How to Keep Your Information Private: Delete Your Temporary Internet Files

You may have heard the term "temporary internet files" before but didn't know what they were. In essence, it's a page Internet Explorer saves for you, so when you open that page again later, it will open much faster. They help speed up your browsing experience and give you the opportunity to open those sites even when offline.

Yet, in spite of the advantages of using these "temporary internet files", they admittedly have one disadvantage, and it's a doozy: they put your private information at risk. Everyone who can access your computer is able to view your temporary internet files folder, and plainly view the sites you've been to in the past. Even if you manually erase the contents of this folder, it won't erase every trace thanks to a file known as index.dat; this file will still keep a record of the names and dates of when you visited a site.

Where exactly your temporary internet files folder is located depends largely on what version of Windows you're using, and if you utilize user profiles.

For those with Windows 2000 or XP, the "temporary internet files" folder can be found at C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\temporary internet files\ . Earlier versions, like 95/98, ME or NT, your index.dat file will be at C:\Windows\temporary internet files\ .

On some computers, the Windows directory might not be C:\Windows, but something similar. If it turns out you don't have a "Profiles" location in your Windows directory, don't fret. All it means is that you aren't utilizing user profiles.

On to the important section: deleting your temporary internet files by hand. For this, you need to do the following:

1. Run IE and click on "Tools". Click on "Internet options" to open the corresponding window.

2. Click on the "General" tab, then look for the section marked "temporary internet files". Click on the button "delete files" to open a new dialog box. In the box, click the "delete all offline content" to delete the websites that you can view offline. A warning box may pop up; click "OK" to permanently delete the files. It may take a while, especially if you've been browsing for months or even years without clearing your cache, so grab some coffee.

While this is going to delete your files in the temporary internet files folder, but as I said earlier, traces will still be in the index.dat files. The only real way to rid yourself of all traces of your internet history for good is to use a program specifically designed to clear (in a way, electronically shred) said internet files. Another benefit is the option to keep the history from sites you choose specifically, allowing you to browse with a feeling of safety and security. Some of these programs also clean items beyond the index.dat files, such as history, cookies and UserData records. If you use this program regularly, you shouldn't suffer any lagging in your computer due to slogging through the history files.