Covering tracks on your hard
drive left by Internet Explorer 4.X*
Unlike
Netscape Navigator, Explorer's cache, history & cookie
files cannot be written over and securely deleted in Windows
because the files are in use during every Windows session. Access
to these files is denied by Windows while they are in use.
To wipe these
files, grab a copy of
Mutilate Swapfile Wiper
. The files you'll
probably want to target are:
- C:/Windows/Tempor~1/index.dat
(your temporary internet files- these
are cached html pages, images, etc)
- C:/Windows/Cookies/index.dat
(cookies)
- C:/Windows/History/index.dat
(history of visited websites)
- C:/win386.swp
(your swapfile)
The 'index.dat'
files contain all the files showing in C:\Windows\Temporary Internet
Files and C:\Windows\Cookies and C:\Windows\History.
Do not use Mutilate
Swapfile Wiper in a DOS Window. You must exit
Windows to the DOS prompt for the program to function. For real
DOS mode, select Windows 'Start | Shut Down...'
and select 'Restart in MS-DOS mode'.
While you're at it, you should also wipe the swapfile since anything
in the above files could find their way to the swapfile. Refer
to the readme file supplied with Mutilate Swapfile Wiper
for instructions.
You may find
it convenient to use a batch file to accomplish the above. In
notepad type:
cd\
C:\mutwipe.exe C:\windows\tempor~1\index.dat /n
C:\mutwipe.exe C:\windows\cookies\index.dat /n
C:\mutwipe.exe C:\windows\history\index.dat /n
C:\mutwipe.exe C:\win386.swp /n
Next, save as
'wipe.bat' or some other unique name & put it in your 'C:\Windows'
folder. To wipe your temporary internet files, cookies, history,
and your swap file, all you'll have to do is type 'wipe' , then
turn off your computer, or, type 'exit' to return to Windows.
Add a line with the command 'exit' (without quotes)
to the above batch file if you would like to return to Windows
automatically.
Typed
URLs
IE4 also keeps
a history of visited sites in the registry. You'll see these
files when you type in a URL and IE4 "guesses" what you are going
to type to save you a few steps. Great idea, except it divulges
previously visited sites.
These values
reside in the registry at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/TypedURLs
You can delete them in the registry using the Windows
program Regedit. Look for it (typically) at:
C:\WINDOWS\REGEDIT.EXE
Regedit allows you to save a copy of the registry
(use the export function). You may want to do this before messing
around with the registry.
________________________________________________
Another alternative
to preserve your internet browsing privacy is to disable Explorer's
cache, history, and cookie files. Explorer's built-in facility
for disabling the cache and history folders is not
secure. For example, you can set IE4's history folder to hold
links for zero days, however, links for the current day are still
stored on your hard drive.
WARNING: Disabling the cache may a bit of overkill for
normal use. Plan on losing your ability to download files
with your web browser or to fill out a multipage online order.
You may still find this technique useful for cookies or history.
If you encounter wierd errors, remember how to restore your
settings.
1) Disable
the IE4 Cache Folder:
In IE4, select
View | Internet Options...| General. In
the Temporary Internet Files section select 'Delete Files
'. Next select Windows 'Start | Shut Down... and
select 'Restart in MS-DOS mode'
At the C prompt,
change the directory to 'C:/Windows/Tempor~1'
(type cd window/tempor~1, or from C:\Windows
type cd tempor~1)
Type dir
The dir command should return a listing of one file
called index.dat. This file contains all the link files showing
in C:\Windows/Temporary Internet Files. Now change the index.dat
file to read-only with the following DOS command:
Attrib
+r index.dat
If you run into
problems or are not satisfied with the results, you can restore
the file to its original state by typing:
Attrib
-r index.dat
To confirm that
index.dat is read-only type:
Attrib
index.dat
DOS will return
something like:
A R index.dat
The 'R' indicates
read-only. Now type 'exit' & return to Windows to run IE4
with a dead Cache.
2) Disable
the IE4 History folder:
In IE4, select
View | Internet Options...| General. In
the History section change the value for "Days to keep
pages in history" to 0. Then select the 'Clear
History' button to delete current folders. Next select
Windows 'Start | Shut Down...' and select '
Restart in MS-DOS mode'
At the C prompt,
change the directory to 'C:/Windows/History'
(type cd window/history, or from C:\Windows
type cd history)
Type dir
The dir command should return a listing of one file
called index.dat. The files listed in the Windows/History folder
are actually just this one file. Now change the index.dat file
to read-only with the following DOS command:
Attrib
+r index.dat
If you run into
problems or are not satisfied with the results, you can restore
the file to its original state by typing:
Attrib
-r index.dat
To confirm that
index.dat is read-only type:
Attrib
index.dat
DOS will return
something like:
A R index.dat
The 'R' indicates
read-only. Now type exit & return to Windows. You are now
running IE4 with a dead History file.
3) Disable
Cookies:
In IE4, select
View | Internet Options...| Advanced. In
the Security section under 'Cookies', select 'Disable all
cookie use'.
You may want
to close all open programs at this point and use Mutilate to
wipe disk free space to wipe deleted information from your hard
drive.
You should be
able manipulate the above files without any adverse complications.
Please note, however, some sites, such as Microsoft, may require
intact cookies to perform some features.
Warning:
The above information is provided "as is" without warranty
of any kind. Proceed at your own risk. I will not be responsible
for any complications resulting from the use or misuse of this
information.
*Internet
Explorer and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp