Efficient Steps to Wipe Out Your File Explorer History Permanently_1

How to Delete File Explorer History

Are you concerned about your privacy when using your computer? One aspect of privacy that often goes unnoticed is the file explorer history. This history can store information about the files and folders you have accessed, which might not be desirable for some users. In this article, we will guide you through the process of deleting file explorer history on different operating systems, ensuring your privacy is maintained.

On Windows

If you are using Windows, deleting your file explorer history is quite straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer and click on the “View” tab.
2. Look for the “Options” button on the ribbon and click on it.
3. In the “View” folder options window, go to the “Advanced settings” tab.
4. Scroll down and find the “Show recently used files in Quick Access” option. Uncheck it.
5. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.

This will prevent the file explorer from saving your recent file activity. However, if you want to delete the existing history, follow these additional steps:

1. Press “Windows + R” to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU.
4. In the right pane, delete the entries related to the file explorer history.
5. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

On macOS

For macOS users, deleting file explorer history is also simple. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Finder and go to “Finder” in the menu bar.
2. Click on “Preferences” and then select the “General” tab.
3. Under the “Sidebar” section, uncheck the “Recent Items” option.
4. Close the Finder Preferences window.

This will prevent Finder from displaying your recent file activity. If you want to delete the existing history, follow these steps:

1. Open Finder and press “Command + Shift + G” to open the Go to Folder dialog box.
2. Type in the following path: ~/Library/Application Support/Dock.
3. Inside the Dock folder, find the “Recent Items” folder and delete it.
4. Restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

On Linux

For Linux users, deleting file explorer history depends on the file explorer you are using. Here’s a general guide for most file explorers:

1. Open your file explorer.
2. Go to the menu bar and click on “Edit” or “View.”
3. Look for an option like “Clear History” or “Show/Hide Recent Files.”
4. Select the option to clear or hide the recent file activity.

This will prevent the file explorer from displaying your recent file activity. To delete the existing history, you can use the terminal to remove the hidden files containing the history:

1. Open the terminal.
2. Type the following command and press Enter: `find ~ -name “.cache” -type d -exec rm -rf {} +`
3. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

By following these steps, you can delete your file explorer history on different operating systems, ensuring your privacy is protected.