How to clear the location box in Netscape Navigator

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A Note about Communicator 4.5+

If you are using Communicator 4.5 or higher, when you set the "prefs.js" file to read only, Netscape will generate errors [including Dr. Watson errors on WindowsNT] when you exit the application.
I have not determined the exact cause of these errors and it does not occur with lower versions of the 4.x browser, including Navigator 4.08.
You can work around this problem by using a batch file to copy a "clean" version of the "prefs.js" file to the Users directory. See how to Automatically Copy Preferences for a method to do that.

A common request from librarians is for a method to clear the location box on Netscape Navigator. The method below will ensure that the location box will be "cleaned" each time Navigator is started. It also provides an opportunity to set a default location in the location box, for example, your library's web page. This should work on all versions of Navigator 4.x. I have provided links to other sites that can assist those using earlier versions on Navigator and other operating systems. If after using this method, you still have history entries appearing, you may need to clear the registry settings in Windows. See the following instructions from Netscape on how to do this.

STEP 1
Open up Navigator and check to see that all your preferences are set as you want them to be: Cache size, home location, etc. Exit Navigator.

STEP 2
Open up Notepad:
Find the file prefs.js in the Netscape Users Directory -- typically, you'll find it in c:/Program Files/Netscape/Users/Default/prefs.js -- and open it up.

STEP 3
Look for lines in the file that look like this:
user_pref("browser.url_history.URL_1", "www.cnn.com/");

STEP 4
Modify it by removing the url so that it looks like this:
user_pref("browser.url_history.URL_1", "");
If you want a default web page in the location box, change the URL to that location -- typically your home page:
user_pref("browser.url_history.URL_1", "tln.lib.mi.us/~nort/");
so that the library homepage URL is always in the location box.

STEP 5
Delete all the other URL entries that follow. Only delete the lines that begin with:
"user_pref("browser.url_history.URL...."
Leave the remainder of the entries or you may cause errors in Netscape.
[Although Netscape warns you against editing this file, you can do so safely, as long as you don't alter the syntax of the entries.]

STEP 6
Once your done with your adjustments, save the file.

STEP 6
Now, open up Windows Explorer and find the prefs.js file again.

STEP 7
Open up the Properties and select the read-only box.

STEP 8
Find the file netscape.hst -- it's in the same location. Delete this file.

STEP 9
Start up Netscape and then close it. When you do this, Netscape creates a new, "clean" version of the history file. Go back into Windows Explorer, find the new netscape.hst file and set its properties as read-only also.

You're done!

Now, as each user surfs through their session, locations will be "saved" in the location box. However, once you exit out of Navigator and re-open it, the location box will be empty.

Note: Setting the prefs.js file to "read-only" prevents preference changes from being "saved" after Netscape is closed. This is a preferred behavior for a browser used on a public workstation but please be aware of this if you need to make a change and don't find the change "sticking".

Reference Links
• How to clean the "Location" menu - Netscape
• Removing URL's From Dropdown List - Unofficial Netscape FAQ's

Too much work?? Try this!
• Cover Your Tracks - Another program to protect privacy.

Written by Andrew Mutch.
Do you have a comment or question?
Last Updated May 18, 2001.
This page was created on June 12, 1998.