How to Delete Saved Passwords From a Computer

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Your operating system and programs store your passwords for all of the various sites and services you use. This approach can save time as it can minimize the need to manually type in every unique password for each site you visit. Although convenient, it does have its downsides. For privacy concerns, in certain instances, you may want to delete your saved passwords to prevent users from accessing confidential data.

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Windows Log In

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Step 1

Click "Start." Type "Credential Manager" in the search field and press "Enter." This opens a new window.

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Step 2

Locate the "Generic Credentials" section. This area contains saved log-in information for various programs and services installed on your computer.

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Step 3

Click the down arrow to expand the items you want to delete, and then click the blue "Remove from Vault" link.

Internet Explorer

Step 1

Click the "Start" button. Type "Internet Options" in the search field and then press "Enter."

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Step 2

Select the "General" tab, and click the "Delete…" button located in the "Browsing History" area. This runs a "Delete Browsing History" dialog on the screen.

Step 3

Click to check the selection box next to "Passwords," and then click "Delete." This deletes your saved passwords automatically and closes the second dialog. Click "OK" on the "Internet Properties" dialog to close the Internet Options component.

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Google Chrome

Step 1

Open Chrome. Press and hold the "CTRL," "Shift" and "Delete" keys simultaneously. This shortcut opens a "Clear Browsing Data" dialog.

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Step 2

Click to select the "Clear Saved Passwords" box.

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Step 3

Click the "Obliterate the Following…" drop-down menu, and select the "The Beginning of Time" option.

Step 4

Click "Clear Browsing Data," and then close Google Chrome.

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Mozilla Firefox

Step 1

Open a Run dialog by holding your "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously. Type "Firefox –preferences" and press "Enter." This opens "Options."

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Step 2

Click the "Security" icon on the "Options" dialog box.

Step 3

Click the "Saved Passwords…" button. This opens a dialog box containing a list of saved passwords.

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Step 4

Click the "Remove All" button, and then click "Close." This returns you to "Options." Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

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