How do I view the PERMANENT history saved by my computer?

Question

I have found a couple of filthy shortcuts on my desktop, and inappropriate photos in several folders. I suspect that this is the work of one of my sons, but don't know which. Every time I check, the cookies have been cleared,  the Internet Explorer history has been deleted and the 'save history for_ days' has been reset to '0'.   I have been told that my computer saves a permanent record of all activity that cannot be easily deleted, and have seen references to such on TV cop shows.   Is this true?   If so, how do I access this history to see where my boys have been surfing? Will it show me the times of use and access to each web site? (I will be able to tell which is doing what by the times.)    Thanks in advance for any help and/or advice.

joe53 · Answer

You can download the free 'indexdat.suite' to view the otherwise hidden index.dat files that store the info you are looking for. Get it from here. Note: If your sons know about this program, they can also use it to delete these files!

RoadiJeff · Answer

topgun, Right click on the shortcuts or photos and look at the properties.  That way you can see what date and time they were created on your computer and maybe help narrow down who was using it then.

MonsterDawg · Answer

If you happen to use McAfee's privacy service software it keeps a log of every site visited.  I can't remember exactly where to find it, I only used it during the free trial, but it wasn't hard to find.

Windows General

How do I view the PERMANENT history saved by my computer?

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