Cookies - A Complete Guide

Cookies - A Complete Guide

- This information is compiled from all over the web.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a text-only string that gets entered into the memory of your browser. This value of a variable that a website sets. If the lifetime of this value is set to be longer than the time you spend at that site, then this string is saved to file for future reference.

What are the purposes of cookies?

Cookies make the interaction between users and web sites faster and easier. Without cookies, it would be very difficult for a web site to allow a visitor to fill up a shopping cart or to remember the user's preferences or registration details for a future visit. Web sites use cookies mainly because they save time and make the browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable. Web sites often use cookies for the purposes of collecting demographic information about their users. Cookies enable web sites to monitor their users' web surfing habits and profile them for marketing purposes (for example, to find out which products or services they are interested in and send them targeted advertisements).

Are cookies dangerous?

In a nutshell the answer is no. Cookies are small pieces of text. They are not computer programs, and they can't be executed as code. Also, they cannot be used to disseminate viruses, and versions of Internet Browsers such as IE, Firefox etc.. allow users to set their own limitations to the number of cookies saved on their hard drives. However, as i said in the previous paragraph, some cookies do track internet browsing and provide a certain level of information that the user may not warm to. The truth is that revealing any kind of personal information opens the door for that information to be spread, but we are talking about primitive internet usage and not your bank details.

How do Browsers handle Cookies?

Most browsers offer the following cookie choices:

• Accept all cookies
• Accept only cookies that get sent back to originating server
• Disable all cookies
• Warn me before accepting a cookie.

How to Delete and Control Cookies?

You can easily delete cookies from your computer.
Below are a few links that will take you to some guides on how to delete cookies for the various popular browsers.

• Internet Explorer: Click Here
• Firefox: Click Here
• Google Chrome: Click Here
• Opera: Click Here
• Older browsers: Click Here

If you are interested in reading further, I recommend that you read one of the following recommended sites:

• The "How Stuff Works" Cookie guide
• The Webopedia Guide to Cookies
• Cookie Central

David

Edit: Updated for current browsers and fixed slight spelling mistakes. ~Computerxpds

Edited by Blade, 07 March 2014 - 06:02 PM.

Thanks a lot. Very simple and very informative.

Great job.

King_Tut

This might be a stupid question but is there anyway to protect a certain cookie so that it doesn't get deleted when you empty your cookies?

What browser are you using?

Ccleaner has a tool where you drag the cookies you want to keep in to the "saved cookies". The rest it will delete while cleaning up your computer. Takes seconds to run it once installed.
Just click on "tools" then choose "cookies" and drag the cookie(s) you want to save.

http://www.ccleaner.com/ During install of Ccleaner you will be offered the Yahoo Toolbar. UNcheck if not wanted.

To Animal: I am using IE 6

To Buddy: I will think about using the program suggested. I was using ATF cleaner and just not selecting cookies and manually deleting all but the ones I wanted to keep but that is very time consuming. Could I d/l Ccleaner and get rid of ATF? Does it serve the same purpose?

Both serve the same purpose. Yes, you can keep or remove the ATF program.
You will find that Ccleaner has more options/tools I think. It has a secure delete function too. Overwrites deleted files 3 or 7 times. I would not recommend using the registry cleaning function or any registry cleaner.

I wonder how many of you knew that Adobe Flash has "hidden cookies"? I just found out about this by reading the article in the link below.
http://www.imasuper.com/66/technology/flas...privacy-killer/


http://www.macromedia.com/support/document..._manager07.html
To delete all the Flash Cookies currently being stored on your machine:

1. Go to the Settings Manager in the link above (Website Storage Settings)
2. Go to the far-right tab
3. Click “Delete all sites”

To prevent websites from storing any more information on your computer:

1. Go to Settings Manager
2. Click the Second Tab from the left (Global Storage Settings)
3. Set the Storage Settings slider to None
4. Uncheck “Allow Third Party Flash Content to store data on your computer

There are several other “privacy” settings on the other tabs, but don’t be persuaded. Most of those privacy settings have to do with whether or not websites can access your microphone and webcam. There isn’t a single cookie option on any of the privacy tabs on the Settings Manager.

Edited by buddy215, 09 December 2008 - 05:57 AM.

O.O Flash has Cookies.. Wow. That's why sometimes it's vulnerable..

Edited by Swordie, 01 March 2009 - 02:06 AM.

Or download Crap Cleaner it removes all Cookies, and probably the Macromedia ones described above.

hi... i hVE trouble accessing into a website after i clear private data on my mozilla.... the site says that the cookies are not allowed and needs to verify the security to allow access on the site... though i already put the site on exemption and allow cookies on that site.. i still cant access... oh and btw... i also cant access the site from IE..

Both serve the same purpose. Yes, you can keep or remove the ATF program.
You will find that Ccleaner has more options/tools I think. It has a secure delete function too. Overwrites deleted files 3 or 7 times.

"I would not recommend using the registry cleaning function or any registry cleaner."

Hey buddy215.
Good morning.

I was looking at an older forum entry of mine, where you were helping and had replied with a link to another thread, and I came upon this entry by you (quoted above), and I have a question, please.

I use Ccleaner often and regularly. I use the registry cleaner maybe once a month or when Ive uninstalled a large application or program, software, whatever.
I always save my registry changes to a folder I created for that purpose. (I believe you can "merge" or restore your computer, and the registry, back to where it was before you removed those entries. Much like a restore point, right?)

Anyway, I have never had a problem with my system after cleaning my registry with Ccleaner, and I have never had to use the "merge" option to reset my registry changes.

Would you explain why you do not recommend using Ccleaners' registry cleaner, or any other registry cleaner, please?
If I am harming my system, or running the risk of harming my system, I would like to know, in which case I would stop using the registry cleaning tool on Ccleaner.

Thanks buddy

Razz

Bleeping Computer DOES NOT recommend the use of registry cleaners/optimizers for several reasons:

• Registry cleaners are extremely powerful applications that can damage the registry by using aggressive cleaning routines and cause your computer to become unbootable.

The Windows registry is a central repository (database) for storing configuration data, user settings and machine-dependent settings, and options for the operating system. It contains information and settings for all hardware, software, users, and preferences. Whenever a user makes changes to settings, file associations, system policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in this repository. The registry is a crucial component because it is where Windows "remembers" all this information, how it works together, how Windows boots the system and what files it uses when it does. The registry is also a vulnerable subsystem, in that relatively small changes done incorrectly can render the system inoperable. For a more detailed explanation, read Understanding The Registry.

• Not all registry cleaners are created equal. There are a number of them available but they do not all work entirely the same way. Each vendor uses different criteria as to what constitutes a "bad entry". One cleaner may find entries on your system that will not cause problems when removed, another may not find the same entries, and still another may want to remove entries required for a program to work.

• Not all registry cleaners create a backup of the registry before making changes. If the changes prevent the system from booting up, then there is no backup available to restore it in order to regain functionality. A backup of the registry is essential BEFORE making any changes to the registry.

• Improperly removing registry entries can hamper malware disinfection and make the removal process more difficult if your computer becomes infected. For example, removing malware related registry entries before the infection is properly identified can contribute to system instability and even make the malware undetectable to removal tools.

• The usefulness of cleaning the registry is highly overrated and can be dangerous. In most cases, using a cleaner to remove obsolete, invalid, and erroneous entries does not affect system performance but it can result in "unpredictable results".

Unless you have a particular problem that requires a registry edit to correct it, I would suggest you leave the registry alone. Using registry cleaning tools unnecessarily or incorrectly could lead to disastrous effects on your operating system such as preventing it from ever starting again. For routine use, the benefits to your computer are negligible while the potential risks are great.

• Ed Bott's Webog: Why I don’t use registry cleaners
• Do I need a Registry Cleaner?

Here I come again. Can NOT figure out how to delete cookies since I downloaded microsoft 8? I thought that's what it was anyway. Now I have no delete and can Not get rid of the toolbar attached to my Google home page? HELP?

A couple additions for those who have interest in cookies. There are a couple new breeds out there since this was written.

For those interested do a google for flash cookies and the latest privacy threat ever cookies.