A Guide to Check the History on Your Computer: Internet and File History

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Learn to find your history and recent searches on your computer

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methods

1 Checking Your Browser History

2 Seeing Recent Files

3 Checking Windows Activity History

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Article Summary

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: July 19, 2024 Fact Checked

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If you want to see which websites you've visited on your Windows 10 PC, checking your web browsing history is as easy as pressing the Control and H keys together on your keyboard. But your browsing history isn't the only activity that's logged in Windows—you can also see a list of recently-opened files by typing "Recent" into the Run dialog box, or go to Settings > Privacy > Activity History > Manage my Microsoft account activity data to see all activity connected to your account. We'll show you how to see which websites, files, and account options have been accessed on your Windows PC.

Tips to Check Your Computer History

• Open your web browser and click the menu icon.
• Select the “History” button to check your browser history.
• If you’re using Windows 10, click “Start,” “Settings,” “Privacy,” and then “History.”

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Checking Your Browser History

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1. 
   1
   Open a web browser. This might not be the default web browser on your computer, so look for Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla, or other web browsers.
2. 
   2
   Click the menu icon. The appearance of this menu icon is different between browsers. For example, Chrome has ⋮, Firefox has ☰, and Microsoft Edge has an icon that looks like a star with three lines coming out of it.
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3. 
   3
   Click History. In Firefox, you'll need to hover your mouse over Library to see this option.
4. 
   4
   Review your browsing history. If you're using Firefox, click Show All History. The pages visited and the searches initiated should be separated by date.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Seeing Recent Files

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1. 
   1
   Open the Run app. Press the Windows key and type "Run" to search for the program.

   • Click the app from the search results to open it.
2. 
   2
   Type "Recent" and press Enter. A File Explorer window will open to show you a list of recent files that have been edited.
3. 
   3
   Review the list. You'll see categories like the file's name, date modified, type, and size.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Checking Windows Activity History

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1. 
   1
   Press ⊞ Win+I. Pressed together, the Windows and uppercase "i" keys open the Settings menu.
2. 
   2
   Click Privacy. It's next to an icon of a padlock.
3. 
   3
   Click Activity history. You'll find this in the panel on the left side of the window.
4. 
   4
   Click Manage my Microsoft account activity data. You may need to scroll down to find this at the very bottom of the window.

   • Your Microsoft account activity history will open in a new browser window or tab. Enter your password to continue.
5. 
   5
   Click a menu to learn more about that history. There are menus for location, speech, browsing, and search histories.

   • You can click Clear all history in each menu, but to quickly clear everything, go to Settings > Privacy > Activity History > Clear Activity History > Clear.
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• Question

  How do I reinstate the History button on my computer?

  

  Real Estate Jot

  Community Answer

  In most browsers like Chrome, Firefox or Edge, the history button can be easily restored through settings. For Google Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, go to "History," and ensure the History section is enabled. In Firefox, you can add the History button by customizing the toolbar via the settings menu. For Windows, check your system settings to ensure history-related features like File Explorer History are active. Restoring this button will help you quickly access your browsing or file history, enhancing productivity.

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• Question

  Why did my school disable incognito mode?

  

  Real Estate Jot

  Community Answer

  Many schools restrict the use of private-browsing features. This is done to maintain online safety, monitor student activity, and ensure appropriate internet usage. By disabling Incognito mode, schools aim to promote responsible browsing and protect students from inappropriate content.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

• If the account on your computer that you want to check is in your family group, open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Manage family settings online. The Microsoft family page will open in a web browser and you can navigate around the page to see the different aspects of your child's activity on your computer like screen time and apps used. You won't see this information if they aren't part of your family group.
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