Glary Tracks Eraser is a free privacy utility for Windows from Glarysoft. It finds the records that web browsing and everyday computer use leave on a PC, then deletes them. As a result, other people using the same machine cannot see where you have been or which files you opened. Because many of those records are cached files, clearing them also gives back some hard drive space.
What counts as a track
A track is any leftover trace of activity that Windows or an application saves without being asked. Glary Tracks Eraser targets several kinds:
- Browser cache: copies of pages and images saved while browsing.
- Cookies: small files websites store to recognise a returning visitor.
- Visited websites and typed URLs: the history list and the addresses entered in the address bar.
- Recent documents: the Windows list of files you opened most recently.
- index.dat files: hidden Windows files that keep an index of browsing activity.
Beyond these, the program clears a number of standard Windows settings that record usage, and it can also manage plug-ins.
Browsers and other applications
Glary Tracks Eraser works with a variety of web browsers, so a single run can cover history from more than one browser on the same PC. Its coverage reaches past browsers to other programs that keep their own records, such as the FlashGet download manager, Flash Player and QuickTime. This matters for anyone who wants their whole activity history gone, not just the part stored by a browser.
Scanning for junk files
Before deleting anything, the program scans the disk to find the tracks and junk files that match what it cleans. Glary Tracks Eraser uses a fast scanning engine for this step, so the full list of removable items is ready quickly.
Secure deletion
Ordinary deletion in Windows only marks a file’s space as free, and recovery software can often bring the file back. Glary Tracks Eraser includes a secure erase function that removes junk files and prevents their recovery. For privacy records such as browsing history, this closes the gap between hiding data and actually destroying it.
Cleanup history
When a cleanup finishes, Glary Tracks Eraser can display a history of what it cleaned. This summary shows the clean-up history information at a glance.
Layout and use
The program arranges its scanning, erasing and history functions in an easy-to-use way, with the full cleanup available in a single click. Glary Tracks Eraser is freeware, so all of these functions are available without a paid license. Glarysoft also offers a similar Tracks Eraser tool as part of its larger Glary Utilities maintenance suite. The standalone program provides the privacy cleaning on its own, without the suite’s other maintenance tools.
