This check was conducted after I run theįree Internet Eraser which deleted everything except the content of index.dat files. Does this sound scary? The first time when I scanned my index.dat files, Iįound 4,984 web page URLs. Since the first time your Internet Explorer was used, all the web pages visited or files opened IE to the most recent one visited or opened.

The time frame of storing these information spans from the very first web page or file opened by These include web pages, websites, local files, image files, PDF files, etc. Generally, index.dat stores summary information (URL or file path, date and time, etc) about all files you have ever opened by using Internet Explorer. What specific information does index.dat contain? After reading this article, you should becomeĪt least aware of the potential privacy issues this file could expose you to. Many Internet users never even heard about the existence of this file. You have enabled Show hidden files and folders in Folder Options. Some index.dat filesĪre visible after you have enabled Show hidden files and folders in Folder Options. Index.dat is designed for IE internal use only. The web pages and websites you have visited or any files you have opened by using Internet Explorer. Index.dat is a system binary file that only Microsoft Internet Explorer uses to store various information about Even after deleting your cookies and cache, cleaning your history, index.dat files still contain records of your online and some local activities. index.datįiles are very difficult to get deleted manually because in most cases they are used and Index.dat files expose potential privacy threat to users of a Windows computer. What is index.dat file and how your internet privacy is affected

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