How to View PC History
By Lucosi Fuller
Computer history is not just confined to the items that have been viewed on the Internet. Along with website history, a computer compiles a log of anything that is ever opened on a computer, including programs, documents, photos, music or videos. In Windows XP and Vista, you can get to it by clicking around on the Start Menu.
Internet History
Open your Web browser.
Click on "View" and a drop-down menu will appear.
Click on "Explorer Bars" and another menu will appear.
Click on "History." A side panel will appear on which you can access "Favorites," "Feeds" and "History."
Click on the "History" tab to view the history. You can put the items in order by date, site, most visited or by the order the sites were visited on the day you were viewing them.
Windows XP
Click on the "Start" icon.
Right-click on an empty space on the Start Menu and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on "Preferences."
Click on the "Start Menu" tab. Click on "Customize."
Click on the "Advanced" tab. Check the box beside "List my most recently opened documents." Click on "Apply" and "OK."
Open the Start Menu again and a history of documents will appear.
Windows Vista
Click on the "Start" icon.
Click on your user folder. This folder could also be called "My Documents."
Click on the "Searches" folder.
Click on any of the recent items folders to see the history of items opened or modified on the computer. The folders contain documents, emails, photos, music and videos.
Click on each individual item to open it and view the contents.
References
Tips
- There is a history icon that looks like a timer on every version of Internet Explorer except IE 8. If you add it to your upper toolbar, it acts as a shortcut to the history pane. Just click on it and the history will appear.