This gives the false impression that most of the URLs in the AutoSuggest
dropdown list are stored in the registry. In fact, most of them are in
the History.IE5 index.dat. Even the few of them that *are* in the registry
(such as URLs associated with AutoComplete form data and passwords)
may be found there.
The problem is that the editing tools provided for the History are known
to be deficient so the documented advice is to clear History, since
clearing History does reinitialize the History. E.g., right-click on any
element in the History and you will see a Delete command associated
with that element. A reasonable expectation would be that deleting that
element should delete all associated references to it and its subelements.
Unfortunately, the documentation equivocates on this, implying that you
should not expect it to work as well as you might hope.
Here is an excerpt from a previous reply about this where I speculate
on a possible tactic for trying to circumvent whatever the deficiencies
really are.
<excerpt>
Even Microsoft don't claim that it always works but there is machinery
(e.g. right-click Delete in the History bar) which if it worked reliably
could be suggested more often when this issue comes up.
<title>KB217148 - How to Use the AutoComplete Feature in Internet Explorer 5 and 6</title>
<title>KB250696 - Deleting the My Computer Folder from the History List Clears All the History Contents of the Day</title>
(Note that there is no reference to IE6 in the last article.
Is the problem fixed? Care to be a guinea pig? <eg>)
FWIW here is a repost of some of my speculations about the delete
function for History items:
<repost>
If it works you will have to restart IE.
E.g. close all IE windows and verify iexplore.exe
is no longer listed in the Processes tab of Task Manager.
I think the reason that it is documented not to work may be
that it is just too difficult to explain all the hoops you might
have to jump through to be sure that you were doing the
necessary recursion in the right order.
Here's an excerpt from some of my previous speculations
along that line.
---
E.g. by starting deletions with the oldest instance of the URL
(using the Date view), deleting only at the URL level until all
instances of the URL are gone at that level (e.g. in other dates),
then if appropriate working up to the site within the date
(e.g. in case that depends not just on the index.dat at the date level
but also on the main index.dat) and finally closing all instances of IE
and then looking at History again to see how you've done.
(I suspect that this is another case where IE's internal
data is not kept in synch with the external data it represents.)
I think it is probably a good idea not to try to use the Delete
commands provided under the other views because there
is no equivalent view under the special History view in Explorer.
However, it seems that they may sometimes work too.
FWIW the only time I have bothered trying this is with new entries
(before they got archived into an older index.dat) and IIRC I used
the By Order Visited Today view. The Delete didn't change the
view immediately but the URL was gone the next time I opened IE.
Robert Aldwinckle
---
</repost>
</excerpt>
guy said:
Thanks Alan. You're a mine of useful information.
My frustration stems from the fact that I've mistyped a couple of URLs
and when I retype in the address bar (which I find is
quicker than using favorites) then I often pick up one of the ones that
I've mistyped in the past and it (obviously) takes me to
the wrong web page. It would be great if one could just right click
when it AutoCompletes one of those and select delete.
Thanks again.
....
