In v.4 of both IE and Netscape, the number of days that pages are kept in HISTORY folder can/should be set to 0 (zero).

Clear Address List

In either IE3 or IE4, clearing the History folder (as shown above) also clears the Address list.

Netscape (v.3, 4, etc), however, does not let it be that easy. Yet, a surfer can otherwise choose to simply not use the list in the first place! If a surfer types in a URL at the Open Location dialog box (<Ctrl>-L in N3 and <Ctrl>-o in N4), the address won't be recorded in the list!

Empty the Cache folders (et al)

But if a surfer doesn't mind requiring their browser to load all images (and the like) every time they return back to web-sites, then there is no problem whatsoever with clearing the cache folders.

The exact location of the cache folder depends on decisions the surfer made when originally installing the browser. If the recommended defaults were accepted at the original installation, then the following would likely be the locations.

• N3: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Navigator\Cache
• N4: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\username\Cache
  
  
• IE: C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

To empty the caches

• In N4, select EDIT | PREFERENCES, select Advanced (category), then select Cache (sub-category), and click both the Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache buttons.
• In IE, select VIEW | INTERNET OPTIONS, select General tab, click Delete Files button.

As well, a user may also use Windows 95's Explorer to delete the cache folder's contents.

IE also employs yet another folder for caching purposes, as well:

   C:\Windows\Temp\

That folder is used to temporarily "save" files being used, often such web-files that emply programming code (such as Java, Javascript, etc). This folder should also be cleared.

NOTE, however, that these methods listed here of deleting the files in the cache folders are not "secure deletes" of these cached files. To otherwise perform such a "secure delete", a user will need to open the folders and use a "secure delete" software program.

Empty the Documents history

In Windows 95 (etc.), a "shortcut" (".LNK" file) is being automatically created for every "document" which is used/"entered". The list of those created "shortcuts" is being generated in that "My Documents" list.

The actual folder of "My Documents" is located on the hard-drive at:

   C:\WINDOWS\Recent\

The files in "My Documents" can also be cleared. (NOTE, however, that some "secure delete" software --- BCwipe, for one example --- will not permit such "secure deletes" of "My Documents" folder (or of IE's "Temporary Internet Folder"). But others --- such as Mutilate and Syncrypt --- are able to perform such "secure deletes" there.

Get Window Washer software

That company has a free download that will work only as long as the user's computer's system clock is within the 30 days that file was installed for the first-time. Users who purchase the software obtain even more tools to perform.

This is not an advertisement for Window Washer, but rather, it is simply a recommendation for an effective tool.