ParetoLogic Privacy Controls > Tutorials > Clearing QuickTime Favorites And URLs
Clearing QuickTime Favorites And URLs
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QuickTime is a popular media player that has been released in several different incarnations. Many of the more recent versions enable the playing of audio and video files in various different formats and the QuickTime Media Player is also effectively used to burn and rip CDs and other media. Like many applications it relies on the use of favorites, playlists, visited websites, and other logs and history to provide a positive user experience.
QuickTime Stored Information
Logs and history files, along with cache and recently visited sites or opened files, are an excellent way for applications to run quicker than they would ordinarily. This information, though, can cause the application to run slowly and may cause software and system errors. There are also occassions when users simply do not want other people logging on to the computer to see the files they have listened to or watched. While erasing Internet history from QuickTime along with other folders can help to free up system space and provides a little security there are more secure methods to do this.
What ParetoLogic Privacy Controls Can Do For QuickTime Users
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is a system scanner and secure file shredder. As well as being able to individually select files or entire recycle bins it is possible to scan the folders on your computer in order to find logs and other contents that you can delete. ParetoLogic Privacy Controls provides an intuitive method of performing this scanning and deletion procedure.
1 – Opening ParetoLogic Privacy Controls
Open ParetoLogic Privacy Controls and click on the Options link that is in the top left of the main screen. You will be presented with the main scanning options screen. This is the screen that lets you decide on the areas of your system you wish to scan and the action you wish to take with the files that are found as a result of this scan.
2 – Multimedia Option
Ensure that the Multimedia option is ticked and then click the arrow next to the check box. This will bring up a list of the media players and multimedia related applications that can be scanned using the ParetoLogic Privacy Controls scanning engine.
3 – QuickTime Options
Navigate to the QuickTime option, ensure the check box is ticked and then click the arrow next to this option. This presents you with three areas of QuickTime applications that can be scanned and subsequently deleted. The three options related to QuickTime are as follows:
QuickTime Options
Recently Opened Files List – this list is fairly common place in multimedia applications and other applications. Whenever you play a media file using QuickTime a record of that file and a link to its destination are stored in the recently opened files list. This option will clear that list and remove references to all other files and links to those files.
Recent URL List – similarly to the recent files list, the recent URL list keeps a record of the name and URL of any recently visited web pages that have been accessed through the QuickTime application. This option lets you clear this entire list quickly and easily.
Favorites – in QuickTime it is possible for users to create their own list of favorites. This can reduce the time it takes to find specific files but can also cause a drain on system resources eventually. The favorites option in ParetoLogic Privacy Controls lets you clear this list completely.
4 – Deletion Options
In order to remove the favorites list and recently visited URLs you should ensure there is a tick in the check boxes next to these two options, which are the bottom of the list of three. Next you should decide on the level of deletion required once scanning has completed.
Deletion Settings
Standard Deletion does not overwrite the file at all and is the equivalent of deleting files manually through Windows Explorer. This is not a secure method of deletion but if you are not deleting secure or private information then it is the quickest option.
A single overwrite ensures that basic retrieval methods become much less effective for anybody attempting to recover these deleted files. This method is quick and offers more security than the standard deletion technique.
Three overwrite passes is more secure still. It does take longer than the two previous methods but is also much more secure making it a lot more difficult to retrieve files once they are deleted.
Seven overwrite passes is the ultimate in secure deletion. Once a file has been overwritten seven times before being deleted it becomes near impossible to retrieve even for the most experienced data retrieval expert using the most up-to-date and best performing data retrieval software.
5 – Starting Scanning
Once you have selected the items you wish to scan for and the type of deletion you want to use click on the Scan & Erase button in the top left corner of the screen and then click Start to start the scanning procedure.
6 – Scan Progress
While the scan is underway you will be presented with a progress scan and once complete this will be replaced with a scan results page.
7 – Scan Results And Erasing Them
On the scan results page ensure that all files and folders you wish to delete are selected by placing a tick in the check box next to the items. All scan results are ticked by default. Click on the Erase button and confirm your choice on the confirmation window by clicking the Yes button.
8 – Completing The Process
When completed click on the Finish button to be redirected back to the main ParetoLogic Privacy Controls screen.
Why Use ParetoLogic Privacy Controls To Clean Out QuickTime?
If you no longer use QuickTime favorites or you wish to clear out your system to preserve invaluable disk space then ParetoLogic Privacy Controls provides a quick and effective way to scan your system and delete the appropriate files. Regularly cleaning out your computer is a powerful way to ensure that you improve the life of your computer and that it lives longer.
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