How to Clean MUI Cache on Windows?

MUI Cache (Multilingual User Interface Cache) is a Windows feature that stores the real, human-readable name of a program, the one pulled from the executable's own version information, so Explorer doesn't have to re-read the file every time it needs to display it, in an "Open with" dialog, file properties, or elsewhere. It lives under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache.

As a side effect, it becomes a record that a specific executable, at a specific path, existed and was processed on this account, tied to its actual product name rather than just its filename. Cleaning it removes that trail.

MUI Cache is lighter than UserAssist or Amcache, no run count, no hash, no per-entry timestamp, just a path paired with a name. But that name is what makes it distinctive: it comes from the executable's own version resource, not from the filename, so it can reveal the real identity of a program even if the file was renamed or given a generic name. PrivaZer removes these entries so that identity trail no longer sits in the registry.

Yes. PrivaZer detects and clears MUI Cache entries as part of a scan, and can target them on their own.

Like UserAssist, MUI Cache lives entirely under your per-user hive (HKEY_CURRENT_USER), not a locked machine-wide hive and not a cache flushed at shutdown. PrivaZer simply removes the matching registry values, no reboot is needed for the change to take effect, and no administrator rights are required since it's your own user hive.

Yes. Uninstalling a program and deleting its files does not remove its MUI Cache entry. The path and the program's real name can stay behind, showing that it existed and what it actually was, even after every trace of the program itself is gone. Cleaning MUI Cache is what removes that leftover record.

Yes. MUI Cache is a display convenience Windows maintains for itself and rebuilds automatically. Clearing it does not affect your installed programs, your files or system stability. The only visible effect is cosmetic: the next time Explorer needs to show that program's name, in an "Open with" dialog for instance, it may briefly show the raw filename before re-reading and re-caching the friendly name.

Yes, and that's normal. Whenever Explorer needs to display a program's friendly name again, running it, viewing its properties, opening "Open with", it gets re-cached. Cleaning removes the historical trail up to that point. Run PrivaZer periodically to keep it short.

All five show that software existed on your PC, but each catches a different slice. MUI Cache is the lightest of the five, no hash, no run count, no per-entry timestamp, but it's the only one that stores the program's real, human-readable name straight from its own metadata, which can unmask a renamed or generically-titled executable. UserAssist logs GUI launches with a run count and focus time. Amcache is a hive file with a SHA-1 hash. Shimcache logs paths and last-modified dates. SRUM tracks hourly CPU, network and energy use. Cleaning only one leaves the other four intact.

For the others, see: Amcache, Shimcache, UserAssist и SRUM.