveM. The first startup after a cache clear takes 2 to 3 minutes longer than usual. That is the client rebuilding the subprocess cache before it can launch normally. The first time you join a server, expect another slow load as resources re-download. Both are normal.

How to Clear FiveM Server Cache (For Server Owners)

Client cache and server cache are entirely separate systems. Clearing your own client cache does nothing for the server, and clearing server cache does not affect what players have stored locally. Server owners need this process when resource changes are not applying server-wide, or when multiple players report the same visual glitch simultaneously.

• The rule that gets violated constantly: never delete server cache while the server is running. On both Windows and Linux, active server processes hold file locks on cache contents. Attempting to delete those files mid-run either silently fails (files stay in place) or partially corrupts the cache in ways that require a full rebuild to fix.
• Via Game Panel / Hosting Control Panel: Stop the server completely through the panel dashboard. Access files via the built-in file manager or an FTP client (FileZilla works reliably here). Navigate to your server’s root directory and delete the cache folder — but not resources, not server.cfg, not any core framework files. Restart the server. The first boot will be slower as the cache rebuilds from your installed resources.
• Via txAdmin: Navigate to the txAdmin dashboard and use the Stop button to fully halt the server. Open the File Manager within txAdmin, locate the cache folder in your server base directory (for txAdmin setups this is typically inside txData/QBCoreFramework_[ID].base/ or the equivalent for your framework), and delete it. Restart through txAdmin normally.
• A distinction worth knowing: server cache stores compiled Lua scripts and streamed assets your server generates — it is not the same as what players download. Clearing it forces your server to recompile resources on next start, which is why the first boot takes longer. Player clients still need to re-download assets separately on their next join.

What Will You Actually Lose When You Clear Cache?

Almost nothing that matters. Character data, money, inventory, vehicle ownership, and any server-specific progression all live on the server database — none of that touches local cache files.

What might reset: some NUI-based UI settings, specific keybind configurations tied to server menus, and occasionally HUD layout preferences that certain frameworks store in nui-storage. The base FiveM keybinds stored in the FiveM settings file are not affected.

Your GTA V installation is completely untouched. FiveM cache sits in the AppData folder and has no interaction with the Rockstar Games Launcher files, your GTA V directory, or your Steam/Epic installation.

Cache Clearing Did Not Fix It — What Now?

Clearing cache resolves the symptom, not always the cause. If issues return immediately after a fresh cache rebuild, the problem is upstream. Here is where to look next.

Verify your GTA V installation files through whatever launcher you use — Steam, Epic, or Rockstar Games Launcher each have an integrity check option. A corrupted base game file can cause FiveM symptoms that look like cache problems but recur instantly.

If the issue is server-specific (only one server, not others), it is almost certainly a resource conflict on that server rather than anything client-side. Check whether the issue started after a server update. If so, the server owner needs to look at their script or asset changes — not you.

GPU driver updates are frequently the actual culprit behind FPS drops and visual glitches that appear to be cache-related. Outdated drivers interact badly with FiveM’s Chromium NUI layer in ways that present as texture problems. Update drivers through GeForce Experience, AMD Software, or Intel Arc Control before assuming the cache is at fault.

One thing to stop doing: clearing cache repeatedly on a loop. If the first clean clear does not fix the problem, clearing again will not either. The issue is somewhere else. Cache clearing is a diagnostic step, not a repair cycle.

How Often Should You Clear FiveM Cache?

Only when something breaks — not on a schedule. Some players clear cache weekly as “maintenance,” but there is no evidence this prevents issues, and it guarantees a slower load time every time you do it.

The situations that genuinely warrant a cache clear: after a major FiveM client update, after a server you frequent pushes significant resource changes, after a crash that interrupted an asset download mid-session, or when you start experiencing any of the symptoms listed above. Outside those specific triggers, leave it alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing FiveM cache delete my character or in-game money?

No. Character data, inventory, money, and server progress are stored on the server’s database — not on your local machine. Clearing your cache removes temporary files only. You can safely delete all cache folders without affecting anything your server tracks for your account.

Does clearing cache fix FPS drops in FiveM?

Often, yes. According to FiveM community data, cache corruption can reduce FPS by creating broken asset references that the game repeatedly tries to load. A full cache clear has been reported to improve frame rates by 15 to 30% on installations where corruption was the underlying cause.

What is the FiveM cache folder location on Windows?

The FiveM cache is stored at %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data. Press Windows Key + R, paste that path, and press Enter. Inside the data folder you will find the individual cache directories — cache, server-cache, server-cache-priv, and nui-storage — which are safe to delete.

Is it safe to delete the FiveM game folder inside cache?

No. The cache/game/ folder contains core FiveM game files. Deleting it forces a multi-gigabyte re-download before the client can launch. Delete cache/browser/ and cache/subprocess/ inside it, but leave cache/game/ untouched.

Why is FiveM loading slowly after clearing cache?

Expected behavior. After a cache clear, FiveM rebuilds subprocess cache on first launch (2 to 3 minutes) and re-downloads server assets on your first join (varies by server size). This slow load only happens once per session — subsequent joins to the same server that day will be faster.

Does clearing server cache affect players’ client cache?

No. These are completely separate systems. Server cache stores compiled scripts and streamed asset data on the server machine. Client cache stores downloaded resources on each player’s PC. Clearing one does not affect the other in any way.

Should I delete nui-storage when clearing FiveM cache?

Delete it if you are experiencing broken UI elements — menus that do not render correctly, persistent HUD glitches, or server-specific interfaces showing corrupted. For general performance or loading issues, nui-storage is optional. Some server-specific UI preferences stored there may reset after deletion.

Can I clear FiveM cache while the game is running?

No. FiveM and CitizenFX processes hold active file locks on cache contents while running. Attempting deletion mid-session either silently fails (files remain) or creates a partially corrupted state that is worse than the original problem. Always end both processes in Task Manager first.

Why does my FiveM cache keep getting corrupted?

Recurring corruption usually indicates an upstream problem — poor server connection causing interrupted downloads, a server running conflicting or broken resources, or an unstable internet connection. If you are clearing cache more than once a week, investigate the root cause rather than repeating the clear.

How large does FiveM cache typically get?

Browser cache alone can reach 2GB on a system that frequently visits modded servers. Server resource cache accumulates 100MB to 5GB per server depending on custom content volume. Combined, a player who regularly visits several heavily modded servers can accumulate 10GB or more of FiveM cache over time.

Cache clearing is the fastest fix in FiveM troubleshooting, and it works often enough that it should always be the first thing you try. But it is a diagnostic step — not a cure. The goal is to clear it once, confirm whether it resolves the issue, and then investigate further if it does not. Treating it as a weekly ritual masks real problems without solving them.