How to Erase your Download Logs in OS X

If you didn’t already know, Mac OS X keeps a continuous log of every file that you download, from MP3’s to PDF’s and everything in between. The only exception to this is apps from the Mac App Store. The system is set up that way, so in the event of a catastrophic error you can be helped later on down the line when troubleshooting the issue. But, if  you are a person who is very meticulous about how their system operates, then you can clear out that log. Here is a quick guide on just how to do that in Terminal.

To start, if you want to see your log, you need to type in a command into Terminal: sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* ‘select LSQuarantineDataURLString from LSQuarantineEvent’

You will see a list of everything that you have ever downloaded onto your Mac here. This is a tad concerning, especially when it comes to privacy, considering these files don’t really need to be kept on your computer. To delete the log, enter the following: sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* ‘delete from LSQuarantineEvent’

This will clear all things from the log. If you want to check if the log has been erased, then run the script again to confirm. You can also create this script in Applescript Editor and run it as often as you need to: “sqlite3 ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV* ‘delete from LSQuarantineEvent'” You can even schedule the script to run using Automator and iCal.

[Image via kmplayer]

SOURCE: http://www.macgasm.net/2013/01/18/good-morning-your-mac-keeps-a-log-of-all-your-downloads/