Windows Vista introduced the concept of instant search to the Windows masses – a background service that periodically scans and indexes your files. The end result is that searches on your data can be returned from the index, rather than hitting the file system in real time – translation, the query results are returned near instantaneously. Logically, this feature continued forward in Windows 7 and received some under the hood tweaking in the process.

One annoyance with the indexing centers around how it handles your web browsing history – specifically within IE8 and 9. In typical it’s not a bug, it’s a feature instant search scrapes your web history and while that’s innocent enough I suppose, even after clearing your browser history from within Internet Explorer the index lags behind. Simply, web site visits still auto-complete or populate the browser address bar.

Logically, this is possible to prevent even if it is not the default configuration. From within Internet Explorer access Tools-> Internet Options.

Under the Content tab access the Settings button within the AutoComplete section.

Inside the AutoComplete Settings dialog un-check the option Use Windows Search for better results.

Now Windows Search has been decoupled from the address bar auto completion within Internet Explorer and clearing the browsing history actually clears the browsing history!