How do I delete items from Internet Explorer's auto-complete list?

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hi leo... the other auto complete problem, such as the one encountered when doubleclicking to put in user names to log in or aterm into a search engine.... these can get pretty long, and may contain entries you don't want anyone to see... in these cases, just doubleclick to get the list to dropdown and then press delete' when the unwanted entry is highlighted.

If you DID want to delete some or all of the 25 "recently typed entries", there is a freeware program that will do that for you quickly and easily. I've used it and it works fine. It is called EditURLs and is available for download at http://www.aandrc.com/ ...hope this helps folks! -Hugh

Sir, My doubt is, i want to delete only one website address from the internet address bar, not the whole history! I hope you will definitely clarify my doubts. yours sincerely, venkat.

Unfortunately they are related, so affecting one, within the scope of the article here, will affect the other.

Leo

I am the author of EditURLs that Hugh K referenced in an earlier message.

In addition to the Typed URLs, I.E. records the URL address of each Web-site you visit. These URL addresses are recorded in the 'Index.dat' file that resides in the upper level of the I.E. History folder. These are generally referred to as 'Visited URLs'. This makes up a large part of the information used for I.E.'s AutoComplete function.

Some versions of I.E. clear the Visited URLs 'Index.dat' file with its 'Clear History' function. Some do not. Sometimes I.E.'s clearing of History fails to complete. Sometimes, the History reappears.

I market two Shareware programs that address this issue, 'PurgeIE' and 'PurgeIE Pro'. Their current versions can delete the I.E. History even when I.E. can't delete its own History. The link is http://ask-leo.com/d-purgeie
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I had read on the Microsoft Website that 'Favorites' are now included in the data used by the AutoComplete function - "The Autocomplete feature is another improved element of browser automation in Internet Explorer 5. Now, in addition to automatically completing Web site addresses previously entered, Autocomplete also attempts to match typed entries to Favorites or folders in your computer."

I learned how to clear URLs that won't delete despite clearing the History, Temp, AutoComplete and other folders. Go to this Microsoft support newsgroup site for instructions. This worked for me. I cleared all stubborn URLs by doing so in DOS mode. The address is http://ask-leo.com/d-40205b (on mvps.org) and read through the entire three pages to find your situation. It works, and you don't have to buy any software.

That site has good suggestions. Just be aware that it might not cover ALL the ways that stuff can get stuck in your address bar.

(FYI: link changed to run through my redirector for click-through tracking.)

Leo

I am having the opposite problem. I can't get my auto complete to work. What do I do? Please help.

Is it turned on? Internet Options -> Content -> AutoComplete -> select Web Addresses.

Leo

Yes it is.

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