 What are cookies?
A computer cookie is a piece of data which often includes an unique identifier, that is sent to your browser from a web site you visit, stores as a file on your computer, identifies you as a unique user and track your web usage.
What are cookies used for?
To offer personalized experience to users
The primary purposes of cookies is to recognize user and retain his/her personal preferences when he/she returns to a website.
If you personalize web pages, or register for products or services, cookies help to recall your specific information. This may be useful to simplify the process of recording your personal information, such as billing address, shipping address, etc. Cookies allow websites to store user preferences and retrieval of this information for viewing customization of movie listings, weather and other local information.
Many websites also use cookies to store information that provides a consistent experience between sections of the site, such as a shopping cart or customized pages. With a trusted website, cookies can enrich your experience by allowing the site to learn your preferences or allowing you to skip having to sign in every time you go to the website. However, some cookies, such as those saved by banner ads, might put your privacy at risk by tracking sites you visit.
To gather information about website use
Computer cookies can do everything from monitoring your visit throughout web sites, tracking how many times you've visited the site, how long you've been on the site, your log-in information at a particular page to remembering important information about your computer.
Cookies can do everything from monitoring your visit throughout web sites, tracking how many times you've visited the site, how long you've been on the site, your log-in information at a particular page to remembering important information about your computer. Cookies allow websites to track their visitors so that they can know how many visitors have viewed the site, how many repeat visitors they have received.
Where are cookies stored?
The location of this folder depends on the version of Windows you have.
By default, cookies location in Vista:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\
Note: on your computer Windows may be installed on another drive or in another directory.
For Windows XP and Windows 2000 you can find cookies folder in the following location:
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Cookies\
Note: If you have only one user account, you should replace [username] with Administrator.
The location of cookies files for Windows ME/NT/98/95:
C:\Windows\Cookies\ (If you don't have Profiles directory)
C:\Windows\Profiles\[username]\Cookies\ (If you have Profiles directory)
Note: on your computer Windows may be installed on another drive or in another directory.
How long are cookies stored on computer?
It depends on the type of cookies. There are two different types of computer cookies:
Session cookies
Session cookies ("non-persistent cookie") are cookies that only exist as long as your session on the web site lasts and expires as soon as you leave the website. The primary purpose of session cookies is to help with navigation, such as by indicating whether or not you've already visited a particular page and retaining information about your preferences once you've visited a page. So session cookies are used to facilitate your activities within that site.
Persistent cookies
The second type of cookies is "persistent cookies". Persistent cookies are stored on your computer in order to recognize user and retain his/her personal preferences when he/she returns to a website. E.g. because of persistent cookies a website remembers your name and password on protected login pages, your email address appears by default when you open your Yahoo! or Hotmail email account, or your personalized home page appears when you visit your favorite online merchant. Persistent cookies exist beyond the life of your Internet session and may live for months or years. In most browsers, you can adjust the length of time that persistent cookies are stored.
Session and persistent cookies
What are persistent cookies? What are persistent cookies used for?
Persistent cookies are stored on your computer in order to recognize user and retain his/her personal preferences when he/she returns to a website. E.g. because of persistent cookies a website remembers your name and password on protected login pages, your email address appears by default when you open your Yahoo! or Hotmail email account, or your personalized home page appears when you visit your favorite online merchant. Persistent cookies exist beyond the life of your Internet session and may live for months or years. In most browsers, you can adjust the length of time that persistent cookies are stored.
What are session cookies (Temporary cookies)? What are session cookies (Temporary cookies) used for?
The primary purpose of session cookies (also known as Temporary cookies) is to help with navigation, such as by indicating whether or not you've already visited a particular page and retaining information about your preferences once you've visited a page. So session cookies (Temporary cookies) are used to facilitate your activities within that site.
First-Party and Third-Party Cookies
What are first-party cookies?
First-party cookies are cookies that are associated with the host domain. First-party cookies come from the website that you're viewing and can be either persistent or temporary. Websites might use these cookies to store information that they'll reuse the next time you go to that site.
What are third-party cookies?
Third-party cookies are cookies from any other domain.
Third-party cookies come from other websites' advertisements (such as pop-up or banner ads) on the website that you're viewing. Websites might use these cookies to track your web use for marketing purposes.
Cookies and Privacy
How do websites use cookies?
Internet offers a wide variety of useful services such as free e-mail accounts, online forums, and e-commerce sites. The use of cookies is essential for these sites. Without cookies, for example, the sites would have no way to track the items that you placed into your virtual shopping cart as you browsed about the site.
Session cookies are stored only until you close your browser. This type of cookie is mainly used to remember choices that you make as you navigate through a web site.
Persistent cookies allow web sites to recognize you when you return to these sites. Persistent cookies are used by websites to store your for preferences, maintain state information as you navigate different pages on a website or return to the website later, for identifying purposes, demographic statistics and also when you are shopping online ecommerce sites may use them to remember what you have in your shopping basket.
Can cookies be used maliciously?
In one of their malevolent forms, cookies from one web site might track your visits to a different web site. For example, most of the ads that you see on web sites do not come from the site that you are viewing, but from sites that provide ads to many sites. When the advertising site displays the ad, it can send cookies on your computer. This lets the advertising company track your web usage over a range of sites and profile your browsing habits.
Cookies and privacy
Every time you visit a website, it will look for its cookie on your hard drive. It uses the information stored within the cookie to know your name, your shopping preferences, etc.
Most browser offer advanced cookie management options that allows to accept or reject cookies depending on if they are first-part or third-party cookies and/or particular domain of the issuer. So you have the ability to enable or disable cookies, or have your browser prompt you before accepting cookies. But be careful as disabling cookies may prevent some websites from working correctly. There is one very simple step for more privacy and to make sure that other sites are not collecting personal information about you without your knowledge, choose to only allow cookies for the web site you are visiting; block or limit cookies from a third-party.
Despite cookies are useful, they can also store such information as your name and password on protected login pages, preferences, account information and choices you have made on the site. So, even if you delete browser history, cookies like a map will show your surfing preferences, habits, passwords, etc. So to protect your privacy, you should regularly delete cookies.
In Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer even if you delete cookies manually, cookies index.dat file stores Internet surfing information. Cookies index.dat file can't be deleted manually as it is used by Windows all the time.
Using Clear All History you cannot only delete cookies in Internet Explorer, MSN Explorer, Maxthon (MyIE2), Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape and Opera but also delete cookies index.dat file. And the best thing - you can do it automatically.
Important: But disabling cookies does not make you anonymous or prevent web sites from tracking your browsing habits as websites you visit collect and record usage information about your computer such as your IP address, browser type, operating system you are using, web pages last visited, etc. This information automatically comes from your browser to identify you and track your browsing habits and activities.
Should I block cookies?
You can block or allow cookies on all websites or you can choose which websites' cookies are allowed.
Blocking all cookies can help protect your privacy, but it might limit your experience on some websites. Be selective about which websites you allow cookies for. You can start by blocking all cookies, then allow cookies as needed for websites that you trust.
How to block cookies
Most browsers allow you to specify which cookies you want to store on your PC. You can adjust your browser to block or limit cookies. To protect your privacy, make sure that other sites do not collect personal information about you without your knowledge, choose to only allow cookies for the web site you are visiting; block or limit cookies from a third-party.
Cookies settings in Internet Explorer
Privacy settings in Internet Explorer let you specify which cookies you want to allow to be stored on your computer:
To change your privacy settings
1. Select "Tools"
2. Select "Internet Options".
3. Open the "Privacy" tab.
4. In the "Settings" area move the slider bar to the level of privacy you prefer.
Block All Cookies
- Block cookies from all websites.
- Cookies that are already on your computer cannot be read by websites
High
- Blocks all cookies from websites that do not have a compact privacy policy
- Blocks cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your explicit consent
Medium High
- Blocks third-party cookies that do not have a compact policy.
- Blocks third-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your explicit consent.
- Blocks first-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your implicit consent.
Medium
- Blocks third-party cookies that do not have a compact policy.
- Blocks third-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your explicit consent.
- Restricts first-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your implicit consent.
Low
- Blocks third-party cookies that do not have a compact policy.
- Restricts first-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your implicit consent.
Accept All Cookies
- Blocks third-party cookies that do not have a compact policy.
- Restricts first-party cookies that save information that can be used to contact you without your implicit consent.
What cookies can't do...
Can cookies "read" information from a hard drive?
No. Cookies are just harmless files. Cookies cannot look into information stored on your hard-drive. It is technically impossible for cookies to read personal information. Cookies can only store data that is provided by the server or generated by an explicit user action.
Can cookies be used to run programs and deliver viruses on your PC?
No. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or to deliver viruses to your computer.
How to delete cookies
How do I delete cookies in Internet Explorer?
To delete cookies in Internet Explorer 7.0
• Select "Tools"
• Select "Internet Options".
• Open the "General" tab.
• In "Browsing history" area click the "Delete" button.
• In "Delete browsing history" window click "Delete cookies" button and then click "Yes".
• Click Close and then click OK.
To delete cookies in Internet Explorer 6.x
• Select "Tools"
• Select "Internet Options".
• Open the "General" tab.
• Click the "Delete cookies" button.
• Click OK.
Note:
1. In Internet Explorer even if you erase cookies manually, cookies index.dat file stores Internet surfing information. This file can't be deleted manually as it is used by Windows all the time.
2. Some websites store your member name, password, or other information about you in a cookie. If you delete cookies, you might need to enter your personal information again the next time you visit the site.
How can I delete cookies index.dat file in Internet Explorer?
Index.dat files are system files and they can't be deleted manually as they are used by Windows all the time (index.dat files are locked by Windows). Their content is not deleted even if you clear browser history, cache and cookies. Using Clear All History you can easily delete index.dat files content or delete index.dat files.
How to delete cookies in Firefox
Delete cookies Firefox 2.0
1. Select "Tools"
2. Select "Options".
3. Select "Privacy".
4. In Private area click "Clear Now".
5. In "Clear Private Data" window put the check mark for "Cookies" and click "Clear Private Data Now".
6. Click OK.
Delete cookies Firefox 1.x
1. Select "Tools"
2. Select "Options".
3. Select "Privacy".
4. Open "Cookies" tab and click "Clear Cookies Now".
5. Click OK.
How to delete cookies in Opera
To delete cookies Opera 9.0
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Delete private data
3. Click the "Details" button
4. Select Delete cookies.
5. Click "Delete".
To delete cookies Opera 8.x:
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Preferences to open Dialog box.
3. Open the Advanced tab.
4. Select "Cookies".
5. Click the "Manage Cookies" button.
6. Select one or more cookies you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.
How to delete cookies in Netscape
To delete cookies Netscape 8.x
1. Select Tools -> Options.
2. Select "Privacy".
3. Click the "Clear" button next to "Cookies" area.
If you want to delete certain cookies, click the "View cookies" button. Select one or more cookies you want to delete and click the "Remove" button.
4. Click OK
To delete cookies Netscape 7.x
1. Click the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager
2. Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.
3. Select one or more cookies and click Remove Cookie, or click Remove All Cookies.
4. Click OK.
How to disable cookies
How to disable cookies in Internet Explorer
Disable cookies Internet Explorer 7.0
1. Select Tools -> Internet Options.
2. Open the "Privacy" tab.
3. In the "Settings" area:
to disable cookies move the slider bar to Block All Cookies. Learn more about cookies settings
4. Click OK.
Disable cookies Internet Explorer 6.x
1. Select Tools -> Internet Options.
2. Open the "Privacy" tab.
3. In the "Settings" area:
to disable cookies move the slider bar to Block All Cookies. Learn more about cookies settings
How to disable cookies in Firefox
Disable cookies in Firefox 2.0
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Remove the check mark to "Accept cookies" field.
5. Click OK.
Disable cookies Firefox 1.x
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Click the View cookies in the "Cookies" area and remove the check mark into the box next to "Allow sites to set cookies".
5. Click OK.
How to disable cookies in Opera
Disable cookies Opera 9.0
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Preferences
3. Open the "Advanced" tab
4. Select "Cookies" item.
5. Put the radio button for "Never accept cookies" option.
6. Click OK
Disable cookies Opera 8.x
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Preferences to open Dialog box.
3. Open the Advanced tab.
4. Select "Cookies".
5. Select "Refuse all cookies" in Normal cookies combo box and/or Third-party cookies combo box depending on your needs.
6. Click OK
How can I disable cookies in Netscape?
Disable cookies Netscape 8.x
1. Select Tools -> Options.
2. Select "Site Controls".
3. Open the "Site List" tab.
4. In the "Web features" area, remove the check mark for "Allow cookies" option.
5. Click "OK".
Disable cookies Netscape 7.x
1. Open the Edit menu.
2. Select Preferences to open Dialog box.
3. Select the Privacy & Security to open sub-menu.
4. Select the Cookies item.
5. Select "Disable cookies".
6. Click "OK".
How to enable cookies
How to enable cookies in Internet Explorer
Enable cookies Internet Explorer 7.0
1. Select Tools -> Internet Options.
2. Open the "Privacy" tab.
4. In the "Settings" area:
to enable cookies move the slider bar to Medium-High or Medium. Learn more about cookies settings
also you can enable cookies on a per-site basis. To enable cookies on a per-site basis, click "Sites" button, enter website url and select if you want to Allow or Block cookies from this site.
Note: "Sites" button is disabled if you move the slider to Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies.
If you select Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies, 'Enable cookies on a per-site basis' rules have higher priority than privacy preferences you set with the slider unless you move the slider to Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies. If you select Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies per-site rules will be ignored.
5. Click OK.
Enable cookies Internet Explorer 6.x
1. Select Tools -> Internet Options.
2. Open the "Privacy" tab.
2. In the "Settings" area:
to enable cookies move the slider bar to Medium-High or Medium. Learn more about cookies settings
also you can enable cookies on a per-site basis. To enable cookies on a per-site basis, click "Sites" button, enter website url and select if you want to Allow or Block cookies from this site.
Note: "Edit" button is disabled if you move the slider to Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies.
If you select Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies, 'Enable cookies on a per-site basis' rules have higher priority than privacy preferences you set with the slider unless you move the slider to Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies. If you select Accept All Cookies or Block All Cookies per-site rules will be ignored.
4. Click OK.
Changing cookies settings does not affect the cookie acceptance policy that have already been set unless you changed it.
How to enable cookies in Firefox
Enable cookies in Firefox 2.0
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Put the check mark to "Accept cookies" field.
5. Click OK.
Enable cookies Firefox 1.x
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Click the View cookies in the "Cookies" area and put the check mark into the box next to "Allow sites to set cookies".
5. Click OK.
How to enable cookies in Opera
Enable cookies Opera 9.0
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Preferences
3. Open the "Advanced" tab
4. Select "Cookies" item.
5. Select "Accept cookies" or "Accept cookies only from the site I visit" option depending on your needs.
6. Click OK
Enable cookies Opera 8.x
1. Open the Tools menu.
2. Select Preferences to open Dialog box.
3. Open the Advanced tab.
4. Select "Cookies".
5. Select "Allow all cookies" in Normal cookies combo box and/or Third-party cookies combo box depending on your needs.
6. Click OK
How can I enable cookies in Netscape?
Enable cookies Netscape 8.x
1. Select Tools -> Options.
2. Select "Site Controls".
3. Open the "Site List" tab.
4. In the "Web features" area, select the "Allow cookies" option.
5. Click "OK".
Enable cookies Netscape 7.x
1. Open the Edit menu.
2. Select Preferences to open Dialog box.
3. Select the Privacy & Security to open sub-menu.
4. Select the Cookies item.
5. Select "Enable all cookies".
6. Click "OK".
Want to delete cookies and other history tracks automatically? Try Clear All History
Key features:
 delete history automatically
delete browser history
delete search history
delete AutoComplete
delete all index.dat files
delete cache
delete cookies & passwords
delete Recent Documents list
delete recent open/save files
delete Windows Run History
delete Windows search history
delete Start Menu history
delete Microsoft Office history
delete Media Player history and more...
Download FREE 15-day Trial
|
