How do I delete the previous searches I have made on my computer and
turn off this recording function for the future?

Hi golfer58,

The feature that you are referring to is called ?AutoComplete?. This
feature can be turned on and off via your browsers Internet Options.
To turn off this feature, do the following:

Open your browser and click on the ?Tools? menu, then on ?Internet
Options?. Click on the ?Content? tab then look for the ?AutoComplete?
button and click on it. The options for Web Addresses, Forms and User
names and passwords on forms will appear with a check mark in front of
each. If you remove the checkmark from the desired option(s), the
AutoComplete feature will no longer work. The first one, Web
Addresses, works with your Address bar only.


To clear the search history of previous searches, follow the procedures below:

"In Internet Explorer 5 or higher, select "Tools" from the menu, then
"Internet Options" and then choose the "Content" tab. Next, look for
the button at the bottom that says "AutoComplete." Click on the button
which will make the AutoComplete Settings window appear. In it, click
on the "Clear Forms" button to delete all your stored form entries."


Removing a particular query in the list of past searches:

Click once in the search box and get a "drop down" box to appear,
listing all the things you've searched for in the past. Alternatively,
you can start typing a query, and you'll be shown any queries that
contain the first letters that you've typed.

"Use the arrow keys on your computer keyboard to highlight the
particular entry. Alternatively, highlight the entry using your mouse
but don't click on it. Next, once the entry has been highlighted, push
the "Delete" button on your computer keyword. The entry should
disappear."

Source:
Search Engine Watch: Clearing Your Search History From Google And
Other Search Engines
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/sereport/article.php/2165181


Search criteria:
delete OR clear search history


I hope this helps. If you have any questions regarding my answer
please don?t hesitate to ask before rating.

Best regards,
Rainbow

Hi,

Rainbow has given you right solution.

But if you are using toolbar with your IE, then you need to edit
registry. e.g. if you have Google toolbar and want to remove "Auto
Complete", you can with the help of reinbow's given solutions. But if
you want to remove search words from the search box, which is inbuilt
with the google toolbar, you have to edit the registry. you can do the
followings.

Go to "Start" > "run" Type "regedit". Registry window will open.

Go to "My Computer" > "HKEY_USERS" . Try to search any word you see in
your google toolbar. it will be stored in one folder in registry. You
can see all the words in particular folder. These are the same words
what you see in google toolbar. Delete all words. Open new IE window.
You can see all the search words are deleted.

Thanks,

Nuruddin