Advanced Internet Explorer History

One way to clear your Internet Explorer history is to use an advanced registry technique. You can alter your Internet Explorer registry key to clear all the web addresses from your address box and remove all your browsing history.

Warning

Altering a registry key can be disastrous if done incorrectly. Only try this advanced IE tip if you're familiar with working with registry keys and you know how to back up and restore Windows registry information.

Function

All the web addresses you've typed into the address bar are stored in a registry key named "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Typed URLs." You can go in and delete them and they won't appear in your address box anymore.

Significance

You can clear your cached history by going to the Control Panel and clicking on "Internet Options" and then "Clear History." This will clear the history from your IE history menu, but any addresses you've visited can still appear in the address box unless you clear the registry key.

Considerations

Before you attempt an advanced technique like deleting registry key information, Microsoft Support recommends backing up your registry key and becoming familiar with how to restore it.

References

• Microsoft: How to Clear the History Entries in Internet Explorer