Still request some way to clear search term history

[koemyndo]

Let users that want to save all their search terms save them.  For security reasons, give users an option to clear some or all of saved search terms.
If not willing to add a clear search option to the UI, is there a way to do it manually?  I can't find where they're stored.
 
If search terms are used for sensitive files (e.g., find backups or old copies of key files, etc.) having the name / partial name saved in a search list poses a potential security issue.  Even if the key file was on removable media it could tip an adversary to the name.

This is only one example why this feature is needed.  Most well developed apps allow clearing search and / or history, or options not to save the data at all - for good reason.

Data entered under search "File Content" apparently can't be deleted without restarting MC.  If I manually delete text in the box, uncheck File Content, close search & reopen it in same session, the File Content check box is checked again and has the same data entered in the box.  (in portable version).
The only way to get rid of that data & keep the File Content box unchecked is delete the data, uncheck the box & restart MC.  That shouldn't be necessary just to keep the box unchecked or to blank the text box.

This is a problem if you don't have the "more" button checked, to see that it's still using a content search term that's no longer valid.

I also see at least one instance where the exact same search term is stored more than once.  Seems redundant.

Thanks.

[Mathias (Author)]

Have you tried

Menu > Help > Clear User Data 
check "Logs, History and Session information"

Or did that not work ?

or is it only for file search you want to clear ?
There are some options coming for File Search, and one is if it should remember previous or not

[koemyndo]

Have you tried

Menu > Help > Clear User Data 
check "Logs, History and Session information"

Thanks.  Yes, that works.  As you mentioned, if there were any logs you wanted to look at, checking that one button clears logs, history & session info.  Most times this would work, but sometimes it could delete too much info.  Would there be a way to clear just search history or just not save it? 

I'm not sure which category the search terms are in - History or "Session Info?"  And what exactly is stored under Session Info?  I might not want to delete that at all  - can't say. 

Help file says:

Logs, History and Session Information Multi Commander stores logs of file operations and failures in the user's application data folder. These logs are used to identify why problems happen if Multi Commander fails. History and session information is stored in the Windows Registry.

For portable versions, the search terms seem to be stored in a file in the the program folder  D:\Program Files (x86)\Utilities\File Utilities\File Managers\MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.4.8.2265)\SessionConfig\History\bb34636789224963bbde35059dca2365.ini.
But I'm not sure what else might be stored in the file with search terms.

[koemyndo]

This is (now) for MC 6.9.1.2306 portable in Vista x64 SP2, fully patched.  I saw same described behavior in previous MC versions.
This time, I extracted v6.9 portable to new folder.

* I tried Help >Cleanup user data, then checking "logs, history & session info."  Doesn't seem to clear search history, but did clear logs in previous version.
* Now in 6.9.1 portable, it's not clearing logs in D:\Program Files (x86)\...\MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\Logs, or search data.

In cleanup menu, check box for logs, history & session info.  Click OK - pops up dialog saying all log & history info will be deleted.  Click Remove.
Close MC, then reopen & open search UI.  Search terms & which partitions to search - used in previous session(s) searches are still there.

But it seems to save only 1 search term - whether I've cleared data or not (that seems to be a change from past versions, where it saved multiple search terms).  It is saving multiple "look in" locations, even after clearing data.

* Tried clearing search data while Search UI was open - or closed, then Help>Cleanup user data.  Still didn't clear search history.
* Tried starting MC in admin mode, then cleanup.  No go.

* If I manually delete the encrypted? contents of the one ini file that contains search data (several ini files exist in this one path) in D:\Program Files (x86)\...\MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\SessionConfig\History, then no search data remains on MC restart.

* That  ini file's security properties show "everyone" has full rights.  The file owner is the std user acct that I extracted the portable version under &  run Vista under.

Since I'm using portable version (but used installers quite a while back) there's no user / history data in appdata\roaming\multicommander.
Maybe the installer versions cleared the history correctly, but portables have a glitch?

[Mathias (Author)]

This is (now) for MC 6.9.1.2306 portable in Vista x64 SP2, fully patched.  I saw same described behavior in previous MC versions.
This time, I extracted v6.9 portable to new folder.

* I tried Help >Cleanup user data, then checking "logs, history & session info."  Doesn't seem to clear search history, but did clear logs in previous version.
* Now in 6.9.1 portable, it's not clearing logs in D:\Program Files (x86)\...\MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\Logs, or search data.

In cleanup menu, check box for logs, history & session info.  Click OK - pops up dialog saying all log & history info will be deleted.  Click Remove.
Close MC, then reopen & open search UI.  Search terms & which partitions to search - used in previous session(s) searches are still there.

But it seems to save only 1 search term - whether I've cleared data or not (that seems to be a change from past versions, where it saved multiple search terms).  It is saving multiple "look in" locations, even after clearing data.

* Tried clearing search data while Search UI was open - or closed, then Help>Cleanup user data.  Still didn't clear search history.
* Tried starting MC in admin mode, then cleanup.  No go.

* If I manually delete the encrypted? contents of the one ini file that contains search data (several ini files exist in this one path) in D:\Program Files (x86)\...\MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\SessionConfig\History, then no search data remains on MC restart.

* That  ini file's security properties show "everyone" has full rights.  The file owner is the std user acct that I extracted the portable version under &  run Vista under.

Since I'm using portable version (but used installers quite a while back) there's no user / history data in appdata\roaming\multicommander.
Maybe the installer versions cleared the history correctly, but portables have a glitch?

Nothing about this is change in newest version.
In the clear data dialog if you checked Logs they are deleted.
As it say it the dialog that pops up. the logs are deleted when MC is closed.
Actually the entire "logs/" catalog is removed.
Tried it and it works.

Encrypted? no nothing is encrypted,
For portable version everything is stored inside the SessionConfig\ folder.. just wipe that and everything is removed

[koemyndo]

Thanks.

Still didn't clear search history.

Did you try the portable?  Not talking about logs - I said it didn't clear search history, but it's ALSO not clearing logs for me, in the path \MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\Logs\) - if those are the logs  supposed to be deleted.  There are multiple, recent logs left.

It's not deleting search data in (at least) the last 2 portable versions.  Before those versions, I didn't test Help>Clean up user data, & then check results.
I extracted the latest version again - to a different folder.  THIS time I didn't make any config changes before I tested the cleanup function (just in case).
Skipped past 1st screen where it asks which look & feel you want.
Entered a path to D: for location, & used partial file name option.

Used Help > Cleanup user data.  Checked "Logs, history & session info" box - then OK.
On next warning screen I clicked Remove.  Closed MC.
Reopened MC & the search UI - the unique path location & search term I just entered are still there (see screen shot).

Other than that, I don't know what to do about the menu cleanup function not working.
The data for search location & terms are stored in "MultiCommander_win32_Portable_(6.9.1.2306)\SessionConfig\History" in an ini file: bb34636789224963bbde35059dca2365.ini

What encoding is used for this data in the ini file under "LastFilter"?  That appears to be where search terms are stored. 
Now in v6.9.1, the searched location list that's retained in clear text (after clearing data & closing MC) keeps growing. (see screen shot).

[FindFiles]
AdvFilter=1
LastFilter=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

[LookIn]
Item0=D:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla\Firefox29
Item1=D:

[LookFor]
Item0=qwzv

[Mathias (Author)]

That is not encrypted. it is just xml text that is base64 encoded
(you can decode it here) https://www.base64decode.org

If clean does not work just delete the SessionConfig folder. or SessionConfig/History if you only want to remove history info