As soon as you begin to type something online -- a Web site address in Internet Explorer, for instance, or a name into an online form -- Windows XP often races in to help. It sends down a little box, listing items you've typed previously.
A quick point and click lets you retrieve a word or phrase from Windows XP's handy AutoComplete list, sparing you the effort of typing it in yet again.
Some people, however, don't like Windows XP looking over their shoulder as they type. And it's especially annoying when Windows XP keeps listing your typographical errors.
To delete a word or phrase from most AutoComplete drop-down lists, press the down-arrow key to highlight the entry and then press the Delete key. Unfortunately, this trick doesn't delete individual Web addresses you type into Internet Explorer. You must delete Internet Explorer's History to remove those.
To make Internet Explorer stop listing your previous entries, follow these steps:
Open Internet Explorer and choose Internet Options from the Tools menu.
Click the Content tab and click the AutoComplete button. The AutoComplete Settings dialog box opens.
Click to remove check marks from Web Addresses, Forms, User Names and Passwords on Forms, and Prompt Me to Save Passwords.
Click the Clear Forms button and the Clear Passwords button and then click OK. Those two final buttons delete previously stored AutoComplete entries.
It's convenient for Internet Explorer to store the passwords you use for your Web site. But that makes it convenient for anybody who sits at your computer to log on to password-protected sites. Even if you enjoy AutoComplete, consider removing the check mark from the User Names and Passwords on Forms box in Step 3.
Cool, been wondering if this could be done.