en-US/about_Clear-BrowserProfileData.help.txt
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about_Clear-BrowserProfileData SYNOPSIS Clears Chromium browser profile data for Chrome and/or Edge. DESCRIPTION Performs a browser profile cleanup workflow for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or both. The function follows these steps: 1. Loads runtime configuration from settings.browserCleanup. 2. Applies config-driven defaults only for parameters not explicitly supplied by the caller. 3. Resolves one or both target browsers (Chrome, Edge, or All). 4. Optionally stops browser processes before deletion to avoid file locks on cache and cookie databases. 5. Discovers Chromium profile folders beneath each browser's User Data path. 6. Optionally filters the discovered set to named profiles such as Default or Profile 1. 7. Clears cookies, cache, and optionally local storage by delegating to the internal profile-cleanup helpers. 8. Logs each stage of the run via Write-Log. CONFIG-DRIVEN DEFAULTS When a parameter is omitted, the function attempts to read its default value from settings.browserCleanup in config.json. This includes: - includeCache - includeCookies - skipLocalStorage - killProcesses - sleepAfterKillMs - defaultBrowser - defaultProfiles Caller-supplied parameter values always take precedence over config. SHOULDPROCESS / SAFETY This function supports -WhatIf and -Confirm. Process termination and any downstream deletion work are guarded by ShouldProcess-aware flow so you can preview the intended browser/profile targets before making changes. SCOPE This workflow is designed for Chromium-style profile layouts used by Chrome and Edge. It does not target Firefox, Internet Explorer, or non-Chromium storage paths. PARAMETERS -Browser <String> Specifies which browser to process. Valid values are: - Chrome - Edge - All Default: All (unless overridden by settings.browserCleanup.defaultBrowser) -Profiles <String[]> One or more Chromium profile folder names to target, for example: - Default - Profile 1 - Profile 2 When omitted, all discovered profiles for the selected browser(s) are processed unless settings.browserCleanup.defaultProfiles defines a default filter. -IncludeCookies <Bool> When $true, clears cookie databases for each targeted profile by calling Clear-CookiesForProfile. Defaults to $true. -IncludeCache <Bool> When $true, clears browser cache folders for each targeted profile by calling Clear-CacheForProfile. Defaults to $true. -SkipLocalStorage <Bool> When $true, local storage content is preserved even when cookies are being cleared. When $false, local storage cleanup is delegated to Clear-CookiesForProfile as part of that workflow. Defaults to $false. -KillProcesses <Bool> When $true, attempts to stop the relevant browser processes before any cleanup begins. This helps prevent file locks on cookies and cache files. Defaults to $true. -SleepAfterKillMs <Int> Number of milliseconds to wait after stopping browser processes before profile cleanup continues. Gives the browser time to fully release locks on profile files. Defaults to 1500. EXAMPLES Example 1: Clear-BrowserProfileData -Browser Chrome -Profiles 'Default','Profile 2' -WhatIf Previews cleanup of the Default and Profile 2 Chrome profiles without stopping processes or deleting any browser data. Example 2: Clear-BrowserProfileData -Browser All -IncludeCache:$true -IncludeCookies:$false -Confirm Processes both Chrome and Edge, clearing cache only, and prompts before destructive actions are taken. Example 3: Clear-BrowserProfileData -Browser Edge -Profiles 'Default' -KillProcesses:$false Clears the Edge Default profile without attempting to stop Edge first. Useful when process management is handled externally. Example 4: Clear-BrowserProfileData -Browser Chrome -SkipLocalStorage:$true Clears Chrome cookies and cache while preserving local storage. NOTES - Requires the internal helper functions Get-BrowserUserDataPath, Get-BrowserProfileFolders, Clear-CookiesForProfile, and Clear-CacheForProfile. - Assumes Chromium-style profile folders such as Default and Profile 1. - If no profiles are discovered for a browser, that browser is skipped and a warning is logged. - If profile filtering removes all discovered profiles, that browser is skipped and a warning is logged. - The function currently returns no PSCustomObject results despite older help text implying otherwise. LINKS Get-BrowserUserDataPath Get-BrowserProfileFolders Clear-CookiesForProfile Clear-CacheForProfile |