Your history file stores the last places you have visited on the web. To make sure the file doesn't get too big, Internet Explorer automatically clears the history after items have been in for a certain number of days. If you find history items being deleted too quickly or if you want to cover your surfing tracks by deleting history items faster, do the following.

Click on the "Tools" menu, selecting "Internet Options." On the "Internet Options" multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, near the bottom of the dialog box, you should see this prompt:

"Days to keep pages in history:"

If you want your history pages to expire after seven days, place a 7 in the box and press OK. If you want pages to expire sooner, enter a smaller number. If you want pages to expire later, enter a larger number.

Print This Tip

Get E-Mail When New Tips are Online

Return to the Internet Explorer 6 Privacy and Cookies page.