Open Settings via Windows I, go to Privacy & security > Activity history, and click Clear under "Clear activity history" to remove local activity data. 2. Optionally, uncheck "Store my activity history on this device" to stop future tracking and visit account.microsoft.com/privacy to clear cloud-stored activity. 3. Disable syncing by unchecking "Send my activity history to the cloud" and "Show my recent activities on other devices" in the same menu. 4. Clear File Explorer history by opening Folder Options, clicking Clear under Privacy, and disabling recent file and frequent folder tracking. 5. Clear Run command history by deleting entries in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU registry key after backing up the registry. 6. Remove search history by right-clicking recent items in Start and selecting Remove from history or disabling “Search highlights” and “Cloud search” in Search privacy settings. 7. Optionally, use Disk Cleanup to delete temporary files, thumbnails, and other residual data that may reveal usage patterns. Following these steps fully clears and limits activity traces in Windows.

Clearing your activity history in Windows helps protect your privacy, especially if you share your computer or want to remove traces of your usage. Here’s how to do it properly.

1. Clear Activity History via Settings

Windows keeps a record of your activities—like files opened, websites visited (if linked to Microsoft Edge), and apps used—especially if you’re signed in with a Microsoft account and have activity history enabled.

To clear it:

• Press Windows I to open Settings.
• Go to Privacy & security > Activity history.
• Under "Clear activity history," click Clear.
  • This removes all locally stored activity on the device.
• Optionally, uncheck "Store my activity history on this device" to stop future tracking.

Note: If you use a Microsoft account, some activity may also be saved online. To clear that, visit account.microsoft.com/privacy and manage or delete your cloud activity history.

2. Turn Off Timeline and Cross-Device Syncing

Windows Timeline (available in older versions like Windows 10) and activity syncing across devices can store even more data.

To disable:

• In Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history:
  • Uncheck "Send my activity history to the cloud".
  • Uncheck "Show my recent activities on other devices".
• This stops Windows from syncing your usage across devices and reduces data retention.

3. Clear Additional Traces

Clearing activity history doesn’t remove everything. You may also want to clean up:

• File Explorer history:

  • Open File Explorer.
  • Right-click the Quick Access section and choose Options.
  • Under “Privacy,” click Clear to remove recently viewed files and folders.
  • Uncheck “Show recently used files” and “Show frequently used folders” to stop tracking.

• Run command history:

  • The Run dialog (Win R) keeps a small list of recent commands.
  • To clear it, open Registry Editor (regedit), navigate to:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

  • Delete all entries inside (or delete the whole RunMRU folder).
  • Caution: Editing the registry can be risky—back it up first.

• Search history:

  • Press Windows key, type something, then right-click recent items and choose Remove from history.
  • Or go to Settings > Privacy & security > Search and turn off “Search highlights” and “Cloud search”.

4. Use Disk Cleanup (Optional)

For a broader cleanup, use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool:

• Type Disk Cleanup in the Start menu and run it.
• Select your system drive (usually C:).
• Check boxes like:
  • Temporary files
  • Recycle Bin
  • Thumbnails
  • Delivery Optimization Files
• Click OK > Delete Files.

This won’t remove activity history directly but helps eliminate supporting files that might reveal usage patterns.

Basically, clearing activity history in Windows involves both the Activity History settings and related features like Timeline and cloud sync. Turning off tracking and manually clearing File Explorer, Run, and search histories gives you better control. It’s not complicated, but easy to miss a few spots.

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