How to Undo my Search History on the Internet

Clearing your web browsing history on a regular basis can speed up your computer and keep your web activty private.

Regularly clearing your search history is a good idea. Each time you visit a website, a footprint of that website remains on your computer even after you close the window. Some websites will leave cookies on your computer, which upon your return to the website, enable it to detect that you've been there before. Your history is stored in folders on your computer, and if not cleared these folders can eat up hard drive space. Inputted data, such as search queries and other personal information, are also stored on your computer. This data can be cleared from your web browser, even if you aren't connected to the Internet.

Instructions

Internet Explorer and Firefox

1. Open Internet Explorer or Firefox.

2. Press "CTRL + SHIFT + DEL" simultaneously.

3. Place a check mark next to each item you would like to delete. If you are using Firefox, select how far back you would like to delete by using the "Time range to clear" drop-down menu. Recommended items to delete include Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, History and Form Data. Form Data will clear all of your previous searches and History will clear all of the previous websites visited.

4. Click "Delete" in Internet Explorer or click "Clear Now" in Firefox to delete the selected items. The window will close automatically.

Safari (Mac Users)

1. Open Safari.

2. Click "Safari" in the top-left corner of the screen.

3. Click "Reset Safari."

Tips & Warnings

• Clearing your web history will still allow your employer to view your web history if your computer is monitored, so be careful when surfing the web at work.

References

• Tech Recipies: Safari: How to Clear the Google Search Box History
• Mozilla: Clear Recent History
• Microsoft: How to Clear the History Entries in Internet Explorer