Clear the Internet Explorer History Folder and Cookies

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Scenario

You visited a great web site on Thursday, but forgot to bookmark the URL. Now it's Sunday and you can't remember how to get back there. This is where the Internet Explorer History folder comes in handy.

But just as it lets you trace back your Internet browsing steps, others can also use it to see where you've been. If the downside seems greater than the upside, here's how you can delete the Internet Explorer History and how you can prevent it from being stored in the future.

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

From the Internet Explorer menu, click Tools | Internet Options.

For IE7, under Browsing History, select Settings

Under History | Days to keep pages in History, change the setting to 0.

Click OK

If using Internet Explorer v6, under History | Days to keep pages in History, change the setting to 0 (zero).

Click OK to exit the Internet Options menu

Close Internet Explorer and restart it for changes to take effect.

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Cleaning Cookies

Internet Explorer caches web pages you visit and cookies coming from those pages. While designed to speed up browsing, if left unchecked the burgeoning folders can sometimes slow IE to a crawl or cause other unexpected behavior.

In general, the less is more principal works well here - keep the Internet Explorer cache small and clear it often. Here's how.

From the Internet Explorer menu, click Tools | Internet Options.

If using IE7, under Browsing history select Delete.

From the Delete Browsing History window select Delete all... from the bottom of the dialog and click Yes when prompted.

To delete individual categories, select Delete files... for the desired category and select Yes when promoted.

When finished, click Close to close the Delete Browsing History window.

If using Internet Explorer v6, under Temporary Internet files select Delete Cookies and select OK when prompted.

Next, select Delete Files and select OK when prompted.

Now that the files and cookies have been cleared, take steps to minimize their impact going forward. While still in the Internet Options menu, select Settings (for IE7, under Browsing History; for IE6 under Temporary Internet files).

Under "...disk space to use...", change the setting to 5Mb or less. (For optimal performance, no less than 3Mb and no more than 5Mb is recommended).

Click OK to exit the Settings menu and then click OK again to exit the Internet Options menu.

Close Internet Explorer and restart it for changes to take effect.

FAQ's

Question: Why would I want to delete my temp folder?
Answer: Every-time you install something, browse the net, play a game, or even watch a high quality movie. The streaming of a movie, pre-level rendering of a game, online temp files and Installation files.

Question: Does this prevent me from using the temp folder?
Answer: Not at all it only deletes the files within it that are volatile.

Question: How do I get the temp folder back after deleting it?
Answer: Each time you delete the temp folder, it is not gone forever! The temp folder is recreated upon any software utilizing it! In other words, if you delete it and then you play a certain game or install software. The folder is recreated again clean!

Question: What are the benefits of doing so?
Answer: You will always have a clean temp folder as well as save your hard drive space.

Cleaning with an Old but good Batch DOS

Purpose

When you install a program or play certain games, they leave file "residue"! It does not erase itself. You have to erase it yourself. I will be showing you how to create a batch file that will auto delete the temp folder upon boot, as well as a shortcut for those who surf the net a lot!

As for those who play intensively with many different games, it will clean out the temp file of old graphics that where stored in the temp folder. If you are constantly installing and uninstalling software or if you just had your Desktop/Laptop for a while and just want to clean it!? Then this is what you need.

These two tutorials are for use with notepad only. Just copy and paste the codes below to notepad and space them out appropriately. Now save as with all files selected and name the Temp "CleanTemp.bat" and name the Cookies "CleanCookies.bat" place them in the same folder.

REM #1 TEMP


@echo on


@echo Starting Temp Clean Up!


rmdir "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp" /s /q


@echo Finished Temp Clean Up!


call "CookiesCLN.bat"


@echo off


@pause

#2 COOKIES


@echo on


@echo Starting Cookie Clean Up!


rmdir "%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies" /s /q


rmdir "%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\Low" /s /q


@echo Finished Cookie Clean up!


@echo off

Now what you are going to do is, create a shortcut to the temp folder to the desktop.

Right click on the Temp batch file navigate to Send to > Desktop

Copy the shortcut you just created on the desktop. Navigate to "Start Menu > All Programs > Startup".

Right Click the "StartUp" folder and Explore All Users.

Paste the shortcut within this file. Right click the shortcut once more and pin to taskbar.

Should you choose to activate it at will.

Just Click the taskbar shortcut you just made.

Other then that you will have it work for you automatically every time you log onto yourDesktop/Laptop.