Delete History and Data From Your PC With Privacy Software

Data stored on the computer can be very bad for privacy, there are a lot of data theft cases that are reported every year and most of it is due to the lack of security. The software apparatus on our personal computers are still suspect and are not up to the mark. The operating systems that we use to run our computers usually tend to store information and files in the temporary folders for many administrative purposes like backup etc. But the downside to this is that the data stored on our personal computers can be viewed by anyone who has access to it.

This situation can be overcome by using the best privacy software. It can be fairly puzzling looking at the variety of types of privacy software on the market today.  This article can hopefully clarify some of the features to help you make a decision as to what is right for you.

There are two main types of privacy software that is available today in the market.  The first set protects your home PC and data stored there, this include the web browsing history, cookies, local images and files linked with your internet surfing patterns etc. These also concentrate on the removal of malicious software and the deletion of the data that you deem not required completely from your system. Internet traces are some of the most vital data that remains on the system and can cause a lot of privacy issues, therefore it is prudent to use such software.

The second collection of products in the privacy software market is those that defend your associations and privacy online.   You may not be conscious but every time you make use of the internet everything you do is logged and can be traced back to your PC via its IP address.  Every information from a simple E-mail to a complex transaction can be traced an intercepted in the middle and also can be found in your system; this can be dangerous. The internet privacy software products in this domain tend to centre on one or two of these areas. Below mentioned are some of the features that you ought to look before choosing the software of your choice. You can delete data using both of them but the ones that you choose must have the following features.

1) Deleting history and files – Many of the products in the market do not delete hidden or protected data in the computer, many also leave out subfolders and files with different extensions and thus leave traces of data on your computer. The software that you choose must have the ability to find and destroy all the files and folders that you have chosen irrespective of whether they are hidden or protected.

2) Completely deleting history and data – Many privacy software products proclaim that they can delete and shred the data you want deleted completely, but there is little truth to the actual working and you may later find that it is in fact not deleted completely. Therefore, you have to pick software that overwrites the previous data with random digits to make it completely unreadable to anyone.

Reasons to Delete Computer History

Deleting Computer History is one of the many steps that have to be taken by computer users to make sure their data does not reach the wrong hands. The data available on a computer can be incriminating evidence against a person in a court of law, many people have suffered the consequences of not deleting their computer history data soon enough and getting caught in things that they have no association with, many a times a computer can be hacked and used by the people around you without your knowledge, and in these circumstances, if you fail to delete the data accessed by them in that session, you could be held responsible for the data on that computer. It is not only the Internet files and history that is of importance to delete but also the files stored in the “index.dat” file on a windows machine, this is because, the “index.dat” file stores the information about all the files and directories you accessed and also the information about the different programs that you executed on your computer.

Unfortunately, many people postpone and relax when it comes to deleting personal history on their computer. Leaving traces of private data on your computer without proper protection and care can sometimes cause huge damages, we have time and again seen many big banking frauds occur due to the negligence of the computer users, the past documents accessed by you can give a lot more information that you imagined is possible. The computer history has to be cleared regularly to avoid the hiccups in computer software and thus stay safe from intruders and people who are after the digital data you possess.

If you are using a computer that is shared or public, it becomes paramount that you delete the history every time you finish a session, this gives you complete immunity to data theft and also ensures that your data remains yours. Hidden files are another area that has to be rectified carefully, the hidden files are not hidden from everything, for instance, it takes about a few clicks to view all the hidden files in a windows machine, thus compromising your security and privacy to a large extent.

The best way to maintain proper security in your own computer is to regularly delete computer history stored in it, you can either do it manually or use software that can do the job for you. Since your computer maintains an index of everything you do on the computer, it is prudent that you delete this “virtual diary” that has propped up without your permission. Your footprints can land you in trouble even if you have not been doing anything illegal, the world of computers is complex and thus there are lots of things that can be considered illegal that could very well sound more than legal. Therefore, the safest bet is to regularly clean all the computer’s private and personal history.

Most of us do not do anything immoral or illegal with the use of the computer, but it does not mean we have to compromise on security and privacy, everyone has got the right to defend his/her information. It is of great value to delete all computer history when ever possible.

What is Internet History Eraser?

Storing internet history on your computer without deleting it for a long time can prove to be fatal, internet history can be dangerous if anyone other than you get access to it, and the easiest way of making sure that it does not happen is to delete the history. Many people who use the internet forget that all the usage patterns and the websites you visited get logged and saved as internet history files, it even stores the information about the images and videos that you might have seen on the internet. This log of private data is not desirable to be in someone else’s hand.

Internet history eraser is a software that erases the internet history from your computer completely, although there are many ways to delete the internet history manually, it has been proved that most of those method are inadequate and do not erase the data and information completely, this can be very dangerous as the data can be retrieved and the person can still lose his/her privacy and right to secrecy. Internet history eraser erases all the files from the computer completely; it makes sure that the data is completely erased leaving no traces behind.

Internet history eraser software is one of kind software that uses modern technology to its utmost use. Internet history eraser is compatible with many of the browsers that are available in the market today. It searches for the history documents and completely deletes them all. Most of the browsers store that internet history files in hidden files and folders, this software searches for the files and folders and deletes them all. It even searches for those files that are not marked as history files but contain internet history information.

Different browsers have different ways to store the hidden files, with the invention of embedding the search tab inside the browser window itself, it has become prudent that the search terms and associated data is stored somewhere in the local computer, these files are stored separately from the other history files. These data can be crucial as it can reveal a lot of information if it falls into the wrong hands. The internet history remover software finds such index files that store the search terms and delete it completely.

Many users fail to recognize the importance of deleting the internet history data. Most importantly, many people fail to recognize that data once deleted is not completely deleted and it leaves certain traces that can be used to get back the data. This is the main reason why so many people are convicted every year for the data found on their computer that pertains to illegal websites and services, sometimes you might have opened a website just by accident or it could have been a pop up, but the history would still show that you had visited the site. This kind of inaccuracies does not only bring in wasteful data and clog your system but also gets you into trouble.

Clear the Windows Run History (recently run programs)

Most of us use the “run” option in the start menu to open programs. If you are using a public computer such as in a cyber café, office or any other establishment, other users can easily see what programs you have used from the run history dialog box. Windows tracks all the programs you run using the “run” option in the start menu and store it as a list. Others who have access to the computer can easily access the programs that you tried to run using the run option. You have to compromise your privacy, if you do not clear the windows run history. You can clear Windows run history manually or using some special software. Nowadays, several software products are available in the market which can help you in cleaning the run history easily.

Why you should clean the Windows run history?

It is recommended to erase Windows run history before leaving the computer because any other people who have access to the computer can see the list of programs that you have used. If you are a person who gives at most importance to privacy then you have to clean the Windows run history on daily basis.

Where the Windows run history stored?

Windows run history includes the programs and files you recently run using the “run” option in the start menu. Usually, the Windows run history is stored in the registry in the location:
“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.”

How to erase Windows run history ?

If you are a person who uses the “run” option in the start menu frequently to open programs, you will see a run history on the run list. The run history contains all the previous commends you have typed in the “run” text filed. Same as the autocomplete feature, this run history also save your time by eliminating the need for typing a command or path that you have previously typed.

If you are using a private computer then this feature is good for you. Otherwise, it will seriously affect your privacy. You can manually erase the Windows run history by editing the registry. Follow the steps below to do so:

• Click the “Start” button on the bottom left of the screen.
• Select “Run” from the list.
• Type “regedit” in the text filed and press enter to run the registry editor.
• Go to the location: “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.” You can see the list of programs you have run using run command in the right panel of the window.
• Select the program you want to delete and click “delete” or select edit -> delete.
• Click “Yes” to confirm.
• Close the registry editor to continue.

You have to restart Windows to apply the changes. Do not edit registry, if you do not have a good idea about what you are going to do. If you change the registry settings incorrectly, it may corrupt the operating system. It is better to take a backup of the registry before making any changes in the registry. If anything goes wrong, you can restore the computer to the previous state with the help of the backup.

Editor’s Comment:
Recently new software has been released that can automatically erase all your computer activity for you.
For a list of the top brands of this new software. Click here to read our privacy software reviews.

How to Clear Start Menu Programs

When you search files using “search option” in the start menu, Windows keeps the information regarding the last files you have searched and the items you have searched on those files. Any others who use this function can easily see what you have searched for and this will affect your privacy and security. You can see the ‘Files & Folders’ and ‘Computers’ search history when you open the “search results” window (Start  Search  Files & Folders or Start  Search  Computers). In some cases, the search history is not visible in the “Search results” window. But, it will be there in the windows registry and can be accessed easily.

What is Windows Start Menu Run history?

When you open a program from the “start menu”, windows stores the date and number of times you used the program as an encrypted database. If you are a person who takes care of your privacy and security then it is required to erase user assist data regularly. If you do not delete the UserAssist data, it also affects the performance of the system. When the number of entries in the registry increases, it slows down the system performance.

Windows stores full run history in the registry location:

“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist”

How to erase windows start menu run history (recently opened programs)?

As all of us know, Windows keeps a list of last searched files using the “search” option in the start menu. This will affect your privacy, if you are a person who likes to keep your files and documents private. It is recommended to clear the start menu run history before leaving the computer, especially when you use a public computer in an internet café or office. Otherwise, others who have access to the computer can easily see what files and document you searched for in the computer. You can erase start menu run history both manually and using some special software. Several software products are now available in the market which can easily erase start menu run history.

How to erase start menu run history on Windows Vista:

Follow the below instructions to erase the recently run programs list from your computer with Windows Vista as the operating system.

•    Click the “start” button on the bottom left position of the screen.
•    Select “settings” from the list
•    Click on ‘Taskbar and Start Menu Properties’ on the right panel.
•    Click to open ‘Start menu’ tab.
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click the “clear” button to erase all the recently run programs.
•    Click “ok” to proceed with the process of clearing start menu run history.

How to erase start menu run history on Windows XP:

Follow the below instructions to erase the recently run programs list from your computer with Windows XP as the operating system.

•    Right click on the “start” button on the bottom left of the screen.
•    Select “properties” from the list
•    Click on “Start menu” tab.
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click the “clear” button to erase all the recently run programs.
•    Click “ok” to go forward with the process of clearing start menu run history.

Editor’s Comment:

It is no longer necessary to clear start menu programs manually.
Now there is software that can automatically clear all your start menu programs  for you.
For a list of the ones we’ve found to work the best, be sure to read this article on Privacy Software.

How to Clear Temporary Folders (temporary files directory)

Windows Temporary Folder keeps temporary files of Windows and other programs. If you do not delete the temporary folders in time, it will become cluttered. This folder usually stores the temp files of programs that you have installed, files from programs you no longer have installed, temp files from web pages and files which can violate your privacy.

Where is Temporary Internet Files folder located?

Each and every version of Windows have Temporary Internet Files folder, but the location of this folder may differ from version to version.

If your system is installed with Windows Vista, you can find the Temporary Internet Files Folder in either of in these locations

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Low\

If your system is installed with Windows XP/2000 then you can find Temporary Internet Files Folder in the below location:

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\

If you are using Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 95 then the Temporary Internet Files Folder will be there in either of the below locations:

C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ or C:\Windows\Profiles\\Temporary Internet Files\

Note: The main thing to note is that in your computer the Windows may not be installed in the “C” drive, it may be in some other drive. In this case you have to look at the drive in which the Windows directory exists to find out the Temporary Internet Files Folder.

In most cases, the temporary files are automatically closed and deleted when you quit the Windows session. If you quit Windows in an irregular way such as restarting the Windows or turning off the computer while it was running, the temporary files will not be closed or deleted.

How to erase Windows temporary files Folder manually?

Windows Temporary files are used to store the data of the running programs and these files are stored in the temporary files folder. You can erase the temporary files folder either manually or using some special software. Several software products are now available online to ease the temporary files folder. Most of the temp files got deleted automatically when you exit the program you run. Some of the temporary files created may remain undeleted in the hard disc drive due to the irregular shut down or restart.

Follow the below steps to erase Windows Temporary Files folder, if you are a Windows XP/2000/ME/NT/98/95 or Windows 95 user:

• Open “start” menu on the left bottom of the screen.
• Select “search” on the list which appears.
• Then select “For Files or folders” on the right panel of ‘search’.
• Choose “All files and folders”.
• In the file name filed type “*.tmp” to find out the files with “tmp” extension.
• Click “Search Now”
• Delete all the temporary files that appear in the right panel.

Most of the temporary files have “.tmp” extension and begins with (~). Some temp files come with other extensions instead of “.tmp”. You cannot delete these files easily by searching for “*.tmp”. It is better to delete the temp files by directly entering the temporary files directory or using some other special software available.

Editor’s Comment:

It is no longer necessary to erase your temporary folders history manually.
There is a new type of software that can automatically erase all temporary files for you.
For a list of the ones we’ve found to work the best, be sure to read this article on Internet Erasing Software.

How To Clear Recently the Opened Documents File In Windows

Windows always keeps a record of documents and files that you have opened recently. Others who use your computer can easily access your documents and files you worked with and can change them without your permission. So, always make sure that you erased the recent documents list before leaving the computer, especially when you are using a public computer in a cyber café or any other establishments. You can erase the recent documents list either manually or using any of the special software available. Several software products are now available online that can remove the recent document list and thereby protect your privacy and security.

Why you should clean recent documents list?

Each and every document you open can be easily accessed from the “Document” tab in the start menu. If you are person who gives at most importance to your privacy and security then clear recently opened documents list every time you leave the computer. Otherwise you have to compromise your privacy and security because others can easily take the files you accessed and make changes to your data without your permission.

How to clean recent documents list on Windows XP/2000?

How to erase recent documents on Windows XP?

Follow the below instruction to erase recently used documents list in Windows XP:

•    Make a right click on the “start” menu button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Click on the “Properties”.
•    Then select the “Customize” option.
•    Select the “Advanced” tab.
•    Click “Clear List” to clear the recent documents folder.
•    Click “ok” to proceed.

Note: This action deletes the recent documents list only; it won’t delete the original document.

How to erase recent documents on Windows 2000?

Follow the below instruction to erase recently used documents list in Windows 2000:

•    Click the start menu on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Select “settings” from the list.
•    Then select “Taskbar & Start Menu” from the right panel which appears.
•    Select the “advanced” tab.
•    Click “clear” button on the customize start menu area.
•    Click “ok” to move forward.

How to erase recent documents and recent items on Windows Vista?

You can see a list of recently used files in the “recent items” which is situated on the right side of the “start” menu. Recent Items will get installed with the Windows Vista as default; you can remove it to stop the operating system from storing the details of the recently opened documents. You can also replace the option back to action whenever you need. Once it becomes active, it will store list of recently opened documents and files again.

How to clear recently opened documents list on Windows Vista (Standard Start Menu)?

You can remove the documents and files history by following the steps below:

•    Click the “start” button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Right click ‘Recent items’ on the list.
•    Click ‘Clear Recent Items List’ to remove the documents and files history.

How to erase recently opened documents on Windows Vista Classic Start Menu?

You can remove the documents and files history by following the steps below:

•    Click the “start” button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Choose “settings” on the list.
•    Click on ‘Taskbar and Start Menu’.
•    Select ‘Start menu’ tab
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click “Clear” button to remove the documents and files history.
•    Click “ok” to proceed.

Editor’s Comment:

It is no longer necessary to erase your search history manually.
Now there is software that can automatically erase all your search history for you.
For a list of the ones we’ve found to work the best, be sure to read this article on Internet Erasing Software.

How Firefox Search History can be Erased Permanently?

What is Search History?

As all of us know, the computer tracks all our activities while browsing the internet. Using the stored files such as cookies, history file, graphics, cache and the back button of your browser, anybody can trace your surfing activities. If you do not like to disclose your activities during your surfing session, it is recommended to clear the search history before leaving the computer. You have to perform this task especially when you use a public computer in an internet café or office. If you didn’t clear the search history, your surfing data will stay stored in the computer and other people who have access to the computer can retrieve your surfing details including the images and videos that you have seen, files and documents that you accessed and lot more. It is better to take necessary steps to safeguard your privacy by erasing the search history before you leave the computer. You can clear the search history either manually or using special software which are available in the market.

How to erase Firefox search history?

You can easily erase Firefox search history manually. Make sure that you performed this task before leaving the computer.

You can follow the below mentioned instructions to clear the search history, if you are a Firefox 2.0 user.

* Choose the “Tools” menu from the top of the Firefox window.

* Choose “Options” on the bottom line of the dropdown list.

* Now, you have to select the second tab from right hand side named “Privacy”

* Click “Clear Now” button in the private area.

* A new window named “Clear Private Data” appears. Tick the check box with the caption “Saved form and Search History”.

* Click on “Clear Private Data Now” button.

* Click “ok” to end the process.

You can follow the below mentioned instructions to clear the search history, if you are a Firefox 1.x user.

* Select the “Tools” menu from the top of the Firefox window.

* Select “Options” on the bottom line of the dropdown list.

* Now, you have to select the second tab from right hand side named “Privacy”

* Click the “Saved Forms” tab.

* Click “Clear Saved Form Data Now” button.

* Click “ok” and proceed.

Same as other browsers, Firefox stores the browsing history on your hard disk drive. Your private data will not be deleted permanently after clearing search history manually. The data which are erased manually can be retrieved easily by other people. So, it is one of the major concerns for people who are giving significant importance to their data security and privacy. It’s high time to find a reliable option that can erase Firefox search history completely. According to experts in this filed, it is better to use some special software to erase the search history from your computer. Several search history erasing software are now available on the market. Search history erasing software can help you in deleting all the personal data that are stored in your computer. Using a history erasing software, you can simply erase your personal data permanently. The software helps you to permanently remove search history, remove the cache and each and every track of the web pages that you have taken during your internet surfing.

Editor’s Comment:

It is no longer necessary to erase your search history manually.
Now there is software that can automatically erase all your search history for you.
For a list of the ones we’ve found to work the best, be sure to read this article on Internet Erasing Software.

How To Erase Autocomplete Data In Firefox

What is Autocomplete Data?

Firefox stores all the information you type in a webpage using a special feature named AutoComplete. Every keystroke you make on a webpage or form during your surfing session will be stored in the computer including your name, e-mail address, password, user names, credit card information and all the things you tried to search in any of the search engines. AutoComplete is feature that can help you, but at the same time it can make harm to you. When you enter information in any of the web page form, autocomplete can help you by suggesting best possible matches of the word you are typing in a drop down list. The only thing you have to do at this time is simply select the appropriate word and press enter key. The correct word will appear in the box and this feature can save you time and effort.

When considering the case of security and privacy, autocomplete is not a good option for those who want to keep their information private. Most of the experts suggest disabling the autocomplete option in your computer or erasing the autocomplete history before leaving the computer, especially after using a public computer in an internet café or office. The main issue with autocomplete option is that others who have access to the computer can easily see and take the information that you need to keep private including your name, e-mail address, password, user names, credit card information and all the things you tried to search in any of the search engines.

Several malicious software products are now available in the internet for free. Using this type of software, one can retrieve your autocomplete data and even your passwords. So always keep in mind that it is better to erase the autocomplete data form before leaving the computer. You can erase it manually or using some special software available in the market. Manually erasing autocomplete data is not a good idea because all the information you enter will be stored in index.dat files. Software only can erase index.dat file, as this file is used by the operating system all the time.

How to remove Autocomplete data manually in Firefox?

How to erase autocomplete data data in Firefox 2.0?

• Select the “Tools” menu on the top of the Firefox window.
• Choose “Options” from the dropdown list appear after clicking.
• Click the second tab named “Privacy” on the new pop-up window
• Click “Clear Now” button on the private area.
• A new window “Clear Private Data” appears.
• Put check mark on the check box labeled “Saved form and Search History”
• Click “Clear Private Data Now” button on the same window.
• Click “OK” to proceed.

How to erase autocomplete data in Firefox 1.5?

• Select the “Tools” menu on the top of the Firefox window.
• Choose “Options” from the dropdown list appear after clicking.
• Click the second tab named “Privacy” on the new pop-up window
• Select on the “Saved Forms” tab.
• Click on “Clear Saved Form Data Now” button.
• Click “OK” to complete the process.

Software That Automatically Erases All Your Search History?

We put it to the test. Click Here to see if this type of Eraser Software Really can clear all your internet history.

How to Erase Passwords In Firefox

Does Firefox save passwords?

Firefox records all the information you type in a web page form including your name, password, e-mail address, credit card information and keywords you search in search engines. If you are a person who likes to keep your private data secret, then this would be a problem for you because others who access the computer can retrieve your private data easily. So, it is recommended to clear the password history in Firefox before you leave the computer you use. You should take extra care when you use public computers in browsing centers, offices or any other institutions. Firefox saves all your keystrokes in web page forms as autocomplete data. This feature has several positive points and at the same time there are some negative points too when we take security and privacy into consideration. You can’t keep your private data such as your name, password, e-mail address, credit card information and keywords you enter in search engines secret, if the autocomplete feature is enable on your computer. Several malicious software products are now available which can even retrieve your password stored in the autocomplete date. So, it is recommended to erase saved password history before leaving the computer. You can erase passwords either manually or using some other third party software.

Why you have to remove stored password?

All the web browsers including Firefox records all the keystrokes you make on each web page, if the autocomplete feature is enabled. As all of us know, autocomplete is a very helpful feature that Firefox have. When we type in web pages the autocomplete option gives us some best possible options in a dropdown list. So, we can select the accurate word from the list and save our valuable time. The autocomplete feature is helpful for us, but it may sometimes unfavorably affect security and privacy. If your password and usernames are stored in the computer, others who have access to the computer can easily login to the corresponding websites. They can even retrieve the password using some special malicious software which is available in the internet for free. So, always remember to erase the password history before you leave the computer, especially when you use public computers in browsing centers or any other offices.

How do I stop storing passwords in Firefox?

• Choose “tools” menu and click “options”.
• Select the “privacy” tab on the new window.
• Then open “saved passwords” category.
• Remove the mark on the check box named “remember passwords”.
• Click “OK” to continue.

How to manually erase stored passwords in Firefox?

How to erase passwords in Firefox 2.0:

• Choose “tools” menu and click “options”.
• Select the “privacy” tab on the new window.
• Click “clear now’ button in the private area.
• Then put a check mark on check box corresponding to the “Saved Passwords” and click “clear private data now” button.
• Click “OK” to proceed.

How to erase passwords in Firefox 1.5:

• Choose “tools” menu and click “options”.
• Select the “privacy” tab on the new window.
• Select “passwords” tab and then click “view saved passwords” button.
• Click “password saved” tab.
• Click “remove all” button for erasing all passwords. Otherwise, select the specific password you want to erase and click “remove” button.
• Click “OK” to proceed.

Software That Automatically Erases All Your Search History?

We put it to the test. Click Here to see if this type of Eraser Software Really works.

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