SharePoint 2010 how to clear Config Cache.ini

There are many times you will need to clear your Configuration Cache ( Cache.ini ) on all your SharePoint servers, such as when a timer service is stuck in a stopping, starting or pausing state.

Personally I like to make clearly the Cache.ini on all servers apart of a monthly maintenance schedule along with applying windows updates. But in reality should not be neccessary regularly.

1. IMPORTANT STEP: Stop the Timer Service (OWSTIMER) service on ALL SharePoint servers in the farm.
2. Open windows on all SharePoint servers to the path Cache.ini is stored in, this can sometimes vary so search for it on C.
   
3. In SharePoint 2007 it is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
4. In SharePoint 2010 it is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
5. Take a backup COPY of each cache.ini file and the XML folders and files.
   
6. Delete all the XML files from the directory, NOT the cache.ini.
   C: Drive:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
7. Open the cache.ini with Notepad and reset the number to 1 and press enter.
   
8. Save and close the file.
   
9. Perform the steps above on all SharePoint servers containing the cache.ini file.
   
10. Start the Timer Service OWSTIMER service on the SharePoint servers and wait for XML files to begin to reappear in the directory.

Important to remember that you cannot just do this on one server but all that contain the cache.ini file. Also you must delete the XML file prior to changing the cache.ini file.