bug report: Autocomplete URLs no longer deletable

[Guest]

Version: 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.030422-163

Synopsis: Autocomplete URLs in the Address box can no longer be deleted by normal means

When broken: I installed an IE update as part of Windows update about 2 months ago. Prior to that I had not upgraded in at least 7 months

Details: I have attempted to deleted the autocomplete URLs in all the usual ways and they still come back

1) IE Tools->Internet Options->Content->Autocomplete->Clear Form
2) Also did #1 after unchecking "web addresses". Upon rechecking it, URLS are still ther
3) Start->Settings->TaskBar and Start Menu->Start Menu->Customize Classic Start Menu->Clea
4) IE Tools->Internet Options->General->Clear Histor
5) Searched for and deleted all instances of Index.dat. In cases where the file was locked used Procexp.exe to find and kill the locking process to make sure it was deleted. The URLs disappear until all instances of IE are closed, then they come back

Question for support: Where *exactly* are the autocomplete URLs stored in this version of IE

 

[H Leboeuf]

This may be caused by a third-party program (adware, spyware, parasite).
Get AdAware and SpyBot and run them both. Keep them up to date.
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
--

Henri Leboeuf
Web page: http://www.colba.net/~hlebo49/index.htm
===

Version: 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.030422-1633

Synopsis: Autocomplete URLs in the Address box can no longer be deleted by normal means.

When broken: I installed an IE update as part of Windows update about 2

months ago. Prior to that I had not upgraded in at least 7 months.

Details: I have attempted to deleted the autocomplete URLs in all the

usual ways and they still come back:

1) IE Tools->Internet Options->Content->Autocomplete->Clear Forms
2) Also did #1 after unchecking "web addresses". Upon rechecking it, URLS are still there
3) Start->Settings->TaskBar and Start Menu->Start Menu->Customize Classic Start Menu->Clear
4) IE Tools->Internet Options->General->Clear History
5) Searched for and deleted all instances of Index.dat. In cases where the

file was locked used Procexp.exe to find and kill the locking process to
make sure it was deleted. The URLs disappear until all instances of IE are
closed, then they come back.

 

[Guest]

No, Henri. This has nothing to do with spyware or parasites. This is a bug. I run AdAware, keep up to date on security patches, and am totally aware of how parasites get installed. I never allow ActiveX components to be installed, for example.

Please, could someone actually test this out with the version I have? If there is anyone from MSFT reading this could you please tell me where autocomplete URLs are stored so I can workaround this problem? They don't seem to be inside index.dat any more

(FYI: Autocomplete URLs are the ones that appear when you start typing something in the address box

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Details: I have attempted to deleted the autocomplete URLs in all the

usual ways and they still come back:

Previously I have speculated that these URLs must be from any of the
following associations: AutoComplete Form data, AutoComplete password
data, subscribed Favorites, Run... dialog, etc. all of which clearly can be
used to populate the AutoSuggest dropdown. So far nobody has been
interested enough to try to classify their errant entries that way.

I have no interest in clearing my History to do further experiments
but I have reported the observation that immediately after History
is cleared (on XPsp1) it is reinitialized with fake Visited: entries
for URLs which I imagine could be explained as above. I have suggested
that perhaps using Mike Burgess delcache procedure to delete the
History folder might be a better choice than using the Clear History
function if it avoids that initialization. However, I suspect that there
could still be initialization associated with the re-creation of the History
folder once IE is opened again; so would not be surprised if you find
that the only way to avoid such entries is to delete all the possible causes
of them (again, see above).

To see the Visited: entries open a command window with current directory
set to the History.IE5 subdirectory and enter:

find /i "Visited:" index.dat

Note: do this immediately after issuing Clear History.

BTW you can use RegMon to watch the entries come out of the registry
for AutoComplete purposes. I know of no simpler way to be aware of
that source. Even Administrators are not allowed to see those keys using
RegEdit.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Version: 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.030422-1633

Synopsis: Autocomplete URLs in the Address box can no longer be deleted by normal means.

When broken: I installed an IE update as part of Windows update about 2 months ago. Prior to that I had not upgraded in at least 7 months.

Details: I have attempted to deleted the autocomplete URLs in all the usual ways and they still come back:

1) IE Tools->Internet Options->Content->Autocomplete->Clear Forms
2) Also did #1 after unchecking "web addresses". Upon rechecking it, URLS are still there
3) Start->Settings->TaskBar and Start Menu->Start Menu->Customize Classic Start Menu->Clear
4) IE Tools->Internet Options->General->Clear History
5) Searched for and deleted all instances of Index.dat. In cases where the file was locked used Procexp.exe to find and kill the

locking process to make sure it was deleted. The URLs disappear until all instances of IE are closed, then they come back.