Infopackets Reader Ric J. asks:

" Dear Dennis,

If I [load Internet Explorer and then] go into Tools -> Internet Options and clean out the History, Temp Files, and the Web Cookies, will that take care of things I might not want [others to] trace or pull up [on my computer]?"

My Response:

Unfortunately, clearing out your Internet History, Temp Files, and Cookies aren't enough to 'clear your tracks', per se. Virtually anyone can hop on your PC and trace where you have been by accessing your Most Recently Used Files history (MRU), such as: Media Player history, Document history (MS Word, etc), email trash, drop-down menus, auto complete forms in Internet Explorer, and a heck of a lot more.

Case and point: Click Start -> Documents. What do you see?

I've addressed this issue before in the Gazette. The truth is, you'll need some kind of a cleaning utility that can automate the process of cleaning out those MRU files (including the Internet files you mentioned) every time you shut down the computer, in order maintain a consistent level of privacy.

I have previously reviewed (and continue to use) a utility called Window Washer to clean my system -- not only because of its excellent track record for removing traceable objects from a PC, but because it also cleans out my system and makes it run faster. Besides that, I also like the fact that Window Washer helps to keep my Disk Images small by clearing away all the gook that Windows and other programs leave behind.

I won't go into too much detail about Window Washer because I've already written a review on it. I can tell you, however, that many users have thanked me for reviewing the program in the newsletter. You can read the article here:

Webroot's Window Washer Review