HistorySweep 2.2

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

Although it's not as comprehensive as some competing privacy tools, HistorySweep still makes a good case for itself. The tabbed interface is simple to navigate, if a bit bland, though a colorful photo of a bizarre-looking superhero helps add some flair. When enabled, the program sits in your system tray; right-clicking the icon lets you access several options. We appreciate that the application can delete your surfing history from a number of browsers, including Opera, Firefox, AOL, and Netscape. It also scours Windows system areas such as the Recycle Bin and the Run menu. Support for third-party apps is present, but is limited compared to what other programs in the class offer. To make up for this, the app includes both a pop-up blocker and a boss key that lets you quickly hide all open browser windows. The pop-up blocker supplies a whitelist and demonstrates decent performance. The program now contains a file shredder, but since it doesn't seem to employ secure algorithms, we wouldn't use it to destroy top-secret data. This program isn't perfect, but it certainly has its share of positives.

Publisher's description

From Peacekeeper :

HistorySweep is a simple yet powerful privacy-protection tool for removing your Internet-surfing tracks. Your Web browser's built-in privacy functions will not completely and securely delete all your history files, leaving them vulnerable to recovery. HistorySweep comes with a pop-up killer, which will disallow Web sites from opening annoying pop-up windows on your computer.

Version 2.2 has a few new features and several bug fixes. New features include plugin support for the MSN Desktop Search recent history, user definable hotkey for the 'Hide Tray Icon' option, and updated functionality on the third party plugin tab. Bug fixes include updated support for MSN ToolBar recent history, updated support for FireFox 1.5 cache, updated support for AOL 9.0 SE autocomplete search history, the AOL toolbar, and some additional tweaks. Now includes support for the new FireFox naming scheme which allows HistorySweep to autosweep FireFox 1.5 history.

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