How to Clear the Internet Browser
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
When it comes to the operation of virtually any type of Web browser, there are three types of information stored in the computer system which may need to be cleared by the user as part of the best security practices. These types of information are cookies, browsing history, and temporary Internet files. When these types of information are accessed by malicious authors, they can be used to create a user profile based on the surfing activities of the computer user. Clearing these bits of data does not cause any harm to the computer system but rather helps to keep it not only secure but in good running condition by eliminating unnecessary files stored in the local hard drive which can slow down access to important data. An additional action which can be undertaken is the clearing of the search engine contents some browsers store to keep track of the various searches made by the user online.
Materials Needed:- Web browser
- GUI-based Operating System
- Internet connection
Step 1
For the Netscape Communicator browser, clear the cookies, browsing history, and temporary Internet files by following Step 6. For the AOL Web browser, proceed to Step 8. Users running the Mozilla Firefox browser can proceed to Step 12. Microsoft Internet Explorer users may follow Step 2.
Step 2
For the Internet Explorer browser for Windows, click on the 'Tools' Menu and select the 'Internet Options'.
Step 3
Go to the 'General' tab of the Internet Properties and look for the 'Temporary Internet Files' option. Click the 'Delete Temporary Internet Files' button and click on the 'OK' button.
Step 4
For the Internet Explorer browser for Mac OS X, the option can be found under the 'Explorer' menu and by choosing 'Preferences'.
Step 5
From the new window, choose the 'Advanced' option and select the Web browser heading. Under the Cache section, click on the 'Empty Now' button to clear its contents, then click the 'OK' button to finish the process.
Step 6
For the Netscape Communicator browser running under the Mac OS, Linux, or Microsoft Windows platforms, click on the 'Edit' Menu on the browser menu bar.
Step 7
Select the 'Preferences' and choose the 'Advanced' option. Select the 'Cache' option and click on the 'Clear Memory Cache' and 'Clear Disk Cache' buttons to remove their contents. Click on the 'OK' button to finish the procedure.
Step 8
Using the AOL browser for Windows, click on the Settings Menu and choose the 'Preferences' option from the AOL menu bar.
Step 9
This will allow for the clicking of the 'Internet Properties' (WWW) option and clicking on the 'Delete Files' button. Clicking on the 'OK' button will finalize the process.
Step 10
In the AOL browser for the Mac OS, the option can be found under the 'Members' Menu and choosing 'Preferences'.
Step 11
Simply scroll down to the 'Web' option and click on the 'Empty Cache' button. This will remove all contents of the cache memory.
Step 12
For both the Mac OS and Linux Operating System platforms, the cache of the Mozilla Firefox browser can be emptied by selecting the 'Edit' Menu and choosing the 'Preferences' option.
Step 13
A window displaying triangles and topics will be displayed to the user. Click on the triangle next to the 'Advanced' option to expand it and select the 'Cache' category.
Step 14
Click on the 'Clear Disk Cache' as well as the 'Clear Memory Cache' buttons to remove their respective contents. Clicking the 'OK' button will finish the procedure.