Vista - How to clear the "Searches"-folder's contents?

How can I clear/empty the "Searches"-folder's contents?
-Recent Pictures and Videos
-Recent Emails
-Recent Files
-Recent Music
-Recently Changed

Especially the last one. I know that user accounts and passwords can protect
one's privacy, but I'm really really anxious to be able to "leave no trace"
of my actions. I don't want anyone to see any documents that I've wrote or
saved... This information is critical: Although user accounts are personal, I
still wish that it wouldn't show the stuff that I've browsed/viewed/opened.

PS. I already know how to clear the "recently opened" in the Start Menu and
same with the programs list. No need to explain those.

And btw... How can you make Windows Media Player not automatically search
for playable content? The "Music"-folder can't be deleted from the list...
why?

Click the "Start Orb", then your user name. When your profile folder opens, double-click the "Searches" icon. From there, you can delete the saved searches just as you would any other file. These are only shortcuts that store the search criteria, so your original documents will be safe.

When you go into the "Library->Add To Library" dialog of WMP, select the folder you want (it will be listed in grey, and will have "Automatically Added" written nextto it). Click the "Ignore" button.

BTW, the "Ignore" button in WMP changes to "Remove" when you select a folder that you manually added.

"dzomlija" wrote:
I still can't get C:\Users\MyName\Music to be Ignored or removed... It only
gives the options to "Add" or "Delete" and the "Delete" is grayed out... it
can't be selected. I need to disable the automatic acquiring of files in the
Music-folder. Are you sure about the shortcut thingy in the Searches? Some
say that they ARE the original files... If you delete them, the corresponding
file gets deleted as well.

"vanQ" wrote:
Hey I tested out it ... the actual files get deleted if you try to delete
the stuff in the "Searches" folder... I don't want to delete them, I just
want them NOT TO SHOW UP AND LOG. I want the WMP to not include the "Music"
Folder in automatic procedures.

The "Add To Library" dialog seen here clearly shows my "Music" folder (which I've redirected to "F:\Music". This should be similar to what you get. If you get a "Delete" option, then that means you have selcted a folder the you manually added.



You say you delete the actual files when you delete a saved search? Have you initiated the search before you attempt to delete, or are you trying to delete the search icon itself? As seen in this screenshot, the icon for a search does not reference any files at all other than the type of search that must be performed...

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9...temusicqc8.jpg
Nope... That didn't help at all... see for yourself. Btw double-click is
disabled, as is "delete"...

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/467/hidethesete2.jpg
The searches-solution didn't work either...

Now I'm seeing the bigger picture!

The reason you cannot delete/ignore that folder item in WMP is because it's also your rip folder where new is is placed whenever you rip a CD.

You cannot remove the rip folder from the list.

You are deleting the actual files instead of the "Recently Changed" icon because once you've opened your user profile and opened the "Searches", you're again opening the "Recently Changed" icon.

Do this:

1. Click the "Start Orb".
2. Click your username.
3. Double-click the "Searches" icon.
4. Use the arrow keys to select the "Recently Changed" icon.
5. Press DELETE to remove that icon. This will remove the saved search for "Recently Changed", NOT the files themselves.

Thank you so much, dzomlija! I am so grateful to you! Both of the problems
got solved and I can't thank you ever enough! Thank you!!! =)

I really got a headache each evening after work trying to solve those^^ One
can only blame my stupidity for not being able to solve the problem
Btw... how can you re-create the "Recently Changed" and so on? I really
don't need that, but just querious

Thanks again! =)

The icons under "UserName\Searches" are nothing more than saved searches anyway, so re-creating the "Recently Changed" should be a simple matter of doing a search for files whose date is after a specified date, and then just save that search.

Spread the word, vanQ. There are people on this NG who honestly want to help others. Any time you need assistance, you know where to find us!

Quote:

The icons under "UserName\Searches" are nothing more than saved searches anyway, so re-creating the "Recently Changed" should be a simple matter of doing a search for files whose date is after a specified date, and then just save that search.

Hi.
I've deleted 2 icons in the searches folder, the recently changed & recent documents like described in the thread above and it worked fine, the original files are still there.
Thats now 2 days ago and I made a few searches and saved them as well but both the recently changed & recent documents icons won't come back.
Instead after saving the search it creates an icon which is named after the file that I've searched for.
Also went into the index options and rebuild defaults, still these 2 icons are missing.
Please give me a hand here.

Thanks in advance,