How to Clear the File Explorer Search and Address Bar History in Windows 11 or 10?

You might already know that using the File Explorer address bar; you can open Command Prompt, PowerShell, and even open a folder by entering its full path in the File Explorer address bar. Windows 11 and 10 store these activities of the address bar, including search terms, so that they can suggest in the future when you need them.

If needed, you can access all that address bar activity history from its drop-down menu. And even you can open that folder with a single click from the drop-down menu just by selecting that folder. However, if you need, you can delete those entries from the File Explorer.

In this gearupwindows article, we will guide you on clearing the File Explorer address bar history as well as search terms on Windows 11 and 10.

How to Delete the File Explorer Address Bar History in Windows 11 or 10 using File Explorer?

To remove the File Explorer address bar history in Windows 11/10, do these steps:-

Step 1. First, open the File Explorer.

To do that, you can use Windows + E shortcut keys.

Step 2. Next, right-click on the address bar and select the Delete history option in the menu.

Once you complete the above steps, the address bar history from File Explorer will be erased.

How to Erase the File Explorer Address Bar History through the Registry Editor?

To remove the File Explorer address bar history using Registry Editor, do the following steps:-

Step 1. First, open Registry Editor.

Step 2. When Registry Editor appears on your computer, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar:-

 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths

Step 3. On the right side of the “TypedPaths” folder, you will find the address bar history stored as url1, url2, etc. Right-click on the entry you want to remove and select the Delete option.

Step 4. When prompted, click the Yes button.

How to Remove a Particular Search Term from File Explorer?

If you want to remove any specific search entry from File Explorer’s search history, do these steps:-

Step 1. Open File Explorer.

Step 2. Then, click on the Search bar to view saved search terms.

Step 3. Right-click on a search item and select the Remove from device history option. Alternatively, click the X icon beside the search term to erase that.

How to Delete All File Explorer Address Bar History using Folder Options?

To erase all File Explorer address bar history through Folder Options, use these steps:-

Step 1. First, open Folder Options or File Explorer Options.

To do that, click on the Start button and type folder options. In the search results, click on the File Explorer Options option to open it.

Step 2. Then, click on the Clear button under the Privacy section. This will erase all File Explorer address bar history.

How to Delete All Search History through Registry Editor?

To remove all search history using Registry Editor, do these steps:-

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. When Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following key in the left sidebar:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\WordWheelQuery

Step 3. On the opposite side of the WordWheelQuery folder, you will find multiple REG_BINARY. Select all of them, right-click, and choose the Delete option.

Step 4. Click the Yes button when prompted.

Step 5. Finally, reboot your PC or restart File Explorer.

How to Disable File Explorer Search History Using the Group Policy Editor?

If you don’t want to save search history on your PC, you can disable the same using Group Policy Editor on Windows 11 or 10. However, Group Policy Editor is only available on Windows 11/10 Pro and above versions. If you use Windows 11/10 Home and want to disable search history using Group Policy, you first need to enable gpedit.msc on your PC.

To turn off File Explorer search history using Group Policy Editor, do these steps:-

Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

Step 2. Then, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar of the Local Group Policy Editor window:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

Step 3. On the right side of the “File Explorer” folder, double-click on the policy name, “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box.”

Step 4. Select Enabled.

Step 5. Click Apply.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. At last, reboot your PC to apply the changes.

How to Turn Off File Explorer Search History by Tweaking Registry?

To disable File Explorer search history using Registry Editor, do these steps:-

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. Then, browse to the following key on the left side of the Registry Editor window:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Step 3. Check for the “Explorer” sub-key under the “Windows” key. If it exists, skip creating Explorer sub-key. However, if the “Explorer” sub-key under the “Windows” key does not exist, you must create one.

To make the “Explorer” sub-key, right-click on the “Windows” folder and select New > Key.

Name the newly created key Explorer.

Step 4. Now, right-click on the Explorer key and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 5. Name the newly created REG_DWORD as DisableSearchBoxSuggestions.

Step 6. Now, double-click on the newly created DisableSearchBoxSuggestions REG_DWORD and set its “Value data” to 1.

Step 7. Click OK.

Step 8. At last, reboot your computer to apply the changes.

That’s it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the File Explorer address bar is an essential tool in Windows 11 and 10, which stores search terms and activities. However, you may need to delete some entries from the address bar history to maintain privacy or for other reasons. You can erase the address bar history using various methods such as the File Explorer options, Registry Editor, and Group Policy Editor. Additionally, you can remove specific search items or all address bar history from the drop-down menu. Disabling the File Explorer search history can be done by tweaking the Registry or using Group Policy Editor. By following the steps provided in this article, you can easily remove or disable the File Explorer address bar history and search terms in Windows 11 and 10.

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