How do I delete the Windows Explorer address bar history

Question

Note: I am NOT referring to Internet Explorer.

I am using Windows XP and Windows Server 2008 and need to delete the history values from the file browser (aka Windows Explorer). Somebody put a password into the address bar as ftp://user:pass, and now I can't delete the value.

Some forums say to delete this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths

In Windows XP, the key doesn't exist, and in Windows Server 2008, the key is there, but deleting it doesn't seem to help.

The answer

For XP, you need to use CCleaner, select delete History and Recently Typed URLs from Internet Explorer and Recent Documents and Other Explorer MRUs from Windows Explorer

For Windows Server 2008, log into the FTP site, press ALT, then do File > Login, at which point you can change or delete the password.

Solution 1

Use CCleaner to get rid of 'em.

---

Also, check if the entry exists in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

Solution 2

I've just struggled to achieve this in Windows 7

I had to delete entries from both:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

and

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths

But I also had to kill Explorer.exe (using Windows Task Manager [SHIFT+CTRL+ESC]) or else the typed Paths kept coming back.

Note: Open regedit first and then kill explorer.exe and then use the File > New Task (Run...) menu option to re-spawn explorer.exe. Just enter explorer.exe in the run box and hit Enter

Solution 3

For XP, the registry path is HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

You will see local explorer paths as well as internet URLs. This way, one can choose what to remove.

Solution 4

When clearing Internet Explorer history, does it also clear the Windows Explorer's?

Right-Click Start button > Select Properties> Click Customize > Click Clear

View more solutions

Comments

[user33788]

did u run regedit as the user that was having the problem or as an admin?

[mlissner]

as the user that had the problem.

[mlissner]

No, clearing IE's history doesn't do it either. Any other theories?

[mlissner]

I'll try CCleaner. The key you mention above exists, but it doesn't seem to have any history values.

[mlissner]

I installed CCleaner, deleted History and Recently Typed URLs from Internet Explorer and Recent Documents and Other Explorer MRUs from Windows Explorer, and that finally worked, thanks.

[100rabh]

Good to hear @mlissner, you're welcome!

[mlissner]

Hrm...had this problem again, and CCleaner didn't work this time. This was on Windows Server 2008. I think last time was Windows XP.

[ybungalobill]

For me worked on Windows XP.