Well, you certainly don't want to try the option and see whether or not the window appears - because if it doesn't, your information just got cleared! Instead, open the Tools menu and examine the Clear Private Data option. If it ends in an ellipsis, you have not bypassed the confirmation window, and it appears when you use the feature. If it doesn't the window is bypassed. Figures 14-2 and 14-3 show the difference.   Figure 14-2: If the Clear Private Data menu item ends with an ellipsis, you haven't bypassed the confirmation window Figure 14-3: but if it doesn't, the window has been bypassed, so beware! Clearing private data when Firefox closes With the window-bypassing feature I describe in the preceding section, clearing your tracks in Firefox is as easy as choosing a menu item or (on Windows) pressing a few keys. But if you're very privacy-conscious, that might not be enough. After all, as easy as it is to clear your data, you still have to remember to do it. What if you forget? If you want, you can tell Firefox to clear some or all of your private data each time it shuts down: Click the Privacy icon at the top of the window. Click the Settings button at the bottom of the window to open the Clear Private Data settings window. Select the types of information that Firefox should clear on shutdown, and ensure that all other types are deselected. Select the Clear Private Data When Closing Firefox check box. Click OK. Click OK to close the Options window.           Working One-on-One with your Data The Clear Private Data feature is great for people who always find themselves clearing the same set of information - say, download history and browsing history, but not saved passwords or form information. But the feature just doesn't do the trick if your habits are irregular or if you need more specific control over each type of stored information (such as choosing how many days' worth of browsing history to maintain). In either case, the Options window provides more powerful tools for working closely with each kind of information that Firefox remembers: Click the Privacy icon at the top of the window. Click the tab that corresponds to the type of information you want to configure. Figure 14-4 shows the six tabs that are available. Figure 14-4: The Privacy screen of the Options window allows you to configure or clear the types of information that Firefox stores. When you reach the tab pertaining to the kind of information you want to configure, refer to the appropriate section that follows for further help. Erasing your browsing history