How do I delete selections (words) in the dropdown windows. I want to
keep my 'searches' confidential.

Dear Don Arthur, 

Here are simple instructions on how to keep your searches confidential
in the two most popular browsers, as well as in the Google Toolbar.

If this happens with all searches and dropdwon windows (Internet Explorer)
=======================================================
This could be your option on the Internet Explorer. 

You could remove this function, called "Auto Complete", like that:

(1) Go to Start  --->  "Settings" ----> Control Panel (or: click on
"Tools" on the top of your browser)

(2) Choose Internet Options 

(3) Choose "Content", in the folders beginning with "General" and
ending with "Advanced" (with
Security-privacy-content-connections-programmes in the middle).

(4) Click on "Auto Complete" and remove approvals next to "forms". 

(5) Click OK, then "Apply"/OK. 

[Note: If your computer is not in English, the names might change, but
not the way to remove Auto Complete].

In addition, you could also delete your history, that is - the sites
that you've visited in the past, by doing another process:

(1) Repeat stages 1-2 in the first instructions. 
(2) Choose the folder "General"
(3) Click on "delete cookies" (if you haven't done it for a while, it
might take some time)
(4) Click on "delete files" and approve deletion also of off-line content. 
(5) Click on "clear history" - you could decide how many days you
would like your computer to keep history in the first place.

Marcy Zitz from About.com provides here more information on the "Auto
Complete" feature and how to disable it:
<http://familyinternet.about.com/library/weekly/aa072501a.htm>


If you're using Firefox
=======================
(1) Click on "tools" 
(2) Open "options"
(3) Click on the + next to "Saved Form Information"
(4) Uncheck the box that says "Save information I enter in webforms
and in the search bar"
(5) Click on "clear"
(6) Click on "OK". 


If this appears on the Google Toolbar
=====================================
If you click the "Google" sign in the far left side of the bar, you
get several drop-down options:
- One is titled "Clear Search History" - hre you could clear the
history, if you want it to continue and save your previous search
history, but to erase those already done.
- One is titled "options". If you click on this one, you have an
option called "Drop Down Search History". If this option is checked,
un-check it. Consequently, future searches you make would not be
saved.

I hope this answered your question. Please contact me if you need any
clarification on this answer before you rate it.

Very thorough answer.  Thanks for the information

I use safari as well... this is how i do it:

First off if you want to clear everything (this wipes favorites,
history, searcches, cache, etc...). Click on the 'Safari' Button in
the menu and click on Reset Safari. I believe that this will clear
google searches.

If you use the google search bar in the upper right hand part of the
safari screen, then just click on the spotlight and click 'Clear
Recent Searches'.

I am not sure exactly how to clear searches on the google website, and
for this reason i reccomend using the search bar for any confidential
searches and then clear them afterwards. Searching in the seachbar
does not cause google.com to remember them.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Thanks Villian-ga,

That did the trick. Glad to see someone else is using Safari  :)

Don

Hi donarthur, I'm a Mac OSX user too, as well as a regular user and
commenter to this service, so welcome and let me give you a bit of
inside info.  Y'know giving poor old rainbow a serve and just two
stars was rather harsh, particularly considering that you kept your
Mac status to yourself and then didn't give him/her a chance to
respond to your clarification -- I'd hardly expect that of a creative
mac user! It's a bit of a no brainer that if you ask a computer
question, you need to mention that you're running a Mac rather than
the ubiquitous PC. Plus, rainbow responded within the hour. Okay, it
wasn't the answer you wanted but that's what clarifications are for.
Next time you use this excellent service, please give your researcher
a chance by giving him/her as much information as you can in the first
instance, then, if you require further information, you'll find
they're very forthcoming. They're only human and they don't usually
have ESP. Be fair.

Dear Stressedmum-ga

You are absolutely right !!!! I forgot to give Villian all the information.

Since this is the first time I used the service, I was not familiar
with the rating system or how it worked.

Can I change the rating?

Don

Thank you for the rating.