If you need to clear Windows Explorer history in your PC (not internet browser) you may find it a bit cumbersome to search for the right button. Well, there isn’t just one button; you need to follow a few steps in order to get rid of your file browsing history. I stumbled upon this myself recently after trying to backup all the stuff from the desktop and looking for a “clear everything” button. Here’s how to do it properly:

How to clear file Explorer history on Windows 10

1. First of all, let’s clear the history from the Windows Explorer address bar. Just right-click on the address bar of the Windows Explorer and choose Delete history. That’s it.
2. You can also do this by opening any folder and right-clicking on Quick access in the upper left corner of the folder. Then click on Options. (another way to access folder options is simply typing “file explorer options” or “folder options” in the Windows search field and hitting Enter)
   Folder options window will open with general settings;
   Near the bottom in privacy field there’s a Clear button. Clicking on it will erase file explorer history. You can also check or uncheck quick access view options of your recently used files and folders.
3. When you click on File Explorer you may notice your files and folders history list. If you don’t want your most recent files or folders to be seen, just right-click on Recent files bar and select Remove from Quick access.Your recent 20 files (no more) will be deleted, so if you have extensive file browsing history and you want it all removed, better do it through folder options as described above.

How to clear Windows 7 Explorer history

1. Unfortunately, there is no delete button in Win 7 and that’s why we’ll need to use windows registry. Click the Start button and type the word “run” in the search box of your start menu. Another way of opening run is hitting simultaneously the Windows and R keys on the keyboard. Type “regedit“ and hit Enter on the keyboard.
2. In the registry editor window navigate to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths
3. After you click on typed paths you will see URL1, URL2, etc. on the right. These are the paths to your files and folders. Right-click on each of them and choose “Delete”. That will do the trick.