You certainly don't want other people to rummage through your Internet history. Those hoping to hide their tracks from others may not be the only ones surfing adult Web sites or chat rooms: many people store sensitive information on shared computers. They have a vested interest in keeping personal data, or their birthday or Christmas shopping, and don't want any snoopers to find anything untoward. If any of these things apply to you, then inevitably you must have a habit to avoid potential problems. While commercial software can delete Internet history logs, these handy tips will give you the power to do it yourself – without breaking the bank!
Step
Method 1 of 5: Clearing Usage History by Using Internet Explorer
Step 1. Open Internet Explorer
Click "Internet Options"' on the "Tools"' menu.
Step 2. Delete everything
Bring up Internet Options from the Tools menu, then select “Delete all.” Or delete them one by one using the “History Pane” which can be accessed from the toolbar button.
- '"Delete cookies"': In the same '"Internet Options"' window, select "Delete Cookies". Or, delete them individually by accessing them using the “View Files” button.
- '”Delete temporary files”': In the same '”Internet Options”' window, select “Delete Files”. See Tips for managing temporary files.
Method 2 of 5: Clearing Usage History by Using Google Chrome
Step 1. Open a Chrome browser window
At the top right of the toolbar, find and click the Chrome menu.
Select '"Tools"' → '"Clear Browsing Data…"'
Step 2. Check your options
In the window that appears, check one by one the options you are going to use. You can delete your usage history as little or as much as you like.
To clear your entire usage history, delete the selected item “from the beginning of time”
Method 3 of 5: Clearing Usage History Using Firefox
Step 1. Start Firefox
Click the Firefox menu, then select History → Clear Recent History.
Step 2. Select a time range
In the “Clear Recent History” window, select the appropriate time range. You can select the time from the last hour to the total.
To make a more specific choice of deleting, click the "Details"' menu in the "Clear Recent History"' window, then select exactly what you want to delete
Step 3. Click Clear Now
Method 4 of 5: Clearing Browsing History Using the Registry Editor (Advanced Techniques)
Step 1. Open the Start menu and then type “regedit” in the search field
Press “Enter” when finished.
Step 2. Click the “regedit” icon twice
Wait for the program to open. If prompted, press “Continue”.
Step 3. Press “Control” and “F” to bring up the Find box
This step lets you start looking for a specific registry file.
Step 4. Type “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft” in the Find box
Click the plus icon once the results are displayed in the Find box
Step 5. Hover over “Internet Explorer” → “Explorer Bars
”
Step 6. Locate the Default registry entry
This entry has the word “Default” in its filename.
Step 7. Right-click and delete all registry entries “under” the Default registry entry
Make sure you do not delete the Default registry entry or any other entry above Default as this can seriously compromise your system's ability to perform certain functions.
Method 5 of 5: Deleting the Index. Dat File (Advanced Technique)
Step 1. Start Windows using Safe Mode
Usually you can do this by pressing F8 immediately after turning on the computer.
Step 2. Log in as administrator
The index.dat file, which relays Internet history information, cannot be deleted in the Command Prompt if you are not logged in as an administrator.
Step 3. In the Command Prompt, type "del index
dat /s then press the Enter key. Your index.dat files, along with their subdirectories, should now be gone.
Tips
- After clearing your tracks, delete all System Restore points as a precaution. The registry can be restored to its previous state by using this device.
- To prevent forensic analysis of your hard drive, write over your free hard disk space using a tool such as Eraser.
- If you don't want to complicate your life by manually deleting tracks, look for a program that can do that for you, such as CCleaner (free!), OSPC Privacy Cleaner, East-Tec Eraser 2007, Evidence Eliminator, Tracks Eraser Pro, or Window Washer.
- Windows maintains a DNS cache to help Windows find Web pages. To see a list of recently viewed Web pages, open a CMD window (click CMD in the 'run' box) and type “ipconfig/displaydns”. This cache can be cleared by typing “ipconfig/flushdns”.
- To disable the Recent Documents section of the Start menu, right-click on the Start button. Click Properties. Hover over the Start menu tab. Then click the “Customize” button. Bring the cursor to the “Advanced” tab. At the bottom you will see the most recent document section. Here you can uncheck “List my most recently opened documents”. There's also a button you can use to clear the list but keep the corresponding section on the Start menu.
- Set IE to delete temporary files automatically when the browser is closed. This option can be found on the “Advanced” tab under the IE Tools/Internet Options menu item. Or, install Firefox instead of IE, which offers a “Clear Private Data” tool.
- If you use an antivirus, this program should have a utility that can be used to delete usage history. The utility names vary. If you are using the latest Quick Heal, this program should have a software called 'P. CTuner' which can be accessed using the virus database. You can run Auto Tuneup or Traces Cleanup separately
Warning
- In certain circumstances, there may be an expert who can reverse these changes.
- Attempts to conceal the use of computers in the workplace are likely to conflict with management policies. Network administrators can access server logs that contain details of network and workstation activity, while firewalls can also store logs. ISPs also keep separate records.
- Changes to system files that you make yourself are potentially dangerous and are at your own risk.
- You will provoke suspicion if it is clear that you are the one who took steps to erase your tracks.
- Do not change computer settings for other users without asking permission. It was a disturbing act. Changing the contents of a computer without legal rights is considered a crime in many countries.
