Firfox 3.0 URL List Not Cleaned

[Roxie2401]

It appears that the latest version, 2.10.618 does not clean the drop-down URL search list in the new Firefox 3.0 browser.

 

Not sure if this is a bug or just not in sync with the Firefox development. This is the first time I've notice Firefox showing in the drop-down URL's ones with a "Favorites" yellow star - but they are not cleaned from the search.

[mushu13]

That is the FireFox 3 'AwesomeBar'.

It lists your history as well as your bookmarks, so CCleaner cleans the history but leaves the bookmarks. (You don't want it erasing your bookmarks!)

 

So, CCleaner is working correctly.

[Thufir Hawat]

It appears that the latest version, 2.10.618 does not clean the drop-down URL search list in the new Firefox 3.0 browser.

 

Not sure if this is a bug or just not in sync with the Firefox development. This is the first time I've notice Firefox showing in the drop-down URL's ones with a "Favorites" yellow star - but they are not cleaned from the search.

 

hi Roxie2401.

actually this is because CCleaner *cannot* delete your history in Firefox 3 without deleting your bookmarks.

Because in FF3 (other than in preveous versions of FF) the history, as well as your bookmarks are stored in the same database-file (places.sqlite) in your profile-folder. You can check this by using such tools as sqlite-spy (google for it) or even a pretty good firefox-plugin (sqlite manager).

 

So for CCleaner to kill your FF3-history it would have to include a process of manipulating your sqlite-database. I doubt that this will ever be included in CCleaner (?).

 

In FF3 you can set the time for your history to expire (options/privacy), or use plugins that will alter the database when you exit FF.

(The actually downloaded pages for offline viewing *will* be deleted by CCleaner though, as they are within the same files and locations like in FF2)

 

In fact, for privacy reasons it would have indeed been nicer by the ff-developers to store the history-data in one extra sqlite-database for easy ka-poof, but then ... one could always complain in the ff-developer forums (hinthint)

 

btw, mushu13: the imho not-so-awesome "awesomebar" uses this places.sqlite file too, but has a different purpose (there are some plugins to tweak the awesomebar though).

 

Hawat. Thufir. out.

[Roxie2401]

I can understand not erasing the actual Bookmarks, but I would think the "recently visited" URLs, even if they are bookmarked should be cleaned, just like the history.

 

I can see the "History" button and the "Bookmarks" buttons on the toolbar, but this "Awsome" bar still seems to be showing recently visited URLs, bookmark or not, and there should be some way to remove that, too, without removing the actual bookmark.

 

Are we sure there isn't a way around this?

[Roxie2401]

Thanks for the info.

 

I guess I consider anything I enter into the URL bar "recent" and should be deleted, even if it was a bookmark that was used to "get there." Its just recent browser history, too.

 

I do have FF3 set to delete personal data on exit, but its not clearing this URL bar either. Nor does it expire.

 

Just sort of thought CC might be able to clean this recent history.

 

Maybe a reason to stay with FF2??

[DennisD]

You can disable the awesome bar if you wish.

 

Firefox Knowledge Base:

[Thufir Hawat]

I can understand not erasing the actual Bookmarks, but I would think the "recently visited" URLs, even if they are bookmarked should be cleaned, just like the history.

 

I can see the "History" button and the "Bookmarks" buttons on the toolbar, but this "Awsome" bar still seems to be showing recently visited URLs, bookmark or not, and there should be some way to remove that, too, without removing the actual bookmark.

 

Are we sure there isn't a way around this?

 

hi again.

 

well as i tried to clearify in my previous post, all those entries are FF3-internally of (almost) the same type and are *all* stored in one (only one!) sqlite-database-file. This database-file is named places.sqlite .

 

To remove some entries from that file (recently visited urls, history entries) with leaving others intact (bookmarks) would need to "speak" to this databank-file via a database-client-program (sqlite). There is afaik *no* other *safe* way to do this.

 

If an application (aka program) has such a client (CCleaner does not; licensing thing?) and knows where to find the places.sqlite file it would be a matter of less than a handful of commands to deal with the problem. there might be open-source plugins for ff3 to do this in the near future, or maybe even now, i guess.

 

another way around this might be altering additional internal FF3 settings via the about:config advanced ff-configuration console. not shure if this is helpful in this case (did no recherche on that).

 

oh. side note: buttons, windows and forms are communication interfaces (...) to a program (like a switch is to a lamp). they are not the program (lamp) themself, so even if there is a button for history and another for bookmarks, they might (almost) be the same, and not representing program structures or files.

 

Hawat.Thufir.out

[Roxie2401]

Dennis,

 

Yep, that appears to be the only way around this.

 

Wasn't a problem in FF2 - so they must have really changed the internal structure. And, its only the Bookmarks that don't clear from the recent URL list.

 

Disabling makes it look like the old version.

[DennisD]

Dennis,

 

Yep, that appears to be the only way around this.

 

Wasn't a problem in FF2 - so they must have really changed the internal structure. And, its only the Bookmarks that don't clear from the recent URL list.

 

Disabling makes it look like the old version.

 

There's a couple of links on that page Roxie, one for removing the bookmarks results, and another to disable the Autocomplete list.

 

If you don't need the awful bar, just disable it. Bookmark the page in case you ever have the sudden wild urge to use it again.