How to Clear IE8 Last Browsing Session History Using CCleaner

Internet Explorer 8 introduces the Reopen Last Browsing Session option in the Tools menu, which reopens the last browsing session from the most recently closed instance of Internet Explorer. Clearing the browsing history using Internet Options removes the last browsing session history as well. If you like to use CCleaner to clear the last browsing session history, here is how.

Clearing the Last Browsing Session in IE8

The following assumes that you have CCleaner installed in the system already.

1. Open Control Panel, double-click Folder Options.

2. In the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders

3. Click OK.

4. Start CCleaner and click the Options button on the left.

5. Click Include, click Add Folder.

6. Select the following folder:

Windows Vista

C:\ Users \ {username} \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

Windows XP

C:\ Documents and Settings \ {username} \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

7. Once you’ve added the custom folder to be cleaned in the Options screen, select the Custom Files and Folders option under the Windows Tab => Advanced.

You’re done! Contents of the IE8 Last Browsing Session History folder will be cleared every time you run the cleaner.

Note that the last browsing session history is not saved if you use the InPrivate Browsing mode.

More Information

Internet Explorer 8 stores the last browsing session history in two .dat files in the following location:

Windows XP

%USERPROFILE% \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

Windows Vista

%LOCALAPPDATA% \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ Last Active

If Internet Explorer runs elevated, it saves the last browsing session history in the following location instead:

%LOCALAPPDATA% \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Recovery \ High \ Last Active

The .dat file names would look like this, with the {GUID} string varying for each session.