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Written byLuigi Oppido|Edited byJack Lloyd
Last Updated: August 18, 2022
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- Deleting Search History on Windows |
- Deleting File History on Windows |
- Deleting File and App History on Mac |
- Deleting Folder History on Mac |
- |
- Tips |
- Warnings
This wikiHow teaches you how to delete your computer's file history, which includes things like recently viewed files and search suggestions. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers. To clear web-based history, you'll need to delete your browsing history from within your browser's settings.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Deleting Search History on Windows
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1
Click Cortana's Search box. It's on the left side of the taskbar, just right of the Windows logo. Doing so prompts the Cortana window to open.
- If you don't have this option: right-click the taskbar, select Cortana, and click Show search box.
2
Click Settings
. It's on the left side of the Cortana window. This will open Cortana's settings in the window.Advertisem*nt
3
Scroll down and click Clear my device history. It's below the "My device history" heading. Doing so clears your on-device search history.
4
Click Search history settings. This link is below the "My search history" heading. Clicking this link opens a Bing page with all of your searches listed in chronological order.
- If you aren't connected to the Internet, you won't be able to access this page.
5
Click CHANGE HISTORY SETTINGS. This heading is toward the top of the Bing page. A menu will appear beneath it.
6
Click Clear all. It's in the "Clear search history" section of the menu.
7
Click Yes when prompted. Doing so will clear Cortana's search history entirely, both locally and online.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Deleting File History on Windows
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1
Open Start
. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.- You can also press the ⊞ Win key on your computer's keyboard.
2
Open File Explorer
. Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left corner of the Start window.3
Click View. It's a tab in the top-left side of the File Explorer window. A menu will appear below the View tab.
4
Click Options. It's a box-shaped icon on the far-right side of the View menu.
5
Click the General tab. It's in the upper-left corner of the Folder Options window.
6
Click Clear. This option is in the "Privacy" section toward the bottom of the window. Doing so will remove your recent searches from the File Explorer.
- If you pinned any folders or files to the File Explorer, they won't be cleared.
7
Hide your future search history. Uncheck both the Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show recently used folders in Quick Access boxes in the "Privacy" section. While optional, doing this will prevent searched items from appearing in the File Explorer search bar.
8
Click OK. It's at the bottom of the Folder Options window. Your File Explorer history should now be clear.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Deleting File and App History on Mac
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1
Open the Apple Menu
. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.2
Select Recent Items. It's near the top of the Apple drop-down menu. A pop-out menu with a list of your recently opened apps and files will appear.
3
Click Clear Menu. This option is at the bottom of the pop-out list. Doing so will clear the pop-out menu's contents.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Deleting Folder History on Mac
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1
Open Finder. It's a blue, face-like app in your Mac's Dock.
- You can also just click your desktop.
2
Click Go. This menu item is on the left half of your Mac's menu bar, which is at the top of the screen. Clicking Go prompts a drop-down menu.
3
Select Recent Files. It's at the bottom of the Go drop-down menu. A pop-out window will appear to the right of Recent Files with a list of your recently opened folders.
4
Click Clear Menu. You'll see this button at the bottom of the pop-out menu. This will clear the list of recently visited folders.
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Expert Q&A
Search
Question
Do you have to delete your browser history?
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech SpecialistLuigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Expert Answer
Not at all—it's all personal preference. Deleting your browser history can be good when you're using a public computer (or a device that isn't yours, like a friend's computer) so no one knows what you were doing. Still, your browser history is no big deal on your personal computer since it doesn't take up a lot of space.
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Question
How can a user know what I watched?
Community Answer
They can't if you clear your history.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!Claim Your GiftIf wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
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Question
How do you clear just a single search term you have used in the past?
Community Answer
If you are using Google Chrome, press the three dots in the top left corner and open the history tab, then select the searches you want to be deleted and press delete.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!Claim Your GiftIf wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
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Tips
You can download a file manager like TinkerTool System to manage all of your recent items on Mac.
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Warnings
Removing search history will also reset autofill settings on Windows.
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About This Article
Written by:
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
This article was written by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 424,918 times.
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Co-authors: 14
Updated: August 18, 2022
Views:424,918
Categories: Basic Computer Skills
In other languages
Español:borrar el historial de tu computadora
Português:Excluir o Histórico no Seu Computador
Deutsch:Auf einem Computer den Verlauf löschen
Français:supprimer l'historique de votre ordinateur
中文:在电脑上删除历史文件
Русский:удалить историю на компьютере
Nederlands:Geschiedenis wissen op je computer
Bahasa Indonesia:Menghapus Riwayat Penelusuran di Komputer
العربية:حذف سجل ملفات جهاز الكمبيوتر
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