# Internet Explorer 8 - Can't Delete History in Instant Search



## ReadyToSnap (Apr 26, 2004)

Hi everyone,

In IE7, I enjoyed using the instant search feature in the top right corner to do quick Google searches.

IE8 has the same idea, but I remember in IE7 you could set it so it would not log your search history and was not tied to your browsing history at all.

In IE8, even when you don't keep browsing history or manually delete it, the instant search still picks up and shows previously visited sites.


For example....if I type "www.hotmail.com" in the address bar and go to Hotmail's site. Even if I delete my history and all traces of visiting Hotmail, when i go to the Instant Search on the top right, as soon as I type "H"...it shows Hotmail.

Any suggestions on a way to get around this?


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## foxydude (Mar 25, 2009)

Go to ITools>nternet Options>General Tab >Browsing History>DeleteButton>Select FormData


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## VistaRookie (Apr 26, 2008)

IE->Tools->Internet Options-> (in IE7 was on the Content Tab)
Uncheck all auto-complete options.


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## Outlier2004 (May 1, 2009)

I just installed Internet Explorer 8 through the automatic Windows Update and I have the same problem as you. There doesn't seem to be a way to prevent the history from saving on the Instant Search bar at the top-right. I've noticed in other forums that this problem was present in the beta version several months ago. 

There doesn't seem to be a way of deleting search history in the upper-right search bar, other than to individually delete them with the "X" mark appearing beside each search term. The problem is, I don't want to have to keep doing this every time for every search item. I just don't want it to save the history, period. In IE7 I configured the search bar to not save the history but there doesn't seem to be a way with IE8. The Autocomplete settings do delete the history on the main url address bar but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the search bar to the right of it. I've tried everything. This is most likely a bug but I'm surprised they haven't done anything about it since months ago with the beta release...


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## VistaRookie (Apr 26, 2008)

Outlier2004 said:


> I just installed Internet Explorer 8 through the automatic Windows Update and I have the same problem as you. There doesn't seem to be a way to prevent the history from saving on the Instant Search bar at the top-right. I've noticed in other forums that this problem was present in the beta version several months ago.
> 
> There doesn't seem to be a way of deleting search history in the upper-right search bar, other than to individually delete them with the "X" mark appearing beside each search term. The problem is, I don't want to have to keep doing this every time for every search item. I just don't want it to save the history, period. In IE7 I configured the search bar to not save the history but there doesn't seem to be a way with IE8. The Autocomplete settings do delete the history on the main url address bar but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the search bar to the right of it. I've tried everything. This is most likely a bug but I'm surprised they haven't done anything about it since months ago with the beta release...


I have no history coming up for the IE7 search (which I have set to 
use Google) . Where does that history show up at? There should
be history in the drop-down address bar. And history in the history,
drop-down by clicking the star on the left. And recent history in 
View->Go To.

Pretty sure I didn't do any configuration. Where in IE7 did you find 
anything to configure auto-complete/suggestions for the IE search?


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## Outlier2004 (May 1, 2009)

I didn't have any history showing up either with the IE7 instant search bar (I also had it set up to use Google). However, in this thread we're talking about IE8, not IE7. In IE8 there doesn't seem to be a way to configure it - history on the search bar always seems to show up (again unless you've deleted them individually on the search bar itself or unless you delete all your history manually through the Internet Options). 

This history in the search bar is a history that still persistently shows up even if you've completely disabled Autocomplete. The history on the drop-down menu address bar or star on the left may not show any history at all but the instant search bar in IE8 will. In addition, the history that this instant search bar displays is not only the URL history, but also the search terms that you've entered - everything you've ever searched for shows up. Again it'll disappear if you manual delete your history in the Internet Options but the point is to not make it appear at all.

In many other threads this topic is mentioned people are giving instructions on how to clear the URL history in the traditional ways (auto-complete, etc.), but none of them so far has fixed the problem that is persistent on the IE8 instant search bar.


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## VistaRookie (Apr 26, 2008)

I understand this thread is really about IE8.
However, this is your quote from post #4.



> In IE7 I configured the search bar to not save the history but there doesn't seem to be a way with IE8.


That is the statement I wondered about.
Where did you configure IE7?


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## VistaRookie (Apr 26, 2008)

ReadyToSnap said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> In IE7, I enjoyed using the instant search feature in the top right corner to do quick Google searches.
> 
> ...


Yes. After additional research, here are some MS articles to look at
for your problem.



> Search history can be deleted. You can delete previous search terms and history pages from the History list. This is useful when you do not want terms you misspelled to appear in the AutoComplete section. As you type in the Address bar or the Instant Search box, search suggestions are displayed along with AutoComplete and History suggestions. Mouse over the item you want to delete from the AutoComplete or History list, and an X appears next to the item, as shown in the following picture. Click the X to delete the item from the list.


More can be found at this site
Search Provider Extensibility in Internet Explorer: 
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc848862.aspx

Also *In Private Browsing* from this MS site
Internet Explorer 8 Readiness Toolkit: 
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/readiness/new-features.aspx



> To turn off search suggestions:
> Click the arrow to the right of the search box.
> Click Manage Search Providers.
> Select the search provider whose suggestions you want to turn off.
> ...


More on that can be found here
Internet Explorer 8: Privacy Policy: 
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/privacy.aspx


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## Outlier2004 (May 1, 2009)

Vistarookie, turning off the Search Suggestions doesn't prevent history of searched terms and visited url's from showing up in the instant search bar in IE8. I'm also familiar with deleting each item individually with the "X" showing beside each item. I actually mentioned that in post #4. The point is to not have any history items or searched items showing AT ALL in this instant search bar. Why should we have to manually delete each item every time? I understand that there's a way to do "private browsing" with the new IE8 to make browsing more private by selecting "Start InPrivate Browsing". But why should we have to go through all that trouble each & every time we browse the internet? With IE7 the instant search bar did not show any history of visited url's or searched terms. Currently I have not found any way to configure that with IE8. 

I stand by my assertion that there isn't a solution to this yet but I still appreciate the efforts to research it Vistarookie. Thanks anyway and if anyone comes up with anything else, I think we're all open to hear about it. I am hoping Microsoft makes an update so that this will be possible...


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## Surtur (May 2, 2009)

I'm having the exact same issue tonight. I'm somewhat incredulous that they could send this out via Windows Update. It's not just websites, it's all files opened by Explorer that show up as well. Type "C" and all the files you've touched on your C:/ drive are displayed. Click the 'x' next to them and think you've deleted them, only to discover they come right back up next time.

I ended up deleting my entire history, but this is not a permanent solution. Unless someone reveals a workaround tomorrow, I'll be downgrading from IE 8.


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## VistaRookie (Apr 26, 2008)

> Vistarookie, turning off the Search Suggestions doesn't prevent history of searched terms and visited url's from showing up in the instant search bar in IE8. I'm also familiar with deleting each item individually with the "X" showing beside each item. I actually mentioned that in post #4. The point is to not have any history items or searched items showing AT ALL in this instant search bar. Why should we have to manually delete each item every time? I understand that there's a way to do "private browsing" with the new IE8 to make browsing more private by selecting "Start InPrivate Browsing". But why should we have to go through all that trouble each & every time we browse the internet? With IE7 the instant search bar did not show any history of visited url's or searched terms. Currently I have not found any way to configure that with IE8.
> 
> I stand by my assertion that there isn't a solution to this yet but I still appreciate the efforts to research it Vistarookie. Thanks anyway and if anyone comes up with anything else, I think we're all open to hear about it. I am hoping Microsoft makes an update so that this will be possible...


Not having IE8 (by choice), I am at a disadvantage for testing
the information.

For In Private browsing, it says to always use it, select delete 
browsing history. Have you checked to see if always using it, 
the term, "browsing history" includes search history? Since 
search history is covered by using In Private the normal way.

_"The user ends an In Private session by simply closing the browser window. Users who want to always browse In Private can select - Delete browsing history on exit, as discussed under Enhanced Delete Browsing History."_

That quote was from another complex article and I couldn't
locate instructions for Enhanced Delete.

There may also be a way to disable search history through
Group Policy or the registry. Haven't found that information.
But you might look into Group Policy.


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