Editing Internet Explorer logs

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

I posted this in Cafe but got no response. Thought I try it here where there's a wider readership. (Cafe seems to be mostly populated by a few hardheads. {not exclusionary {grin}})

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I use Slim Browser (IE clone) and it has a drop down menu when entering an address to got to. It's VERY handy for experienced users (though not a replacement for Favorites). The problem is that it remembers EVERY address you've been to before (at least manually). And many are those I only have been to once or won't be returning to (at least very often).

I would like to pare down the list (log?) manually (presumably it's in text format or not encrypted) but I don't know where it's located (or file name) to try to edit it. Can anyone help?

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"Basically, I no longer work for anything
but the sensation I have while working."
Albert Giacometti (sculptor)
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[William Burns]

For internet explorer they are stored in the registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

I am not familiar with "Slim Browser" but I would suggest searching the registry for some of the items listed in your list to see if they are in there.

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Found the list okay, Bill but thjink there may be more under differernt headings, The list I found and edited did not seem to have much effect on the list I used for SlimBrowser.

Will hunt around some more. Thanks for your help.

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Bore, n.:
A person who talks
when you wish him to listen.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
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[Mel Bishop]

I am not familiar with "Slim Browser"...

I use it exclusively. Try it. It's free. www . flashpeak . com

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Been stumbling around the registry for an hour and whiile I did some editing of the key William pointed to (above), it didn't *seem* to have the same (SB drop down) list I was looking for, nor even the same addresses. Did all manner of searches on SlimBrowser and Flashpeak. Did lots of stuff but nothing that appeared to be what I want.

And just now when I came back to SB, some of the long lists in the dropdown were gone (for example only 3 SwedesDock queries were there, as opposed to dozens before, ditto for The-Lovgrens) but PowerBasic still has 50-100? (it seems to remember every PB address ever gone to).

Strange.

Oh, I've been using SlimBrowser for years. Ever since someone here mentioned it. It's simple, fast, not fancy and the address indexing is awesome really, except when it gets cluttered as talked about here.

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"The use of COBOL cripples the mind;
its teaching should therefore
be regarded as a criminal offense."
Edgar Dijkstra
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[Marco Pontello]

Oh, I've been using SlimBrowser for years. Ever since someone here mentioned it. It's simple, fast, not fancy and the address indexing is awesome really, except when it gets cluttered as talked about here.

I'm sure you have your reasons to like / use Slimbrowser, but you may want to give a try to Firefox or Chrome (witch is far lighter), even just to "give a look at where they are". Both have a quite efficent way to search on the visited URLs, so that you practically stop using the bookmars and just start typing "powe"... to go to PB's forum, for example.

Bye!

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

I'm sure you have your reasons to like / use Slimbrowser, but you may want to give a try to Firefox or Chrome (witch is far lighter), even just to "give a look at where they are". Both have a quite efficent way to search on the visited URLs, so that you practically stop using the bookmars and just start typing "powe"... to go to PB's forum, for example.

Bye!

Thanks Marco. I used FF for a year or two (and really liked fooling with the settings) but just found too many differences (mostly in display of various sites) from the IE "standards" for my purposes. Tried Chrome for a few days but found it lacking in features I wanted/use.

SB seems to be as fast, and usually significantly faster, than any browser I have tried. The address bar dropdown in SB is really really handy and if I could edit the dropdown list without stumbling (see above), I'd be in heaven. It must be in the registry somewhere but dogged if I can find it. Was hoping it would be in a text log file somewhere. As someone noted above it is better/easier/faster/more convenient than Favorites (until it gets cluttered).

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If you think you can win, you can win.
Faith is necessary to victory.
William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)
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[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Okay, this is turning out to be a real puzzler. Just spent hours looking for where the SB address data could be stored (searched entire \Documents And Setting folder) using a file search utility in ExplorerPlus (looking for SwedesDock.com, PowerBasic.com). It found a bunch of Invisible (don't show in Exp+ nor in File Open dialog of text editor) Index.dat files in various (IE history) folders under \D&S.

I was able to open the invisible files by copying the file(s) to another folder (\Temp) where they became visible to a text editor. Turns out they were not the files used by SB for addresses. (I think the "invisible" setting is in the folder, but that's another issue)

And here's how I figured that out.

1) I went to a site I never visited before (SearchAnalytics.com) then closed the page.

2) then started to type in the address and bingo - after typing in "se", the full address of SearchAnalytics showed up in the list of addresses beginning with "se".

3) that tells me SB is storing the addresses somewhere (dynamically?) so I searched again (as above) and found no references to "SearchAnalytics" in the regiostry. tried searching the folder where SBis located but no luck there either.

Turning out to be a real puzzler.

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If you can't have faith
in what is held up to you for faith,
you must find things to believe in yourself,
for a life without faith in something
is too narrow a space to live.
George E. Woodberry
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[John Strasser]

Just for grins, have you tried creating another user account on that computer and then searching through the docs/settings and registry?

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Just for grins, have you tried creating another user account on that computer and then searching through the docs/settings and registry?

No I haven't John. Actually never have created multiple accounts (that I recall). What would I search for? Thinking about it I don't see any advantage to another account. The search already went through the entire C:\Doc & Settings\... which includes ...\All Users, ...\Default User & ...\Gosta.

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If a man will begin in certainties
he shall end in doubts;
but if he will be content to begin in doubts
he shall end in certainties.
Sir Francis Bacon
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[colin glenn]

A) Is it possible that the browser is using a custom file format / database type of file for storing the information.
B) Using IE history folder for storing the information.

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

A) Is it possible that the browser is using a custom file format / database type of file for storing the information.

It may well be but I guess the actual addresses (http:...) are not encrypted, hence would be found by a text search.

B) Using IE history folder for storing the information.

I searched all the history files (index.dat - each in a separate folder under C:\Docs&\ for each day) and found no matches for the unique address that shows up in the SB list. A (bulk) history file makes the most sense but dogged if I can find it.

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An open foe may prove a curse;
but a pretended friend is worse.
Ben Franklin
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[colin glenn]

Really strange suggestion then, close all applications, advance your date to tomorrow, use the browser, shut down, reset your date, then look for any files dated tomorrow, ...

[Paul D. Elliott]

Don't limit your search to the D & S. Search the whole drive. Not everyone
puts files in the same places. Some put them under the Windows directory
and sometimes make a new directory somewhere so that the novice user
won't be able to directly find & edit them.

Just a suggestion.

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

Colin, I'll pass your suggestion (manipulating dates) as I don't see any advantage at this time.

Paul, searching the whole drive is a good one in case a file is being created outside \Docs&Settings\. I know it's not in the SB folder as have checked it several times (dates, content). Just initiated it. Probably take an hour or more (72g of data) but what's to lose? Runs in background.

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"The average person thinks he isn't."
Father Larry Lorenzoni
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