XP & XP pro

[maddogg1952]

only been using computer for 3 years (I am 52). article on microsofts truly hidden files( cmd would not work) any update any advice on how to use on these 2 OS computers then suggestion on what OS to go to? thanks

[Aloone_Jonez]

Our article is out of date, Windows XP dosen't store any of you internet history once you've deleted it. But either way  I would strongly recommend using the FireFox web browser instead of Microsoft Internet Explorer which is insecure and very buggy.

If you're openminded enough you could try using a different operating system like Linux or BeOS, but please be aware that changing your operating system is harder than using a different browser.

[WMD]

Our article is out of date, Windows XP dosen't store any of you internet history once you've deleted it.

Eh?  All the index.dat, desktop.ini, and Content.ie5 folders are still in XP, doing their thing.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Even though the files are still there the contents are cleared. Try it yourself, clear IE's history, cache cookies ect. and you'll notice the files are smaller than they were before.

If you realy want to delete them you can from the administrator account. You can't delete the administrator's  hidden files from the administrator user are as they will be in use, to do that you need to do it from another user area with administrator rights. You just don't need to delete them in Windows XP because IE clears them for you.

[WMD]

It doesn't delete everything.  The cache folders with the random names (A09FJAJD) don't get deleted.

[muzzy]

firefox is also insecure and very buggy, so recommending to use it sounds a little silly.

[BobTheHob]

firefox is also insecure and very buggy, so recommending to use it sounds a little silly.

Your just jealous

[toadlife]

firefox is also insecure and very buggy, so recommending to use it sounds a little silly.

Regardless of it's actuall security, Firefox has the benefit of security through obscurity right now, so recommending it isn't so silly.

[Orethrius]

firefox is also insecure and very buggy, so recommending to use it sounds a little silly.

Prithee tell us, kindly knave, (whilst bearing in mind that a flaw found doth not amount to a flaw exploited) how a browser that is directly tied into the system might be MORE secure than a browser that exists as a separate application?

[Aloone_Jonez]

It doesn't delete everything.  The cache folders with the random names (A09FJAJD) don't get deleted.

So what the directories are still there but their contents have gone along with the contents of the index files.

muzzy,
You've said before you only use FireFox for looking at content that requires Java script. This would be very silly if you believe that FireFox is less secure than Internet Explorer.

We know how secure/insecure FireFox is because the bug tracking system is open so we are aware of all the known bugs. We don't know about Internet Explorer, all we can go on is past bugs and exploits and given it's track record is a lot worse than FireFox's we have to conculde that FireFox is more secure.

[BobTheHob]

Has anyone else noticed how muzzy talks shit and hopes noone realizes its crap, and when he gets owned out the ass, he conviently ignores that thread till the topic changes?

[piratePenguin]

Has anyone else noticed how muzzy talks shit and hopes noone realizes its crap, and when he gets owned out the ass, he conviently ignores that thread till the topic changes?

A bit harsh but yea, I've noticed.

[WMD]

So what the directories are still there but their contents have gone along with the contents of the index files.

No.  They.  Haven't.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Oh yes the have!

Just because the files are still there it doesn't mean their contents are intact.

I've just veiwed a few sites with Internet Explorer, then I looked at the index files with a hex editor and they contained the names of the sites, then I deleted my temporary Internet files and history with Internet Explorer. I looked at them again and they are a lot shorter now and the names of the websites have vanised.

Don't believe me?

Try it your self.

[Orethrius]

Oh yes the have!

Just because the files are still there it doesn't mean their contents are intact.

I've just veiwed a few sites with Internet Explorer, then I looked at the index files with a hex editor and they contained the names of the sites, then I deleted my temporary Internet files and history with Internet Explorer. I looked at them again and they are a lot shorter now and the names of the websites have vanised.

Don't believe me?

Try it your self.

No thanks, that would require me to use Windows as more than a glorified file manager for the times that I can't quite get my external drive to cooperate with Linux (it's a mutual problem, before anyone says anything - it seems to hate all OSes on hardware that uses USB 1.1 ports pretty equally).  It would require me to reinstall MSIE, and I'm not prepared to track down my install disc to bother with something so trivial.  :p