# Clearing URL's From Drop Down List **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892 "2002-07-26T06:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/1 "2002-07-26T06:42:02Z")
What’s the best way to do this on the IE Explorer using W95? I found a way on Google, but it is Netscape specific. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/2 "2002-07-26T06:59:06Z")
Go to Tools\>Internet Options and click on “Clear History”. That will leave your drop down list nice and clean. ---
**Author:** ![Lockfist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@Lockfist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockfist)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/3 "2002-07-26T07:08:01Z")
Might as well change the setting for **Days to keep pages in your history** to **-0-** while you’re at it… ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/4 "2002-07-26T07:41:49Z")
To clear auto-complete entries: Right-click on task bar Click “properties” On “Start Menu Programs” tab, under “Documents Menu”, click the “Clear” button. (Works for W98, NT4, and W2k. Dunno about W95.) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/5 "2002-07-26T10:40:01Z")
Sometimes I have brainfarts, other times I have the whole BM! 😃 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/6 "2002-07-26T12:54:18Z")
You can also go to Control Panel\>Internet Options\>Advanced and turnoff the Autocomplete feature. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/7 "2002-07-26T13:37:29Z")
Is there any way to clear **specific** URL’s from that list? Example: I misspelled the name of a site. It was a real site, and IE doesn’t realize I didn’t want it, so it is stuck in the list. I don’t want to clear the others out, only that one. There’s gotta be a way, no? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/8 "2002-07-26T13:42:34Z")
I don’t think there’s a specific way, no - your best bet is to set your “Days to keep pages in your history” to 1 or 2 days, then don’t type in that particular URL. It’ll clear itself out. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/9 "2002-07-26T15:08:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Keeve \* > \*\*Is there any way to clear **specific** URL’s from that list? > > Example: I misspelled the name of a site. It was a real site, and IE doesn’t realize I didn’t want it, so it is stuck in the list. I don’t want to clear the others out, only that one. > > There’s gotta be a way, no? \*\* Using **regedit** , edit the key HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/10 "2002-07-26T15:08:50Z")
Keeve, you might try in the registry under: HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs They _should_ be there, though sometimes seems to IE make up it’s own rules. (editing your registry will cause sunspots, widespread crop failure, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth) ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/11 "2002-07-26T15:12:36Z")
_…IE sometimes seems to make up it’s own rules._ There’s a “preview” function? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/12 "2002-07-26T15:20:04Z")
Well, when I said I didn’t think there was a specific way, I meant there wasn’t a specific way that didn’t involve editing the registry. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/13 "2002-07-26T22:11:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lockfist \* > \*\*Might as well change the setting for **Days to keep pages in your history** to **-0-** while you’re at it… \*\* My history has been set at 0 days for months, and I still have URLs in my drop down list. Might just be my version of IE. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clearing-urls-from-drop-down-list/120892/14 "2002-07-28T04:50:21Z")
great, thanks!