Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Delete Windows Search History
• Method 2 of 4: Delete File History on Windows
• Method 3 of 4: Delete File and Application History on Mac OS X
• Method 4 of 4: Delete Folder History on Mac OS X
• Tips
• Warnings

This article will show you how to delete your computer history, which includes recently viewed files and search suggestions. You can clear history on Windows and Mac OS X computers. To clear your web browsing history, delete your history in your browser preferences.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Delete Windows Search History

1. 1 Click on Cortana's search bar. It's on the left side of the taskbar to the right of the Windows logo. The Cortana window will open.
   • If you don't see the search bar, right-click on the taskbar, select Cortana, and click Show Search Bar.
2. 2 Click on "Options" . It's on the left side of the Cortana window. The Cortana settings will open.
3. 3 Scroll down and tap Clear device history. It's under the Device History section. This will clear your device's search history.
4. 4 Click on Search history options. This link is in the Search History section. The Bing page opens with a list of search terms listed in chronological order.
   • If the computer is not connected to the Internet, the specified page will not open.
5. 5 Click on Change history parameters. It's near the top of the Bing page. A menu will open.
6. 6 Click on clear all. It's in the Clear Search History section of the menu.
7. 7 Click on Yeswhen prompted. Doing so will completely clear your Cortana search history, both locally and online.

Method 2 of 4: Delete File History on Windows

1. 1 Open the start menu . To do this, click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
   • You can also press the key ⊞ Win on the computer keyboard.
2. 2 Open File Explorer . To do this, click on the folder-shaped icon in the lower left corner of the Start window.
3. 3 Click on View. This tab is located in the upper left side of the File Explorer window. A menu will open.
4. 4 Click on Parameters. It's a rectangular icon on the right side of the View menu.
5. 5 Click on the tab General. It's in the upper-left corner of the Folder Options window.
6. 6 Click Clear. It's in the Privacy section at the bottom of the window. This will remove your recent requests from Explorer.
   • If you pinned any folder or file in Explorer, they will not be deleted.
7. 7 Hide future search history. Uncheck "Show recent files on Quick Access Toolbar" and "Show recent folders on Quick Access Toolbar" under Privacy. This step is optional, but will hide the search items in the Explorer search bar.
8. 8 Click on OK. It's at the bottom of the Folder Options window. This will clear your Explorer history.

Method 3 of 4: Delete File and Application History on Mac OS X

1. 1 Open the Apple menu . To do this, click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen.
2. 2 Please select Recently used objects. It's near the top of the Apple drop-down menu. A pop-up menu will open with a list of recently opened applications and files.
3. 3 Click on Clear menu. It's at the bottom of the list in the pop-up window. This will clear the contents of the pop-up menu.

Method 4 of 4: Delete Folder History on Mac OS X

1. 1 Open Finder. The icon for this utility has a blue face and is located in the dock.
   • Or just click on the desktop.
2. 2 Click on Transition. This menu is in the left half of the menu bar at the top of the screen. A dropdown menu will open.
3. 3 Please select Recently used files. It's near the bottom of the Go drop-down menu. A pop-up window with a list of recently opened folders will open to the right of the specified option.
4. 4 Click on Clear menu. You will find this button at the bottom of the pop-up menu. This will clear the list of folders that you recently opened.

Tips

• Install a file manager such as TinkerTool System to manage recently used items on Mac OS X.

Warnings

• If you delete your search history, it may reset your AutoComplete settings in Windows.