Windows 10: Mklink created to move Edge cache but cache not in target location?

I have a curious MKLINK issue with Win 10 Pro. I wonder if someone could clarify for me. Latest updates as of 23/4/19. Desktop Intel i7. 16 Gig RAM.
First, I have a folder on J:\XMKLINK TEST. I created mklink /D "L:\XMLINK TEST" "J:\XMLINK TEST"
Explorer shows the orig folder on J: Drive with contents and the symlink as L:\XMLINK TEST on L: Drive with contents. J:\XMLINK TEST Properties show target as “J:\MLINK TEST”. Open file location jumps to J:\XMLINLK TEST. All as it should be.

BUT ..
When I clear the cache for Edge, the cache files vanish – as they do – and then I create:

mklink /D "C:\Users\D\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\#!001\MicrosoftEdge\Cach e" "J:\EdgeCache001"
And
mklink /D "C:\Users\D\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\#!002\MicrosoftEdge\Cach e" "J:\EdgeCache002"

the symlinks appear as: (These commands are on one line, of course).
mklink /D "C:\Users\D\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\#!001\MicrosoftEdge\Cach e"
mklink /D "C:\Users\D\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\#!002\MicrosoftEdge\Cach e"

"J:\Edge Cache 001"
"J:\Edge Cache 002"
Both created.
Reboot ..
BUT:
"J:\Edge Cache 001"
"J:\Edge Cache 002"
Are empty.
Properties of C:\Users\D\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\ before symlink: 74.5 Mb 78,191,504. On disk 81,776,640
After symlink: 48.3 Mb 50,721,270 On disk 53,035,008
So, AC folder has decreased, as it should. But, the contents are not on Target Drive.
Edge loads previous pages instantly and works fine.
After some thinking about it, I looked at Task Manager and checked Memory usage. It was high. When I closed Edge, the memory usage dropped immediately. When I opened a new web page it rose up again.
On the one hand, reloading previous web pages is fast …
But, my memory was at 80% when testing and presumably will rise as I surf.

Question then: Why are the files going into RAM and not J: Drive as they should????

- - - Updated - - -

I typed cache but post shows cach e … strange ..

:)

 

Move the Edge browser cache to a RAM disk

Update:

BUMMER After reboot this did not work but here is what I did anyway!!

I had to change step 5 when copied from the site

from

:mklink /D"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "E:\Edge Cache"

to

:mklink /D "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "E:\Edge Cache"

And Since I am using MSI RAMDisk my 3 and 5 steps looked like this

3

robocopy"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "B:\Cache-IE" /E /COPYALL /DCOPYAT

5

mklink /D "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "B:\Cache-IE"

 

Move the Edge browser cache to a RAM disk

Not a very bright response from a supposed support engineer.

What should have worked is a Symbolic Link, but both Edge and Groove (probably the same for all metro native apps) fail to utilise them (edit: properly). Incredibility short sighted to bloat and wear SSDs and provide no option to place the used folder paths
to a separate disk.

Fun implementation, no? /rant

Edit: native metro apps do work with SymLinks if you do them very carefully. Here's a step by step (wrote this elsewhere since ms wont let me sign in on pc, but happily on phone):

*These steps are exactly as I did them (also works with ZuneMusic_8wekyb3d8bbwe if you stream a lot and don't want it to wear/bloat your SSD - yes, "stream" apparently means "save to disk"), some steps may be unnecessary, but worth
doing just in case. Your mileage my vary, if you follow these steps you do so at your own risk. Depending on restarts, step 1. may need to be repeated. MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe may have a different name on your PC.

• Run cmd from the start menu with admin rights (right-click command prompt and select run as administrator).
• Take full ownership of the cache folders to be safe, you may want to clear using disk cleanup first. Type takeown /F "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" /A /R and press enter (%USERPROFILE% should
  work, but if not replace it with [Drive]:\Users\[Username] as per normal).
• When it finishes (depends on size) make an exact copy to your other drive (replace E:\Edge Cache as desired; and make sure Edge\Groove\etc. isn't running or you will get 'in use' errors). Use: robocopy"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "E:\Edge
  Cache" /E /COPYALL /DCOPYAT ensure that there are no skipped\failed files, otherwise retry after disk cleanup.
• Instead of deleting the original as required for Symbolic Links, suggested you rename it: ren "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "AC Backup" in case the SymLink fails when you can just rename
  it AC again, deleting the SymLink (you can do this using windows explorer as well). If the renaming encounters 'in use' errors even though Edge\Groove\etc. isn't running then restart your PC and retry.
• Create the SymLink as follows (replacing E:\Edge Cache as needed):mklink /D"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC" "E:\Edge Cache" then restart your
  computer.

After some time if everything is working smoothly and you're sure its the other drive being used for caching then you can safely delete the original AC Backup file, but I just deleted #!001\MicrosoftEdge\Cache from the backup. If you don't use disk clean
up, all your Edge cache should be retained.

 

Microsoft Edge: Possible to move browsing cache to secondary drive?

You had the link and target reversed - but, when fixed, it works as advertised. I set up a RAM disk and now it write to ram instead of my twin 750Gb Samsun 850 EVO's that are my primary drive. *Wink