Internet Explorer Help Desk


Often people want to remove typed URLs that appear in the Address bar drop-down list for Internet Explorer, but are unsure how to do it because entries can't simply be deleted individually. Here are a few things you can try.

 

Method 1

One of the most popular methods is to open Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > General tab > press the 'Clear History' button. In most cases, this will delete all the entries from the Address bar. In some cases, it may be necessary to restart your browser or computer to notice any changes. It should be mentioned that you are not only deleting items from the Address bar, but you are also deleting your entire History of all the sites you've visited, not just the ones you've typed in. This method might be overkill for some.

 

Method 2

Another option is to go to the Start button > Settings > Taskbar & Start Menu > 'Start Menu Programs' tab > 'Documents menu' section > press the 'Clear' button. This will remove all the entries from the Address bar, but once again it also removes other items such as anything listed in the 'Run' drop-down list and all items in the MRUD (Most Recently Used Documents) list. If you feel this option is also overkill, read on.
 

Method 3

Warning!!!: Using the Windows Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems requiring the re-installation of your operating system and possible loss of data. I do not and will not support problems that arise from you editing your own registry. Use the Registry Editor and my directions at your own risk. Be sure that you create a backup of your registry and be very sure that you know how to restore it. If you are not sure how to do both of these things then STOP here!! and read the directions.

The typed addresses aren't stored in a folder -- they are stored in the Registry. In fact, you can remove individual addresses by editing the Registry. Go to Start > Run > type REGEDIT, and click OK. Navigate to the followign key (folder) by clicking on the + signs: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs If you click on the TypedURLs key in the left pane, you'll see the contents in the right pane. You can right-click on any of the entries in the right pane and choose Delete. Each entry is numbered url1, url2, etc. If you delete any entries you may have to rename (by right-clicking) some entries so that no numbers are skipped. For instance, if you delete url3, but you don't rename another entry url3, only url1 and url2 will be displayed when you click on the drop-down arrow of the Address bar. All the URLs following the deleted URL will not be displayed.


Method 4

Use a Third-Party tool

 

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