# Any way to clean out the cookies folder more quickly? and a question



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I just read the "removing spyware" sticky and found the cookies folder... wow. Please tell me there's a quicker way to remove all those files without doing each one individually!

Also, this morning all webpages appear only in text, and all misaligned... what happened and how do I fix it?


----------



## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

jen74145 said:


> I just read the "removing spyware" sticky and found the cookies folder... wow. Please tell me there's a quicker way to remove all those files without doing each one individually!
> 
> Also, this morning all webpages appear only in text, and all misaligned... what happened and how do I fix it?


I don't advocate manually removing cookies. Most cookies are beneficial and shouldn't be removed. Just run your spyware scanner. If your spyware scanner doesn't remove a cookie, leave it alone.


----------



## Guest (Oct 18, 2007)

Close your browser, then go to your control panel, open Internet Options, and on the general tab, delete your cookies.

Instantly removes all of them.


----------



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

CCleaner available from download.com is a nifty piece of software - deletes trash, temp files, cookies, log files, history, etc. - all in a click of a button.


----------



## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Just go up under Tools even while the browser is open you can do this and I do it quite often under tools go to Internet Options click on that and Bingo that first prompt that pops up delete browsing history is there click on that and you then can Choose just what you want to delete, anything from cookies to history to passwords to Temp Files, OR you can delete them all.
I do the clean out the Temp Files several times a day.~! Helps the putter work faster.
Lot faster then going into the control panel and finding the same prompt.
I get very few cookies now that I have Spyware Blaster.~! So I don't clean them out very often anymore.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

No idea about Infuriating Explorer, but in Opera, Firefox, and Seamonkey(mozilla) there is an option to accept all cookies, then delete them when browser is closed. Works for me. Maybe if you have broadband, cookies dont matter, but I've discovered a definite slowdown when cookie file gets large. 

Also dont know about modern IE, but old versions back when I used win98 to go online used to keep a secret file of every website you visited, and no I dont just mean the standard history file that you can wipe with couple mouse clicks. It would bloat up and slow things down also. I found out about this back in win98 and had some little freeware program that would clean this out. When I used to work on other peoples computers it was always a hoot to run the little clean out program and see the websites various customers had visited or perhaps their kids visited. ;-)) Usually they were smart enough to clean out the regular history file, but they didnt know about M$'s dirty little secret history file.


----------



## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

jen74145 said:


> I just read the "removing spyware" sticky and found the cookies folder... wow. Please tell me there's a quicker way to remove all those files without doing each one individually!


Nevada is right, you really don't want to remove them all. Many cookies are there to make your life easier -- do you really enjoy having to login to this forum every time you visit, or do you prefer that it recognizes your browser and logs you in automatically? I don't even mind cookies from advertising companies -- they make it possible for me to visit lots of websites I enjoy or benefit from, for free. Of course there are good reasons to delete cookies sometimes, or disallow a website from setting cookies, but it's best done selectively, and one at a time.

What I'd really like to see is a way to limit cookies' expiration date. I can't think of a good reason why a cookie should be around until 2037. There should be a way to limit their lifespan to, say, a year or so after last use.

I discovered some time ago that Alaska Airlines' website (I'm sure others do it too) quotes you a higher price every time you return to check price & availability on a certain flight. The problem is solved by deleting their cookies and disallowing them from setting more.



> Also, this morning all webpages appear only in text, and all misaligned... what happened and how do I fix it?


You might need to provide a little more detail, like what operating system & browser you're using.


----------



## millipede (May 28, 2006)

I don't use IE often enough, so I don't even know how I have it set now, at least not since I updated to IE7. But before I thought I had it set so it would clear them out after each seesion.
There's a number of things you can do.
With both IE and firefox I block ALL cookies unless I NEED them. Like I need to allow them on this site in order to even stay logged in. I can manually enter each site that I need to do that for and there's no problems.
Too many sites have TOO many cookies that do all sorts of things. So I don't take any chances. Not all cookies are harmless.
In IE you can change LOTS of settings. 
One of things you can do is change how much room IE is allowed to use to store temporary files. I don't like clutter, so I keep it small. I don't let the history store at all.
I of course us crap cleaner too. Helpful program. You'd be surprised what a person can end up with if the settings aren't at least a little tight.
not long ago I was cleaning up a friend's computer and I removed 2.5 GIGS of junk files with crap cleaner. No joke.

I'll second or third the notion to use firefox. I find the security settings, though not as many to pick through, a bit easier to work with. I block ALL cookies and then just allow sites that I need them on. There have been times that it has been a pain, like with yahoo mail, as you end up going through several different URL's that you have to allow for each. But like I said, I am cautious. I don't mind the hassle.


----------



## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Cookies can contain virus.

In xp you can block all cookies and enable them for sites as need be.

Cookies can track your moves on the web. Fill out some form on the web, they plant a cookie and they know who you are and what you're doing. They gather data on you and sell it to marketers.

RF


----------



## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Rocky Fields said:


> Cookies can contain virus.


NO THEY CANT. Cookies are static pieces of data

[/quote]
In xp you can block all cookies and enable them for sites as need be.


> NO you cant. Cookies are application level functions not os level.
> in IE you can block all cookies and enable them for sites as needed but not XP.
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

True they do not contain virus's. and That is so true as Cookies contain the Passwords and Login entrees to web sites like this one. I will NEVER shut off cookies~!


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

arabian knight said:


> True they do not contain virus's. and That is so true as Cookies contain the Passwords and Login entrees to web sites like this one. I will NEVER shut off cookies~!


Hmm, I go to maybe half dozen regular sites that require login and couple of those I dont want the login info on my computer. Just stupid to leave banking login info on computer. 

So why do I need to allow cookie list that has hundreds of cookies? I've found through experience that huge cookie file does slow things down. Only allow necessary cookies, the rest are not for your benefit. Opera and Firefox and Konqueror browsers allow you to accept all NEW cookies then automatically dump them when you shut down the browser. If IE doesnt then their are 3rd party programs that can manage cookies. Think at least some of them free.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Gary in ohio said:


> most market collecting sites have move to other methods of collecting data such as micro pix or java driven tracking.


I am on dialup and dont even have java installed nor flash enabled for that matter. They slow surfing down cause of all the ads and goofy websites that insist on using them to show a cartoon that is pure window dressing.

However could you point to site explaining "micro pix" tracking. A google search just turns up results on couple cameras using that name. Unless its just your own short hand spelling, I find no info on such as a form of tracking.


----------



## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Gary,

You are too quick to criticize.

I said "Cookies can contain virus."

You said" NO THEY CANT. Cookies are static pieces of data"

Well I got news for you, they can. Taken from:

http://www.imageconsulting.co.uk/cgi-bin/faqlist.pl?id=1#m86

"In theory, if a executable cookie was set with malicious contents, then it is possible that IE3.0 could execute it, then it could affect your computer with a virus. The maximum contents of a cookie is 4Kb, and the line to delete the contents of a hard-disk is only 18 bytes long, so obviously the virus could do some damage even though it could not be a complete Trojan horse."

I'd has been done and I touched upon it in one of my previous posts.


Second, I said "In xp you can block all cookies and enable them for sites as need be."

You said "NO you cant. Cookies are application level functions not os level. 
in IE you can block all cookies and enable them for sites as needed but not XP."


Internet Explorer has been very tightly integrated into Windows for ten years, including xp. As of Jan 2007, Microsoft had not yet complied with the DOJ order that users must be able to remove Internet Explorer from Windows. 

Since it couldn't be removed, it is a part of xp. I said "In xp..."


RF


----------



## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

HermitJohn said:


> Hmm, I go to maybe half dozen regular sites that require login and couple of those I don't want the login info on my computer. Just stupid to leave banking login info on computer.
> 
> So why do I need to allow cookie list that has hundreds of cookies? I've found through experience that huge cookie file does slow things down. Only allow necessary cookies, the rest are not for your benefit. Opera and Firefox and Konqueror browsers allow you to accept all NEW cookies then automatically dump them when you shut down the browser. If IE doesn't then their are 3rd party programs that can manage cookies. Think at least some of them free.


 I didn't say Leave it alone and never delete cookies. i said I delete not very often cause I do NOT get that many now when I am running Spy-Blaster, that keeps lots of those from getting in the cookie file~!
And when I do delete my cookies, My Passwords and Login stuff is contain in a Special File and encrypted by NORTON. It is Called Password Saver.
I Just LOVE it as it fills in Both Blanks~!!! And that way I can Delete ALL cookies and still keep ALL passwords and such which is now around 65 things in that special Norton Folder.
And this is a 2004 Norton SystemWorks and since then it is Not Included in newer versions~! So I will NOT update to a newer version of System Works.
And before I got That Norton I would delete everything BUT My Login Stuff. I Want the info to stay on I do not want to remember things like that even though I only use One Passwork and One Login name for the many thigns I do on the putter, I have two but for the most part instead of my Arabain Knight like on this site, 99% of the others I am minifancier~!
And only using one password maybe 2 but most of the things are just the one I have been using for the last 10+ years on the net


----------

