how do i stop when i enter a search the drop down bar that comes up
with what i have searched for in the past with the same beginning. for
example if i type in free...then a drop down bar comes up with
everything in the past that i have typed in starting with free..videos
or food or cars.

Hi choc33,


Thank you for your question.


To Remove all Past Searches from Internet Explorer:  

Tools ---> Internet Options ---> Content tab. 
Click on AUTO COMPLETE ---> Click on Clear Forms ---> Click OK

(This will stop the search bar from completing words you type in that
have remained from past searches.)

To completely disable the history function, set 'Days to keep pages in
history' to zero.




If you are using the Google Toolbar:
Your Google search history can be deleted from the Google Toolbar,
from the Google search box, and from your browser. Instructions for
each of these instances appear below: To clear your search history
from the drop-down text box on the Google Toolbar:

Click on the 'Google' logo to access the drop-down menu. 
Select the 'Clear Search History' option. This will clear all the
previous searches from the drop-down box.
Please note that this only clears the search history from the Google
Toolbar, which is entirely separate from the search history stored by
your browser.



To clear History in Netscape:

Go to Edit ---> Preferences
Click the arrow next to Navigator ---> Click History ---> Click Clear
History --->Clear Location Bar ---> Click OK



To clear History FireFox:

Select Tools from the top menu ---> Select Options from the drop down list
Click the Privacy button in Left menu
Select History ---> click the Clear button ---> Click OK


=========


Best regards,
tlspiegel

---

Request for Answer Clarification by choc33-ga on 16 Jan 2005 10:15 PST

How do i find 'tools' in internet explorer i cant seem to find it
anywhere and when i click on the google logo nothing happens to get to
the drop down menu. can you send me a web address to access the google
drop down menu

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 16 Jan 2005 10:29 PST

Hi choc33,

I will reply to your clarification in about an hour.  I'm going to be
away from my desk until then.

Thanks for your patience,
tlspiegel

---

Request for Answer Clarification by choc33-ga on 16 Jan 2005 10:34 PST

no problem thanks for your help just want to let you know i am using a
new apple laptop and the internet connection i type on is safari and
go to the apple directory. i dont see any of the tool bars for google
or on netscape and as you can already tell i am bit retarded when it
comes to computers any help would be appreciated.

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 16 Jan 2005 11:20 PST

Hi choc33,

Well, the plot thickens.  I'm performing an extensive amount of
research for you using various keywords: safari clear auto complete. 
I might have to ask the editors to remove my answer.  Reason being...
this seems to be a common complaint among Safari users - there isn't
any easy way to clear auto complete.

I now see from my research that many others are complaining about this.    

I will post some things for you to *try* and we'll see if any of them
work for you.  If we are successful, then I won't ask the editors to
remove my answer.

If my suggestions don't work -  I'll ask to have it removed and the
editors will do so.

Stay tuned... suggestions on the way ASAP.

Best regards,
tlspiegel

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 16 Jan 2005 11:45 PST

Hi choc33,

Rather than show you all the articles and message board/forum
complaints about Safari auto complete - I'll provide you with what
*might* help you disable the auto complete function.

As stated, if none of these suggestions work for you, please let me
know and I'll ask the editors to remove my answer.

The bottom line just might be - at this time Safari hasn't implemented
this into their browser.  If enough people complain, or if someone
comes up with a way around it, that would be good.


OK... here we go:


Prevent Safari from Autocompleting
http://www.macworld.com/2003/12/secrets/macosxhints/?pf=1

Safari, like many other browsers, tries to help by autocompleting URLs
as you type them, basing its choices on your prior viewing habits.
While this is useful most of the time, it's frustrating when you want
to load a site's home page and Safari takes you to the subpage you
last viewed. If you'd like to limit these autocompletions, start by
choosing History: Clear History, and then quitting Safari. In your
user folder, go to Library: Safari and locate the history.plist file.
Select the file, choose File: Get Info, and then click on the Locked
option. Now close the window.

When you relaunch Safari, autocompletion will still work as expected
on bookmarks, and it will also work for URLs you visit in the current
session. But the next time you quit and restart Safari, the
autocompletion data will vanish -- it can't be written to the locked
.plist file. To return to normal autocompletion, deselect the Locked
option in the history.plist file's Get Info dialog box

=========

http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/2190071

The free browser, which has counted 2 million downloads since January
7, is being styled at the "fastest Web browser ever created for the
Mac," and also introduces a new "Reset Safari" option for the
protection of personal information, especially on public computers.

The new "Reset Safari" feature lets users erase browsing history,
empty the browser cache, clear the Downloads window and remove
cookies. It can also be used to clear Google search queries and remove
any saved names and passwords or other AutoFill text.

=========

(I'm sorry I lost the link for this suggestion)

I find the Safari autocomplete from my History annoying. A one-time
clearing and locking of the history file prevents Safari saving your
History.

Choose 'Clear History' from the end of the History menu.

Quit Safari.

In the Finder, locate the history.plist file in ~/Library/Safari/.

Use 'Get Info' to lock the file.

Auto-complete will still use the history of your current session, but
it will be cleared when you Quit. Auto-completion of bookmarks
continues to function normally.

=========

http://forums.macosxhints.com/archive/index.php/t-11698.html

ok i found the way of getting around it. safari will always cache your
bookmarks as history it seems.

so what i did was:
1. took both bookmarks and history plist files out from the Library
folder and put onto desktop.
2. restart safari, now it has no book marks at all (yikes!)
3. quit safari
4. you will now find new files for bookmark and history back in the
library folder of safari. they are both blank.
5. replace only the bookmark file from the desktop (the one with all
the info of your bookmarks)
6. lock the new empty history.plist file and throw away the one on the desktop.
7. open safari
8. you have your bookmarks back and a locked history, so the only
thing that auto completes is what you have bookmarked, which is fine
by me, as it's all clean innocent links.

=========

http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/print.php/2190071

The new "Reset Safari" feature lets users erase browsing history,
empty the browser cache, clear the Downloads window and remove
cookies. It can also be used to clear Google search queries and remove
any saved names and passwords or other AutoFill text.

=========

http://www.udel.edu/security/sectopicsmac.html

Check options specified for AutoComplete:   Internet Explorer, Safari
and other browsers allow certain information to be saved and used to
automatically complete web forms. Although a convenience, it creates
security problems if another person uses the computer.
 
Safari: Safari; Preferences; AutoFill; Uncheck User names and passwords.

=========

Best regards,
tlspiegel

I think the original question is referring to autofill.  To clear
safari's autofill cache for google (and not trash everything else) do
this:

Safari Menu ->
Preferences ->
AutoFill -> 
Next to "Other forms", click "Edit..."
Find ".google.com"
Remove it.