IE 11: delete browsing history on exit: why?

[Cerb]

I've been having to deal with this quite a few times in the last couple months, but can't find WTH is going on.

A few web SAASes users need have to run in compatibility mode (why that degree of non-support, while requiring IE, doesn't piss everyone off, given they are paying for access and use, is another matter ). Compatibility mode is tied to history. Reset history, and there it goes.

Well, quite a few PCs have been getting the, "Delete browsing history on exit," box checked. Uncheck it, restart IE, and it's checked again, all by itself. Make a new user, and within a few days, it will once again get that way.

Setting policy to not allow it works, but it shouldn't be needed. There have been no signs of malware of any kind on most of these PCs. They are all at different locations, with no obvious shared traits, except for Windows 7 Pro and IE11.

Has anyone else encountered this, or have read of it and know what's going on, to cause it?

 

[Ketchup]

I wonder if they have security and/or privacy settings that are abnormally high.

If not, might want to look at Website Data settings and make sure they are at reasonable numbers nothing at zero).

 

[Cerb]

If you mean in IE's options, that's all default, and neither an advanced reset, nor changing the delete value in the registry, nor forcing a reset by deleting (well, renaming) IE's top-level registry keys, have an any effect.

 

[ninaholic37]

Uncheck it, restart IE, and it's checked again, all by itself.

Sounds like unchecking it doesn't Apply the setting, or the setting gets reset each time Compatibility Mode is used again when you reopen the browser. Does this happen on every machine that uses Compatibility Mode? If so, it's probably a bug that Microsoft will never get around to fixing.

 

[Cerb]

No. Thus far, I have only seen it on remote PCs, only individual PCs at any location, and it's now up to 6-8 (I haven't gotten an exact count, but might be able to search tickets and get one). It didn't start too long ago...maybe mid/late December? What special software is needed is the same across more PCs, and some have been affected, but another not, that are the same model, bought and configured at the same time.

It's got to be something common to the configurations, not being able to search and find anything, and no other responses here, given a decent number of views, but what (while the common and quick to use tools haven't found any malware, and the PCs otherwise act OK, I still can't 100% rule out a stealthy rootkit, and don't have physical access to any exhibiting this issue)? Windows 7 Pro, IE11, .NET 3.5, and Office 2013 click to run, are the only commonalities I've found, though.

 

[Lorne]

Ooo Ooo Ooo (Raising hand Horseshack style)

About 5 weeks ago I ran into something like this while trying to track down a possible viri that was causing drive access (just a blink blink blink non stop).
So I was running scanners and cleaning and found nothing, Went into IE and was deleting everything because I was getting sick of all these websites knowing what I looked at last (And I don't mean pron).

All sudden my system would not keep any history or passwords, Nothing, But the "Delete history on exit" was not checked.
I (Not remembering exactly how since its been over 6 minutes now) think it was in the "Delete" button top switch "Preserve favorites website data" which I clicked off to clean house (which I belive was the real cause) or the "settings" button and changed the "temporary internet files" switch to something else other then automatic.

Had the same results as you mention, I went searching and changed it back and thought it was odd that this tool feature would continue affecting the system when its only suppose to do it when you tell it to delete data, Thought MS did something stupid there and never paid attention to it since I got it to stop.