How to Erase History on Computer Using CCleaner

Erase history on your computer to protect yourself from snoops and thieves.

Hackers and identity thieves are always on the lookout for personal information. Even the prying eyes of a nosy friend or family member can pick up on your Internet browsing history. Take steps to protect your privacy against these pitfalls. Erase history on a computer using free software called CCleaner, an optimizing and cleaning tool that quickly erases history files stored on your computer, deletes cookies placed by websites and removes search history from your browser. It also deletes old, unused files, making your computer quicker and less likely to bog down while running programs.

Things You'll Need

• CCleaner software

Instructions

1. Download CCleaner (see Resources for link). Click "Download" next to the CCleaner icon and choose to download the file from FileHippo.com or Piriform.com. When the download window opens, click "Run" and follow the on-screen instructions for installation on your computer. Open CCleaner from your start menu by clicking the "Start" button, then "CCleaner" in the Programs menu.

2. Click the paintbrush icon labeled "CCleaner" in the top left corner of the CCleaner window. In the "Windows" tab, place a check next to all the Windows applications you wish to clean. Check the component "Internet Explorer" if you are concerned about your Internet Explorer browsing history and cookies. Click the "Applications" tab and select all the installed applications for which you wish to perform cleaning and optimization. Select the options under any additional browsers like Safari, Opera or Chrome if applicable.

3. Click "Analyze" at the bottom of the CCleaner window and wait while CCleaner creates a list of files for deletion. The list will include temporary Internet files, cookies, Internet cache and history and even your computer's recycle bin. Click "Run Cleaner", then "OK", to proceed with cleaning. Wait for the status bar to reach 100% and then review the files that were deleted.

4. Click the "Registry" icon in the left side of the CCleaner window. Leave all items checked and then click "Scan for Issues". Wait for CCleaner to create a list of registry problems found on your computer's hard drive. Click "Fix selected issues..." to perform a registry clean. Click "Yes" in the pop-up window and save a backup record of the changes in case you need to reverse them later. Click "Fix issues", wait for status bar to reach 100%, then click "Close".

Tips & Warnings

• The "Tools" icon allows you to uninstall programs and enable or disable start-up items in Windows. Save system resources by uninstalling or turning off programs that you do not use often.

• Always save a backup file when performing a registry cleaning. Deleting or fixing the suggested registry items rarely causes problems, although it is possible.

References

• Piriform CCleaner: Quick Tour
• Piriform Docs: CCleaner Documentation
• Piriform CCleaner: FAQ

Resources

• Piriform CCleaner Download
• Piriform Community Forums