computer question

[loulou34]

Not sure if anyone knows or can help, but just thought I would throw this out there. I know all computers have a history that record the pages and web sites you have visited, but is there another way to see what pages have been visited after the history has been deleted? Also how do you go about finding hidden files? Like I said maybe I stupid question but I just wanted to know. Thanks is advance.

 

[bisexplicit]

After the history has been deleted, at least on my computer, if you typed in something like "www.lit..." then a list of websites beginning with "lit" would come up, including "literotica" (or whatever, for example).

 

[EJFan]

if a file's hidden in the traditional sense, you can go to the folder it's in and...

tools drop down menu
click folder options
click the view tab
check the box that says "show hidden files"

 

[marckiuy]

Ok i dont think there is much u coul do but if its your computer and you are wanting to watch what people are going on in future try looking at some of the software found on Spyarsenal that mite help.

 

[christian1971]

2 places to check

There are 2 places you can check both are in your C drive in the windows area. The First one is the COOKIE are that folds all the www's mostly. And the second one is the Temporary Internet Files Folder. This one holds EVERYTHING from all the photos, websites, sometimes icon you name its there. Both at times needs to be cleaned out they take up loads of mem

 

[silverwhisper]

loulou: depends upon what operating system (OS) of the computer you're using as well as what browser (firefox, internet explorer, netscape, opera, safari). tell us that and you'll get more useful guidance, assuming of course you aren't using windows and EJ's reply doesn't do the trick.

ed

 

[Pyro Paul]

well it depends also on the program your running too, AOL and IE keep there own history/cookie recoarder so finding lost files are much easyer with them. (just search the directory files of AOL and you can find past sights visited) other than that, the history kept on the computer in form's of cookies still exisits and often gives you a breif history of past things. but probably the 1 history log that most people dont remember is your online history. no matter what Internet format your on it all is created on a log. now your OS or IP may or maynot show you this history log, it all depends on the system or if your connected to a net work. most of the time this is only appernt in LAN networks because the master computer stores all the computer logs as so an administaror can search them to see if a worker was say looking at hardcore porn instead of working.

For the most part this history is kept in the DOS prompt as just a generaly large cookie, but its instantly deleted every time the system shuts down or restarts. and since most computers (exspecialy macs) dont want you to see the dos prompt, it is becoming harder and harder to acsesse this history log unless if already pre programed into your computer.

this dos history log doesnt just keep history of online activities, it logs Everything the computer does, when it downloads files, when it starts a specific program etc.

 

[loulou34]

loulou: depends upon what operating system (OS) of the computer you're using as well as what browser (firefox, internet explorer, netscape, opera, safari). tell us that and you'll get more useful guidance, assuming of course you aren't using windows and EJ's reply doesn't do the trick.

ed

I have windows xp and use firefox. Does that help?

 

[Weird Harold]

I know all computers have a history that record the pages and web sites you have visited, but is there another way to see what pages have been visited after the history has been deleted?

There isnt any way to look at deleted history or deleted temporary internet files available through Windows or DOS -- deleting those files does NOT put them in the Recycle bin.

If you start looking quickly enough, and already have the necessary undelete program on your computer, it might be possible to undelete the files but in practical terms, deleted history is usually just gone.

 

[VBerg]

If you've always used firefox then you have nothing to worry about because when you click delete history it's gone (mozilla doesn't need to spy on you)
but history from IE are harder to get rid of, this article is very good and contains instructions on how to get rid of the files
http://www.fuckmicrosoft.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml

 

[adoggie42]

Use the "Enemy" to defeat the enemy...

Microsoft Antispyware

1) run the scan
2) delete what it suggests deleting
3) open "Advanced Tools"
4) under Privacy Tools click on and run all choices under "Tracks Eraser"

Restart the pc

If you are really trying to hide your tracks you'll need to get hold of PGP or one of it's variants. They have tools to "wipe" the disk. As well as clear memory, etc.

Wiping a disk takes hours ! on a large disk. It finds all space not tracked as a known good file and overwrites, then overwrites again, and again, and again, ad nauseum ad ifinitum.

File and file fragment can be recovered EVEN after they have been overwritten ! ! !

For the "casual" observer (parents, kids, friends) Microsoft Antispyware will cover most tracks. Want to beat a hacker ? Use Microsoft and PGP.

My motto: Don't put ANYTHING on a computer you don't want EVERYONE else to find out about.

 

[Pyro Paul]

Um, as a side note, i think this person is Trying to FIND the things that some one else was looking for, not trying to find the Logs and Delete them or hide there anonymitiy.

 

[silverwhisper]

paul: that's possible but it's really not the way i read the question. :>

ed

 

[loulou34]

Yes I am trying to find pages and websites that are visited, not delete my own. Thanks for all the input.

 

[human_male]

The aswer to your question is yes. It just depends on how hard someone is gonna look. If you clean your history and temporary internet files that's probably enough to stop granny from stumbling onto anything while she's looking for the ready-steady-cook website. If you want to be sure though you'll need to use special software that will clear things like the index.dat file for instance, which is a locked file (even if you could find it you can't open it or delete it) that records your entire online history. Every website you've visited, every webpage you've looked at, every cookie and file you've downloaded since you installed windows in recorded in there. Scary.

I use Ace Utilities which (supposedly) completely cleans your system history.

 

[loulou34]

The aswer to your question is yes. It just depends on how hard someone is gonna look. If you clean your history and temporary internet files that's probably enough to stop granny from stumbling onto anything while she's looking for the ready-steady-cook website. If you want to be sure though you'll need to use special software that will clear things like the index.dat file for instance, which is a locked file (even if you could find it you can't open it or delete it) that records your entire online history. Every website you've visited, every webpage you've looked at, every cookie and file you've downloaded since you installed windows in recorded in there. Scary.

I use Ace Utilities which (supposedly) completely cleans your system history.

I am trying to look at history and pages viewed, can you tell me if there is a way to do that. Thanks

 

[supahstoopid]

Try...

For IE, right click on the IE icon proper (in other words, not the IE shortcut icon), click 'internet properties'. Delete 'History', 'Cookies', and click 'Delete Files.' This should clear the general user from tracking you. Also, in the 'Internet Properties' menu, click the 'Advanced' tab. Under 'browser' heading, de-check 'use Inline Autocomplete'--it should be near the 'Underline Links' option. Next, under 'Security' heading in same window, check 'Empty Internet Files folder when browser is closed.' You ought to be in better shape after this.

Now, getting rid of the files in hidden computer areas is another task I'm not familiar with on XP. My understanding is that deleting files in Windows does not exactly wipe the memory, but merely makes space for other files. Thus a good computer geek could probably find the implicating files if they really needed to somewhere in the heart of your hard drive. But unless the FBI takes your computer, I don't think you need to worry overmuch about this latter problem. If you have too many issues, use the recover disc, format the drive, reinstall your programs, get a good anti-spyware program and antivirus, and use the IE setting s as described in previous paragraph. Hope this helps.
D. i mean s.

 

[Pyro Paul]

to get rid of the history on your computer perminantly, while during Start up, press f1, when the selection screen comes up, Press the corrossponding number to the command, Complete Reformat of Computer. this will not only erase any evidence, but it will also erase Every thing else and put it back to the way that you bought it.

 

[M's girl]

Can I throw in another computer question?

Sorry to hijack this thread a bit but my question might be too simple to answer to start a new thread...

M and I want to make a new account for M so he can post under his "own name". Although we have more than one computer we would like to be able to access LIT from the same one. This is because we found that our wireless access / home network slowed down our computers too much. So we now only have internet access on one at a time.

What we have done so far (M started posting his own comments a few days ago) is that he writes in RED. We don't want to confuse others and I also saw someone else (who had been fairly clear about doing the same as us) been battered over this. Now.... M likes it if I spank his balls but ... this is different; we would LOVE to be considered sweet and loving people ( ) here on LIT.

So.... okay, back to our question.... We found out, with the cookies and everything, with another application (internet banking) that my account was troubling M's, to the extend that he could not log in anymore and had to request new codes and passwords. (Hihi , okay... not funny ) The solution there (the bank said) could be using different browsers. I am on LIT through Mozilla, should M go through Explorer and should we be fine then?

What do you computer experts think? Thanks in advance!

 

[Weird Harold]

So.... okay, back to our question.... We found out, with the cookies and everything, with another application (internet banking) that my account was troubling M's, to the extend that he could not log in anymore and had to request new codes and passwords. (Hihi , okay... not funny ) The solution there (the bank said) could be using different browsers. I am on LIT through Mozilla, should M go through Explorer and should we be fine then?

What do you computer experts think? Thanks in advance!

Do you have separate user accounts on the computers? If not, that's your solution.

With separate local user accounts, cookies and logins are managed individually and with XP you can change users on the fly without logging one user out before loggin in another user.

 

[M's girl]

Do you have separate user accounts on the computers? If not, that's your solution.

With separate local user accounts, cookies and logins are managed individually and with XP you can change users on the fly without logging one user out before loggin in another user.

No, we don't.... yet. It makes perfect sense though. I think we'll give that a try first. Am sure it will work... you seem to know a lot about computers I have noticed before... Thanks!