This article shows you how to clear the Windows history of recently used applications and programs, the "File Explorer" window, computer searches, and web browsing.
Steps
Part 1 of 7: Clear the History of Recently Used Apps
Step 1. Select the Windows taskbar with the right mouse button
It is usually located on the underside of the desktop. This will display the relevant context menu.
Step 2. Choose the Task Management option
It is one of the items located at the bottom of the menu that appeared.
Alternatively, press the key combination Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + Esc
Step 3. Go to the Application History tab
It is one of the tabs at the top of the "Task Manager" dialog.
Step 4. Select the blue link Delete Usage History
It is located in the upper left of the "Application History" tab. In this way the statistics relating to the use of the apps installed on the computer will be reset.
Part 2 of 7: Clearing the History of the File Explorer Window
Step 1. Open the "File Explorer" window by clicking the icon
It is characterized by a small folder and is located in the lower left part of the "Start" menu or on the left part of the taskbar.
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Alternatively, follow these instructions: access the menu Start clicking the icon
Windowsstart type in the keywords explore file, then click the icon File Explorer appeared at the top of the search results list.
Step 2. Go to the View tab
It is one of the tabs listed in the upper left of the "File Explorer" window. You will see the relative toolbar appear.
Step 3. Press the Options button
It features a square icon at the top right of the "File Explorer" window. This will bring up the "Folder Options" dialog box.
If pressing the button Options a drop-down menu appears, select the option Change folder and search options before continuing.
Step 4. Go to the General folder of the "Folder Options" window
It is located in the upper left corner of the latter.
Step 5. Press the Delete button
It is located within the "Privacy" section visible at the bottom of the "General" tab. In this way the history of searches carried out in the "File Explorer" window will be deleted.
All files and folders that you have entered in the "Quick Access" section of the "File Explorer" window will be deleted. To remove an item from the "Quick Access" section select it with the right mouse button and choose the option Remove from quick access placed in the menu that will appear.
Step 6. Consider not making future searches visible
Simply uncheck the "Show recently used files in Quick Access" and "Show recently used folders in Quick Access" checkboxes. In this way, all the searches you make in the future in the "File Explorer" window will not be stored.
Step 7. Press the OK button
It is located at the bottom of the "Folder Options" window. At this point the history of the "File Explorer" window should be empty.
Part 3 of 7: Clearing the Start Menu Search History
Step 1. Select Cortana's search bar
It is located on the left side of the Windows taskbar, exactly next to the button to open the "Start" menu. The Cortana dialog will appear.
If the indicated field is not visible, select the Windows taskbar with the right mouse button, choose the option Cortana, then select the item Show search bar.
Step 2. Click the icon
It is located on the left side of the appeared window. Cortana's configuration settings will appear.
Step 3. Go to the Permissions and History tab
It is located on the left side of the newly appeared dialog.
Step 4. Press the Clear Device History button
It is placed in the center of the window. This will clear your Cortana search history.
Step 5. Select the Search History Settings link
It is located at the bottom of the "Search History" section. This will bring up a Bing page listing all searches done in chronological order.
In order to have access to the page indicated, the device in use must be connected to the internet
Step 6. Press the View button and clear the search history
It's located at the top of the Bing page.
Step 7. Select the Clear Activity link
It is located at the top right of the page.
You may need to log in with your Microsoft account first by pressing the button Log in, located in the upper right corner of the page, and providing the relevant email address and security password. In this case, access the tab Activity history at the top of the window before continuing.
Step 8. Press the Delete button when prompted
This will remove all search results from the web from the Windows "Start" menu.
Part 4 of 7: Clear Chrome Browsing History
Step 1. Launch Google Chrome by clicking the icon
It is characterized by a red, yellow and green circle with a blue sphere in the center.
Step 2. Press the ⋮ button
It is located in the upper right corner of the browser window. The Chrome main menu will appear.
Step 3. Select the More Tools option
It is located at the bottom of the drop-down menu that appeared. A small submenu will appear.
Step 4. Choose the item Clear browsing data…
It is one of the options listed at the top of the new menu that appeared. The "Clear Browsing Data" dialog box will appear.
Step 5. Select the time range of the data to be deleted
Access the "Time Interval" drop-down menu at the top of the pop-up window, then select one of the available options (for example Last hour).
To delete all browsing history stored in Chrome choose the option All.
Step 6. Make sure the "Browsing history" and "Download history" check buttons are checked
Both of these items refer to the data that Chrome stores during normal web browsing.
Step 7. Press the Clear Data button
It is blue in color and located at the bottom of the pop-up window. This will delete the selected data from Chrome.
Part 5 of 7: Clear Firefox Browsing History
Step 1. Launch Firefox
Double-click the corresponding icon in the shape of a blue globe surrounded by an orange fox.
Step 2. Press the ☰ button
It is located in the upper right corner of the Firefox window.
Step 3. Choose the Library option
It is visible in the middle of the drop-down menu that appeared.
Step 4. Select the History item
It is one of the items at the top of the menu.
Step 5. Choose the option Clear recent history…
It is located at the top of the newly appeared menu. This will bring up a small pop-up window.
Step 6. Select the time range of the data to be deleted
Access the "Time to clear" drop-down menu at the top of the pop-up window, then select one of the available options (for example Last hour).
To delete all browsing history stored in Firefox choose the option All.
Step 7. Press the "Details" button
It has a down arrow icon and is located on the left of the "Details" section. A new pane will appear.
Step 8. Select the "Browsing and Download History" checkbox
It is located at the top of the "Details" pane that appeared.
Select or deselect the other options present according to your needs
Step 9. Press the Clear Now button
It is located at the bottom of the window. In this way the selected data, relating to the chosen time interval, will be deleted from Firefox.
Part 6 of 7: Erasing Edge's Browsing History
Step 1. Launch Microsoft Edge
It features a dark blue icon with a white "e" inside (in some cases simply a dark blue "e").
Step 2. Press the ⋯ button
It's located at the top right of the Edge window. The browser main menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Choose the Settings item
It is the last option in the drop-down menu that appeared.
Step 4. Scroll down the appeared menu and press the Choose items to delete button
It is located within the "Clear Browsing Data" section.
Step 5. Make sure the "Browsing history" and "Download history" checkboxes are checked
According to your needs, you can select or deselect the other items in the menu. However, to delete the Edge history simply select the two items indicated.
Step 6. Press the Delete button
It is located in the center of the menu. This will clear Edge's web browsing and download history.
Part 7 of 7: Clear Internet Explorer Browsing History
Step 1. Launch Internet Explorer
Click the relevant icon with a light blue "e".
Step 2. Choose the "Settings" option by clicking the icon
It is located in the upper right corner of the Internet Explorer window. The browser main menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Choose the Security option
It is one of the items at the top of the drop-down menu that appeared. A small submenu will appear.
Step 4. Choose the Delete browsing history… item
It is the first option of the small menu that appeared from the top.
Step 5. Make sure the two check buttons "History" and "Download History" are selected
This will delete Internet Explorer browsing history data.
Step 6. Press the Delete button
It is placed at the bottom of the window. Internet Explorer browsing and download history will be cleared.
