IE History - Can I recover it

[David Webb]

That sounds more complicated than it has to be. Here's a link to a freeware (and
safe) utility that enables one to read the contents of all index.dat files in
the system and delete any, as an option:

See inside index.dat files
http://www.stevengould.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=88

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Whatever.

 

[Newbie Coder]

Gary,

On clients machines I have seen history going back months proving they have been
on porn or banned sites. Some have lost their jobs because of it & the OP wants
this information & I gave him a lint to retrieve that.

If you go on MSDN you can read up on the STATURL structure & other interfaces
that the History uses located in the urlhist.h header files, but that is getting
technical way beyond a Shell MVP knowledge & is exactly what a programmer should
know

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms774942.aspx

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms774962.aspx

You can also read up on Moniker's which you should know about being an Windows
MVP as these are held in the registry:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms775103.aspx

Basically there is loads of info avaialble & reading will broaden your knowledge

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Update. First, even if I was a programmer, that doesn't mean the site isn't
poorly constructed. For instance, *requiring* registration to simply
download some code. Only purpose I can see for that is either so they can
SPAM me or because it inflates their "membership". If I don't want all the
bells and whistles, I shouldn't need to "register". Second, when a simple
and common error occurs, like the one that stumped me for a bit -- cookies
were blocked -- one shouldn't have to find and wade through a FAQ to
discover that that might be the problem. The blocking of cookies should
prompt the user to unblock them, it's that simple. Plenty of other sites do
so, why is it so hard for a gang of programmers? Or is it a case of deciding
that almost all visitors are programmers and should be able to figure this
stuff out on their own? No, I'll go with the other suggestion, Index.Dat
Spy.

But it makes no difference on this machine. I have neither an index.dat for
TIFs nor one for History. Don't know why that is (in the case of History),
but the reason the index.dat is missing is that I moved the TIF store to a
different location, and that apparently turns TIF into a much simpler
structure (no confusing phantom folders, just a single folder full of
files.) Yet both systems, TIF and History, work just fine. The index.dat
file for Cookies is intact and properly functioning.

Anyway, I can't test at this moment, but I *still* don't believe that
History's index.dat file, or that for TIF, maintains any permanent record.
Not when you properly delete them using IE Options. I *know*, based upon
recent experimentation, that it's not the case for the Cookies index.dat
file. Unless you manually delete the cookie, if you delete it properly, the
entry is removed from the index.dat file.

Frankly, based upon some of your past "advice", I'm guessing that some
context is missing from you assertions. That you are, for instance, not
deleting History using the proper tools that are provided. Sure, if the user
deletes the files manually from the History folder, the index.dat file will
not reflect that change. That's why we tell people to use the proper
controls for this kind of thing.

But now I'm only guessing.

 

[Newbie Coder]

Gary,

You made me laugh

A person who replies to others in this newsgroup trying to help was stumped by
cookies being blocked & couldn't even fill in a simple registration page )
What does that tell you?

If's fine that you go with the other version but remember that the Index.dat
file can be read/deleted simply. No-one said you have to use the IE Spy, but its
exactly what the OP should use to get info about his colleague. Plus, it has a
network version. Does the other download have that option too?

Hope this posts as twice it stopped me yesterday

--
Newbie Coder
(It's just a name)

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I wasn't the least bit "stumped", just irritated beyond caring. I had no
problem filling in the Registration page, and now that I've fixed the cookie
problem, I can also find the page that lets me change my own info. My having
problems with the site is a direct result of it's crappy implementation and
lack of foresight. They can mention the problem in a distant FAQ, but can't
be bothered to create a prompt when a user can't even log in without setting
a cookie. It's NOT user-friendly.

I don't know if Index Dat Spy is able to work over a network and have no way
of testing right now. I'm guessing that it will work just fine, providing
you can access the files over the network. However, it DOES let you access
all index.dat files, not just the one for Cookies.

You're right, I'm no programmer (well, I dabble in scripts.) What I
generally do when exploring Windows or the internet, is to see things from
an average user's point of view. By doing so, I learn about all the
pitfalls. Note that YOU weren't able to explain the endless loop ( or were
but couldn't be bothered), whereas now I can do so and will remember it,
whereas your tendency is to leave out important details in your own
responses, I suspect in a futile attempt to seem superior.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Note that I am big enough to admit my mistakes, whereas every time I've seen
you pulled up, you just shut up and slink away.

 

[Kelly]

Hi,

In addition.....

Merge line 101: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm