This page will help teach you how to keep all of your internet activities to yourself. The section on how to clean out your computer was written by my fiance, Matt Cardy.
I've had my email address and my personal blog hacked into by my ex-husband. He used to search the computer for the websites I visited and the people I talked to. He would search files to read my instant messenger conversations that I had saved. I made passwords that were easy for me to remember, but also that were easy for someone who knows me to guess. This page will help you choose smart passwords, and give you links to free programs to download that will make everything easier.
When choosing a password, NEVER use common things such as names or dates. These are easy to guess. My advice to you would be to choose random words, numbers, letters, and USE SYMBOLS. Like these: ():"<>{}[]. Symbols are harder for people to guess. Never save your password for something you don't want someone else to see. Change your password often. I try to change all of mine about once a month. A good password would be something like ([(*^c*5*8*c^*)]).
We recommend the following programs (links are provided). Get yourself a gmail account (
) and don't tell your abuser about it. Download Firefox (
) if you aren't using it already. Firefox is not only the fastest and most customizable browser out there, it is also the safest. We also recommend a program called CCleaner (formerly Crap Cleaner). CCleaner will clear out the following:
Internet Explorer: Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Autocomplete form history, index.dat.
Firefox: Temporary files, URL history, cookies, download history.
Opera: Temporary files, URL history, cookies.
Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files.
Registry: Advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more... also comes with a comprehensive backup feature.
And now, how to clean out your computer, written by Matt Cardy. Please keep in mind that if you use these tips and methods to clean out your computer, your abuser may get upset and/or suspicious about it. For your ultimate safety, I suggest you use a public computer, like at the library or an internet cafe, if you think your abuser would harm you.
Clearing Out Your History
Every web browser, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and others tracks the history of websites you have viewed.In order to clear this history, just follow these simple steps.
IE History
In Internet Explorer, select from the top menu - 'Tools --> Delete Browsing History' as shown in the diagram below:
A box will pop up with many different options, as shown in the picture below:
In the above image, you can see you have the following options:
Temporary Internet Files: These are parts of, or full web pages that you have viewed. They can automatically download onto your hard drive and be stored in your computer. It's essential that you delete all temporary internet files.
Cookies: Cookies are pieces of information that some websites place within your temporary internet files. These are just tracking devices. They relay information about the time you have spent on that website to the website owner. They are not harmful in any way, but if someone knows where to look in your files, they can see what websites you have been to. Also, any passwords you have saved, or website log-in information is stored as a cookie. Delete cookies.
History: This is a list of websites you have visited. Delete the History.
Form Data: This is stored on your hard drive whenever you have filled out a form online. I would suggest deleting it.
Passwords: When you sign up to a website, you have the option whether you want to save the password. Only delete if you know all your passwords - obviously!
Once you have deleted everything, remember that any other website you go to before you end your session will be re-recorded. I suggest you carry this out every time you finish your session on the internet.
Firefox
Firstly, if you are not using Firefox (
), we suggest that you download it and start using it. We believe it's far superior and far more secure than any other browser available. It's easy to use and there are a whole host of add-ons and customizable skins you can use to personalize your browser.
In order to clear out your history if you are using Firefox, Choose from the menu 'Tools --> Options' as shown in the image below:
Your drop down menu may look different, as I have customized my browser to a large extent, but the 'options' tab will be there. Click on 'Options'. What you will see is this:
I have my browser set up to remember my visited pages for 9 days, also to remember what I put in the search bar and what I've downloaded. You can see this in the above picture under where it says 'History'.
Under 'Cookies' you can see that I accept cookies until the expire, as it says in the drop down menu. However, if you look at the image below, you can see that you have the choice to set up Firefox automatically to discard cookies at the end of ever session when you exit Firefox.
At the bottom of that box, you'll see 'Private Data'. (See the image below). All you need to do is check the 'Always clear my private data when I close Firefox' box. This will protect you even if you have to close your browser in a hurry. The cache will be cleared and the evidence destroyed.
Press 'OK' to continue, and you are done!
Please note that although we have only shown the two most popular browsers in this tutorial, virtually all other browsers work the same.
CCleaner (formerly known as Crap Cleaner).
Please forgive us the profanity, but this is the name of a very useful program that we use regularly. What it does is clears all the 'crap' from your computer's hard drive. It takes about 2 minutes to run through and clear out your history, temporary internet files and cookies.
It will NOT clear or delete any of your documents. It does not delete anything that you don't want it to. All it does is take all the 'crap' you don't need and deletes it. It even clears out your recycle bin too! If you are in any doubt about the processes I've shared with you above, Crap Cleaner is the program for you.
it's very easy to use and you can even run it by right clicking your recycle bin on your desktop and clicking on 'Run CCleaner'. This is what Crap Cleaner Looks like:
All you need to do is make sure everything you want to delete is checked on the left hand side. You can see here that mine will delete Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, History, etc. All you need to do then is click 'Run Cleaner'. It'll then pick up everything it needs to and clean out your crap!
It's easy. In fact, it's by far the easiest way of keeping your internet browsing to yourself.
We care about your online antics and especially as viewing our website could be hazardous to you. Therefore, we do ask you to be very careful not to get caught. If any of the above doesn't make any sense to you or if you'd like to ask a question, please fill in the form below or ask someone on our forum.
