Windows XP SP3, IE8. No matter which of the check marks I check or uncheck in the T00ls, Options window, IE will not eliminate all my browsing history.It maintains some of my favorites visited in the drop down bar. In reading instructions, it talks about a "safety button," which I cannot locate. How can I clear the history of ALL visited sites? thanks in advance.

 

Abradaxis wrote:

> Windows XP SP3, IE8. No matter which of the check marks I check or uncheck
> in the T00ls, Options window, IE will not eliminate all my browsing
> history.It maintains some of my favorites visited in the drop down bar.
> In reading instructions, it talks about a "safety button," which I cannot
> locate. How can I clear the history of ALL visited sites? thanks in
> advance.

NOTE:
- Do NOT post using HTML in newsgroups.
- Do NOT post using quoted-printable format in newsgroups.
Configure OE appropriately for posting to newsgroups.


Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing History: Delete

Check if the Preserve option is enabled. That saves cached files in the
TIF folder for sites in your Favorites list.

 

+
Close all opened IE windows and restart IE.

Regards.

"VanguardLH" <V@nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:hp2pkk$81k$1@news.albasani.net...
> Abradaxis wrote:
>
>> Windows XP SP3, IE8. No matter which of the check marks I check or
>> uncheck
>> in the T00ls, Options window, IE will not eliminate all my browsing
>> history.It maintains some of my favorites visited in the drop down bar.
>> In reading instructions, it talks about a "safety button," which I cannot
>> locate. How can I clear the history of ALL visited sites? thanks in
>> advance.
>
> NOTE:
> - Do NOT post using HTML in newsgroups.
> - Do NOT post using quoted-printable format in newsgroups.
> Configure OE appropriately for posting to newsgroups.
>
>
> Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing History: Delete
>
> Check if the Preserve option is enabled. That saves cached files in the
> TIF folder for sites in your Favorites list.
>

 

- I believe I changed the compose for newsgroups to be in plain text as
requested. End of problem 1.
- Please advise where I can find the option of not posting with
quoted-printable format, or further elaborate this requirement
- Using Internet Options->General tab->Browsing History->Delete did not
remove ALL history. Regular site history was eliminated, but favorite
history was not eliminated. Preserve option was not clicked, although all
the rest were. This did not eliminate favorites history. Whether all or
some of the options were checked or unchecked and delete history was
invoked, favorite history remained. Your help greatly appreciated, but
please explain your initial comments, and let me know if there is any
other possibility why I cannot eliminate favorites history. Thank you.
"VanguardLH" <V@nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:hp2pkk$81k$1@news.albasani.net...
> Abradaxis wrote:
>
>> Windows XP SP3, IE8. No matter which of the check marks I check or
>> uncheck
>> in the T00ls, Options window, IE will not eliminate all my browsing
>> history.It maintains some of my favorites visited in the drop down bar.
>> In reading instructions, it talks about a "safety button," which I
>> cannot
>> locate. How can I clear the history of ALL visited sites? thanks in
>> advance.
>
> NOTE:
> - Do NOT post using HTML in newsgroups.
> - Do NOT post using quoted-printable format in newsgroups.
> Configure OE appropriately for posting to newsgroups.
>
>
> Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing History: Delete
>
> Check if the Preserve option is enabled. That saves cached files in the
> TIF folder for sites in your Favorites list.

 

Abradaxis wrote:

> - I believe I changed the compose for newsgroups to be in plain text as
> requested. End of problem 1.
> - Please advise where I can find the option of not posting with
> quoted-printable format, or further elaborate this requirement

In the same config panel where you switched from HTML to plain text, there
are buttons for futhering configuring the settings for HTML and plain text
compose modes. Under plain text settings (for newsgroup posts), make sure
MIME is set to None, not to quoted-printable. It may already be setup that
way since your 2nd post did not use quoted-printable format.

> - Using Internet Options->General tab->Browsing History->Delete did not
> remove ALL history. Regular site history was eliminated, but favorite
> history was not eliminated. Preserve option was not clicked, although all
> the rest were. This did not eliminate favorites history. Whether all or
> some of the options were checked or unchecked and delete history was
> invoked, favorite history remained. Your help greatly appreciated, but
> please explain your initial comments, and let me know if there is any
> other possibility why I cannot eliminate favorites history. Thank you.

As rob mentioned, and after supposedly deleting your history (with the
Preserve option NOT enabled), have you yet exited from IE and then checked
the contents of the TIF folder? Or is the "history" of which you speak not
as TIF files but as Address bar entries? If so, how long do you have for
retention of history (for web navigation)?

Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing History: Settings
Days to keep pages in history

Is it set to zero? It's also possible that there is something in your
software setup that you haven't mentioned that is locking or retaining files
in the TIF folder, like you're using a sandbox (so the TIF folder you are
looking at in your file system is not the virtualized TIF folder used inside
the sandbox), privacy guard, or other security software. Maybe this is for
a host in a corporate environment where policies get pushed that disable the
clearing of the TIF folder or removing of navigation history. Could be the
history is for some 3rd party software, like a search toolbar that you
installed into IE. Just WHERE is this "history" that you want to eliminate?

If you want to keep your history of navigation around for awhile but
periodically clear it, get CCleaner. You can use it to clean out all the
TIF and history from IE. You can right-click on the Recycle Bin to have
convenient access to running CCleaner or use a shortcut on the Desktop or in
a toolbar in the Windows taskbar. Plus you could create a scheduled task
that runs sometime during the night while you are sleeping and also on
Windows login (i.e., a multiple scheduled event). That way you could keep
some history between separate IE sessions during your Windows session, have
it cleared using a scheduled task (which could also wait until your host
goes idles for some minimum number of minutes), and have it cleared if you
power down and upon next login under your Windows account.

 

First of all, thank you for your patience in continuing to solve this
problem: I appreciate it.
Please see my responses to your questions embedded below:
"VanguardLH" <V@nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:hp3snj$rb9$1@news.albasani.net...
> Abradaxis wrote:
>
>> - I believe I changed the compose for newsgroups to be in plain text as
>> requested. End of problem 1.
>> - Please advise where I can find the option of not posting with
>> quoted-printable format, or further elaborate this requirement
>
> In the same config panel where you switched from HTML to plain text,
> there
> are buttons for futhering configuring the settings for HTML and plain
> text
> compose modes. Under plain text settings (for newsgroup posts), make
> sure
> MIME is set to None, not to quoted-printable. It may already be setup
> that
> way since your 2nd post did not use quoted-printable format.
**************
I made sure that "quoted prinatable" was not a selected option where you
requested.
>
>> - Using Internet Options->General tab->Browsing History->Delete did not
>> remove ALL history. Regular site history was eliminated, but favorite
>> history was not eliminated. Preserve option was not clicked, although
>> all
>> the rest were. This did not eliminate favorites history. Whether all or
>> some of the options were checked or unchecked and delete history was
>> invoked, favorite history remained. Your help greatly appreciated, but
>> please explain your initial comments, and let me know if there is any
>> other possibility why I cannot eliminate favorites history. Thank you.
>
> As rob mentioned, and after supposedly deleting your history (with the
> Preserve option NOT enabled), have you yet exited from IE and then
> checked
> the contents of the TIF folder? Or is the "history" of which you speak
> not
> as TIF files but as Address bar entries? If so, how long do you have
> for
> retention of history (for web navigation)?
> **************
Days to keep history was set by me to 0 trying every option I could think
up. It still did not work.
> Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing History: Settings
> Days to keep pages in history
>
> Is it set to zero? It's also possible that there is something in your
> software setup that you haven't mentioned that is locking or retaining
> files
> in the TIF folder, like you're using a sandbox (so the TIF folder you
> are
> looking at in your file system is not the virtualized TIF folder used
> inside
> the sandbox), privacy guard, or other security software. Maybe this is
> for
> a host in a corporate environment where policies get pushed that disable
> the
> clearing of the TIF folder or removing of navigation history. Could be
> the
> history is for some 3rd party software, like a search toolbar that you
> installed into IE. Just WHERE is this "history" that you want to
> eliminate?
> **************
I did a search for the TIF folder but could not find it. Where is the TIF
folder so I can examine it please?
> If you want to keep your history of navigation around for awhile but
> periodically clear it, get CCleaner. You can use it to clean out all
> the
> TIF and history from IE. You can right-click on the Recycle Bin to have
> convenient access to running CCleaner or use a shortcut on the Desktop
> or in
> a toolbar in the Windows taskbar. Plus you could create a scheduled
> task
> that runs sometime during the night while you are sleeping and also on
> Windows login (i.e., a multiple scheduled event). That way you could
> keep
> some history between separate IE sessions during your Windows session,
> have
> it cleared using a scheduled task (which could also wait until your host
> goes idles for some minimum number of minutes), and have it cleared if
> you
> power down and upon next login under your Windows account.
**************
I certainly could get CC Cleaner (I think I have an older version on my
pc, but I would like to eliminate my problem before resorting to
additional programs. I am a stanalone user with a non-networked pc. I am
not running in a sandbox, and my security setting is Zonealarm, and Norton
Antivirus; pretty standard.

The history I speak of consists of a list of favorites and their addresses
recently visited, favorite sites on the left, and site addresses on the
right, with a down arrow on the top right, which, when clicked on, reveals
a lot more favorites listed as above, most not visited recently. On older
IE versions, once you clicked "delete browsing history," it was gone! Now
there are these residual sites which leave a lot more information than is
wanted. Before going to CC Cleaner, please help me locate my TIF folder
and let me know if my elaboration of the problem has given you any
additional hints. Thanks again.

 

Abradaxis wrote:

> I did a search for the TIF folder but could not find it. Where is the TIF
> folder so I can examine it please?

Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing history: Settings

It's right there. Note that I am *NOT* the type that likes to handhold
children to guide them around when they could go look for themselves.
Expend some effort to look before asking.

> I certainly could get CC Cleaner (I think I have an older version on my
> pc, but I would like to eliminate my problem before resorting to
> additional programs.

Since it is free, I'd suggest downloading and installing the latest version
of CCleaner.

> I am a stanalone user with a non-networked pc.

If this is a standalone host (which means it is not networked), why do you
care about some "history". You can't create any history because you cannot
connect anywhere.

> I am
> not running in a sandbox, and my security setting is Zonealarm, and Norton
> Antivirus; pretty standard.

I'm not personally familiar with those security programs. As an example,
some security software will use a sandbox without telling you, like Comodo's
firewall which uses a sandbox for unknown apps (or those you put into a list
to get sandboxed). It's the same sandbox for all those unknown or listed
apps and it doesn't get cleared out. Every time you re-run those same apps
in the sandbox, they can get at their same data inside that sandbox, like
the isolated copy of the TIF folder for a web browser. So you see the
history when you run the app because it is inside the sandbox where it can
get at the old data left inside that sandbox. Some sandboxes will
automatically purge all their data (because the sandbox gets destroyed and
then created anew each time) while some don't let you do the cleanup or make
you do it manually.

You could disable or uninstall those programs to then retest if the history
is getting retained for the web browser. However, before doing that, simply
reboot into Windows' Safe Mode (with networking) to see if history is
getting retained across separate sessions of the web browser.

By the way, when you think you have exited the web browser, have you
unloaded ALL instances of it? When you think you have exited all instances
of the web browser, go into the Processes tab in Task Manager to check if
there are any remnant processes for the web browser. For IE, look for
iexplore.exe. It's possible that a copy of the web browser is being left
loaded in memory. The history cleanup occurs with the LAST instance of the
web browser gets exited.

> The history I speak of consists of a list of favorites and their addresses
> recently visited, favorite sites on the left, and site addresses on the
> right, with a down arrow on the top right, which, when clicked on, reveals
> a lot more favorites listed as above, most not visited recently. On older
> IE versions, once you clicked "delete browsing history," it was gone! Now
> there are these residual sites which leave a lot more information than is
> wanted. Before going to CC Cleaner, please help me locate my TIF folder
> and let me know if my elaboration of the problem has given you any
> additional hints. Thanks again.

That history has nothing to do with the contents of the TIF folder. What
you describe is not a history at all. It is a search through your Favorites
list to match on what you type. It is a new search feature (which gets
expanded even further if you have installed Windows Search in Windows XP or
as part of Vista/7).

Internet Options -> Content -> AutoComplete: Settings

If you don't want to see those searched items shown in the drop-down list
for the Address bar in IE8, then don't enable the sub-options under "Address
Bar". The "Browsing History" should disappear after the retention you
configured for browsing history. If you don't want to see items in the
drop-down list from your Favorites list show up here, then uncheck the
"Favorites" sub-option. If you have Windows Search installed on your host
but don't want to see those entries, uncheck the "Use Windows Search for
better results" sub-option.

 

Well, your help finally paid off. It turned out to be the autocomplete of
the favorites used to get to certain sites. By carefully changing the
Autocomplete settings and deleting the "history" I managed to get rid of
all the unwanted information. You were very patient and persistent, and I
certainly appreciate your help. Poking around with all the features of IE8
myself might have done the trick, but maybe not. In spite of your
scolding, I was able to solve my problem, and learn an awful lot about IE.
Sorry if my persistence created undue effort on your part, but please
believe me that it was very valuable and, if I haven't said it before,
greatly appreciated! Although compared to you, I'm no more than a newbie,
I make an effort to teach those of my neighbors in my community that need
help, and are even more in the dark than I am. So I do my part in passing
on what little I know. Thanks once more for your help.
"VanguardLH" <V@nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:hp5ddg$gvm$1@news.albasani.net...
> Abradaxis wrote:
>
>> I did a search for the TIF folder but could not find it. Where is the
>> TIF
>> folder so I can examine it please?
>
> Internet Options -> General tab -> Browsing history: Settings
>
> It's right there. Note that I am *NOT* the type that likes to handhold
> children to guide them around when they could go look for themselves.
> Expend some effort to look before asking.
>
>> I certainly could get CC Cleaner (I think I have an older version on my
>> pc, but I would like to eliminate my problem before resorting to
>> additional programs.
>
> Since it is free, I'd suggest downloading and installing the latest
> version
> of CCleaner.
>
>> I am a stanalone user with a non-networked pc.
>
> If this is a standalone host (which means it is not networked), why do
> you
> care about some "history". You can't create any history because you
> cannot
> connect anywhere.
>
>> I am
>> not running in a sandbox, and my security setting is Zonealarm, and
>> Norton
>> Antivirus; pretty standard.
>
> I'm not personally familiar with those security programs. As an
> example,
> some security software will use a sandbox without telling you, like
> Comodo's
> firewall which uses a sandbox for unknown apps (or those you put into a
> list
> to get sandboxed). It's the same sandbox for all those unknown or
> listed
> apps and it doesn't get cleared out. Every time you re-run those same
> apps
> in the sandbox, they can get at their same data inside that sandbox,
> like
> the isolated copy of the TIF folder for a web browser. So you see the
> history when you run the app because it is inside the sandbox where it
> can
> get at the old data left inside that sandbox. Some sandboxes will
> automatically purge all their data (because the sandbox gets destroyed
> and
> then created anew each time) while some don't let you do the cleanup or
> make
> you do it manually.
>
> You could disable or uninstall those programs to then retest if the
> history
> is getting retained for the web browser. However, before doing that,
> simply
> reboot into Windows' Safe Mode (with networking) to see if history is
> getting retained across separate sessions of the web browser.
>
> By the way, when you think you have exited the web browser, have you
> unloaded ALL instances of it? When you think you have exited all
> instances
> of the web browser, go into the Processes tab in Task Manager to check
> if
> there are any remnant processes for the web browser. For IE, look for
> iexplore.exe. It's possible that a copy of the web browser is being
> left
> loaded in memory. The history cleanup occurs with the LAST instance of
> the
> web browser gets exited.
>
>> The history I speak of consists of a list of favorites and their
>> addresses
>> recently visited, favorite sites on the left, and site addresses on the
>> right, with a down arrow on the top right, which, when clicked on,
>> reveals
>> a lot more favorites listed as above, most not visited recently. On
>> older
>> IE versions, once you clicked "delete browsing history," it was gone!
>> Now
>> there are these residual sites which leave a lot more information than
>> is
>> wanted. Before going to CC Cleaner, please help me locate my TIF folder
>> and let me know if my elaboration of the problem has given you any
>> additional hints. Thanks again.
>
> That history has nothing to do with the contents of the TIF folder.
> What
> you describe is not a history at all. It is a search through your
> Favorites
> list to match on what you type. It is a new search feature (which gets
> expanded even further if you have installed Windows Search in Windows XP
> or
> as part of Vista/7).
>
> Internet Options -> Content -> AutoComplete: Settings
>
> If you don't want to see those searched items shown in the drop-down
> list
> for the Address bar in IE8, then don't enable the sub-options under
> "Address
> Bar". The "Browsing History" should disappear after the retention you
> configured for browsing history. If you don't want to see items in the
> drop-down list from your Favorites list show up here, then uncheck the
> "Favorites" sub-option. If you have Windows Search installed on your
> host
> but don't want to see those entries, uncheck the "Use Windows Search for
> better results" sub-option.

 

On Sat, 3 Apr 2010 16:19:26 -0400, "Abradaxis"
<jsindler@career-objectives.com> wrote:

>Poking around with all the features of IE8
>myself might have done the trick, but maybe not


I'd blame it on MS, not yourself. Having a moderately well hidden
option from ALL the other history removal options/features is idiotic
- but not unexpected from MS.