I have a basic browser question

[Mollie]

I have internet explorer and have a question about browsing history. I opened my computer and found some bad websites on the browsing history. When I went in to see what they were they were deleted(because my preferences said delete browsing history on exit). Is there anyway I can recover that browsing history? I need to know where those websites came from. My son says he didnt go to any of those sites.. is there any way that a wireless router can pick up something from somewhere else? I need advice. Im not sure whether I have Windows Vista or XP.Thanks!

[smeezekitty]

no
but i sugjest agenst using delete on exit
because websites can be hard to find

[Allan]

With all due respect to your son and your desire to give him the benefit of the doubt, somebody visited those sites

[Karnac]

With all due respect to your son and your desire to give him the benefit of the doubt, somebody visited those sites

Unless there's a malware problem and there were redirects.

[Allan]

okay.

Unless there's a malware problem and there were redirects.

okay

[Mollie]

What is a malware problem or redirects?

[smeezekitty]

i had one it may have been XP antispyware
before i joined CH
i just reformated
it keep redirecting more and more and more
till i just reformatted

[Allan]

What is a malware problem or redirects?

It's an unlikely cause of the url's you see. But you can download MalwareBytes or Super AntiSpyware and run a malware scan on your system anyway. It will probably find some malware, though I doubt it relates to your question (but it is not completely impossible that it does).

[Karnac]

Thats where you pick up spyware or adware or worse.....

For example, in today's news a simple celebrity search gives a 20% chance of infection.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/24/celebrity.computer.virus.biel/index.html

[Mollie]

So if the the browsing history is deleted there is no way to find out where someone has been on the computer? I thought there was somewhere else you could go that logs everything.

[Mollie]

i had one it may have been XP antispyware
before i joined CH
i just reformated
it keep redirecting more and more and more
till i just reformatted

So you picked up browsing history from someone else?

[smeezekitty]

no
i had malware and it would redirect me to ad's or you know what sites

[Allan]

So if the the browsing history is deleted there is no way to find out where someone has been on the computer? I thought there was somewhere else you could go that logs everything.

Do a Google search for "keystroke loggers" for your future peace of mind.

[Mollie]

no
i had malware and it would redirect me to ad's or you know what sites

So those sites would just automatically show up on your computer?

[smeezekitty]

pretty much
key loggers are a extream step and shows distrust
but if you really want to you can
and have you turned the clear history switch off yet?