How to force page refresh and ignore browser cache

[FeuerFrei]

How can I force my browser (Firefox 3.5.9) to grab the newest version of a particular page/image instead of pulling from the cache?
I'm having trouble grabbing the most current snapshot of a weather map from the server.
How do I know I don't have the latest snapshot from the server? I can download a more recent radar snapshot image via a different computer.

I've tried Shift+'Refresh button click' and I think the smaller images reload, but it's not working for this particular radar map image. Could it be a server restriction? 😡

No it's not a one-time fluke.

 

[corkyg]

To clear your Web cache in Firefox 3.5+

-At the top of your browser, click on 'Tools' and select 'Options' from the drop-down menu.

-Click the 'Advanced' icon.

-Click on the 'Clear Now' button .

- Click the "Ok" button.

 

[FeuerFrei]

To clear your Web cache in Firefox 3.5+

-At the top of your browser, click on 'Tools' and select 'Options' from the drop-down menu.

-Click the 'Advanced' icon.

-Click on the 'Clear Now' button .

- Click the "Ok" button.

Well ok, but I'm not interested in clearing the cache every time I want to refresh a page. Seems like there should be a way to tell the browser which URLs you don't want cached, ever.

 

[Crusty]

You could have a transparent caching proxy being run by your ISP or their weather maps webserver isn't sending the appropriate headers for the image and your browser is improperly caching the images.

 

[corkyg]

Well ok, but I'm not interested in clearing the cache every time I want to refresh a page. Seems like there should be a way to tell the browser which URLs you don't want cached, ever.

I agree. In IE8 it is easy - under Internet Tools, just check the box that clears the cache on every exit automatically. Don't know about FF, but it should have a similar option. Try this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5118843_configure-sensitive-data-upon-exit.html

 

[KeypoX]

To clear your Web cache in Firefox 3.5+

-At the top of your browser, click on 'Tools' and select 'Options' from the drop-down menu.

-Click the 'Advanced' icon.

-Click on the 'Clear Now' button .

- Click the "Ok" button.

man thats just corky, really should be an easier way to do this g.

 

[thescreensavers]

^ there is a Addon that does this.

 

[Nothinman]

Shift+Refresh?

 

[corkyg]

That's why I like IE8 - Refresh is simple - F5. 🙂

 

[Nothinman]

That's why I like IE8 - Refresh is simple - F5. 🙂

Except if you just hit F5 it'll load the page from cache if it wants, just like every other browser.

 

[corkyg]

OK . . . agree. I guess that's why I have Tools/Internet Options and the little box checked that says, "Delete browsing history on exit." I assumed that clears the cache routinely.

 

[gsaldivar]

You could have a transparent caching proxy being run by your ISP or their weather maps webserver isn't sending the appropriate headers for the image and your browser is improperly caching the images.

Good point.

OP: It isn't necessarily your web browser that's causing you to see old images on that website. If the problem persists, try switching your DNS to OpenDNS or Google DNS and see if the problem goes away.

Good luck!

 

[dbcooper1]

Can't you just set amount of browser cache to 0 MB?

 

[jlazzaro]

Except if you just hit F5 it'll load the page from cache if it wants, just like every other browser.

Ctrl-F5 forces the refresh

 

[FeuerFrei]

You could have a transparent caching proxy being run by your ISP or their weather maps webserver isn't sending the appropriate headers for the image and your browser is improperly caching the images.

Thank you. That sounds plausible.

Though I wonder ... if the ISP is caching the radar image, why does my second machine, connecting through the same router+modem as the first, load an image with a more recent timestamp? Seems the ISP couldn't discriminate, but what do I know.


Just to reiterate for some of you, I refresh using Shift+Reload with a vengeance over and over with no luck. Also, I like having a local cache to expedite browsing in general, and setting my cache size to 0MB, while effective no doubt, would eliminate caching entirely.

Good point.

OP: It isn't necessarily your web browser that's causing you to see old images on that website. If the problem persists, try switching your DNS to OpenDNS or Google DNS and see if the problem goes away.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tip.

Looks like I'm stuck with cache clearing unless I want to change my DNS.

 

[dbcooper1]

Use a different browser than you usually use only for your weather app and set browser cache to 0 then.

 

[Ken g6]

Ctrl-F5 forces the refresh

This in Firefox. Shift-F5 in every other browser, from what I can tell. 🙄