Windows 7 / Getting Started

InPrivate Browsing

When users browse the Web, they leave a record of their visits on the local computer. The browser records the visits directly in the history. Pictures are stored on the local disk as part of the browser cache. Words the user types might be recorded so AutoComplete can fill them in later.

Although these records improve performance and make it easier for users to find sites later, users occasionally want to browse without leaving a record of the Web sites they visit.
InPrivate Browsing provides that capability by opening a new browser window that is specially configured to not leave traces of the Web sites they visit.

To open an InPrivate browsing window:

  1. Create a new tab by clicking a blank tab or pressing Ctrl+T.
  2. Click Open An InPrivate Browsing Window.

Alternatively, users can click the Safety button on the toolbar and then click InPrivate Browsing. Finally, users can press Ctrl+Shift+P. A new window appears showing InPrivate in the title and address bars.

To erase any records of the Web sites visited while InPrivate is enabled, simply close the browser.

Note InPrivate Browsing does not protect against many types of monitoring, including firewalls, routers, or proxy servers that might record Web sites visited, keyboard monitors that might record Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) typed, and monitoring software that might record screenshots. Nonetheless, it does improve a user's privacy.

IT professionals might not want users to make use of InPrivate. To disable InPrivate, enable the Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\InPrivate\Turn Off InPrivate Browsing Group Policy setting, as described in the section titled "New Group Policy Settings for Internet Explorer 8" later in this tutorial.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Windows Internet Explorer
  2. Internet Explorer 8 Improvements
  3. InPrivate Browsing
  4. InPrivate Filtering
  5. Compatibility View
  6. SmartScreen
  7. Domain Highlighting
  8. Tab Isolation
  9. Accelerators
  10. Improvements Previously Introduced in Internet Explorer 7
  11. User Interface Changes
  12. Tabbed Browsing
  13. Search Bar
  14. How to Create a Web Link to Add a Custom Search Provider
  15. How to Configure Custom Search Providers Using the Registry
  16. How to Configure Custom Search Providers Using Group Policy
  17. RSS Feeds
  18. Improved Standards Support
  19. Expanded Group Policy Settings
  20. Defending Against Malware
  21. How Protected Mode Improves Security
  22. How the Protected Mode Compatibility Layer Works
  23. How to Solve Protected Mode Incompatibilities
  24. URL-Handling Protection
  25. Address Bar Visibility
  26. Cross-Domain Scripting Attack Protection
  27. Controlling Browser Add-ons
  28. Add -on Manager Improvements
  29. Protecting Against Data Theft
  30. Security Status Bar
  31. How the Smart Screen Filter Works
  32. How to Configure Smart Screen Options
  33. Deleting Browsing History
  34. Blocking IDN Spoofing
  35. Security Zones
  36. Understanding Zones
  37. Configuring Zones on the Local Computer
  38. Configuring Zones Using Group Policy
  39. Network Protocol Lockdown
  40. Managing Internet Explorer Using Group Policy
  41. Group Policy Settings for Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8
  42. New Group Policy Settings for Internet Explorer 8
  43. Using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit
  44. Troubleshooting Internet Explorer Problems
  45. Internet Explorer Does Not Start
  46. An Add-on Does Not Work Properly
  47. Some Web Pages Do Not Display Properly
  48. Preventing Unwanted Toolbars
  49. The Home Page or Other Settings Have Changed