How to Delete your Usage History Tracks in Windows

Right-click the taskbar., Click Task Manager., Click App history., Click Delete usage history., Open File Explorer ., Click View., Click Options., Click the General tab., Click Clear., Consider hiding your future search history., Click OK., Click...

45 Steps 4 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Right-click the taskbar.

    The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the screen.

    Doing so invokes a pop-up menu. , It's near the bottom of the pop-up menu.

    Alternatively, press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc. , This tab is at the top of the Task Manager window., It's a link near the top of the window.

    Doing so will reset the usage clock for each app on your computer to zero., Click the Start menu and type file explorer into Start, and then click File Explorer at the top of the Start window., This tab is in the top-left section of the File Explorer window., It's a box-shaped icon in the upper-right side of the File Explorer window.

    Doing so opens the Folder Options window., You'll see this option in the upper-left corner of the Folder Options window., It's in the "Privacy" section toward the bottom of the window.

    Doing so will remove your recent searches from the File Explorer.

    If you pinned any folders or files to the File Explorer, they won't be cleared. , To do so, uncheck both the Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show recently used folders in Quick Access boxes in the "Privacy" section.

    Doing so will prevent future searches from appearing in the File Explorer., It's at the bottom of the Folder Options window.

    Your File Explorer history should now be clear., It's on the left side of the taskbar, just right of the Windows logo.

    The Cortana window will pop up.

    If you don't see this option:
    Right-click the taskbar.

    Select Cortana.

    Click Show search box. , It's on the left side of the Cortana window.

    Doing so will open Cortana's settings in the window., It's below the "My device history" heading.

    Doing so clears your on-device search history., This link is below the "My search history" heading.

    Clicking this link opens a Bing page with all of your searches listed in chronological order.

    You must be connected to the Internet in order to view this page. , It's a link near the top of the Bing page., This button is in the "Clear search history" section near the top of the page., Doing so will clear Cortana's search history entirely., It's a dark-blue app with a white "e" on it., This option is in the top-right corner of the Edge window.

    Clicking it invokes a drop-down menu., It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu., This button is beneath the "Clear browsing data" heading., You can check other items here as well, but these two items must be checked in order to clear your Edge history., It's in the middle of the menu.

    Doing so will delete your Edge browsing and downloads history., It's a light-blue "e" icon., This option is in the top-right corner of the Internet Explorer window.

    Doing so invokes a drop-down menu., You'll see this icon near the top of the drop-down menu.

    Clicking it will prompt a pop-out menu to appear., It's at the top of the pop-out menu., These two options will ensure that you clear all aspects of Internet Explorer's history., It's at the bottom of the window.

    This will clear your Internet Explorer browsing history., It resembles a red, green, yellow, and blue sphere., This icon is in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.

    Clicking it will prompt a drop-down menu., It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu.

    Selecting it invokes a pop-out menu., It's near the top of the pop-out menu., This is the drop-down menu at the top of the "Clear browsing data" window.

    Make a selection for how far back you'd like to delete the browsing history (for example, selecting the beginning of time will delete all the recorded browsing history)., Both of these categories make up your browsing history., This is a blue button at the bottom of the window.

    Clicking it will promptly clear your browsing and download history., This app resembles a blue globe with an orange fox wrapped around it., It's in the top-right corner of the Firefox window., You'll see this option in the middle of the drop-down menu., It's a tab on the left side of the Firefox window., This link is below the "History" heading on the right side of the page.

    If you don't see this option, click the box next to "Firefox will:"

    then click Remember history. , To do so, click the box to the right of "Time range to clear:" at the top of the Clear Recent History window, then click a time (e.g., Today or Everything)., These items will ensure that your Firefox usage history is targeted when you click Clear Now., It's at the bottom of the window.

    Doing so will immediately clear your Firefox history.
  2. Step 2: Click Task Manager.

  3. Step 3: Click App history.

  4. Step 4: Click Delete usage history.

  5. Step 5: Open File Explorer .

  6. Step 6: Click View.

  7. Step 7: Click Options.

  8. Step 8: Click the General tab.

  9. Step 9: Click Clear.

  10. Step 10: Consider hiding your future search history.

  11. Step 11: Click OK.

  12. Step 12: Click Cortana's Search box.

  13. Step 13: Click .

  14. Step 14: Scroll down and click Clear my device history.

  15. Step 15: Click Search history settings.

  16. Step 16: Click CHANGE HISTORY SETTINGS.

  17. Step 17: Click Clear all.

  18. Step 18: Click Yes when prompted.

  19. Step 19: Open Microsoft Edge.

  20. Step 20: Click ⋯ .

  21. Step 21: Click Settings.

  22. Step 22: Scroll down and click Choose what to clear.

  23. Step 23: Make sure "Download History" and "Browsing History" are checked.

  24. Step 24: Click Clear.

  25. Step 25: Open Internet Explorer.

  26. Step 26: Click ⚙️.

  27. Step 27: Select Safety.

  28. Step 28: Click Delete browsing history.

  29. Step 29: Make sure "History" and "Download history" are checked.

  30. Step 30: Click Delete.

  31. Step 31: Open Google Chrome.

  32. Step 32: Click ⋮ .

  33. Step 33: Select More tools.

  34. Step 34: Click Clear browsing data.

  35. Step 35: Click and select a timeframe.

  36. Step 36: Make sure "Browsing history" and "Download history" are checked.

  37. Step 37: Click CLEAR BROWSING DATA.

  38. Step 38: Open Firefox.

  39. Step 39: Click ☰ .

  40. Step 40: Click Options.

  41. Step 41: Click Privacy.

  42. Step 42: Click clear your recent history.

  43. Step 43: Select a time span.

  44. Step 44: Make sure "Browsing & Download History" and "Form & Search History" are checked.

  45. Step 45: Click Clear Now.

Detailed Guide

The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Doing so invokes a pop-up menu. , It's near the bottom of the pop-up menu.

Alternatively, press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc. , This tab is at the top of the Task Manager window., It's a link near the top of the window.

Doing so will reset the usage clock for each app on your computer to zero., Click the Start menu and type file explorer into Start, and then click File Explorer at the top of the Start window., This tab is in the top-left section of the File Explorer window., It's a box-shaped icon in the upper-right side of the File Explorer window.

Doing so opens the Folder Options window., You'll see this option in the upper-left corner of the Folder Options window., It's in the "Privacy" section toward the bottom of the window.

Doing so will remove your recent searches from the File Explorer.

If you pinned any folders or files to the File Explorer, they won't be cleared. , To do so, uncheck both the Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show recently used folders in Quick Access boxes in the "Privacy" section.

Doing so will prevent future searches from appearing in the File Explorer., It's at the bottom of the Folder Options window.

Your File Explorer history should now be clear., It's on the left side of the taskbar, just right of the Windows logo.

The Cortana window will pop up.

If you don't see this option:
Right-click the taskbar.

Select Cortana.

Click Show search box. , It's on the left side of the Cortana window.

Doing so will open Cortana's settings in the window., It's below the "My device history" heading.

Doing so clears your on-device search history., This link is below the "My search history" heading.

Clicking this link opens a Bing page with all of your searches listed in chronological order.

You must be connected to the Internet in order to view this page. , It's a link near the top of the Bing page., This button is in the "Clear search history" section near the top of the page., Doing so will clear Cortana's search history entirely., It's a dark-blue app with a white "e" on it., This option is in the top-right corner of the Edge window.

Clicking it invokes a drop-down menu., It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu., This button is beneath the "Clear browsing data" heading., You can check other items here as well, but these two items must be checked in order to clear your Edge history., It's in the middle of the menu.

Doing so will delete your Edge browsing and downloads history., It's a light-blue "e" icon., This option is in the top-right corner of the Internet Explorer window.

Doing so invokes a drop-down menu., You'll see this icon near the top of the drop-down menu.

Clicking it will prompt a pop-out menu to appear., It's at the top of the pop-out menu., These two options will ensure that you clear all aspects of Internet Explorer's history., It's at the bottom of the window.

This will clear your Internet Explorer browsing history., It resembles a red, green, yellow, and blue sphere., This icon is in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.

Clicking it will prompt a drop-down menu., It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Selecting it invokes a pop-out menu., It's near the top of the pop-out menu., This is the drop-down menu at the top of the "Clear browsing data" window.

Make a selection for how far back you'd like to delete the browsing history (for example, selecting the beginning of time will delete all the recorded browsing history)., Both of these categories make up your browsing history., This is a blue button at the bottom of the window.

Clicking it will promptly clear your browsing and download history., This app resembles a blue globe with an orange fox wrapped around it., It's in the top-right corner of the Firefox window., You'll see this option in the middle of the drop-down menu., It's a tab on the left side of the Firefox window., This link is below the "History" heading on the right side of the page.

If you don't see this option, click the box next to "Firefox will:"

then click Remember history. , To do so, click the box to the right of "Time range to clear:" at the top of the Clear Recent History window, then click a time (e.g., Today or Everything)., These items will ensure that your Firefox usage history is targeted when you click Clear Now., It's at the bottom of the window.

Doing so will immediately clear your Firefox history.

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