How To Delete Microsoft Word History

If you work with Microsoft Word regularly, you may not be aware that it stores a history of your recent documents. This can be concerning if you want to keep your work private or simply want to maintain a clutter-free system. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to delete your Microsoft Word history and ensure your documents remain secure. Let's explore how to do it.

To delete your Microsoft Word history, start by opening the Word application on your computer. Then, click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the screen. From there, select "Options" and navigate to the "Advanced" tab. Scroll down until you find the "Display" section and locate the "Show this number of Recent Documents" option. Set the value to zero and click on "OK." This will remove any trace of your recent documents from the history in Microsoft Word.

Understanding the Importance of Deleting Microsoft Word History

When using Microsoft Word, it's essential to be aware of the trace it leaves behind. Every document you create, edit, or open, leaves a history that is stored on your computer. While this history can be convenient for quick access to recent files, it also poses a potential risk to your privacy and security. If you regularly work with sensitive or confidential documents, it becomes crucial to delete your Microsoft Word history.

1. Clearing Document History

Microsoft Word keeps track of recently opened documents in its history. Over time, this history can become cluttered with files you no longer need or want to remember. To clear your document history in Word, follow these steps:

• Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen.
• In the left-hand sidebar, click on "Open Recent," which will show a list of your recently opened documents.
• At the bottom of the list, click on the "Clear Unpinned Documents" option.
• All the recently opened documents will be removed from the list, effectively clearing your document history in Microsoft Word.

How to Clear Specific Documents from History

If you only want to remove specific documents from the history, rather than clearing the entire list, you can do so by following these steps:

• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen in Microsoft Word.
• Go to the "Open Recent" section in the left-hand sidebar.
• Hover your mouse over the document you want to remove from the history.
• Click on the "X" button that appears on the right-hand side of the document.

By following these steps, you can selectively remove specific documents from your Microsoft Word history, keeping your recent document list clean and organized.

2. Deleting AutoRecover Files

Aside from document history, Microsoft Word also saves AutoRecover files in case of unexpected shutdowns or crashes. These files are intended to recover your work in progress, but they can accumulate over time and take up valuable storage space. Here's how you can delete AutoRecover files:

• Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen.
• Click on "Options" at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar.
• In the Word Options window, select "Save" from the left-hand sidebar.
• Under the "Save documents" section, locate the "AutoRecover file location" field.
• Note down the file path mentioned in the field.
• Open the file explorer and navigate to the AutoRecover file location.
• Delete any files with the extension ".asd" or that resemble AutoRecover files.

By deleting these AutoRecover files, you can free up storage space on your computer and ensure that no sensitive or confidential information is unintentionally accessible through these files.

Disabling AutoRecover

If you prefer not to use the AutoRecover feature in Microsoft Word altogether, you have the option to disable it. Here's how you can disable AutoRecover:

• Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen.
• Click on "Options" at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar.
• In the Word Options window, select "Save" from the left-hand sidebar.
• Uncheck the box next to "Save AutoRecover information every X minutes."
• Click on "OK" to save your changes.

By disabling AutoRecover, you prevent Microsoft Word from generating AutoRecover files, further reducing the clutter and potential risks associated with these files.

3. Clearing Search History

Microsoft Word also keeps a record of your search history, which can be useful for reference but may also contain sensitive information. To clear your search history in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen in Microsoft Word.
• Go to the "Open Recent" section in the left-hand sidebar.
• Below the list of recently opened documents, click on the "Clear Search History" option.

By clearing your search history, you can ensure that no traces of your search queries are left behind in Microsoft Word, maintaining your privacy and confidentiality.

Preventing Search History from Being Saved

If you want to prevent Microsoft Word from saving your search history altogether, you can do so by adjusting the options. Here's how:

• Click on the "File" tab at the top left corner of the screen in Microsoft Word.
• Click on "Options" at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar.
• In the Word Options window, select "Advanced" from the left-hand sidebar.
• Scroll down to the "Display" section and locate the "Show this number of Recent Documents" field.
• Set the value to zero to prevent recent documents from being displayed.
• Click on "OK" to save your changes.

By preventing the saving of your search history, you can ensure that no data is collected or stored regarding your search queries in Microsoft Word.

Taking Control of Your Microsoft Word History

Deleting your Microsoft Word history is an important step in maintaining your privacy, security, and organization. By clearing your document history, deleting AutoRecover files, and managing your search history, you can take control of the information that Microsoft Word retains. Remember to regularly review and delete your history to keep your documents and activities private, especially when working with sensitive or confidential information.

Deleting Microsoft Word History

Deleting Microsoft Word history can be done in a few simple steps to ensure your privacy and keep your documents secure. It is important to clear your history regularly, especially if you share your computer or use public computers.

To delete your Microsoft Word history:

• Open Microsoft Word.
• Go to the "File" tab.
• Select "Options" from the drop-down menu.
• In the new window, click on "Trust Center" from the left-hand menu.
• Click on "Trust Center Settings."
• In the Trust Center window, select "Privacy Options."
• Under "Document-specific settings," click on "Remove personal information from file properties on save."
• Click "OK" to save the changes.
• Close the Options window.
• Your Microsoft Word history has now been deleted.

By following these steps, you can delete your Microsoft Word history and ensure that your documents are kept private and secure.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we will address some commonly asked questions about deleting Microsoft Word history.

1. How can I delete my Microsoft Word history?

To delete your Microsoft Word history, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.

2. Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Select "Options" from the dropdown menu.

4. In the Options window, click on the "Trust Center" tab.

5. Click on the "Trust Center Settings" button.

6. In the Trust Center window, click on the "Privacy Options" tab.

7. Under the "Document-specific settings" section, uncheck the box next to "Store random numbers to improve combine accuracy".

8. Click on the "OK" button to save the changes.

Your Microsoft Word history has now been deleted.

2. Can I delete specific documents from my Microsoft Word history?

Yes, you can delete specific documents from your Microsoft Word history by following these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.

2. Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Select "Open Recent" from the dropdown menu.

4. A list of recently opened documents will appear. Right-click on the document you want to delete.

5. Click on "Remove from list" to delete the document from your Microsoft Word history.

The specific document has now been removed from your history.

3. Can I disable the automatic saving of Microsoft Word history?

Yes, you can disable the automatic saving of Microsoft Word history by following these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.

2. Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Select "Options" from the dropdown menu.

4. In the Options window, click on the "Save" tab.

5. Under the "Save documents" section, uncheck the box next to "Save AutoRecover information every [X] minutes".

6. Click on the "OK" button to save the changes.

The automatic saving of Microsoft Word history has now been disabled.

4. How can I clear the recent documents list in Microsoft Word?

To clear the recent documents list in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.

2. Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Select "Open Recent" from the dropdown menu.

4. At the bottom of the list of recently opened documents, click on the "Clear Unpinned Documents" button.

The recent documents list in Microsoft Word has now been cleared.

5. Can I recover deleted Microsoft Word history?

Unfortunately, once you delete your Microsoft Word history

In conclusion, deleting the history of Microsoft Word is a simple process that can help protect your privacy and keep your documents secure. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily remove any traces of your Word activities from your computer.

Remember to clear both the Recent Documents list and the MRU list to ensure that no document history is left behind. Additionally, consider adjusting your settings to prevent Word from saving a history of your documents in the first place.