Clearing Browser History Locks Up

[Guest]

When I try to clear my browser history it goes and goes until I get a "not
responding" and I have to end task through task manager. It also locks up if
I go to Start Menu/Settings/Taskbar and Start Menu Properties/Start Menu
(TAB)/Customize/"Clear" to remove records of recently accessed documents,
programs and web sites. Any ideas anyone...I haven't been able to find
anything online about this.

 

[Don Varnau]

HI,
Assuming Windows XP...
Some possible solutions, starting with the easiest...

You may have corruption in the History folder or its index.dat file or
another program is preventing the file deletion.

With no IE windows open (or minimized) try clearing the History from Control
Panel> Internet Options.

Try clearing History, recent docs, etc from Safe Mode.
315222 - A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=315222

Run CCleaner www.ccleaner.com from Safe Mode and check the box to delete
index.dat files.
- - -
You may have to delete the History folder and allow Windows to create a
new one.

Easy method #1- pretty reliable, but not 100%:
CCleaner from www.ccleaner.com Check the boxes to clear History and
index.dat files.

Easy method #2:
Free History Eraser from
http://smartprotector.com/eraser/free-history-eraser.htm can usually delete
the History folder (and the index.dat file) and a new one will be created
when you restart.

Or the History folder can be deleted manually.
The procedure [Windows XP]
Login as another user with administrator privileges, or from the machine's
default administrator account (startup in safe mode.) Make sure that you can
see hidden and system files (Folder Options> View) then delete the affected
History folder from Windows Explorer. It will be at [C:\Documents and
Settings\yourusername\Local Settings\History] Restart the computer.

Don
[MS MVP- IE]
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