[k9roo]

My OS is Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and it no longer tracks any history. When I look at the History it is empty and I think I know how it happened but I do not remember exactly how it was done and I do not know how to get it back.

A few months ago I was trying to figure out how to remove the history in the address bar, because no matter what I did the address bar always showed the sites that had been visited. I checked several sites and finally found how to do it. The problem is I don't remember what I did. I want to see the Browsing History and I assume that whatever I did to stop the Address Bar History must have stopped the Browsing History too. I can remember going to the RegEdit but I do not remember if I made any changes there or not. I've tried restoring to an earlier time and resetting back to the factory settings and I still cannot get the History to work again. Any suggestions?

[vistashen]

I doubt you may have an application which deletes the browsing history automatically. Get into add or remove programs and uninstall unecessary programs like search engine, toolbar. I would like to see your screen shot of the entire programs in add or remove programs.

[k9roo]

I checked the add/remove programs and there is nothing to remove. Besides I have not added any programs. I cannot for the life of me remember what I changed to stop the address bar history. I do not know if that is when the Browsing History stopped. I just happened to check it today and the only thing I see when I click on History is the Search History button. There is no date option or anything. I'm wondering it there could have been a Windows update or something. This is frustrating I have been trying for hours to get the history to show.

[k9roo]

I have been browsing how to delete the address bar history in hopes of remembering what I did, if that is the reason the history is not working. Anyway, I found an article about going to Regedit to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Typed URLs and when I look there is no URL's listed. Its not even showing in the RegEdit.

I also remember the reason I was trying to find a way to delete the address bar was because when I did a delete history under the Internet Options it would never delete the address bar information.

[vistashen]

Did you reset the IE or delete history by any chance. If you reset it will delete the browsing history. Or anyone in your home used your computer which might delete the browsing history so that you will not notice what website He/she has visted. How about now after browsing for a while to you see the history for today.

[k9roo]

Yes, we did reset it about a week or 2 ago but I have been browsing all day and it is still showing no history. I find it odd that the only option under history is Search History there is no date option or anything.

[TheOutcaste]

Assuming this is IE7?
Sounds like you deleted or renamed the desktop.ini file in the History folder, or it's become corrupted.
That will cause the exact symptoms you describe.

This batch file will hopefully fix it.
Copy and paste the following into Notepad:

@Echo Off
Echo Recreating Desktop.ini file, please wait.
Set _FN=desktop.ini
PushD %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\History
Attrib -s -h %_FN%
If Exist %_FN% del %_FN%
>>%_FN% Echo 
>>%_FN% Echo [.ShellClassInfo]
>>%_FN% Echo ConfirmFileOp=0
>>%_FN% Echo DefaultToFS=0
>>%_FN% Echo CLSID={FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}
>>%_FN% Echo UICLSID={7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}
Attrib -a +s +h %_FN%
PopD
Echo If there are no errors displayed, the desktop.ini file
Echo should have been successfully created.
Pause

Save it on your desktop as FixHistory.cmd (Be sure to change the Save as type: box to All Files (*.*)).
Double Click the file. If there are no errors displayed, it should now start tracking your browsing history.
If you see any Access Denied errors, try running the file from an Admin Command Prompt:

Click Start, type cmd, press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER
(The Command Prompt window Title bar should start with Administrator:)
Type the following commands, press enter after each one
(It's not case sensitive, but there must be a space between CD and the ")
CD "%userprofile%\desktop"
FixHistory

Any other errors, report them here.

HTH

Jerry

And Welcome to TSG!

[k9roo]

Tried it, still does not work. This is driving me crazy.

[TheOutcaste]

Originally Posted by k9roo

the only thing I see when I click on History is the Search History button. There is no date option or anything.

Is it still only Search History being shown?

I've found a way to disable the history, but all the options are still present on the Search History button. Only way I could get rid of the other 4 options was by deleting the desktop.ini file.
Copy and paste the following into Notepad. Save it to the desktop with a .reg extension (Set Save As Type: to All Files (*.*))

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\Cache\History]
"CachePrefix"="Visited:"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00002000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\LowCache\History]
"CachePrefix"="Visited:"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00002000

Double click the file, you'll get a UAC prompt and a warning, click Yes to Merge the file into the Registry.
If that doesn't work, do the same with this to restore the Class keys:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved]

"{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}"="History"
"{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}"="Temporary Internet Files"
"{7BD29E01-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}"="Temporary Internet Files"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}]
@="History"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\ieframe.dll,-20785"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\ieframe.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0000004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}]
@="Temporary Internet Files"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\ieframe.dll,-20780"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\ieframe.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:20000004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E01-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}]
@="Temporary Internet Files"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E01-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\Windows\\system32\\ieframe.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{7BD29E01-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:20000004

HTH

Jerry

[k9roo]

Still doesn't work

[vicks]

if you open tools, internet options, browsing history, settings, there is a place to choose how long to keep browsing history. Could be that is set to 0.
vicks

[k9roo]

No its set to 5 days. I really appreciate your help. Is there a way to reload parts of IE7 maybe there is a segment missing that I need? This is so frustrating and Microsoft nor Dell will help without a fee. Ridiculous!

I tried the first set of options you gave me for the destop.ini and of course I got the Access Denied errors and when I tried the second option through the cmd it said it did not recognize the command. Then when I tried .reg extentions I got nothing. I am always amazed at how hard it can be to figure out what is going on with a pc and in the end its usually a simple solution but it takes forever to find the solution.

[TheOutcaste]

Originally Posted by k9roo

Tried it, still does not work. This is driving me crazy.

This implies that you successfully ran the batch file, but it didn't fix the problem.

Originally Posted by k9roo

I tried the first set of options you gave me for the destop.ini and of course I got the Access Denied errors and when I tried the second option through the cmd it said it did not recognize the command.

This says you could not run the batch file, which means a missing or corrupt desktop.ini could still be the problem, so we need to find out why you couldn't run the batch file.
Exactly when did it say it could not recognize the command?
When you typed cmd in the search box?
When the Command Prompt window opened, did the Title bar say Administrator?
typing the CD "%userprofile%\desktop" command?
typing FixHistory?

Originally Posted by k9roo

Then when I tried .reg extentions I got nothing.

When you double clicked on the files, nothing happened? No error message at all?
Try this: Right click the file, and click Merge
If Merge is not an option, let us know.

Jerry

[k9roo]

Exactly when did it say it could not recognize the command?

When I typed FixHistory.
It says 'FixHistory' is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file.

When you double clicked on the files, nothing happened? No error message at all?

The first merge said successfully added to register
The second one that I merged said Cannot Import C:\Users\myname\desktop\.reg Not all Data was Successfully Written to the Registry some keys are open by the system or other processes.

[k9roo]

I meant to add the History still does not work.