How to clear we addresses from memory in IE 6.0 on 2000? 2

[LT4]

I have an issue with a machine I inherited. The previous owner went to several sites that I wouldn't be interested in and I would like to clear them from memory. For instance, if in the address bar I start by typing the letter "p" it might pull a dropdown menu of several

http://www.porn.com

sites. I'd rather not re-format the drive, but it is annoying and embarassing to say the least. I have cleared the temporary internet files, all the cookies, the history, and the forms, what else do I need to do to get rid of this?

Thanks for the help,
Eric

 

[jbharleen]

start your internet explorer,Go to Tools ->Internet options->History-> clear history.

Also delete cookies and files(offline files also) under temporary internet files heading in tools->internet options.

 

[LT4]

Thanks for the help, but it didn't work. Any other suggestions? I have tried watching to see what files get updated whenever IE is open and the only ones that I can't get into or copy are the ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.log files, but these two update whenever an IE session is opened or closed.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[karmic]

Clear history should do it for you...

Comfortable with the registry?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

Clear out the URL1, URL2 etc

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[LT4]

Karmic, I was excited to see your response but alas, that didn't work. The only typed URL in the list was

http://www.yahoo.com.

All the other ones were called "default" and the type was "REG_SZ" with the value not set, and I couldn't delete those. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[karmic]

Only other thing to try is:

open internet explorer, click tools, internet options..., click the content tab, click autocomplete, click "clear forms". click clear passwords too.
Uncheck web addresses, forms and usernames and passwords.

Good luck

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[LT4]

Karmic,
So long as I have the Web Addresses box unchecked it doesn't do it anymore, but if it is checked the problem remains the same. I don't get it, where could the computer be storing this information that I can't delete it? I don't mind leaving the autocomplete of web addresses turned off however I have gotten used to just typing in a word then hitting Alt-Enter to go to that address. Come on, someone here has to know this.

Thanks again,
Eric

 

[VLADY218]

Try this, Go into Internet Explorer, Choose Tools. Privacy Tab. Raise your level to high. I noticed this before that it took away the sites but im not sure if when you set them back to low if it brings the sites back.

Worth a Try

 

[LT4]

Vlady,
Unfortunately this had no effect.

Sigh,
Eric

 

[Eguy]

LT4;

Click on Start > Settings > Taskbar & Start Menu
Click on the Advanced Tab.

There is a button labeled "To remove records of recently accessed documents, programs, and web sites."

Click on the Clear button.

Ed

Please let me know if the suggestion(s) I provide are helpful to you.
Sometimes you're the windshield... Sometimes you're the bug.

 

[LT4]

Sorry Ed, no dice.

Eric

 

[VLADY218]

Who is your ISP. If it is AOL or MSN you may have to remove it from there end software.

 

[MiggyD]

Being a 2K forum, I presume you have administrator rights?


1) did you RIGHT-Click on "Internet Explorer" selected "Properties" instead of opening the web browser? This may help to some degree.

** Eguy's: [...labeled "To remove records of recently accessed documents, programs, and web sites." ]

----------------------------
2) are there other profiles listed in the directory C:\documentation and settings? Have you signed on through there accounts and attempted to repeat each of the steps offered above? If it's still connected to the server, then locate the HISTORY folder under that user's profile ON THE server and delete it--if that old user is no longer there, copy only the necessary docs/spreadsheets/etc. to the local hd then delete that user from the server.

** LT4's: "..the ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.log"

----------------------------
3) have you checked "add/remove programs" from the control panel to see if there may have been some downloaded program that automatically calls these sites? They are {most of the time} stored in the registry. You may need something to remove these spywares...take a look at the following article from PcWorld at the following addy:

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,7423,00.asp

OR, you can use the SEARCH command in regedit to find some of these sites and manually delete them. [red]Just be careful when doing electric brain surgery![/red]

** LT4's: "...type was "REG_SZ" with the value not set..."

----------------------------
4) does that system have alternative players like realplayer? have you checked those URL lists? <For that matter have you checked mediaplayer's library list and deleted them as well?>

** no one said it, but I was just thinking aloud.

----------------------------
Sorry, this is all I can think of for the moment. I'm currently at home on an ME, but have access to a 2k pro at work if this doesn't pan-out.

Otherwise, I hope something here can help you track it down.

--MiggyD

 

[LT4]

Well, I thought I had found the problem but alas, I didn't. I was poking around in the registry and found under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Explorer Bars\{long string of characters}\filesNA some of the offending sites. I deleted them, then did a reboot, and voila, nothing changed. I tried doing a registry search (edit|find) for the site names and came up with nada. It's not the ISP, it's in the computer somewhere because some of the addresses are for pictures on my desktop that I opened in IE at one point. Tearing my hair out now.

Eric

 

[karmic]

That's so weird. but one more little suggestion...

Open a dos prompt and type:

ipconfig /flushdns

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[LT4]

I tried that, still no fix. What the heck could this be? I just don't understand, I've done a search of the entire drive for files containing text *sample*.* and no hits, but it has to be somewhere for the browser to access it!!!

Eric

 

[karmic]

Are there by chance any other browsers loaded on the system? netscape? Opera? If so, clear the cache on all browsers or uninstall them.

Check your Add/Remove programs and check what each loaded program does. There may be some kind of proxy software or internet caching software installed on the system. Other than that...
This is a stand alone system right?

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[MiggyD]

Could be another program that sees you changing the registry and so it tries to fix it like Norton's AV. You got any of that stuff?

Also, have you check the following:

&quot;Autoexec.bat&quot; (If applies--or modified &quot;Logon.bat&quot?
&quot;Task Manager&quot;?
&quot;StartUp&quot; folder(s)?
Reg's &quot;RUN&quot; & &quot;RunService&quot;?
IE Tool's &quot;TRUSTED SITES&quot;?

Have you tried any of the above responses from &quot;SAFE MODE?&quot;

 

[bcastner]

There are several freeware tools to do this:

http://www.spychecker.com/software/freeware_cookie.html

Typed URLs are the tough one.

Let me add a note to cleaning the History files as suggested by several above. You can do a better job of cleaning if you first set the parameter &quot;Days to keep pages in history&quot; to 0. Then do the clean. Then reset the &quot;Days to..&quot; parameter.

 

[LT4]

I have tried the latest suggestions, nothing works. The problem is exactly the same as it was before, I can type the first letter I want into the Address bar and will get a drop down list of either URL's or places on the computer (such as C:\). If I close this window and clear all the history, I can try typing the letter &quot;T&quot; and it won't show up in the drop down, so the clearing history kind of works, except for all that crud that seems to be embedded in there somewhere.....

Eric