How to Erase Temporary Internet Files in Firefox

What is Firefox Temporary Internet Files?

Also know as browser cache, temporary internet files are the files which are stored on your hard disk drive by the internet browsers. Temporary internet files are usually stored in the ‘temporary internet files folder’. It allows the internet browser to speedup the loading process of web pages by downloading only the contents that have altered since you last viewed a web page, as an alternative of downloading all the content of a web page. Thereby, cookies speedup the browsing speed by keeping the copies of the web pages and graphics of frequently visited websites on your hard disc drive.

Why it is recommended to delete Temporary Internet Files?

Your computer records all your activities while you surf the internet. Computer keeps temporary internet files mainly for the purpose of speeding up the common tasks that you perform on daily basis. We can consider this as a positive side of temporary internet files. At the same time, it has negative sides too. Any others who have access to the computer can easily access the temporary files and can retrieve even your valuable data including password, user names, credit card information etc using some malicious software available online now. If you are a person who wants to protect your privacy, you must take necessary measures to get rid of this problem. It is highly recommended to erase the temporary internet files before leaving the computer, especially when you use a public computer in an internet café or any other offices.

You can erase temporary internet files both manually or using some special software available online. There are a lot of software products are now available which can clear all temporary files permanently.

Is it possible to delete temporary internet files Files manually?

Yes, you can erase temporary internet files manually. But, the fact is that you can’t delete all temporary files permanently because it is not possible to manually remove all the history tacks which are stored in the index.dat file. You can use some special software products to remove the temporary files permanently.

How to erase temporary internet files permanently?

Removing temporary files using software is the safest way ever available. Special software products can only erase the information stored in the index.dat file. As this file is used by the Windows all the time, it is not possible to manually erase the index.dat file.

How to erase temporary internet files in Firefox

Erase Temporary Internet Files in Firefox 2.0:

• Select the “Tools” menu from the top of the browser window.
• Select “Options” from the list.
• Select the “Privacy” tab.
• Click “Clear Now” button in the private area.
• Put a check mark on the check box corresponding to “Cache” in the “Clear Private Data”.
• Click “Clear Private Data Now” button.
• Click “OK” to proceed.

erase temporary internet files in Firefox 1.0

• Select the “Tools” menu from the top of the browser window.
• Select “Options” from the list.
• Select the “Privacy” tab.
• Open “Cache” tab
• Click “Clear Cache Now” button.
• Click OK to continue.

How to Erase Cookies in Firefox

How to How To Erase Cookies in Firefox

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of information that websites write and store on your computer in the form of text. Certain websites search for its cookies in your hard disk drive when ever you visit those websites. These websites use the cookies as a source to find out your shopping favorites, your name and all other important information regarding you. All browsers stores the cookies in the file name “cookie.txt” and all the browsers send back the cookies stored in the system when you revisit the website. Information such as the number of visit to a particular website, how long you took to visit throughout the website, your login information and some important information regarding your computer can be retrieved from the cookies stored in your computer.

Where the cookies are stored?

Cookies are often stored in the user hard disk drive. The files name in which cookies are stored in the computer changes according to the operating system used. If you use Windows Operating Systems, you can see cookies stored in text format.

Are there different kinds of cookies?

There are two different kinds of cookies available, temporary cookies and permanent cookies. Temporary cookies are those which are stored in the system while you use a website or program and automatically get deleted immediately once you close the application. Also known as persistent cookies, permanent cookies are stored in your hard disk drive permanently.

Where you can see the cookies?

Location of the cookies may change based on the operating system used. In Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows 95, you can see cookies in either of the locations mentioned below:

i) C:\Windows\Cookies
ii) C:\Windows\Profiles\Cookies

If you are a Windows XP or Windows 2000 user, you can see cookies in C:\Documents and Settings\Cookies.

How To Erase Cookies in Firefox

Clear Cookies in Firefox 2.0

• Select “Tools” from the top of the browser.
• Select “Options” from the list.
• Select “Privacy” tab.
• Click “Clear Now” button on the private area.
• In “Clear Private Data” window put the check mark on the corresponding check box to “Cookies”
• Click “Clear Private Data Now” button.
• Click “OK” to go forward.

Clear Cookies in Firefox 1x

• Select “Tools” from the top of the browser.
• Select “Options” from the list.
• Select “Privacy” tab.
• Open “Cookies” tab.
• Click “Clear Cookies Now” button.
• Click “ok” to proceed.

How to disable cookies in Firefox?

Disable cookies in Firefox 2.0

• Select “Tools” from the top of the browser
• Choose “Options”
• Choose “Privacy” tab”
• Remove the check mark on the check box corresponding to the “Accept cookies” field
• Click “ok” to proceed.

Disable cookies in Firefox 1.x

• Select “Tools” from the top of the browser
• Choose “Options”
• Choose “Privacy” tab”
• Select the view cookies in the “Cookies” area
• Remove the check mark on the check box corresponding to the “Allow sites to set cookies”.
• Click “ok” to continue.

How to Erase Clipboard Data

Clipboard is a feature of Windows which can be used as a temporary storage area. Using clipboard you can copy information such as files, graphics, text, video and sound from one program or location and can paste the same to another file or location. You can’t copy any number of information at a time. This feature can hold only one information at a time. When you copy files, graphics, text, video or sound to clipboard, it automatically replaces whatever exists in the clipboard.

Why you erase clipboard data?

As all of us know, clipboard is the area where we can store information to carry information from one place to another. To move files, graphics, text, video or sound to the clipboard, you have select the thing you want to copy and then use cut/copy comment. The information will be store in the clipboard till you use paste the information to a new location. This feature is available in almost all versions of Windows operating systems.

Most of us depends copy/paste commands when we use passwords, logins, credit card numbers and any other information which is secured. The main problem is that any one who has access to the computer can easily see the clipboard information. So, it is recommended to clear the clipboard information before leaving the computer. You can either remove the clipboard information manually or using special software. Nowadays, lot of software products are available online which can remove the clipboard data and keep your sensitive data safe.

How to erase clipboard data?

Most of us depend on the copy/paste commands while we work on computer, especially when we type passwords, logins, credit card numbers and other personal information which need at most care. Clipboard feature always holds the last saved information and any user who has access to the computer can access the clipboard and take the content in the clipboards, if you do not clear the clipboard data before leaving the computer. This is definitely a problem for people who are using a public computer such as in a cyber café or any other public facilities for the purpose surfing. Any one can easily access the last saved information in the clipboard. So, it is highly recommended to clean the clipboard data before leaving the computer.

You can erase information on the clipboard either manually or using any special software which can remove the clipboard data. There are several advanced software products available online which can permanently remove clipboard data. You can manually clear clipboard data by pasting with Ctrl+V and/or Shift+Ins’. By this way you can completely remove any information that is stored in clipboard. It is highly recommended to remove the clipboard data before leaving the computer to keep your personal information safe. If you do not erase the clipboard data, it will affect your privacy and security. Other users who have access to the computer can easily retrieve your personal information such as username, password, credit card information etc which you want to keep private. So clear the clipboard information always before leaving the computer for being safe always.

What Types of History Does Windows Store

History Stored By Windows:

Windows tracks all your activities such as downloading, searching, running, saving and details of files and documents you opened while using the computer. This feature provides a fast and more pleasant computer experience. But, it is not a good one when we take the case of security and privacy.

Windows Temporary Folders:

All the temporary files that are created when you surf the internet or using some other programs will be stored in this folder.

Recent Documents List:

Windows tracks all the documents and files you have visited and keep a list. Others who have access to the computer can easily access the list and open the documents and files you have visited.

Recently Run Programs List:

When you use he “run” option in the start menu, windows stores a list which contain all the programs you have run using run option. Others who use the computer can easily know which programs you have run while you use the system.

Windows Search “Files & Folders” History

Windows keeps a list of last files that you have searched and the items you searched for in those files using “Search” option in the start menu. Other people who use this function can access your search history.

Open Programs History:

Windows keeps a record of all programs you open from the start menu including date as an encrypted database. You can find the run history from the registry under the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist. So it is recommended to clear the userassist history before leaving the computer because it will affect your privacy. As the number of entries in the registry increases, the performance of the operating system also slows down.

Page file:

It is the space that you can find on the hard disk drive which is used as the virtual memory extension of RAM. Sensitive or confidential information you provided while you use the computer are stored in the page file (swap file). So it is very important to clear the page files to protect your privacy and security.

How Windows Store History of Different Programs You Use

For open/save operations, most the programs use the Windows-provided dialogs. Windows tracks the names of files that you open or save. When you select “open” or “save” from the menu of the application, windows show a drop-down list which contains a list of recently used files. As this information is kept in the registry of windows, any one can access it easily.

Internet history

Each and every internet browser records all your activities such as URLs you type in the address bar, every keyword you search for and every information you entered in website forms while surfing. As all of us know, internet history stored on a computer is very useful because it helps to load web pages faster and make the surfing easier.

The main thing you have to keep in mind is that internet history stores all the details about the websites you visited and every thing you entered on the web pages. You have to compromise your privacy and security, if you keep these records without erasing. Others who have access to the computer can easily retrieve all your surfing activities using this stored data. So, it is very important to erase internet history before leaving the computer. You can erase internet history either manually of using some special software available online.
For Reviews of The Top Software The Automatically Erases All Your Internet History. Read Our privacy software reviews. For Reviews Of Winclear, Evidence Eliminator And More.

How to Clear Recently Opened Documents

Windows always keeps a record of documents and files that you have opened recently. Others who use your computer can easily access your documents and files you worked with and can change them without your permission. So, always make sure that you erased the recent documents list before leaving the computer, especially when you are using a public computer in a cyber café or any other establishments. You can erase the recent documents list either manually or using any of the special software available. Several software products are now available online that can remove the recent document list and thereby protect your privacy and security.

Why you should clean recent documents list?

Each and every document you open can be easily accessed from the “Document” tab in the start menu. If you are person who gives at most importance to your privacy and security then clear recently opened documents list every time you leave the computer. Otherwise you have to compromise your privacy and security because others can easily take the files you accessed and make changes to your data without your permission.

How to clean recent documents list on Windows XP/2000?

How to erase recent documents on Windows XP?

Follow the below instruction to erase recently used documents list in Windows XP:

•    Make a right click on the “start” menu button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Click on the “Properties”.
•    Then select the “Customize” option.
•    Select the “Advanced” tab.
•    Click “Clear List” to clear the recent documents folder.
•    Click “ok” to proceed.

Note: This action deletes the recent documents list only; it won’t delete the original document.

How to erase recent documents on Windows 2000?

Follow the below instruction to erase recently used documents list in Windows 2000:

•    Click the start menu on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Select “settings” from the list.
•    Then select “Taskbar & Start Menu” from the right panel which appears.
•    Select the “advanced” tab.
•    Click “clear” button on the customize start menu area.
•    Click “ok” to move forward.

How to erase recent documents and recent items on Windows Vista?

You can see a list of recently used files in the “recent items” which is situated on the right side of the “start” menu. Recent Items will get installed with the Windows Vista as default; you can remove it to stop the operating system from storing the details of the recently opened documents. You can also replace the option back to action whenever you need. Once it becomes active, it will store list of recently opened documents and files again.

How to clear recently opened documents list on Windows Vista (Standard Start Menu)?

You can remove the documents and files history by following the steps below:

•    Click the “start” button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Right click ‘Recent items’ on the list.
•    Click ‘Clear Recent Items List’ to remove the documents and files history.

How to erase recently opened documents on Windows Vista Classic Start Menu?

You can remove the documents and files history by following the steps below:

•    Click the “start” button on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Choose “settings” on the list.
•    Click on ‘Taskbar and Start Menu’.
•    Select ‘Start menu’ tab
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click “Clear” button to remove the documents and files history.
•    Click “ok” to proceed.

How to Clear Temporary Folders (temporary files directory)

Windows Temporary Folder keeps temporary files of Windows and other programs. If you do not delete the temporary folders in time, it will become cluttered. This folder usually stores the temp files of programs that you have installed, files from programs you no longer have installed, temp files from web pages and files which can violate your privacy.

Where is Temporary Internet Files folder located?

Each and every version of Windows have Temporary Internet Files folder, but the location of this folder may differ from version to version.

If your system is installed with Windows Vista, you can find the Temporary Internet Files Folder in either of in these locations

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Low\

If your system is installed with Windows XP/2000 then you can find Temporary Internet Files Folder in the below location:

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\

If you are using Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 95 then the Temporary Internet Files Folder will be there in either of the below locations:

C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ or C:\Windows\Profiles\\Temporary Internet Files\

Note: The main thing to note is that in your computer the Windows may not be installed in the “C” drive, it may be in some other drive. In this case you have to look at the drive in which the Windows directory exists to find out the Temporary Internet Files Folder.

In most cases, the temporary files are automatically closed and deleted when you quit the Windows session. If you quit Windows in an irregular way such as restarting the Windows or turning off the computer while it was running, the temporary files will not be closed or deleted.

How to erase Windows temporary files Folder manually?

Windows Temporary files are used to store the data of the running programs and these files are stored in the temporary files folder. You can erase the temporary files folder either manually or using some special software. Several software products are now available online to ease the temporary files folder. Most of the temp files got deleted automatically when you exit the program you run. Some of the temporary files created may remain undeleted in the hard disc drive due to the irregular shut down or restart.

Follow the below steps to erase Windows Temporary Files folder, if you are a Windows XP/2000/ME/NT/98/95 or Windows 95 user:

•    Open “start” menu on the left bottom of the screen.
•    Select “search” on the list which appears.
•    Then select “For Files or folders” on the right panel of ‘search’.
•    Choose “All files and folders”.
•    In the file name filed type “*.tmp” to find out the files with “tmp” extension.
•    Click “Search Now”
•    Delete all the temporary files that appear in the right panel.

Most of the temporary files have “.tmp” extension and begins with (~). Some temp files come with other extensions instead of “.tmp”. You cannot delete these files easily by searching for “*.tmp”. It is better to delete the temp files by directly entering the temporary files directory or using some other special software available.

Clear the Windows Run History (recently run programs)

Most of us use the “run” option in the start menu to open programs. If you are using a public computer such as in a cyber café, office or any other establishment, other users can easily see what programs you have used from the run history dialog box. Windows tracks all the programs you run using the “run” option in the start menu and store it as a list. Others who have access to the computer can easily access the programs that you tried to run using the run option. You have to compromise your privacy, if you do not clear the windows run history. You can clear Windows run history manually or using some special software. Nowadays, several software products are available in the market which can help you in cleaning the run history easily.

Why you should clean the Windows run history?

It is recommended to erase Windows run history before leaving the computer because any other people who have access to the computer can see the list of programs that you have used. If you are a person who gives at most importance to privacy then you have to clean the Windows run history on daily basis.

Where the Windows run history stored?

Windows run history includes the programs and files you recently run using the “run” option in the start menu. Usually, the Windows run history is stored in the registry in the location:
“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.”

How to erase Windows run history ?

If you are a person who uses the “run” option in the start menu frequently to open programs, you will see a run history on the run list. The run history contains all the previous commends you have typed in the “run” text filed. Same as the autocomplete feature, this run history also save your time by eliminating the need for typing a command or path that you have previously typed.

If you are using a private computer then this feature is good for you. Otherwise, it will seriously affect your privacy. You can manually erase the Windows run history by editing the registry. Follow the steps below to do so:

• Click the “Start” button on the bottom left of the screen.
• Select “Run” from the list.
• Type “regedit” in the text filed and press enter to run the registry editor.
• Go to the location: “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.” You can see the list of programs you have run using run command in the right panel of the window.
• Select the program you want to delete and click “delete” or select edit -> delete.
• Click “Yes” to confirm.
• Close the registry editor to continue.

You have to restart Windows to apply the changes. Do not edit registry, if you do not have a good idea about what you are going to do. If you change the registry settings incorrectly, it may corrupt the operating system. It is better to take a backup of the registry before making any changes in the registry. If anything goes wrong, you can restore the computer to the previous state with the help of the backup.

How to Clear Start Menu Programs

When you search files using “search option” in the start menu, Windows keeps the information regarding the last files you have searched and the items you have searched on those files. Any others who use this function can easily see what you have searched for and this will affect your privacy and security. You can see the ‘Files & Folders’ and ‘Computers’ search history when you open the “search results” window (Start  Search  Files & Folders or Start  Search  Computers). In some cases, the search history is not visible in the “Search results” window. But, it will be there in the windows registry and can be accessed easily.

What is Windows Start Menu Run history?

When you open a program from the “start menu”, windows stores the date and number of times you used the program as an encrypted database. If you are a person who takes care of your privacy and security then it is required to erase user assist data regularly. If you do not delete the UserAssist data, it also affects the performance of the system. When the number of entries in the registry increases, it slows down the system performance.

Windows stores full run history in the registry location:

“HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist”

How to erase windows start menu run history (recently opened programs)?

As all of us know, Windows keeps a list of last searched files using the “search” option in the start menu. This will affect your privacy, if you are a person who likes to keep your files and documents private. It is recommended to clear the start menu run history before leaving the computer, especially when you use a public computer in an internet café or office. Otherwise, others who have access to the computer can easily see what files and document you searched for in the computer. You can erase start menu run history both manually and using some special software. Several software products are now available in the market which can easily erase start menu run history.

How to erase start menu run history on Windows Vista:

Follow the below instructions to erase the recently run programs list from your computer with Windows Vista as the operating system.

•    Click the “start” button on the bottom left position of the screen.
•    Select “settings” from the list
•    Click on ‘Taskbar and Start Menu Properties’ on the right panel.
•    Click to open ‘Start menu’ tab.
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click the “clear” button to erase all the recently run programs.
•    Click “ok” to proceed with the process of clearing start menu run history.

How to erase start menu run history on Windows XP:

Follow the below instructions to erase the recently run programs list from your computer with Windows XP as the operating system.

•    Right click on the “start” button on the bottom left of the screen.
•    Select “properties” from the list
•    Click on “Start menu” tab.
•    Select ‘Customize’.
•    Click the “clear” button to erase all the recently run programs.
•    Click “ok” to go forward with the process of clearing start menu run history.