Clearing Google Search History

Are you talking about Google toolbar? If so then one of the options makes it clear automatically every time you quit, another, I think, tells it not to remember any search terms. Otherwise, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.

regards, Tam

If you are using the Mozilla Firefox browser then Tools > Options > Privacy and now look at the Saved Forms tab as it will clear this upon exit of Firefox if you so wish. Lots of privacy and other things of note can also be found at Tools > Options.

Unfortunately I use Internet Explorer. I too would love to know how to clear the google history with IE

So what have you naughty boys been looking at that you don't want anyone to know about?

Linn, Mana and exotic cables I bet

It's more the fact that I can't type so the history is overflowing with searches that don't work.

I have to translate from Norwegian IE, but see if you can find anything resembling this route:
- Tools curtain (second from righthand side)
- Alternatives for Internet (bottom)
- Contents (to the righthand side)
- Find Autocomplete under Personal information
- Untag the second box ("Schemes"?)

Or simply switch to Firefox or Opera.

quote:

Originally posted by Unnaimed:
I have to translate from Norwegian IE, but see if you can find anything resembling this route:
- Tools curtain (second from righthand side)
- Alternatives for Internet (bottom)
- Contents (to the righthand side)
- Find Autocomplete under Personal information
- Untag the second box ("Schemes"?)

Or simply switch to Firefox or Opera.

Brilliant, thank you.

Diode

Download a little programme called Ccleaner or to use its more common name ... crap cleaner.

It take 3 minutes to install, costs nothing and keeps everything, including Google, squeaky clean.

One learns to cover ones tracks as one gets older.

Regards

Mick

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Diode

Download a little programme called Ccleaner or to use its more common name ... crap cleaner.

It take 3 minutes to install, costs nothing and keeps everything, including Google, squeaky clean.

Regards

Mick

Have you got a link for CC Mick?

Beano

I have
www.ccleaner.com

Another vote for www.ccleaner.com

It seems to work well, and has not generated any spam/crap, or caused any conflicts with other installed programs.

Recommended.

As ever - create a 'system restore point' just in case!

John.

Thanks for that Bob.

Regards,

Beano

quote:

Originally posted by Diode100:
Or simply switch to Firefox or Opera.

Sound advice.

EW

I've just had a look at that CCleaner utility - it's a very fine freebie isn't it!

EW

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
One learns to cover ones tracks as one gets older.

... and more deviant?

Sorry Mick, couldn't resist that.

phil

CCleaner - very useful when doing research for a book.

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
CCleaner - very useful when doing research for a book.

Or surfing for porn?

There is an easier way :

point at the first item on the google prior searches list until it's highlighted (but don't select it with "enter"), then press Alt and Del together.

The history will all be deleted as you hold down the keys.

I think I must be missing something here. If I right click on the G on the Google tool bar I get a menu option called "Clear Search History" which does just that. Is this not what you want?

I'm not sure we've answered the original question yet.

It was "Does anyone know how you clear Google of your search history ?" while the question answered thus far is "How do you clear your computer of its record of your Google search history?" Not the same thing at all.

The problem with Google is that it additionally stores your search history on its servers for its 'research purposes'. It has claimed that the data on sites accessed is only used in aggregate form but clearly the aggregate is composed of individual site accesses and so an individual's history could be reconstituted.

How do you, then, clear the Google servers of your search history?

Fraser

Could it possibly matter? There is a large amount of data collected whether we like it or not (supermarket loyalty cards, and number plate recognition cameras on motorwayys for two simple examples), but if we do nothing to be ashamed of, then no harm can come of any saved data...

Fredrik

"The problem with Google is that it additionally stores your search history on its servers for its 'research purposes'."

Why is this a problem?

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Could it possibly matter? There is a large amount of data collected whether we like it or not (supermarket loyalty cards, and number plate recognition cameras on motorwayys for two simple examples), but if we do nothing to be ashamed of, then no harm can come of any saved data...

Fredrik

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

It depends on whether your comfortable with your government and its agencies spying on its citizens and keeping data about them stored on computers. If it is the government that is to decide what is wrong or right, where you may go, what information you access on the web etc... then it is a huge problem

I didn't actually say it was a problem! My suggestion was that the Forum should answer the question as posed and not some more easily-addressed proxy.

As it happens I do think that there is a problem. Google has recently seen off a request from the US Government for rather wide-ranging information on Google users' habits. The information sought was not limited to, say, paedo site user information.

There are many potential illustrations of how unlimited storage of personal data can disadvantage the individual. Try this one.

Suppose, in a legitimate search to abate your tax liability, you trawl sites geared to tax avoidance (as distinct from the illegal tax evasion). Suppose Government, and thus the Inland Revenue, comes to know of this. Might they not target you specifically for tax investigation? If they do, the cost of the investigation falls on you, irrespective of whether any wrongdoing is uncovered.

Would you class this as a problem? You just might, you know!

Fraser