Clean Search History

Ever notice how when you go to Google or another search engine and begin to enter in a new search that your past search entries show up? This is a design that compromises your privacy. If you share a PC with other family members or co-workers, they can see your search phrases just as easily.

If you are entering searches with phrases such as “Help Wanted Ads” your employer can be tipped off of your desire to find a new job. Likewise, any search phrase you enter can be displayed to others. Stop the snoops from jumping to conclusions about you and delete past searches once and for all.

When you clean search history, you delete previous searches from displaying in the form box of the search engines. This prevents other users from entering in a letter and seeing a search phrase that begins with the same letter. In fact, users can simply enter the letter “a” into a search bar and see an entire list of all search phrases from a through z.

How to Erase Search History

Now that you see how the search text box can give away your secrets and reveal your search phrases to anyone who uses your PC, you’ll want to take a few steps to both erase the search history and to prevent it from continuing to be a problem.

If you use Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. You’ll first want to clear all the temporary Internet items and then you’ll want to change your settings so these entries are continually being saved. First, go to the General tab where you’ll see either the Temporary Internet Files section with options to Delete Files, Delete Cookies and Clear History, or the Browsing History Section with a Delete button. Depending on your version of Internet Explore either choose to Delete Files, Delete Cookies, and Clear History or choose the Delete button then delete all the options in the next screen.

Once you’ve deleted the files, next go to the Content tab found in Internet Options. Find the section labeled “Auto Complete” and choose Settings. Remove the check marks from all the boxes and click OK.

Other browsers allow you to clear history too. You’ll often find these options under Settings menus or Preferences menus. For example, in AOL you’ll go to Settings, Preferences, Toolbars and Sounds, and finally Clear History Trail Now.

This is not the most complete solution to your search history problems because Windows also stores such entries in hidden system files that tech-savvy users can access if they so desire with readily available tools and advice found on the Internet. To completely cover your Internet browsing tracks, you need a more comprehensive solution such as a solution provided by Privacy Controls or WinClear.

These programs are designed to thoroughly protect your privacy and can erase all kinds of search entries including desktop Google searches, desktop Yahoo searches, MSN searches, AOL searches and many more.