Do you have temporarily enabled the setting in "Options/Preferences > Privacy" when you try to remove this data?

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"

You can delete the formhistory.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder to remove all saved from data stored in this file.

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

I am allowing FF to remember my search history, (FireFox will: Remember History) as I wrote above, but used the word keep, rather than remember. It is not set for custom settings for history.

I went to that link you gave above, but being fairly new to FF it just was overwhelming to see Profile folder presented like a wikipedia article. I did figure out how to find the formhistory.sqlite file .

You say when I find and delete the formhistory.sqlite file, you say it will remove all saved data, but then I must ask what will happen in the future?

Will that file be gone forever, and its absence cause further problems?

Will delete form & search history continue to be grayed out forever? If I want to delete form & search history in the future will I have to continue to try to find this file if it still exists and always delete it?

Thank you for being patient with me. I have converted to FF and would love to stay, but just learning is creating a bit of an uphill battle at the moment.

If "Remember search and form history" doesn't have a checkmark then no new data will be stored in future. Renaming or deleting formhistory.sqlite ensures that all previously saved form data is removed.

Dear Cor-el,

Thank you for your patience. But I am still not getting it, or I am not being clear to you.

First, in privacy option there is no check mark to check or not check for "Remember History" It is a drop down list. I have it set to "Remember History" because during a session I may want my history remembered. Then in any other browser I have gone back and deleted the search history--in other browsers I've used form data has been separate, but not here. Even so, in a session on line I may want both remembered. Then, at the end of the session I will delete it.

The only time you get a chance to put a check mark in front of of remember history, etc., is in the choice in the above mentioned Firefox will: drop down list--in privacy options, and it is there if you chose the drop down option to customize the history. I have not made that choice thus that is not applicable from what I can tell from my limited knowledge of FF.

The clear history for everything drop down list still has "form & search history grayed out, and it is not checked in that grayed out list--thus it cannot be deleted. My "form & search history" will never be cleared when I want to clear it.

Secondly, I am too much of a newbie to understand what you mean by "Renaming or deleting formhistory.sqlite ensures that all previously saved form data is removed."

Please answer the questions I wrote above directly (perhaps you did for you, but were not for me). I have relisted them here:

1. You say when I find and delete the formhistory.sqlite file, you say it will remove all saved data, but then I must ask what will happen in the future? I am adding this to the question--will a new formhistory.sqlite file be created if I delete the one there?

2. Will that file be gone forever, and its absence cause further problems?

3. I am adding this question-- If I rename the formhistory.sqlite file what happens to it, and again will a new formhistory.sqlite file be created?

I just don't understand how this works, or why that choice in clearing history is grayed out.

Thank you

Is there a spot I may have gone to check never remember form data? I do not see it in privacy options, but it is possible I would have clicked that, but if I did, I would not have included it with never remember search history. So, I am still puzzled by the grayed out boxes in clear history.

It is possible that all saved form data has already been deleted and in that case it wouldn't make sense to have this choice available.

A new fresh formhistory.sqlite file without any data stored in the file will be created autocomplete when you would remove the existing file.